The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1868-10-02
WEsTERN VOTES.
PHILADELPHIA.

Inle 10 made OF common hard wood, and
covered with oil cloth which, BY tho way,
b getting somewhat worn from tino. On
either side and near the ends arc three
drawers with the genuine old b1ss clasp
such % We used 10 SEQ on our grandmoth.
er's bureaus. The desk Is painted rcd, and
would seem very ordinary were II not fol
is historic character. Near il Is the veritabls
''old chair" Of John Hancock. This 10 o
tho Elizabethean pattern, ot solid inahogo
ny. and covered as to the scat and arm'
with red morocco. A little to the right OF
a circular pedestal, surmounted with The
Roman fasces, each Of which Is spinlly
bound with the name Of one Of the signcr,
Of the Declaration Of Independence, rests
the old bell that first proclaimed indepen.
dence 10 tho people.
The motto inscribed on this veteran bell.
"Procla,n liberty throughout tho land and
10 all tho people thereof" becomes, In the
light Of the past, very significant; and that
Il was adopted from the Bible, (Lev. 25;l0)
may tn many bc still moro impressive. as
being tho words Of God. On this bell Is
perched the American eagle, whose gaze
seems intently fixed on the above inscrip.
tion.
'The motto Of our fAlher.land
Circsed the void In its embrace,
Twas liberty throughout the land,
And good 10 ali the brother race"
We also saw and sat In the old pew TAX.
en- from Christ's Church, in which Wash.
ington, Franklin, Lafayette and Bishop
White were accustomed to sit. We find al
The feet Of Washington's statue q dinirg.
plate used in his family, and doubtless eaten
from many times by himself, and many
other things very interesting to Us which we
cannot hero mention. Az we gazed on the
walls oi the old Cradle Of Liberty, hung
with the portrnits OF the past and present
heroes, We could but think how appropriate
that the father and defender Of Liberty
should hold places side by side here a. they
do in our own bosoms. We next turned
our attention to the Philadelphia Library,
founded by Benjamin Franklin and char
tered In 1869. Il contains at the present
time $1,000 volumes-books curious and
rare-Papyris Mss vellum, oil Engiish,
and German black letter, together with all
tho works-of the present day which have
any claim to public attention. Every de-
partment OF science and literature 10 here
represented, and a. we strolled from alcove
to alcove, we recognized the names and
beheld the works Of soine old authors
whose books though sometimes seen quot.
ed Il had never before been our fortune ia
behold.
Hero and there in most exquisite tast'
arc hung the portraits Of distinguished ner
Of both Europe snd America, while in
marble, bronze and plaster, you behold
gods, goddeeses, warriors, philosophers,
bards and statesmen, resting on lofty ped
estals and lending richness and beauty
hardly equalled in this country. Here are
also original relics Of ''ye olhen times"
On the one side il clock, antique indeed,
which Is said once to have been the proper
~ Of Oliver Cromwell, and which bears
tho inscription, "Johannes Fromantecl
Londini fecit." On the other Is one much
resembling il, once the property Of VIM.
Penn, which bears tho inscription, 1Wm.
Martin in l3riston fccit." But time and
space forbid more on Philadelphia.
At 8 o'clock p. M., we took the train on
the Penn. Central road for Chicago. AZ.
ter being whirled along through the coun.
try oil night, sometimes awake and then
asleep, rousing occasionally to find our neck
almost broken (for the sleeping car was
fully wo arrived at tho foot Of tho noun
tains at S A. NJ. After making brief halt
and adding to our powerful engine another
Of equal force, we commence the ascent Of
tho Allegheny mountains, the summit Of
which Is fifteen miles away. We 20 on
and on, up and up, ill we find ourself 1900
feet above the level Of the sea, and on the
highest point Of the road. Thus in fifteen
miles we ascend as many hundred feet, and
have an opportunity to behold some Of the
most magnificent scenery In the United
States. The deep mountain gorges that yas
you sit In the car can be seen hundreds oi
feet below the beautiful landscape, dotted
here and there with the thriving village or
Growing city, and iniersected with com.
plete network OF rivers tho grand old
mountain spurs In the one direction and the
LOFTY mountain crag In the other, all com.
bine to render tho scene most magnificent.
A lady that sat near us became somewhat
alarmed lest The train, from some accident,
should bc prccipitated far down tho gorge,
where The lofty pine and oak growth seem
mercst shrubbcry, or lest the mighty crag
nhove should start from its bed and annihi.
late tho tram with iis precious freight in
stanter. At Horse Shoe lend, so-callosl. .
point halfway up. whilo standing on the
rear car, we could sec tho engines strug.
Cling up their spiral path as though they
feared lest they might lose their footing and
be hurled down the mountain side 10 Ger.
lain destruction below. Tho descent on
IN. west (for we ascended from the east) 10
twenty seven miles. At the summit the
directors have, at great expepss, fitted up
\ summer rrson, which, In our opinion,
holds out greater attractions to the pleasure
seeking public than any other place in this
,ection OF country. Formerly the cans
were taken over tho mountains by means
Of fourteen stationary engines, five on the
sast and nine on the west. The road wns
then graded In inclined planes and levels,
and the cars drawn by means OF . rope NJ.
iached to the train and wound on q drum.
This is ono Of tho safest a. well a. most
delightful roads in the country. Tho cars
are very much heavier than those used
on ordinary roads, thus rendering Il almost
to throw ono from tho trsck. In
addition 10 this the utmost precaution p
taken to SEQ that no wheel ID broken or In
any degree cracked. Three times during
tho passage over these mountains every
wheel 10 sounded by striking i with .
small hammer, BY means Of which, one
can readily ascertain whether Il 10 in good
condition. Persons ascending from tue
east should take the lct side OF !hc car
aud those from tho wet, tho right u W.
would enjoy the bcs, possible v'eri .,sr. ~
anon.
Tho other night spdegins eoen.IS Su.'ss.sn. m
brood, bu, could make Up P ,s;e. S@.y j though,