Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1855-08-08
For the Spectator.


Editors Spsctdtor:-My last ended at Norris
town on the Sehuylkili. not far from there we
passed the 'tWoods of Valley Forpe.,' the memo
rable encampment of the American army during
the Revolution the forge, from which the valley
takes its name, is near the road, and the stone
house in which Washing ton had his head quarters.
In incident, here enlivened snail group Of us
for moment-a communicative individual kindi,j
pointed out 10 us a monument, standing on the
s.Encampment Grounds, and was Glating on
matters pertaining TO the place, when a quiet
looking fellow, near by, asking his pardon begged
leave to inform him that that monument was a
kind of arboy in a genieman's grounds and thai
Valley Foyge extended the other way. No one
can form an idea of the high state Of cultivation
of this region without seeing it., every field as
clean as garden and covered with splendid crops
"Old Berksn may well boast Of its farms the
soil is much like that of our own lovely Valley.
in fact it is just like it., the only difference is the
result of cultivation all the farms along here art
worth from one hundred TO one hundred and fifty
dollars an acre. Reading is a pleasant looking
roomy town, that is the houses don't crowd one
another.
The most prominent feature in the place is the
Jail, huge Norman Castle, with tower hun
of architecture for county Jail and workhouse,
and an Illustration Of the adage that "there is no
accounting for tastes" since the quiet. saving
Dutchman of this County have expended over
fiy thousand dollars in building this fancy prison.
Only few miles from Reading the mountains
rise up to considerable height, much higher
than had supposed We pass on, still on the
banks of the river, which is quite an object OF IN
tere.t on account Fits constant decrease in size
at the distance ofteventy- eight miles from Phla-
adelphia, at Port Clinton, there we change cars
and take the Catawissa & Williamspnrt, h. Il.
to the latter place through the mountain region OF
Pa, threading through the hills and winding a
mong the ridges, cold enough too in the night,
and cold enough at any time if one may Judge by
the vegetation. When we left the Schuylkill,
we left the wheat region. and we are now in the
region of rye, oats and buckwheat, and the pros
pect is fine for large yield; the farmers have
just finished sowing buckwheat, most OF them
This road leads thorough the iron region. passing
through Danville. and has not been opened but
short time; at Williamsport we take the road to
Emira N. Y. which place we reach at A. NJ.
having left Philadelphia at $3.50 P. NJ. and trav
elled 275 miles.
A night ride, in narrow cars, over new road,
is anything but agreeable-in truth narrow cars
or narrow gauge railroads are not comfortable at
any tme-there is as much difference in the
comfort of wide and narrow gauge roads as there
is between an old fashioned, roomy chair, made
when things were made for use and for men OF
capacity, and modern chair contracted to the
smallest possible dimensions and so fral that none
but degenerate race, physically at least, would
dare to sit on them.
w haI ~ IS he horo in full fny
after short stay in the fine growing town Of Ell
mira, where they are now fixing for the N. Y.
State Fair, we took the cars of the N. Y. and f.
rie road for this place, and never made more
agreeable change, two feet and half is not much
length but when added to the width of railroad
car, and over foot added to the length of your
seat it amounts to considerable. do not be-
eve there is finer road for comfort and speed
in the Union, than this; some twenty trains day
pass over the road from New York to Lake Erie
and from Lake Erie to New York. and at hume
rous points il is intersected by roads Of the same
rlage, by which you can 90 to any portion OF the
State. direct to the Falls &c. The company is
doubling its track and doing everything that can
he done to make this model road.
IF any one wishes to 90 westward from New
York City, would advise him by all means, to
take this road and at his ease n,"parlour cars"
contemplate the magnificent scenery lying along
a road 400 miles in length from six in the morn.
ing until ten in the evening at the low rate OF
two cents mile. The valleys of the Chemupg
and Susanehanna. are really beautiful. and the
hand of untiring industry is constantly improving
them. The railroad has made great changes in
the Southern Tier of Counties of N. Y. chang
ing almost the entire business of the people and
impartng life and elasticity to every branch OF
employment.
The wood used by the road, last year. cost o.
yer S5lO 000-making fine business for thon-
sands in furnishing it, at two and quarter dol
lars a cord. The length of a road does not deter
mine the amount of fuel used but the speed Of the
trains-it takes twice as much fuel to go thirty
miles an hour as if you only make twenty.
The system and order employed in managing
this longest road in the Union, is sdmlrable-and
if find time may give you glance at it. For
the present must close. Yours &c. }. ii.