The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1861-12-31

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and icy prisms decompos:ng, the lie
giving rays subluing, Yet eleva,ing
rapturous, yet peaceful, like the dawn
ing Of love in The human heart is lhi,
coming OF the morning
Ny route from Chicago lay through
Illinois. Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania,
over the Pittsburg, Fit. Wayne IL Chi
cago, and Pennsylvania Central Rail
roads. | verify believe that it is the
most ATTRACTIVE, as well the most expedi
tons route eastward In all the APP
pointments OF tie roads nothing further
can be desired A smooth road bed,
luxurious cars, pleasant employees, quick
running, and sort stoppages, is our ex-
perience. These with the varied scene,
ry, prevented the long ride from becom-
ing in the least degree wearisome. For
miles, after leaving Chicago, the road
runs through wild swvmp, which, with
its lakes, its long reeds and grasses its
weird, kaotted and distorted trunks, TO
which cling tenacious parasites, and
from whose boughs depended tangled
vines, its fallen tress and matted bushes
bring TO mind very forclbly, PoRrE
CRAvoN's illustrations and Mrs. SrowE's
description, of the Dismal Swamp. Pass
ing this we enter the fiat, mucky, heavi-
ly timbered country of northern Indiana.
| Nearing Fit. Wayne, 49 miles from Chi
cago. city Of 5000 inhabitants planted
where but two or three decades since a
village Of The Miami tribes of Indians
stood, we came to q fine, rich, farming
country, dotted with hourishing villages.
and sprinkled with fine farmhouses and
large granaries. Thence into Ohio. we
pass through Cresttine, Mansfield, Woos-
ter, Masson. and The rich country in.
termediae. Thence into the broken.
eralbearing region of eastern Ohio
and western Pennsylvania. until, after
ride Of 467 miles, and Of about 90 hours,
from Chicago, we cross the Allegheny
river into Pittsburg
Leaving smoky Pittsburg at 8 a. M,
we reach the Alleghanies, and cross them
as the suns early rays covers the sum
mts with crowns of gold and crimson
The shrek of the locomotive occasional
ly starts deer from his covert. and
we catch a glimpse of him as he
goes bounding off up a gorge Of the
mountains. Rapidly we mount upwards
into the bracing air Of The hills, and
though We find huge icicles pendant
from the oozy rocks, we see no snow.
Clnging to the sides mountains, W hose
heads rise hundreds Of feet above us. and
whose bases are as many feet below US
around and over fearful chasms, through
deep excavations, and along marvellous
entertainments, We climb to the summit
through which we pass in a tunnel thro'
the solid rock, seven Fights of a mile in
length, and then we descend at an al
most fearful angle. Nearing Altoona, on
the steepest grade on the whole road, We
come to the 4" horse shoe curve" where
the road makes so short a turn that it al
most seems that the train doubles up.
On one side Of the track the mountain
rises up above us five or six hundred
feet on the other side we look down in
to gogre as many feet below US, at the
bottom of which, leaping over the rocks
IN cascades, runs a mountain brook, di-
viding, with a line of silver, the sombre
shadows Of the gorge. Looking out
through this opening, we can follow The
dark line Of the mountains for miles, the
SUBMITS bright in the sunshine, and the
sides encased in light purple vapor.
Which the genial rays of Sol were fast
dispelling, Many miles away, and stretch
ing across the line of our vision, were
other mountains, whose tops seemed far
above us, and all around stretched SINH
lar wooded and rocky elevations 1t is
one Of the widest, grandest, and most
magnificent views we ever beheld
About o'clock, we reached Altoona.
which is at the foot of the eastern slope
of the mountain, and where one can get
splendid breakfast 10 satisfy the appe
tie which the bracing air OF the noun
talns IS sure to generate. In 20 minutes
we are off again, noting the many open
ings. at the bases and on the sides, Of the
hills, to the coal mines openings SO small