Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1854-09-29
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Editorial Correspondence of Lewisburg Chronicle.
PHILADELPHIA, Sept. %, 1854.
SEPT. 80, 1854.

PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 20, 1904.
To leave Lewisburg at lot o'clock, A NJ.
AS did to-day-ard take tea here at 8
in the evening-17i miles-is crumb Of
travelling comfort for West Branchers, not
noted down heretofore, l believe, in the
recollection cf the Oldest inhabitant; and
is, in solemn verify, most grateful and
welcome relief from purgatorial packet
boats, and risky Broad Mountain staging
The actual running time between Milton
and Pbilad'a is from ii AN. till u PM.
which shows at glance how happily our
secluded valley is brought into contact with
the outside world, aud the outsiders with
u-. A month or two hence, the link from
Milton to Wiiiamsport will be completed,
and then We can slip out in both directions.
All that remains to put the finishing touch
to the picture, is an iron track down the
Susquehanna, aud west to Spruce Greek
or Tyrone And this must and will be
done, Manifest destiny has decreed it,
and ike Chinese enactmcnts, her especial
edicts' must ultimately be " "obeyed."
Tie completion Of the Csttawissa road
is proof positive that any Other road under
the heavens can be made if the projectors
hang on to il with the same tenacity Of
purpose. Col. Paxton has been his own
Jupiter, and-our party is here. There
are two "wnnlcrs" about this road. First
is how the first explorers ever got ttro'
the woods" and the next how they man
aged to make then. Some tipsy locomo-
tive must have been out ky-larking when
it first found its way through that wider
ness of mountains between Tainaqua and
Cattawissa. But bravely and beautifully
docs it low move on t. pathway, like al
exultsnt bthrmo.h, sublmely unconscious
Of nature, Intellectual barriers in the way
Of its majestic rrogress-scai:rg dizzy
heights, hying over deep valleys, shooting
through unwclcome knobs, or lodging
round them, as if they we're thrown in
merely for variety and establishment.
There are 67 miles Of road in whicl there
is not single continuous mile Of straight
track | confess had some lurking fears
that. with all is merits, the SGftiy Of the
route was rather duhiuus: but personal
observation has dissipa,ed all such arpre-
tensions To be sure. steaming hurriedly
along mountain crests for miles, with the
valleys gliding past far down the wooded
slopes, or standing On the rear platform Of
the train As it shoots, in .wo or three in
stances, across valleys from ridge TO I'd ge,
and looking down, 1870 feet pe-peulicular,
through the open tro--. work, will add
something to ones IDEAS o! rerspec'ive,'
but the smoothness aud completeness Of
the road, and the soldi,y which you can
feel to be in these bridges as the train
passes over, together with the evident
prudence and good management of the
officers, will soon srtisfy any one that there
is no more risk here than on other roads.
Mr. Emmett, the chief engineer, assured
me these trusscl-work bridges would rcaii-
ly sustain a weight Of one thousand tons,
and that the heaviest burden train that
could be put upon them would not disturb
them in tie lea O-her roads have them
still higher. TIE o. across the Genesee
river, u, PortarH, y 7, built by Messrs.
Launar, Roch Her & JAS. Moore, jr., is
e3i feet hiah, and lightning trains daily
pass over j, at speed. Similar structures
also abound on the Lackawanna, and n.
Y. & Erie roads-on the latter, the track
passing high over the chimney tops in the
village of Lanesboro'.
1t is fourteen miles farther from Milton
to Port Clinton rs miles below Pottsvile
where we connect with the Reading rail-
road) than it is from Port Clinton to Phil
adelphia, vet We made made better time,
and were much more comfortable on the
Cattawissa than on the Reading track
tie larger portion Of the time having been
spent on the shorter portion of the road.
This route will now monopolize the travel
from the West Branch country, and old
fogy stage coach administration on the
Susquehanna is already an obsolete idea.
Peace to it's names. Arrangements will
ais, be made to an accommodating freight
business. The Spruce Greek road should
be put through now. Col. Paxton and
Mr.. Emmet. say it must be done.
Il must remark before closing that the
present appearance Of Tamaqua took me
by surprise. Eleven years ago, this
month, was the only passenger one day
from Port Clinton to Tamaqua in a small
open car. with two mules, on q used-up
fat.rail track We were five hours ma
king the 20 miles, and there were not ten
houses in Tamaqua, and the main street.
which was about the only spot the noun
taius would permit to be level-rejoiced
in fine crop Of stumps. Now it is
we'll built and furnishing town IF five
thousand inhabitants. So much for rail-
roads and enterprise. What would the
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