Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1858-07-02
A New Summer Trip.

A New Summer Trip.
LepisLury. Northumberland. Dr. Priesdy
The completion of the connection Of tn
Harrisburg and Baltimore Railroad will
Sunbury, and thus with the Suubury {
Erie road, is an event of no small impor
tance to the commercial interests of the
country, opening up as it docs to our Stat'
a new route of railroad travel from Harris
burg to Western New York, and indeed
to the whole Of the West, as far as Iowa
But it is not so much in its Commercial
relations, that We design now to speak o.
it, as in regard to the facilities it afford.
for new route of recreative summer ira
vel Of the very highest interest to the
tourist, the poet, or the philosopher fol
it will carry him through scenery of the
most romantic and varied kind all along
the beautiful banks Of the Susquehanna,
where Coleridge and his fellow poets
dreamed of establishing themselves, though
they never accomplished it.
1t would be new and most delightful
summer trip to most of our readers, that
to Northumberland, and the grave Of the
philosopber-to LepisLury, with its hand.
some University building, designed BY +.
U. Walker, aud with but few rivals as q
University building in the United States.
Thence the traveller might pursue his way
BY Williamsport and Elmira to Niagara,
or anywhere he pleased.
Northumberland itself is a study. Sit
uated on the railroad within twu miles of
Sunbury, and within about as many hours
of Harrisburg in the cars, it lies at the
confluence of the two branches of the Sus.
quehanns. The town itself is old and
small, not growing as it ought, consider
ing the canals that meet here, and the
railroad, and the bank, and the almost un-
equalled beauty Of the surrounding scene.
ry. The last is its chief attraction, and,
no doubt, helped to induce DR.. PRIEsrLY
to select it. Here he built residence, a
large frame mansion that still remains at
the end oe between sixty and seventy
years, a sounder and better structure, for
durability and finish, than almost any
house in the whole State built at that
time. There is not crack in the plaster,
not stone in the foundation has settled,
not board in the floor or on the whole
establishment seems to have shrunk the
eighth of an inch. A new coat of paint,
&C., is all it wants. The hand of the
practical philosopher is seen in every
plank. Here is shown the room then his
library, in which the great man laid bis
hand on his mouth that be might escape
from life unperceivedly, and there quietly
breathed his last. Here the laboratory
of that prince Of modern chemists, though,
alas since desecrated as granary. The
PROCLAMATION seemed greater than the turn
ing of Napoleon's drawing room into a
stable at St. Helena. The laboratory
chimney in the corner alone remains to
mark the care with which he constructed
and fitted it up-thst room for those ex.
periments that we're the wonder of the age
and of the world. Here are the trees he
planted, and his taste was good. He in-
troduced all the finest fruit trees from
England, and not few of the best sur.
rounding orchards we're stocked with bis
fruit. In the cemetery are the tombstones
of bis youngest SOD, in 1875, Of his wife,
in 1876, and of himself, in 1904, all with
beautiful texts Of scripture, evincing his
fine, calm faith in Immortality and the
resurrection. From the top of his house,
on which he had constructed balcony,
is one of the very finest views up the
North West Branch of the Susquehanna
that the eye of man ever rested upon. 1t
should not be forgotten that this man had
his house burned and his life perilled, for
bis attachment to the cause Of republican
liberty. He was an exile from his own
country, to its disgrace, on this account.
And be became citizen Of the United
States and of Pennsylvania, simply and
purely from the admiration of the princi-
pies of its government and an affinity to
such men as Franklin and as Jefferson.
1t would be difficult for those Of our rea-
ders who are iu the habit Of taking sum-
mer ramble, about the 4th or July, to oc-
cupy their time more pleasantly and prof.
itably, than in such inquiries and medita.
tions as "4th" spent in quietly rambling
in the little village and deserted house
for it is now. We believe, for sale-of
this departed philosopher and sage Of Rev.
olutionary timcs.-I%idad. Ledyer.