The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1866-05-12
Letter from the west.
BROAD RIPPLE, MARION Co., INDIANA, |
April 20th. 1866.

racked and their patience worn thread-bare at
the rate of about 80 miles per day, people travel
led only from necessity. Nothing but the stronc-
est claims of business or friendship could induce
a man to bid sorrowful farewell to his weeping
family, and committing himself to the care Of
Providence, set out upon the long and perilous
passage across the Alleghanies. To-day, travel
has become pleasure as well as most impor-
tant means of education. We are coming back
to the idea of the ancients, in this that no man
mind can be thoroughly cultivated without q
good top-dressing Of travel. And the idea is a
good one. A ride Of five hundred miles in rail-
car has an astonishing effect in shaking down
the ramparts of self-love and self-importance,
brushing away the cobwebs of old ideas and
false impressions, and throwing open the heart
to the sunlight Of humanity, andh the mind to
the reception of new truths and enlarged concep-
tons of power and beauty. Travel takes US out
side the little circle which we call Home, and
makes US, for the time, citizens of the world.
Jefferson said it was worth trip across the
Ocean to stand on " Jefferson rock and take a
view of the scenery around Harpers Ferry. 1t is
worth another to make the passage Of the Ale
ghanies by way of the Penna. Central Il. R.
Leaving Baltimore at $50 P. NJ. and Harrisburg
at 30 A. M. the traveller reaches Altoona in
time for breakfast Here an extra engine is at
tached to the train and the ascent of the noun
tains begins in earnest. BY system of wind
ing grades, some of which are over hundred
feet to the mile, the road mounts higher and
higher until emerging from tunnel OF about
one mile in length the traveller finds himself on
top OF the ridge. A double track extends along
the entire line, and as the laboring engines slowly
drag your train upward, along the steep noun
tain side, across deep ravines or around sharp
spurs, long trains of coal and freight on the
downward track, dash by you, filing the noun
tain solitudes with the echo of their heavy rumb-
ling. The scenery at some points is wild and
romantic in the extreme, with not vestige of
civilization in sight except the track and train
that bears you, or perhaps the humble cottage
of some hardy mountaineer with a few acres of
cleared ground, deep down in narrow gorge of
the mountains.
The most striking part Of the road is the
" Horse Shoe Bend" After sweeping around a
sharp knob the road runs along the South side
ola steep mountain, at about two-thirds its eleva
ton, for distance of several miles. Directly OPP
posite runs parallel ridge, separated from the
former by deep and narrow ravine, through
which wild mountain stream dashes itself into
spray over IFS rocky bed. AT the upper end the
road crosses the ravine by sharp curve over a
high embankment and runs back along the North
side of the parallel mountain, giving the track
the exact shape Of huge horse shoe. Along
this part of the road the passenger may cast his
eyes across the ravine and see the track clinging
to the side of the opposite mountain, while not
unfrequently train comes dashing downward
at headlong speed, apparently running in the
same direction with his own. Far below him
the tops of tall trees, while the huge bouders,
lying loosely on the mountain side, seem to
give but frail support to the iron rails which
shield him from eternity. At intervals, coal
mine opens its black and yawning mouth, send
s,nr &c e0fr witt
dingy looking breaker rearing its awkward form
like some monster of the mountains. Here and
there some hardy adventurer has erected a saw
mill and is carving his fortune out of the fine
timber which abounds. At other places, where
iron ore is found, huge smelling and iron-work-
ing establishments have been built, with no out
let for their immense traffic but by the Rail Road.
Thus along the entire line, fourishing towns
and villages have sprung up, owing their pros
perity to the rich mineral and lumber treasures
with which nature has stored these mountains.
Pittsburg lies between the Allegheny and Mo-
rivers, which unite near the city and
form the Ohio 1t is large, wealthy and pros
porous city, surrounded by the most elegant and
tasteful suburban residences. The city is almost
surrounded by ranges of high hills, and over the
basin thus formed hang the dust and smoke of
its innumerable glass and iron works in one
dark, dense cloud. Roofs, walls, fences, trees,
are black and grimy in appearance, and iu Sum-
mer time, clean faces and white shirt-colars are
among the impossibilities. The wharves are
crowded with barrels of coal oil. which are float
ed down the Allegheny, and its tributaries on
immense, iat-bottomed scows, and reshipped
from this place. The business part of the city is
far from inviting but it has within it all the ele-
ments of a great and lasting prosperity. Sir
Morton Peto, who is largely interested in the
A Al. = Dbl De-
public speech at London, declared Pittsburg TO
be " the Birmingham of America," thus indica-
ting its advantages as a great manufacturing
centre.
From here, three leading Rail Road lines radi-
ate Westward. The Pittsburg Fort Wayne
Chicago, and the Phtsburg, Cincinnati l. Cleve-
land roads cross the river on fine iron bridge
at the city and run down the North bank of the
Ohio to Rochester, a distance of 20 miles, side
by SIDE Passing down the smooth track of the
former on the evening of Tuesday Gath nit, we
had one of the finest exhibitions of American
scenery imaginable. high though well-soped
ridge runs parallel with the river, crowned with
a succession of magnificent residences, and sur
rounded with the most tasteful variations of
green sward, trees shrubbery and flowers
Here and there the Southern slope is covered
with large vineyards, taking one, in imagination,
to the vine-clad banks of the Rhine. The river
was well-filled with barges, freight and passen-
ger steamers, with their huge stern wheels churn-
ing the water into foam and their gaily-fying
pennons tinged with the glories of the setting
SUM- To the rear-ward lay the smoky city with
its tallest church spires piercing the heavy cloud
of incense sent up by the countless factories, and
beyond the horizon closed with the blue sum-
mits of the Alleghanies. AT intervals the steep
bank pressed hard on tine river, and the long
train hung tremblingly over the waters edge,
by piles or masonry. Again, the wa
tiers would sweep away from the track with
murmur as though conscious Of their
strength yet vexed to be beaten in a race with
the iron horse, leaving broad meadows interven-
ing, on which herds of cattle or focks of sheep
were gently cropping the tender grass.
The town of Rochester reminded me OF York
Penna., in this particular at both places the
traveller is beseged with cadaverous looking
crowd of men, women, boys and girls, trying
to dispose of various personal comforts which
they carry in their baskets. When the train
stopped at the former place, loud cries OF
" Pies" I" Here's yer nice pies, Segars,
I" B'lony sossidge," " Billed Eggs" &C., went
on all sides TO have some" Most Of them
declined. Some of the pies had
dry and dingy appearance, so much SO that it
provoked the question of sharp-looking juvenile
yender of the article, q Boy, are your pies sewed
or pegged ~ " Go to Ill" was the prompt
and indignant response We sadly closed the
car window and fell into train of reflection on
the early immortality OF American youth. Soon
after, the dim car lamps were lit and the train
glided into the tunnel of Night, under the arch
of sleep. i. NJ. II.
THE New TAX BILL.-The Congressional COM
mittee of ways and means have added the follow
inn arficec the frne LET Of tho inx