Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1858-08-27
An Old Poem. with an Appendix.

On Saturday last, goodly company
partook ola much relisbei "Ilarvest Home
! Dinner at lIetze's Riviere House, Lew.
isburg. When good appe'i;es had been
"satisfei," ExGov. Pollock was called
upon for a short Address, and responded
with his usual promplnesa AID aGi,-aiion,
alluding first to Agriculture, ari neat 10
that greatest modern achievenert--the
underwater magnetic telegraph. JAMES
AIKEN was next called out, but-beiug
entirely unused to public speahins"-
had 10 speech to make. Instead OF an
address, he recited from memory poetions
OF Poem, descriptive Of the SUsQUE-
HANNA RIVER, found by hiln, ia school
book called the "Co!umbia Reader" in
the year 1918, and there attributed to
"WILsoN. We learn by the AAuntic
Monthly for Sept. that alexander Viii
son, the ornitho'ogist, published poems,
in 1871, characterized by much original
humor," and, as we believe he explored
the Susquehanna in one OF his profession
al pedestrian tours, are inclined to sup
pose he is the author of the poetry in
question. Whoever may have been the
writer, the lines are certainly prrphetical
just such a prediction as an intelligent
and far.sishted man, viewing the vast re.
sources of our country, and conscious of
the power Of high Christian Civilization,
would be apt to make. At that lime,
the beautiful SusTuehanna region, from
Its mouth to its ''utmost springs" was
comparatively unsettled, if not unknown.
Its present condition is 4 vast advance,
and by the time century has elapsed
from the writing Of the prophecy, it will
seem far from cxtravagant Mr.. AIKEN's
response, though hastily composed, and
devoted to a single mighty fact, does fall
Justice to the sub ject. We quote, GrSt,
THE sUsQuEuANNA-nr WILSON.
Hail, charming river, pure, transparent food,
tHSltne by uONioGS swamlS, aud choking uuii
Thdulrring through broken rocks. in wilrling foam
Or, Ilea-ed, DER beds Of glitterin- sand to rpauI
Green be thy banks, sweet forest wand ring stream
sill may thy waves with fnuy treasures teen,
The syery shai, and salmon thy shores,
Thy tall woods echoing to the sounding oars.
On thy swolin bosom floating piles appear
Filled with the haryrsts of our rich frontier!
Thy pine Drowned cliif-, thy deep, romantic wales,
Whore wolves now wander, ami the panther walls:
Where at long Intervals, the hut fororn
Peeps from the verlurr ofth' embowcrns corn,
In fHia"e tdass-Hor di 'ant far t,c d5y-
UuuumlereI heels thy ieeprnei course divide,
And airy arches qompou-iy hestriie,
And domes of Science and Religion, rise
And mil. ions swarm where now a forest lies!
Nh. AIE.S's RESPONSE
otari how favored those sons ofmen,
Gifted. like thee, with clear, prophetic ken,
Through the dark mists offuture time to trace
The vast achievements Of the human race,
But one great vision was withheld from thee
one mighty wonder bard thou didst not see
Der the vast Continent. the heightened wire,
Travyr.el by Thought, whose chariot is the fire
Which from black clouds immortal fLaSKIIS drew,
And M1RsE, like RAELY, tanned and hafnessed too
A tirrlcss restless, sleeplcss, lightning team,
Swift as from yonder the flashing beam
This team oRsE sends throug oceans dark ming caves,
Under the pressure of his awful waves;
These stecds no monsters Of the deep can scare,
And they don't ask who keeps a tavern there!
But on they 60, to gree; old Johnny Bull,
With a short note Of kindred love brm full,
From Jonathan. his sou across the main:
The old man smiles, and sends love back again
o, bard Of olaen time cen thy keeneye
Great NoEsE's steels Of lightning did no, SPY
But here they are, for JONATHAN and Bull
;,i, .l in ION mic tv N
Have made turnpike through the ''vasty deep"
And DER this turnpike MoEsEs steeds shall leap;
Mermads shall hear the lightning stage whip crack
Ho, Neptuurl make your lcsfers clear the track
FIELD the Columbus of the Yankee land!
With the old Genoese thy name shall stand
On glory's scroll immortal, side by side,
The worlds true friends and each his country pride