The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1871-06-27
For The Bloomfield Times.
On the Route.
BLAIN.

BLAIN.
Mr.. EDIToR.-While passing through
your county and taking observations of
whatever is most noteworthy, allow me to
ask room in your columns to occasionally
express my admiration for your beautiful
hills and valleys, for your people and their
enterprise, their industrious habits and
general intelligence.
First in order is Blain, village in which
/ have been agreeably disappointed. 1t is
a part of your county of which you may
well be proud. Its location has many nat
ural advantages, while the surrounding
country is beautiful, romantic, and pictur-
esque. To the north towers the Blue
Tuscarora to an altitude of nine hundred
feet, its summit, as far as seen, forming a
line against the sky as straight and even as
if designed with rule and level To the
South and West rises hill after hill, one Ia
BILE above and beyond another, until in the
dim distance the gray peaks of Kittatinny
cap the whole. These wooded, clothed in
every shade of green, and lying in the form
of a semicircle, seem vast amphitheater,
more grandly beautiful than that of
Rome in its most fourishing condition.
But do not imagine that the country is
all mountain and wilderness, for l consider
this garden spot-a large, well-cultivated
BhluSh' III JhO
are some of the finest farms, in Eastern
Pennsylvania. When the railroad is built
their value will be second to none.
This village, with it's neat, and substan-
tial dwellings, beautiful gardens, and gen.
eral air of refinement adds new charm to
a scene which nature has so lavishly favor
ed.
Among the buildings / note, 1st
Three churches and their parsonages, all
speaking well for the religious spirit of the
people,-2d three stores, doing an aggre-
| gate annual business of $75, I'D, an
academy, which, the Principal informs me,
| is well supported by the community, num-
bering at present between fifty and sixty
students, s,-4th, all the shops offices, and
other establishments generally found in
every enterprising town,-5th, a tannery
requiring 1900 cords of bark and manu-
featuring 10000, dollars worth of leather
every year.
BY the way, there was quite an excite
ment in town on Saturday, caused by the
report that a load of bark containing taoelUe
cords and drawn by sac mules would arrive
during the day. At noon number of us
started to meet the train, which we found
at Manassas Gap about two miles south of
town. 1t consisted of two wagons one
coupled in rear of the other, the front one
|
other, over two and half. The bark
would all have been put upon the foremost
wagon had it not been for some weak bridges
on the way. After crossing Sherman's
Creek at the fording--for the load could
not pass through the covered bridge-the
bark was all put upon the front wagon,
giving it the appearance of a large load of
hay or cornfodder, and reducing the six
mules to an almost pigmy size but, strange
to say, we failed to hear a single word of
doubt in regard to the ability of the team
to draw the load.
From this point to the tannery it took
the character of triumphal procession,
about one hundred persons from the town
and neighborhood having collected to see
the "show."
In the absence of brass band horse
man was sent ahead to whistle,
"The conquering hero comes,"
The spirit of the occasion was best shown
by little five-year-old, who perched upon
the roof of an old dilapidated shed at the
edge of town, was heard to sing a medly
improvised by himself for the occasion. We
failed to catch all but the chorus
"Go It muley, go it Jim ~
Root hog or die
Meet me at the gate Love!
Hou's this for highF"
About o'clock the load was driven tC
the bark shed and measured Length %
feet height feet ST inches (; average
width, z feet inches making 13t cords
plus feet. Beat that ye Pennsylvania
Rdil-rodd!
The driver, Mr.. James Crownover, un-
derstands his business. During the entire
trip there was no whip cracking, no yelling
no baking, no excitement, nothing what
| 30 inl; 4Iof tho nnllipO
the enormous load of over thirteen tons.
Mr.. McNeal, the proprietor of the Tan.
merry and owner of the team, was absent on
Saturday, but it is expected that when he
, returns an ovation suitable to the occasion
) will be given.
With such spirit as is here manifested
Mr.. Editor, Blain is bound to prosper.