Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1858-08-06
distance was treated TO "Hail Columbia with


What delightful view presented itself I
me as looked out of the window from tn
second story of that hospitable mansion OF
the beautiful lawn intersected by grave
walks, that lay before me. and along tn
broad avenues that radiafed from the point a
which was sitting down the hill, lined a
thew are with noble and beautiful trees =
These present beautiful sistas arched in b
the extending limbs meeting in thick foliag,
overhead. The dSw drop sparkled from ey
cry blade OF grass while the little birds sans
their merning songs from the boughs above
The birds tn is reason are unusually numer
! Gus and tame. They are constantly hop
ping about from tree to tree. They have
no fear ef men, and here they have nothing
to fear. Our hostess though great grand
mother, has all the elasticity of a girl o.
sixteen (and rather more then our city girls
ussually have at that age), loves TO feed
these native songsters with crumbs, and
| other things they can appreciate, and this
| no doubt brings to US more than our share
! of the feathered tribe. | could not help but
| think how privileged are those who can
dwell in the country surrounded by ''rural
sights and rural sounds" 1t for a moment
seemed as though | would be better man
| for living here, but this was delusion, for
we are always best where wise over-ruling
| Providence places us. Still it does one
good to get out among the curious and end
| less varieties that are TO be seen in nature,
| for it is -eyiving alike to soul and body.
The great event of the day was a Balloon
Ascension. In the morning | went down
TO the large open space where the great bag
of yellow silk was being inflated with gas.
| The gas was manufactured on the spot and
| let into the balloon. as it was produced =
| The ascension was appointed for O'Clock
! p. M. and long before that hour thousands
| had collected TO see the man go up. 1t was
g matter of no little curiosity to me to wan
| der Through the crowd as it pressed earnest
/ ly forward. Some were on foot, some in
/ carriages latter of almost every model
aRd size that human ingenuity has yet de-
pised. As usual on such occasions, no in :
men and children, with respectable sprihk-
/ ling of babies from SIX weeks old and up
wards. I need not say that ours was not "a
mong them; Mrs. Shocks is too careful a
woman for that. At first the inflated part
was held down by bags of sand, but as the
| buoyancy iacre ased it took several men to
hold it which they did by means of ropes at
tached to the netting that spread over the
Balloon. About halt past three O'Clock the
basket was attached little wicket affair,
made apparently of willows, of oval shape
and perhaps four feet long by two and half
in width. The Balloon was restrained by
those holding the ropes and allowed to rise
gradually till clear OF trees &c. in the vicin:
ity-whea being let go it shot up into the
| air witt, the speed OF an arrow. The band
struck up the Marsailes Hymn as he sped
upwards, while Mons. Reynard the aero
nautl waved his hat and replied to the
cheers from below in most graceful man.
ner. The heighth he attained was Ss1teen
thousand feet, little over three miles. The
sky was bright and clear and his view was
unimpeded in every direction but one the
direction Of New York, which city was hid
by dense fog. The stermers and sailing
vessels on the Sound were plainly seen and
ships on the Ocean. The cold as he arose
became very intense, the thermometer fall
ing below zero. 1.-The change in the atmos-
phere was very rapid, and the effect on him
to keep from sleeping. His descent was so
we'll conducted and SO slow that there was
no violence whatever. He landed on Long
Island at place called New Village, some
80 or 35 miles from here, at half past five o.
clock, having been up about two hours
The people Of The village ..etieea ..eee. hs5 1:s -
rroach over tl.eit heads, and assembled to
assist him. He landed in the middle of the
street, in front of dwelling; with their as
sistance he soon had his balloon and all its
appurtenances secured and packed ready to
be conveyed tG the rail road station six miles
distant"
Some very Indifferent fireworks in the e.
vening, completed the exercises OF the day
The communication from this place with
New York City, 156 miles distant, is fire.
quent by railway, there is also boat
every day.
Since I began this letter I have had ocea-
my coming back yesterday afternoon came
came up in the steamboat. The captain is
a personal friend of many yeaIs standing
! and Is a whole hearted man and one
OF the very best of captains, always attentive
| to the comfort of those around him.
| AS we drew near our destination, the af-
ternaon frightened into one of rare beauty.
| The popoises were playing round the boat in
! large numbers, and in their gambois would
| leap into the air, and dive again into the wa
| ter, to their own great delight, and to the no
small amusement of all the children
on board. The Quiet shady tov7ti, as We ap-
preached. seemed slumbering among the trees,
while the water over which were gliding,
smooth as the polished sdffaee 5f d,iftot;
glistened in the slaf1tihg beams of the de-
elin;ng sun. 1t was scene long to be re-
membered, for 'sa thing of beauty is a joy for
4 ever.''
This afternoon we have been taking a
ride. We had With us our excellent and
venerable host, himself a resident here el
more than forty years-"an Israelite indeed
in whom there is no guile" the greatest
charge against whom, that can be made is
that he incurs the denunciation pronounced
in Luke VI, 20: "Woe unto you when all
men shall speak well of you'-=and ottr NJ
less beloved hostess, who in a more active
way is doing good to all with whom shs
comes in contact--and the baby of course
/ We drove over to the ancient town of STRAIT
ford, one of the most antiquated and certain
ly one of the sweetest spots in New Eng
land. Rarely does one see such noble elms
as they stretch out their graceful arms te
bless the great grand children of those W ht
planted them The broad old fashioned roat
covered with verdure of the richest hue
through which winds gracefully as a strean
of silver the beaten path for public aud pri
vats coAveyances.
In this town there is still standing the frs
4 Episcopal church built in the State, with it