Smyrna times. [volume] (Smyrna, Del.) 1854-1987, 1854-11-08
Correspondence of the Smyrna Times.
Letter from Indiana.
New ALBANY, Ind, Oct. 81, Is

1
event of departure--perhaps for life--to write
you an account of my travel, | feel bound to
perform the task; which, however, l should
have declined had consulted my own wishes
knowing my inability to properly delineate the
scenes and objects which came under my notice.
Thinking it may prove interesting to my friends
and sketch of Western travel of some inter-
est to the general reader, | forthwith proceed
TO the work:
| | and friend, by the same name, left Phila-
delphia, at IL O'clock, P. NJ, on the 9th inst,
ON the Ohio and Pennsylvania Railroad. The
cars were crowded, principally with merchants
who had come to Philadelphia, to purchase
their stock of fall goods. We were lively
crowd for an hour or two, until " Tom Nod"
came into our midst, and carried gOodly num-
Der into the " land of Dreams"
Time passed on, but the locomotive moved /
the faster, and arrived at every station before
the stated time. The pale light of the moon
which shown through the white, misty clouds,
enabled us, but dmly, TO see the landscape over
which We passed. We noticed, however, from
the noise of the train, that frequently we went
through deep-cuts and over-bridges, and cause
ways on the mountain side, and in the valley.
Friend Ii. and [, concluded, alter we had got
into the interior of Pennsylvania, that the corn
was greatly inferior to Delaware crOps-the
face Of the country was more rolling and sterile
generally. We arrived at Harrisburg just at
the dawn of day, and had bat little opportunity
of seeing it during our short stop. 1t appeared
from the car window, to be regularly laid out
, and ornamented with shade trees along the
streets and front yards.
Travelling on, we crossed the Susquehanna,
on bridge mile long, and "made way" into
; q mountainous country, where occasionally we
saw stairway thrown up the hillside, to gain
the cottage door, and frequently the humble
yeoman, at that early hour, could be seen stand
ing outside, enjoying the luxury of a Dutch
= pipe, while viewing the passing train with COM
, parative astonishment.
p" We took breakfast in Altoona, at ii o'clock.
Rather late hour this, for the first meal But
> the train was detained two hours by an accident
!, Of breaking both parallels on the locomotive
: and throwing the front wheels of the first car
OF the track. After refreshing repast we
:. resumed our journey in rougher section than
: ever-the surface and under strata were solid
: rock, the grading was done by blasting and pull
verizing the rude MASSES ofstone with the ham
mer. On this part of the road is a tunnel
. three-fourths of a mile long, the inner part is a
~ coal bed-which are quite numerous. In the
81 tunnel are dim lights constantly burning, the
:; sound of the cars was the most disagreeable and
- annoying that ever fell upon my cart sound
l., ed as if TIE whole earth had been gong, and
|. all mankind beating on it, the tOci being
in "everybody's ears" This was the mos
- mountainous section of the route, about hal
= way up the side of which, runs the railroad
= winding with its meandering chain for miles
n, The distance from the cars 10 the bottom of thu
:. vale, is probably three hundred feet, and al
80 many to the summit. The scenery here wa
h. truly sublime-the lofty peaks in the distances
go seemed to blend their towering heights witt
the blue tint of the horizon, and the sugar-treC
;s burdened with its rich foliage, is seen clmbin!
- u, the craggy sides Of the distant hills. Til,
iron horse, in his rocky path, steers his west
ward course TO the great iron city, and the shril
90 sound of the whistle is heard echoing and re
cs echoing amid the keystone rocks-the feetin!
loo hills seem to pass us swiftly by, and recede il
mr. the distance like white cloud melting in tn
=. summersky. Often, as we came nearer Pittsbur
-. CITY, we saw miners on the hill side, standing
10 at the entrance of tunnel leading to Goa
mine, wearing a black coat of dust, and lookn;
apparently amazed at the sight of the passing
wi cars
AZ We arrived at Pittsburg at o'clock, ben
two hours after the regular time, owing to tn
'"3 accident above stated. had often heard tina
sn it was smoky city, but did not believe tina
'a' everything was literally black. Twoand a ha
hours in the street ia sufficient time to spoil
"'' white swiss dress or white coat, white bonnie
'1e soon ceases to be handsome covering, au
white hats had not yet made their debut--her
~ fair complications are very scarce; the grei
mass wear the smoky vale" We thought
."e was no wonder they were abolitionsts, for
- wouI take microscope to discover the dlstln
- ton between colors, if they worked in the san
nj, shop . =.
The Pittsburg Is an enterprsing and growing CIT
ZEN situated in the centre of iron mines, and b
lws, become the greatest iroa-working city in {
ners Union. Here, friend II. and |, bid a final go
'hts, bye, in the middle of the nghtour directi
being at variance, we could no longer enj
ross each others society, Iteltsolema and friei
IN less in the eyent---n5 one else whose count
, tbe ance was familiar OF with whom1 might
change friendly word. e
lnlns started from pillsbnrg ats o'clock. in
! vii morning, and fell ni company with one
pro- whom / had travelled the day before. He
travelled on the road number of tunes
gave me much valuable information in reg