New-York daily tribune., 1861-08-11
A Me- w ROUTE TO WASHING TON,

cars and crossing ferries. To be reused from CON-
Portable doze with the command "ehange cars p and to
gather up your books, wife, bundles, and children and
turn out in the rain in the darknessof cloudy might
stumbling bndly along in strange place. is something
not TO be thought Of without sbyer while toneryous
people, the approach to ierry-where one hears now
and then Of cars of the boat and horses and other
animals drowned-is not at all calculated to induce
sound sleep. How to avoid this annoyance is study
worth moments attention; and the teaching of such
Lesson was the object an excursion from New-York
to Washington accomplished Wedne day by small
party Of gentlemen of the rail and the pen.
Under the superintendence of Mr. John T. Johnston,
President of the NewJersey Central Railroad left
jersey City at o'clock on "Wednesday morning for
Washington via Easton, Reading, Harrisburg, York,
aud Baltimore over route at once pleasant and
pioturcsquey interesting. Western New-Jersey along
the valley Of the Musconetcopg, wa much admired for
its delightful scenery and high fertility, although su-
fering severely from the drouh. Crossing the Della
ware at Easson, we 90 up the valley of the Lehigh
River 10 Allentown, through hilly and romantic
gon full of busting industry. Sinking OF toward the
Susquehanna, we traverse Berks County-old Berks
once the Gibraltar Of Democracy, but standing up
nobly for the Union, regardless Of party landmarks.
the keystone State Inhabited by independent farmers
whose welkept acres do honor to their thrifty labor.
Away in the north are the blue hills of the coal region
while right and left, and almost undor foot, mex
haustibe beds and mountains of iron ore.
We cross the Susquehanna at the City Of Harrisburg
"a snowy but not very handsome pace-and turn
our iron horse southwark. Here is hours ride hat
will richly repay the business man or the tourist.
"The beautiful Susquehanna' land it Is beautiful
eyerywhere) is the left pouring lie mile-wide
stream lszily along Of the lovelies valleys in the
world. Notwithstanding the long dry spell tGis valley
stood dressed Ia living green" dotted wEh villages
and hamlets aud smiling serenely under the starry
hammer Of pefc as though thousand instead OF
ese than hundred miles away The riveritsel, srewn
with lovely wooded islands spread out to lakes
expanse and cleaning like silver over its bed of sand
and limestone and again narrowed into deep, dark
channel was fascination that the eye could not resist
Although just at this uneure tie popping of corks
and the chatter of knives and plates betoAened
serious if not more agreeable employment.
Leaving the river, we strike across the country to
York an ancient city, which once the capital of
our embryo nation while the British troops possessed
Philadelphia, in H77-76), now a we-to-do inland
town, the center Of fine farming region, and the
possessor of Court House wonderulto beuod. A few
miles further and We almost feel jolt rush over
the famous Mason und Dxons line, and enter upon
slave soil The transition all times notable for the
sudden change in the agricultural appear
ance of the country, Is now a transition not only
from Freedom to Slavery, but from Peace to War.
Bright muskets threatening bayooets aud the tents Of
tue soldery come upon your eye with sshock sufficient
to Lrng you back to tie sad realities II national
peril From the Pennsy vania line to Baltimore the
railway ia sprinked with large and small bridges each
one Of which guarded by picket Of from to
dozen men; for it these bridges that the Maryland
s,cefsionsts broke down and burned, under the in.
spiration Of Marshal Kane to prevent Northern troops
from reaching Baltimore. All is safe now, however;
and the bown-faced Indis snaIs greet with kindly
cheers as We pass and to deyour the newspapers
which we throw TO them.
Nine hours and twenty minutes since we were on
the banks of the Hudson, and now we Discern the
monument, and roll into Baltimore to be drag ed like
cptives b. taudem-teams through grimy silent Streets
stared at with lazy curiosity and lively inpudence and
pesered by Ieddling negroes until we attach 10 the
waiting tram of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and
move on toward Washington. What with through
trains and an enormous train of cattle Fat and excel
lent cattle too and other inerferences of Government
we mike SOW time, but get nnder the shadow Of the
Capita in the edge Of the evening, and tumble out at
Wlllard's 70 fud a great crowd, hot night and no
news
Where we went, and what and whom we saw in
Washngton is Of little consequence, and we let il
pass, saving only that ii dozen railroad Presidents
and dozen editors did not enjoy themselves was
not the fault Of the cordial friends who net them dur
ing the evening and the day following.
We have seen that the day ride this route from
New-York 10 Washington is through region of
beauty, with views at several points that cannot
be equaled; while the time consumed Is practically
the M that by the Camden and Amboy route,
with the Philadelphia and uavrede-Graee ferries,
and two changes of cara. But the night improve
ment is still important. Sleeping cars, Of Wood
ruis excellent patent directly through from New
York to Washington aud vice versa, that the weary
traveller may sleep the entire distance il he elects, with
nothing TO molest or make him afraid. We did not
quite do IT, owing to slight accident to heavy freigh,
train which caused short detention but il IL feasible,
and will soon DO as regularly done the night
train 10 Boston.
Beside the members Of the press on this trip, were
John T. Johnston, President of the New-Jersey Cen
trail John o. Stearns, Superintendent of ,ae same
road aud his son. who purveyed bountfully for the
party; Robert H. Sayre Superintendent Of TIE Lehigh
Valley Road; L. M. Cymer, President Of tie Eastern
Penrsy ylvania; g. A. Nicols, Superintendent OF TBS
Reading R0sdi J.G. Clarke, Superintendent 0' 'ns