Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-11-27
Letters from "Spivins." No. 2.
From Pittsburgh to PhIladel-
phia-The Beauty of the Route-
Arrival at Philadelphia = Our


1 have delayed writing until now, be
cause wanted to see the Philadelphia re
ception of your Common Council to its ful
and perfect end before talking of it. II
addition to this apology for delay, hav'
started four different times to write, ant
have as often been ruthlessly dragged
away to go somewhere.
finished my first letter at Pittsburgh
tired and weary with travel, just as the
Mayor and some of the Councilmen of tha
city entered the room where we were sit.
ting, in order that might join the party
In sightseeing at night, as we were to
leave early next morning.
In the morning we went through several
of the largest foundries and glass works
enjoying the, to many of us, novel sight OF
glass blowing, &c.
At IL o'clock we were off and away over
the mountains. 1t is grand route, and
made doubly so to me by the kind attea-
Pennsylvania Central railroad. in whose
care we were: Higher and higher we
climb the mountain side, until at last we
reach the summit of the Alleghenies. near
er heaven than ever Common Councilmen
and editors were known to get before
Then comes the descent. A roar, a whirl
and a dull thud OF sound and away we go
into the thick darkness of tunnel above
Hallidaysburgh. Then comes Altoona,
where we get the most dinner and the most
attendance We have met with on the route.
Each particular waiter seems to consider
you his personal enemy, and acts as if he
was only restrained from breaking your
head when you ask to be helped, by a
wholesome fear OF the law. One melan-
choly looking chap, with moustache of
deepest mourning, his eyes watery as with
excessive weeping, attended me. When 1
called for ''bit of roast beef very rare"
he eyed me with look of deepest COM
passion then, as if seized with a desire to
revenge himself on me for some fancied
wrong, snatched my plate, and slowly
off to fill the order with step
and air something like Forest, in the
Gladiator. On his return. am satisfied,
nothing but the mild and clear look I gave
him, prevented hin, busting that plate over
my bald and venerable head. You may
Judge from the above remarks that was
not satisfied with the attendance at Altoona.
Your opinion is correct. 1 was not salts
fed. s7 ! sr-.=l .r-=s
At Altoona, j. E. Montgomery took us
in charge as conductor. And here allow me
to say, en- passant, that in addition to being
a very good looking set of men, the con-
ductors of the Pennsylvania Central rail-
road, as are also all the officials, are educa-
ted gentlemen, who do not look upon
passenger as person sent into this world
for their special affiiction, as do some rail-
road officials wot Of; but as fellow crea-
lures, whose stock of knowledge they are
willing to increase politely and by every
means in their power.
But must hurry on or we shall never
get to Philadelphia. We reached Harris
burg at S:45 in the evening, and, therefore,
had no chance to see it or Lancaster,
through which we passed in the night.
just after we left Lancaster. two sharp
thought-who all day
had been trying to gain footing in our
ear. played pretty good joke on our party.
They made third attempt to get into the
ar, and SO far succeeded as to get a seat
by the stove in the rear end. 1t
was late, and the gentlemen from
Columbus" were disposing themselves in
lll the known railroad attitudes for nap.
These fellows calculated, evidently, to wait
until all were asleep or doing and then
'go through" the pockets of the party
Dur servant. George, discovered and re-
ported their presence, and the consequence
vas, they were again elected from the car.
In revenge, at the first station at which the
rain stopped, they represented themselves
IS being connected with our party. and
got the operator to send word to Philadel-
,hia that we would go right on to New
York without stopping in the City of
Brotherly Love, joke that very nearly
lisconcerted all the arrangements made by
he Philadelphians for our d-lectation.
Arrived at o'clock A. NJ. on We'd
lesday. at Philadelphia, we found
Mr.. johnson, the Messenger of the
City Councils, at the depot, to
whose care we committed ourselves, and
we're escorted to the Continental Hotel,
where was inaugurated the most magnifi-
cent reception ever any party OF gentlemen
received.
Early in the morning, and after our dele
cation were refreshed by good square
sleep, we were waited on by the Committee
Of Reception appointed by the Select and
Common Councils of Philadelphia, consist
ing of Robert P. Dillingham;, Chairman.
Henry Marcus, Col. James Page, and Chas.
Thomson Jones, of theS-lect Council; w.
Dixon Martin, George w. Martague, Jo-
'eph B. Hancock, Joseph B. Conrow and
Shane, of the Common Council
who had carriages in waiting and conduct
ed the party first to the Public Ledger
on Chestnut street. There is not
in the United States so perfect and COM
plete printing Office as this. In every
department. is seen the result of expert
ence, wisdom and topographic knowledge.
We met Mr.. Mexican, the Superintendent,
whose genial face you will remember as a
visitor in the Statesman sanctum during
The Summer.
From the Ledger Office we went to the
at Fairmount, to the gas
works at Point Breeze, and to various other
points of interest, and in a series of most
delicate attentions long to be remembered.
passed our first day in Philadelphia. At
night one of the magnificent parlors OF
the Continental was placed at our disposal,
and we were introduced to the Mayor and
a number of the members of the Councils
The School Board of this city, whose visit
to Columbus a few months ago, all our
readers will remember, also called upon us,
and invited us to visit the High Schools OF
he CITY ON Thursday morning.