St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1863-11-19
RETURN TRIP.

Al our last letter, written from WASH
ineton, was published 10 the same num-
Der of the paper wherein we mentioned
ovr arrival ho2e, it will not be necessary
TO 60 into any detailed account Of the re-
turn trip. Suffice it TO say that the pub
lie buildings IN the Capital Of the nation
the Capitol, Treasury Building, Patent
Office, White House, Smithsonian Insti-
tute with others, and the Navy Yard
constitute attractions sufficient to interest
one weeks, instead of two days, all the
length Of time We were able to remain
But aside from these, Washington is but
an ordinary place-the broad streets and
detached, unimposing houses, giving it tue
appearance Of large country town.
at Baltimore, the Northern Central
connecting with the Baltimore and Ohio
and the Pennsylvania Central, presents a
pleasant and expeditions route to those
going to or from Washington. The &C.
commodations are good, and the tune such
that We made full connection at Harris
burg.
We had often heard the trip from Har-
risburg to Pittsburg, over the Allegheny
Mountains, on the Pennsylvania Central,
described in 80 glowing terms that We
scarce expected to have one-third our pre-
conceived ideas realized. But all descrip-
tons were tame, and palcd when brought
in comparison with the reality. The
mountain scenery, especially as it appears
in the early morning, as in the present
case, is truly magnificent. Leaving Har-
risburg long befo'e daylight. but with a
iull moou revealing the country far and
wide. We rushed over hills and through
heavy cuts, until as the moon shoue full
throus h the car window on the one side,
before disappearing, and on the other the
morning star seemed fairly to burn and the
gray dawn to break, we were among the
grand and majestic mountains. Soon the
highest tops were gilded with the coming
sunlight, and before long the lowest nook
was filled with its glow; while the eye new
er tired watching the change that was pre-
scented with the greatest rapidity. The
train thundered on, mounting ND, up, over.
coming grades that seemed perfectly insur-
mountable for neutrality-suspicious. was the
great ocean of trees, the tops pbcring
toward you from the base to the summit
to the left the "blue juniata" swept along,
while in front was the ever increasing
steep. By and by, VIC passed the "horse-
shoe" perfect wonder, and reached the
summit. From here two locomotives were
dispensed 18th and the third took the
train the remaining distance to Pit burg.
The mountain scenery is one of unvary-
ing grandeur, and is thrice reward for
the journey to see it, 1t never seems mo-
notonous never becomes ti-csome. The
Railroad itself is, from its perfectness, a
curiosity, and has we'll earned the rcputa-
ton of being, in every respect, the best IT.
the United States. The time u.adc over
the mountains is almost incredible, and
the trip from Pittsburg to Philadelphia
one of pleasure, and one which we would
advise all our readers to make From
Pittsburg, where We remained few days,
seeing old friends and places all alive
with the recollections Of schooldays, to St.
Paul, there was nothing worthy Of men
ton ; and we were glad once again to step
on the soil Of Minnesota.