Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1860-06-16
Iflistellaneous.
The Susquehanna River.

If there be more beautiful spot on earth
than that where the men of Paxton settled,
we have never seen it, From its source in
Otsego Lake, where the great American nov.
eiist has described it in language that will
never cease to be read along by its lovely
windiugs, where the Chemung intersects the
North branch, whose beauties has been en-
balmed by one Of our most graceful poets
by the Valley of Wyoming, which lives for
ever in the Imagination of Campbell, but
which is fairer even than the semtropical
fancy of which he was enamored on by the
bold scenery of the meeting of its waters q
mile above Sunbury, to its broad glory, cele.
brated in the New PASTORAL, and its magnifi.
cent union with the Chesapeake, every mile
of the Susquebanna is beautiful. Other
rivers have their points Of loveliness or of
grandeur, the Susquehanna has every form of
beauty or sublimty that belongs to rivers
We have seen them all Connecticut Hud-
There is nothing like the Susquehanna on
this continent. It's peculiar character de.
pends upon its origin iu the New York mea-
dows, its passage through the magnificent
Pennsylvania highlands, and the richness OF
the valleys that lie between the mountains.
| Everywhere its course is DETECTED it begins
in wooded lake it winds limped brook by
meadows and over silver pebbles; makes its
way through mountains it lotters restingly
by their bases ; it sweeps in broad courses
by the valleys. Its vast width, 10 its mad
Spring freshets, when swollen by the melted
SHOWS, it rushes from the hills with irressti-
bic force, sometimes causing frightful lnunda-
tons, leaves, with it falls, island after island
in its mid channel, Of the richest green, and
most surprising beauty while those passages
through the mountains afford points OF
scenery far finer than any one would believe
them to be from any description, if he has
not seen them.
The SusquehauEa makes the grandest OF
these passages, just below the mouth Of the
JuIiata. Its course there is several miles
long, before it entirely disengages itself from
the rapids, called Hunters Falls, which are
the remains of the rocky barrier which once
resisted its way. Entirely at liberty, it pours
its stream, mile wide, along a channel some
fifty or sixty feet beneath its eastern bank
About seven miles below the mountains, at O
point where they look blue in the distance, a
sheltering wall from the northern blasts, flows
10 little stream which the Indians called
, Pexetang Paixtang, or Paxton. This noun.
tain range is the northern boundary of the
great valley, which, underlaid with blue lime
stone, covered originally with the richest anG
noblest forest-growth, and including within il
the garden of all the Atlantic slope, extend,
from Easton, on the Delaware, by Reading
: Lebanon and Lancaster, by Harrisburg, Y orl
and Carlisle, by Chambersburg, HagerstowI
and Winchester, until it loses itself in tn
North Carolina hills. The point of creates
d beauty in oil that valley. is the spot where
is cloven by the Susquehanna.
A hundred and forty years ago, an enter
prising young man, from Yorkshire in Eug
land, by descent probably, one of thoS
a, Scandinayians who, under the great Canut
held possession of the North of England, an
gave its main character to it, made his wa
= to Philadelphia. He married here a lad
who came over with we'll known Yorkshii
family of this city. Impelled by the san
enterprising spirit that brought him from Il
old world, and using the inevitable eye th'
was characteristic of him, he went to Il
e banks Of the Susquehanna. He settled for
n brief period at point above Columbia, whe
y the village Of Bainbridge now stands, plat
70 much frequented by the Conoy or Gawane
Indians. But be was not Satisfied with th
location. Exploring upwards along the Ea
tern bank of the Susquehanna, he advance
until, instead Of the Conewaga hills at !
back and on the opposite side OF the river,
g. found the entrance opposite to him OF tn
$, most beautiful valley, already described, wi
es two fine streams flowing into the river abo
10 five miles apart. and on the eastern side
elevated plateau, unsurpassed in loveliness
the wide world, with the little Paxton fowl
go at the base of an elevated slope or ridge
No. land. Here he settled, and the ferry aero
"s the river to the entrance Of the Cumberla
Valley, was called after him. His son, I
first white child born ives. of the Conewa
ar- hills, subsequently, laid out town on t
ale spot, and with singular forethought set APT
six acres oa : noble hill which rises on t
northwest, which be conveyed to the Sta
- for public purposes. The Capital of Pei
ase sylvania is now built upon it, and the city
o" Harrisburg bears his name.-Presbgeri
Z Quarterly RevieiO.