The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1869-07-29
LANCASTER.
Down the Hooking Valley.

day Morning Ne'eS was in our city
last week. We copy the very in.
tercsting account of his observa.
tions among us, from tho last mum.
Der OF his paper:
A first trip from this city to Ian,
caster over the new and still un.
finished Columbus and Hooking
Valley Railroad will provo novel.
ty to even old travellers, who may
| go farther and fare worse. The
road itself, though so new that it
has scarcely had time to fairly SET.
tile, is smooth and safe, and is well
mounted with good cars and loco>
motives. Running down The val.
ley, through one OF the richest and
most productive sections of the
State, it seems that no skill in en-.
cheering would be required to lay
1t until tho rugged hills of Fairfield
begin to present their rugged
fronts as impediments, and here
the windings and twistings of the
road actually begin; and when its
completion TO NeIsonviIe is accom-
Iplishcd, the Hooking Valley road
will be probably the most pictur>
esque in the State, as well as one
of the very best. In passing at
this season no one can fail TO no.
tice the great fields of rustling
green corn and wide oxpanses of
yellow ground from which the
farmers of Franklin and Fairfield
are harvesting tho wheaton results
of months of toll; and the sweat
and dust.begrimod workmen of
the fields, if questioned will tell
you that the crop OF wheat is good,
Notwithstanding the drawbacks Of
the season, and that the corn will
come out strong ifno unpropitious
rain should again flood their fields
all this serving to confirm the
hope of big crops and better times.
Perhaps there is no town IN the
State approaching it in population
that can equal Lancaster in beauty
of location, in the distinction of ITS
society, and in the interest of its
history and traditions. The town
itself presents unmistakablo cvi,
dence of the antiquity OF its incor.
poration, dating back to the time
when the Indians still fought and
scufiied upon what arc now its
streets for the supremacy of the
Hook Hooking. The construction
Of tho Hooking Valley Railroad,
however, promises to speedily re.
move the apathy of the old town.
New buildings arc going up on al.
most every street, and project
has been completed whereby the
extensive Starch Factory building,
(tho business of which was ruined
by the circumstance that the EN-
press Engenie substituted crinolinc
for starched skirts, by which freak
the starch manufacturing was
nearly abandoned all over the
world,) will bo turned into q mas
chino mandatory, the arrange.
ments for the transfer of the Tiffin
works to Lancaster being almost
perfected. Whatever tho people
of Lancas' ei may seem to lack in
business enterprise, is made up by
their hospitality, tho social excel.
lence and intellectual superiority
of the majority of its citizens. Ian.
caster has been the home if not the
birthplace of some of the ablest
and most distinguished mon OF
these times, such as Stnnborry, Al.
len, Sherman, Ewing, Van Trump,
and many others, tho two latter
named still living in the ancient
city-Ewing in tho sere and vel
low leaf, while Van Trump is in
the full vigor OF life and intellect.
ual promise. No one who has ever
enjoyed n walk through Van
Trump's quiet retreat, or the hos.
pitalitics Ul bis homo and tho cour.
tosies OF his family, will forget ei.
ther, or remember them save with
pIcasure. 1t is among tho tradi-
lions of Lancaster that, in the vote
as to tho location of tho Capital of
Ohio, in tho Legislature held at
Chillicotho, about 1910, Lancaster
camo within one vote OF beating
Columbus, and this vote is ascribed
to treachcry and corruption. But
TOR this one vote the situations OF
Lancaster and our own city would
have been reversed. This is but
one ofa thousand interesting his
torical incidents told by the old
people of Lancaster, who have
known the town slnco tho first
shanty was erected, and tho State
since it was Statc-such men, for
instance, as DR., Boerstler, who, at
eighty four, is still an active and
beloved physician.
One feature of Lancaster cannot
be overlooked by the most casua!
observer, and that is tho immense
bluff which overlooks the place,
and is called Mt. Pleasant. 1t is
pyramid of rocks rising three huns
dred feet from tho valley, and
overlooking tho country for miles
around. Tho Wow from this point
is probably tho most beautiful to
DO soon in Ohio, full of quiet pic.
turesqueness and grandeur. The
little city lays directly beneath it,
apparently
Asldlc painted ship
Upon panied ocean,"
whilo all around risc the vino clad
and trec>toppod hills in rugged and
massive confusion; and on a clear
morning such as that upon which
wo looked over this scene of mar
vellous beauty, tho smoke Of the
manufactures of Columbus could
be seen gathering like vast cloud