Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1865-01-26
FIR N HA RRISB TRG.
January 10, 1865.

FR o N II A r. II ISB L RG.
January TO- 1865
Ice on the streets, the upright walls of the
buildings, the walks, ice the trees and fences
and railroads, ice everywhere. Boys girls and
men, skating all the city, i'll the middle of
the roads, on brick, plank and gravel walks the
capitol grounds up hill and down hill. In fact the
only safe way to get along anywhere is to skate
To walk on the brick or stone tagging is imposs-
BILE, while attempting it, mans body immediate
ly becomes i'll one particular, very similar to wa
ter, it has strong tendency to seek a level
ride over the Cumberland Valley railroad to
Chambersburg gives one favorable opportunity
to enjoy, to speak, the perfect gloominess of the
day, and the beauty of the ice-bound earth. Dur
ing the whole route the rain continued to- fall Just
as fast it could freeze, and everything around
was enveloped in dense cloud through which the
train appeared to cut its way the passengers could
not see ten rods from the cars. The whole coun-
try one unbroken sheet of ice smooth and
CLASSY ice made.
No creatures, brute or human, stirred abroad un-
less compelled to, to break this CLASSY sea. Long
and continually lengthening icicles We're pendant
from the of buildings the rails of the fences
the branches of trees, and even from the sides of
cattle and sheep that out in the storm. The
few people that gathered round the stations appear
ed to be encrusted in ice.
At Chambersburg the same scene was presented
the desolation caused by the fire last Summer was
made appear more desolate, by the utter dreari-
ness of the day Here and there, along the desert
ed streets, may be a lone building newly erect
ed or repaired or patched up, standing amid the
ruins that surround it, while for many rods, and in
some cases for whole squares on either side there
is naugh but piles of blackened bricks half de-
molished walls or charred timber. Beside some of
these repaired houses may be seen burned arbors,
over which once hung thrifty grape vines but
which are dead, but they appear to be still left
to call to the minds of the inmates the happier
days when pleasant hours were spent beneath their
shades
| Many families have erected cabins or shanties,
in which they reside and transact their business.
! Where year ago stood fine brick residences or
stores you these cabins with signs on them
indicating that they stores, shops yet other
families, and there is not few of them are house
less. 1t will be many long years before Chambers
burg will all be rebuilt.
The morning of the 11th clear cold and
windy, and Y vas booked for McCopnellsburg,
Fulton county. At o'clock A NJ, the stage was
announced, which stage, sleigh with lum-
Der box and broken tongue pole, with no seats
except rough boards placed across the top of the
box. The passenger, for there was but one, de-
INJURED to the operation of riding in such a vehicle
twenty-five miles, on such bitter cold day, but
he must go in that, or not at all, and he had Ell
he ot hcf'o L.
therefore alternative, 90 he must or forfeit
his word so, after considerable grlmbling he took
his seat on the board perched up in the wind as
high as he could be placed, with no buffalo robe, on
blanket even for protection against the cold To
complain useless, you must pay eleven and
four eleventh cents per mile for the privilege OF
riding in such conveyance. and with slch accom-
modations.
OFF we started, the horses were frightfully pocr
! but when they began 20 move it was seen that
their leannesS was not the worst the near one was
lame i'll the off fore leg, and the off one in the
near hind leg. The driver was drunk when we
started, and took measures to become more so al
every tavern ON the road, he stopped to drink but
would not stop long enough for the passenger to
warm, because, us he declared all occasions his
! horses lame he should be late we therefore
rode the whole twenty-five miles without warming.
The sun shone brightly and the roads and fields
and fences and buildings and stone bridges were
covered with glare ice, grass and grain stubble
| looked like pure silver indeed the whole country
appeared, as you could see it at a distance, as
though it We're covered with bright FURNISHED silver
A person could skate nine -tenths of the distance
from Chambersburg to McConnellsburg.
! pa4 tl,,, ,Nl,n Al
Mountain its rugged, rocky peaks From
valley to valley this ridge is eight miles The
scenery is as wild as the most romantic would de.
sire to see. From the top of the mountain, the
view is most grand the hills OF Maryland and West
Virginia stretch away to the southwest, as fal
as the eye can reach, while almost at youl
feet lies the Cumberland Valley ON the East and
| the McConnellsburg or Cove Valley on the West.
| McConnellsburg is literally surrounded and hem
med in with mountains all sides. In the ravines
and gorges of these everlasting hills are secure
hiding places for rebels and non-reporting drafted
| men. There is company of mounted artillery
| stationed here the men busy in hunting M
| and arrestlng such lnen. A few weeks ago eight OF
OF them came upon sixteen of the deserters, and q
| sharp skirlnish ensued, in which of the draft
ed men was killed and one severely wounded.
The Legislature has done but little except ap-
point the committees and get ready for business
A committee from the house has been on to Wash.
ington to consult with the proper authorities there
relative to the quota of the State under the last
call for men. The committee has made no formal
report, but it is understood that each member re.
turns satisfied that if injustice has hitherto been
done to our State in this matter, it will be made
right in the coming draft.
1t is expected that Maj HARRY WHITE of sena.
torial notoriety, will Lecture in the Hall of Repre-.
sentatives on the evening of the 18th inst, al
which time he will give his experience as prison.
erin Richmond and other places in rebeldom such as
his unsuccessful attempts and finally successful at
tempt to escape. The lecture is anticipated with
much interest, and no doubt will call out a large
| audience. Y.
FROM WASHINGTON,