Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1858-07-23

Cole, the great American painter; and the
present residence of-Dan Rice the show
man who lives here in style. The two
taverns, at full charge, are the meancst,
and the dinners the drticst that can be
found this side the Digger Indians. But
there is policy in this, for it hurries visi-
tcrs @ 4 to the u4ouutaiu with ''swiftEcss
Of speed almost imaginable"
y caravan of four horse coaches, in
prime order, with sober. skiiful drivers,
takes off the suffering crowd. But, oh,
what beds Of dust, and what a tosrid at
mosphere; enough to roast herrings, and
scarce breath Of air stirring. But there
is one comfort people can play salama an
der for awhile if they must.
The road runs due west from the river
to the foot Of the mountain, nine tedious
miles at slow walk, with an occasional
hill or hollow, and an uninyi;ing tavern
half way the latter part of the route
level,with pretty good soil, but poor build
ings, and very shabby farming. didn't
suppose such thriftless agriculture was to
be met with anywhere on the "lorlly
Hudson with its choice, convenient mar
kcts, and vaunted civilization.
The mountain lifts itself abruptly from
tie plain, without any preliminary ascent /;
aul turning square to the left you mount
up the steep grades, southwardiy along the
face Of the mountain, three long, deliber-
ate miles TO the summit n"ly once. bout
fbroo four,bs the way up, is the road COM
para,iVcly Level, and the thick, outrageous
trees thin out enough TO give glimpse Of
the regions below, and jhe Mountain House
above; the latter apparently almost within
reach, yet a full mile distant, by the road.
About one-thiri of the way up, the road
winds into cool, shady ravine, where, at
the crossing, is little spring, and cabin
with refreshments for hungry way-farers,
kept by solitary old codger, as good hu-
morcd and Independent as if he was the
only landlord in existence. Leaning up
by the door is faded old tavern sign,
brought from somewhere below, reprcsen-
ting "gcntlcman Of the old school," in a
reclining position, which he vainlv strives
to improve, and looking up with an air
of hopeless distress to jolly old woman
in the door, he exclaims, ooh Dame
Winkle that fagon, that wicked fagon ~
At length, divergiug to the right by a
wide circuit, and up an extra steepncsss
that tires both driver and team, you sweep
around again to the left, and are deposited
at the rear Of the hotel. 1t is built on a
fat rock, a few acres in extent; part of it
having earth enough for a grass plat, and
a few vegetables. In front the rocks are
perpendicular for one or two hundred feet,
aud the hotel within foot of the edge
without railing or other protection. Just
here, to the right Of the building, is the
fayoritc spot for loungors and arm-chairs ;
especially at the sublime moment when the
rising sun
"Flingcth glory that aushcth the world -
or, swceter still, when the serene and SOL
omn sunset hour projects its gigantic sha-
dows over valley and river, forest and field
-intensifying the almost ominOus solitude
Of this mountain home.
The scenery is beyond my powers Of
description. can not daguerreotype the
magnificent panorama that stretches out
in limitless vastness before NE. Imagine
six States within reach of your eye at
once, with visible points on the horizon,
one hundred and fifty miles distant, The
Hudson close in the foreground; its broad
bosom covered with white winged messen-
gers of pleasure and commerce, from the
tiny sail boat to the portly three master.
Huge steamers churning the waves, and
impctuously dashing the foam from their
pathway; and long trains of cars passing
aud repassing at the rate of forty miles
per hour, as if hurrying from danger, or
rushing headloog to destruction. But
neither vapory whistle, dashing wheel, or
gliding train, send up any sound to these
upper realms, or furnish any audible token
Of the rush and roar and scream that mark
their progress; all glide past in spectral
silence.
Do you see that city far to the right?
Well, that amt Philadelphia And ano-
thcr TO the north? We'll, that amt Mon
treal. But you may take in almost any
thing you please, between those points,
and add it to the perspective catalogue;
so vast is the landscape, and SO multitude
nous its features. There are the High .
lands of the Hudson the Housatonic and
he Berkshire hills, Greylock and all;
he Adirondack; ; the Green Mountains of
vcrmont, and far to the east, wilderness
If namcless hills and peaks, in New
Massachusetts, and Maine
he coasts of Ireland and Labrador not in