The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1865-07-12
JOURNEYING WEST.
The AAeqhanies, Ohio I1it,er, &c.

WHEELING, w. va, July 3D., 1865.
have risen from the tea-table and |
write at the office desk Of the DIcI.ure
House. We left New York, Friday
evening, at 8 p. NJ, in a sleeping car,
which ran through from Jersey city, via
Allentown, Harrisburg and Altoona,
to Pittsburg. The night was hot, but 1
contrivcd to sleep very well, until about
6 A. NJ, when the flies, of which the
car was full, awoke me. 1 first looked
out at a point about halfway between
Harrlsburgh and Altoona, perhaps be-
yonl, at any rate the country through
which we were passing was beautiful -
The general character and appearance
more like the country between Brandon
and Rutland than anything else to which
can liken it. Occasionally we fitted
past beautifully situated village. The
land was evidently good, the crops album
dant. Wheat is ripe, and in many cases
was cut, and stal;ed up. The farm
houses lack entirely Che neatness and
good taste Of Vermont farm houses, while
the barns were uniformly ample and we'll
constructed. AS we approached the Al
leghany ridge, for perhaps fifty mules
east, we passed innumerablc coal mines
on either side of the road, from which
were as many little branch r.. Roads, run
ming to ours. Sometimes we could see
a side-track, running up steep side hill,
to a dark cavernous looking mouth,
whence were issuing trains of coal cars,
let down to the main track by wire
cable and steam power. We passed
many torges and furnaces, and iron man
ufactories of various kinds, all indicating
the mineral character of the country
We reached and breaklasted at Altoona
about 0 A. NJ. This place, which is
great railroad centre for the Pennsylvania
Central Il. r., with vast work shops, &c =,
lies at the last base Of the Allegheny
ridge, and from thence to the summit,
some two miles distant the road ascends
very rapidly. Two powerful engines
drew us up by II route winding and zig
tagging along the sides Of mountains.
Now hanging on tbs edge of vas; raw
inc, where Jon may look down hundreds
Of feet and then swinging around by Il
vast curve until its course is parallel
TO the one Just passed over, but upon Il
higher plane, so that you may look over
the intervening chasm or valley, and trace
your course several miles back, far below
on the side of the opposite mountain. OF
course there are some magnificent views.
AT the summit we plunged into Il tunnel
a mile long, and emerged on the west
side Of the range, From this point west
ward the mountain scenery is not striking
the road seems to descend over a vast
slope gradually TO the Ohio level at Pitts
burgh. We reached Pittsburgh little
after two. after a stay of nearly an hour
and poor lunch, We got Off by rail- for
this place. on my part with Il dislgrceahle
impression Of Pittsburgh. 1t is blacken-
ed and dingy with the smoke, and the
streets are mhandsome and filthy. On
| the surrounding hills were many fine res
licences, where, | suppose, the wealthy
citizens reside. The valley of the Ohio
here is very fine on both shores, very
much surprising my expectations. I he
shores are often very bold, handsomely
wooded, having sufficient intervals on the
river margin often for beautiful and fine
ly cultivated farms, sometimes these inter-
walls stretch out into great fields as on the
Connecticut, with high wooded hills in
the rear. We reached here Mt eight Ia t
evening. Leave tomorrow by boat at |
A. NJ. Hope TO reach our point 30
inlet distant Tuesday. What scale OF
distances the West has. The weather is
fine, the country is superb.