Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-09-21

phet as the Site for the National ca pita I
Cities On the Capital Qur.tiomHFro%
Pitisburg to Chicage-What Chicago
Thinks Of the Maine Election Both Par
ties Profess TO be Satisfied.The RePnbli-
cans Fire Some Guns-The Democrats
Don't.
Editorial Correspondence of the Starl
SBIRNAN HOUSE, CHICAGO, Sept Is, 1865
We-that T. to say, the good-lookiRg Autocrat
OF the Washington CORE .pondents' Club, Geo.
w. Adams, Esq; Mr.. Kerr, Of Wizards Hotel
and the updersigncd-are weetward no Ing it
at the rate of about go miles per day, proposn 2
to ado" the Rocky Mountains within the COM
ing fortnight, Prov idence and the Pawnees per
mitting. We shall kill some bufalocs, some
prairie chickens, and perhaps some Indians if
they are not friendly Any Of our iriends wish
ing a buhalo hump, or dozen pra' RE chickens
VIII plea e mention it. We let Washington at
e:i5 Sunday night, reaching PIttsburg at Leo
yesterday afternoon and Cnicago at 9o'clock
this morning, making the distance fabor
e0o mlles) in a little over thirty--iI hours.
Leaving Washington with a temperature Of s5'
tne atmosphere changed as we mounted the
Alleghanies, unlil on reaching Cresson H.
mad lowered perhaps 81 degrees and such OF
the guests as yet fingered at that mountain
retreat came out to meet the train clad in the
heaviest shawls. Cresson, at ne srly the high
est point Of the Alleghanies, is growing TO be
hucn OF a summer resort, with a handsome
new hotel and grounds, sud numbers of pleas
anty situated cottages. A possible draw. back
may be the mum Der of railroad trans screami IL
past hourly. As something over one hundred
trains pess daily over this road, pennsylvania
CENTRALLY and as the engine whistles on this
line seem 10 be particularly able bodied, there
might be such thing as a triie too much OF
such music for quiet alth.seekers. This
road deservedly ranks high among the railroads
OF the country. From the excellent manner In
winch 1t is ballastec, snd the Improvement
adopted for excluding smoke, cinders, and du IT
fiom the cars, The journey over il is performed
With much more satisfaction than almost any
other rod within our knowledge. Onfnear-
ing Pittsburg we gan to meet eviden ces thai
all ire PlttsbuTgers are not enamored Of coal
smoke. s. IT
AT East Liberty, five miles from Pittsburg
whole squads OF pepper-boxy cottages, with
come really handsome WILL, are going up as
suburban res s'dences for wealthy iron found
ers and coal dealers of Pittsburg. The beauti.
fnl wooded, aud verdure- clad hills ia the
vicinity of Pitteburg arord unsurpassed sites
Tor surburban residences, aud the only wonder
is that the Pittsburgers have no. improved
them ere th is. s.
Pittsburs.
Passing East Liberty, and the succeeding
range OF hills pierced with coal.mines, we
presently dash into a bank Of binding
choking smoke, and know that We are
In Pittsourg. This smoke-paIl that
hangs over Pittsburg has Often been des-
crioed, but no words can do it full Justice.
Parton, who has written con dmore CONCERNING
the blsckness OF darkness Of Pittsburg, de-
scribes one of the foggy black days there when
there teing no wind to drive away the smoke
Issuing from five hundred huge chtmueys, the
deep chasm in which Pit.sburg lies was foil of
IT. and the black expanse being now aud then
dimly lighted with dull wreaths of fire pre-.
sented afnll and undoubted likeness to-hell
with The lid off! The true son of Pittsburs
insists that the smoke so far from being an evil
IS blessing; that IL kills malaria and being a
sur.shade and a color.subduer saves the eve.
sight He contends that smoke is an evil only
10 the imagination, and that it destroys eyerv
property Of the atmosphere which is hostile 20
OF them in Pittsburg, it is requisite to keep gas
burning all over the city, but the coal to make
gas is so cheap in Pittsburg that they don't
mind that. When the hny.four billions of
tons OF bituminous coal underlying the hills
about Pittsburg have been used up, the Pitts.
burghers will see the necessity OF ecouomizing
in tine matter Of gas; bat as the supply
VIII, 1t is estimated, last the country some
thousands OF years they do not seem
10 appreciate any immediate occasion for
lhoughtfulness ON that score.
Pittsburg wants to be the National Capital
Every now and then she puts IN an apparently
serious claim 10 that effect. St Lonis, next to
Pittsburg the most smoke.bcgrimed place on
the Continent, is another candidate for the
Capitolship. What Is there about bituminous
~ he hat yoo r,na hraof fk1a 1;
put on such airs? There must certainly be
some hasheesh glamor about it, causing those
intoxicated by it to see all the colors OF the
rainbow in the sooty atmosphere. They must
think this smoky atmosphere, where gas-lignt
is needed at nocn-day, just the place to legis.
late in. Perhaps they have a theory that the
smoke will be a preservative against Official
corruption. Perhaps they propose to smoke.
cure our Presidents, Cabinet OH srs, and Con-.
gressmen as they would beef or hams. On any
other theory it is difficult to account for this
Authorization of the Pittsburg ani/St. Louis
smokers on the Capital question.
But aside from this little 1iighiness on the
score OF fitness for Cap.toiine honors The peo-
pie OF Pittsburg are tn orOughly practical and
rational. The business ectivity displayed here
is wonderful, snd that such an entergeic
hriving people should ever ish to be saddled
WIN National Capital, ard to be put under
the palsying aud enervatng influences ruling
at political Capital Is truly surprising.
Leaving Pittsburg by the Fort Wayne
aud Chicago Railroad we skirt down the
Ohio for twenty miles or more enjoy.
ing the extreme beauty Of the landscape as
bounded by the picturesque range Of hills on
the opposite bank of the river. Whether from
moist skies OF 4 late season the verdure and TO.
liage is green and fresh as that Of June.
The poetry of the landscape is dashed with
the practical, as long trains filled with hogs
cattle, lumber. coal, and pig-iron 60 rushing
past. Even the CLASSY Ohio, shining so bright.
ily in the afternoon sun, gets much Of its gloss
rom the floating petroleum coming down from
Oil Greek and the Monongahela.
At Rochester, % miles from Pittsburg, we
leave the Ohio and its tier Of hills, and strike
through comparatively level country, OF good
soil, and with well. to.dc population, but pre-.
senting nothing Of special interest to the eye
Though this part of Ohio has long been settled,
we nouce the old Virginia snake-fence sill in
use. We pass thriving manufacturing towns.
Canton for instance, where immease numbers
Of reapers, mowers, ploughs, and other asri.
cultural implements are made; and Colum.
b,ana. famous for its threshing machines. Long
trains of lumber from Chicago bring the mate.
/ Iial for the manufactures.
We, entercd Chicago BY its basiness.like
but unpoetical side, passing through i'm