Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1856-12-11


70 into the rival boat just now oyertaken.-
The Captain Of the pioneer boat impatient of
delay and an advancing rival-the other OBJ
Stinate as though it was virtue-the Mules
pleased with the exhibition of so much obsti-
macy, their favorite quality-with all this the
! day breaking in the East betokened nothing
| peasant--the common lot of all explorers
For time no commands, no appeal, no threats
no entreaties availed but at last the unload
| ing was effected and the pioneer boat, Tona-
wanda, set sail once more in four feet of wa
| ter. winding through the rich fats Of Wyalu-
! sing, where the people came out to greet us
with cannon's fire and its rolling echo. They
! placed the cannon on our deck, and we made
it answer back our thanks for their KIND wei
| come This cannon we took with US to Elmra.
! Passing along the Terrytown narrews we
| fired over to the resoundIng shores to give some
| of the people of that place an opportunity to
reverse their long declared opinion on the I'M
possibility of navigating the North Branch Ca
nal All went Oh smoothly with the exception
of the lock tender at lock No. l2,-gr0p'ng
old IN The Serrice, who, in his anxiety to lock
the first boat through in style, had put across
the lock q temporary bridge, and Mailing down
all the boards but one on which IN crossing, by
the prevcrseness Of matter he stepped, and
fell some twelve or fourteen feet into the rag
ing caaaul But his excited state of mind ac-
knowledged no injury excepting pretty hard
twist of the neck We passed on to Standing
Stone Friday night, Mr. b. Laporte, Mr. 81
mon Stevens and others receiving cemplImen-
tary shots from our deck.
Next day. Saturday, We passed through the
pleasant fatlands of WvSox-the canal in the
finest order-o occasionally rolling the cannon's
echo along its wales | heard Mr.. Rain tell
lock-tender not to give us more than s'f feet
of water Here we wish to thank Mr.. Kahn,
tSup't of the upper half of the Canal, under
Mr. Maffet,) for his assistance, notwlthstand-
ing he had taken 10 sleep for three nights pre-
yi0us. Soon the village Of Towanda appeared
in sight, the cannon announcing our approach.
On the burnt bridge, now under speedy repairs,
Il crowd had gathered to welcome US across the
pool Tying two tow lines to one skiff, and
shooting them to the bridge, the crowd drew
us in fine style to their hospitable shore. De
clining any further demonstration which was
offered, we went on to Tioga Point the Pack
ct Boat passing us at Ulster, and its Captain
receiving a complimentary fire from our deck.
The next day was the Sabbath. With an
hestated about proceeding on that day but
rs the good Clergy in that region, for the last
two or three months, has recognized a poti-
cal religious excitement we thought there might
be such a thing as North Branch Religious
Extension feeling, and that crew which had
courage to navigate up canal for years con-
signed by the general voice of the people along
its whole length, to its grave, and placed with
the list of projects never to be revived, that
such a crew was sound in the doctrine of
resurrection. In this frame of mind we pass
ed silently and reverently along the beautiful
country around Tioga Point, breaking the still
ness of the sacred day by no cannon's echo,-
nothing save an occasional blast of the horn
to warn a drowsy lock-teuder of our approach
When we reached the residence of Mr. Da-
yid Shcarer, (Sup't of the Junction Cana, J
Capt May sounded the horn with true boat
mans cadence, and shortly Mr.. Shearer came
on deck in high glee saying, All, knew that
Juniata horn" He was formerly engaged on
the Juniata Canal and for some years has been
in this region waiting for the moving OF, the
waters " in the North Branch Canal. -" AS
the mind is pitched the ear is pleased, Vand If
any music ever fell pleasantly on the ear; the
sound Of that Juniata horn awakened Joy in
in his heart. Monday morning we were one
mile from Elmira, when we received word to
stop and wait for welcome. An extra was
issued by the Daily Gazette, calling out the
citizens to escort the first Boat Load Of the
Black Diamond of Wyoming Valley into their
city. Meanwhile our Boat was prepared with
fags-the mules capariSoned, and true to their
natures in compliment to such honor they pre-
sented the most ind;scribable Indifference At
O'Clock procession formed before Haght's
Hotel, Ia Hotel and a landlord not to be sur
passed } and led by Wisner's Band proceeded
to the Boat filling the deck to overaowng A
gun manned and drawn BY horses followed,
shaking the air, and answered back by our gun,
which was loaded by the citizens and fired by
our cigars. The Boat stopped at the junction
OF the Chemung and junction Canals, where
Col. G.. S. Hathaway, addressed the crowd in
an eloquent speech, welcoming the Boat to
their borders, as the harbinger of another tie
of brotherhood and another means of inter-
course between the Keystone and Empire states
complimentng Mr. Maffet for his industry and
perseverance. The Boat passed on to the Ba-
sin, when the procession reformed and return
ed to Haight's Hotel, where cheers were given
for Mr.. Arnot, Mr.. Holenback Mr.. Maffet,
Mr.. Shearer Wyoming Valley and Captain
May. And the citizens of Elmira may be as
sured that such welcome as they gave US will
be gratefully remembered By the people Of
Wyoming Valley.
So ends my Log Book Grateful for escap-
ing the dangers of a perlous navigation, and
thankful for the welcome we received and to
Mr.. Maffet and his Superintendants, Messrs
Elliot and Rain, think of taking farewell
to Boating and the first train of cars home.
Yours, truly,
j. r.
P. S.-Above Tunkhannock, the Canal is in
fine order Below to Pittston some repair is
only necessary to make it, another season, CO.