Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-08-12


MAKE FoRTUNE-LYoSs-FINET Towns, W. |
Lagos, AND WoMEN-PALMYRA,& &c =, &c. ~ Il
Editorial Correspondence Of The star.
OK THE CARS OF THE N Y CkNTRN1
mo. 20. RAILROAD, August 1, 1859. 5
We are now within thirty miles Of Utica, the
head of this charming valley, and we now see
more Of the country somewhat than the lay of the
land permitted us to see below. In all we see the
pictures continue beautiful. The appearance of
many farm laborers cutting and curing hay, is a
point in the scene adding to its charming variety
here.
We are now entering the village Of Little Falls.
The Mohawk here is full Of wild and captivating
rocky scenery Man has subdued nature here 70
the extent Of rendering Its water power most
profitable for his Yet he has not been able
to deprive it Of its grand and striking proportions
Its fantasies thus master even him. This large
| village is the great manufacturing point Of the
region. The rocks over which the little river
| tumbles seem strewed by nature the husband
man sows the grain. Some of them hundreds If
not thousands of tons in weight, look as though
| turned upside down by freak of power able
thus to reverse their position at will. Others are
worn into channels by constant LAYING Of the
waters; while still others form barriers In mid
| stream against which the currents rush madly,
covering their crests with combs of white foam,
l or canOpleS OF slivcry spray.
From Frankfort, nine miles east of Utica, we
gradually lost sight of the Mohawk, though cours-
| ing through smiling fields being harvested, in a
prolongation Of its fertile valley Wewere allowed
half hour to dine at Utica, and according to
railroad CUSTOM all preferred to take it standing
at the nearest restaurant to going to a hotel The
| trip by rail through suburb Of Utica, permits
one to see naught of it Of interest except its State
| Lunatic Asylum, dingy, prison-like structure Of
granite, built, one would imagine. ere the good
| folks of this section came TO comprehend that il
costs no more TO construct mansions that orna-
| ments to cities, than close limitations of Squire
| Smiths or Farmer Browns barn--'.leetle at both
| ends ont and bulgin up in the mddle.n From
Utica (west) our route continued apparently up the
| valley of the Mohawk, the stream being little
more than very diminutve brook. whose pres
| ence near the rail track was made known chiefly
by that Of the Erie Canal on its bank Much Of
the valley for some miles out (west of Utica) ap-
pears TO be newly cleared Rome was passe first If
all the towns west Of Utica; and from that point
the evidences that the country is more recently
settled increased on all sides. The valley begins
to widen considerably, and huge stumps stand
thick in half the fields, while half the land
perhaps, is uncleared-low ground or swamp
Wherever a really improved patch appears the
| crops upon it tell that the valley is indeed well
nigh as fertile here as below The style of farm
| improvements has here commenced to be that of
western agriculturists-here a lick aud there a
promise. Nevertheless in very few years, the de-
| sirable change will take place. Joined by such a
link as this magnificent railway to the more expe-
rienced imprOvers below, thus Madison county
valley will equal the Mohawk valley in Herki-
in far less time than it took the latter to reach
| its present high state of culture.
p;, \
resemblance Of the hills skrting this valley OIL the
south to those of Kentucky, across the Ohio
river in the vicinity of Cincinnati
Approaching Syracuse the oats are vet quite
green. They will hardly be in condition for har-
yestng for a fortnight
| Syracuse is the first considerable New York in
| terior-town through which the Central railroad
passes, of which the traveller upon it has oppor
| tunlty to get good view. Its importance grows
out Of the deposites Of salt in it's vicinity Wells
are sunk aud the salt water is pumped into larp,
| watts in which II is boiled by some manufacturers
and evaporated in wooden pans or fat houghs by
others; the sun being, in the latter case the heat
Ing agent The town wears modern air in all
respects the houses being mostly of wood and the
public buildings after the cheap and hashy order
Thousands of hardy laborers find employment in
these works. Wherever such people are ployed
in large numbers, their business life and ener.-v
are apparent in all the surroundings. Such at
least is the result If my travelling experience Sy-
racuse stands on the bank Of the Onondaga Lake
beautiful sheet of water as seen from the car
| window
| West of Syracuse the wheat seems but lust be-
ginning to turn yellow. A trip like the one am
now taking, especially at this season of the wear
forcibly reminds the observer Of the great diver
sity Of climate i'm our great country Thus this
| wheat is full mcnth and more b,hind ours in
virginia and Maryland in readi ness for the reaper
The land continues to be cut up in pat fields Of
| very lew acres in each, not one in ffty of them
being naturally Watered. This division of the lots
satiShes me that few, very few, indeed hold lands
hereabouw' In considerable farms. We passed
villages in quick succession west Of Syracuse, law
| ing principally to the south Of the railroad In
thriftness and the general style of its cultivation
| am reminded by this country Of that which
| passed through Immediately after leaving Scbe
nectady. We are now fairly in Western New
YORK; and lovely land to look upon 1t is, truly
| "here neids have been long in cultivation they
| are IN as hne condition any in America and
| where being improved, the skill and industry of
| these people Is already manifest upon them as
in the longcr-settled places. Most of the VILLAGE,
In this part Of tie valley lay far enough from m.
railroad to admit Of getting bird's-eye view Of
| tnem- Thus. see them to greater advantage than
! saw those lower down the valley; and conse
| quenty they strike my minds eye with more
pleasing effect.
The railway companies in the West, it seems.
| are Vieing with the pill and plaster men in their
style of trying to attract public attention to ,be,
wares transportation Trees and fences in tbi.
vicinity are painted in various places, by mean, of
cut tin letter forms: Il" Everybody going to Detroit
| take the Great Western railroad - The Gr-,,
western is Canada railroad. Travelling over 1t
three years ago, found 1t the most agreeablv.
managed and best-found railroad ever rode n,
so ], too, say, Everybody going to Detroit, take
the Great w estern Railroad ~
little more than fifty miles below Rocbeste,
we cross considerable lagoon or lake, bordered
by an immense swamp, covering apparently a
thousand acres. Here's a fine chance f,, snm.
enterprising civil engineer to make his fortune
IL drained, every acre will be worth ,e,h,n,
$3.50, and in these times the facilities for dr,ipin
such territory in this section Of country mast rem
der the work one Of comps rative ease and lipbt