The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1867-07-25
written for the Lancaster eauette.l
Excursion to Natural Bridge.

A right merry company was that
which on Thursday morning the
18th inst. embarked on the staunch
and fast sailing craft "The Twins" "
Capt. John Dutton. commander,
(navigating the Hooking canal, }
for a picnic excursion down the
lovely valley of the Hooking, to
the Natural Bridge in Hooking
county, some fifteen miles distant
from our city.
The company was composed of
some iorty or fifty youthful couples,
| (among them the senior editor
of the Gazette and his lady,)
the whole we'll sprinkled with Ian
casters beauties; and a more hilar-
ious party could not be congrega.
tod in any portion of the Buokeye
State.
After the living cargo were all
snugly aboard, the captain order
ed all sail to be spread (Which
means the hitching of two addi-
tional muelS to the lines, J and
"The Twins" swung gracefully from
the landing and commenced her
eventfnl trip down the placid canal.
All was life and gayety on board
and merry werc the sounds that is
sued from that old canal boat and
Aoated off on July's sultry air. The
hurricane deck was crowded for
the greater part of the time going
: down, as the voyagerS wished to OBJ.
tain o view of tho beautiful scene.
ry, which they were constantly
passing through, while the vigi
liant AID circumspect sailor at the
mast head would at intervals sing
!, out mot "sail ahoyl"-but slow
bri1ge!" This would instantane.
ously cause great commotion on
t the hurricane, as you would OBJ
] serve the passengers all squattcd
, stopped or lay fiat on deck, in or
der to avoid injury to themselves
J Cor hebridge, perhaps by too famil
} J lar contact with it, Bridge safely
, passed, and rapidly receding in the
: distance, all would again speedily
e relapse into the original state o
s merriment. / believe there wat
not single accident on the dowr
voyage, and if there had been
J there were several able physician
+ aboard, who in all probability woe
y soon have effectually remedied al
9 injuries, if not too serious. As tn,
/ DAY advanced the heat grew quit
n oppressive; and as the Gun ros
!. upward toward the zenith ho pour
~ ed his scorching rays down with
Q out morcy, making things a!mos
"red hot" and compelling thos
@ occupied on the hurricane to re
sort to moro favorable place t
}. evade the all.pcrvading calorifc q
gent--and that was TO-. the "danc
J. ing hall" below deck, from whicl
escaped the pleasant notes of tn
o violin, accompanied by the cracI
l. of the lads and lasscs' heels, who's
, motto, from the start, seemed TO b
,e ION with the dances let JOY bc un
e confined" These alienation
d we're kept up until the boat arriv
J. ed at the appointed rendezvous
," when we all landed, and waited 10
d the erection Of a bridge over th
Il raging Hooking, which had to b
l. crossed before tho shelter of tn
. woods and the immediate destina
: tion Of tho party could be gained
An adequate foot bridge was speed
70 lily constructed under tho superir
= tendence of ono Of the experience
10 navigators, and the whole crowd i
il a few minutes transported them
If selves to tho west bank Of til
% stream.
% After entering the forest, the Il
ia bles-or rather tabIs. cloths, wer
n spread, and loaded with tho cor
tents Of sundry baskets, which tn
thoughtful care of the fairer POI
tion of tho company had provided
forming an abundant and sumptu
n. GUS ropast-or rathor several Sepc
70 rate ones-and the good things sai
|. and eaten thoreatt would have d,
ID fed the efforts Of a modern reporte
n to take an account OF them.
l. After dinner every "feller" too
0. his "gal" for a stroll "to III
Of bridge" and thence among th
10 surrounding romantic scenery,
m gather "mountain tea" and to az
e quire mutual instruction in diver
n. branches of natural history an
'. philosophy. Occasionally partic
ID sufficient to form q set or two ,
Dr. quadrillcs, would repair to a pa
Il. of tho grounds especially arrange
d, for and devoted to festive purpose
of under the direction of an entol