Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-10-14
Notes of Travel.
CORRESPONDENTS OF THE sPY.l


| CORRESPONDENCE OF THE SPY.
ALTOONA, PENN, Oct. 9, 1871.
Editor Spy:-We went back to Rock Island
and Davenport, and remained there for short
time for two.fold purpose, to see the town and
its surroundings, and learn to wait for down
river boat to st. Louis. We saw the town and
its adiuncts, but failed to learn the waiting
part, low water interfering. Old Sol and the
drouth have first mortgage on the Mississippi
river, and, Judging from its low condition, too
low TO run, these two merciless parties are about
to foreclose and the Father of Waters" will
only be known by tortuous line of shifting
sand. Steamboats, and all kinds of farm
produce are cheap in Davenport and Rock
Island.
We visited the government farm, which in
cludes Rock Island proper The island has been
most appropriately secured by the government
for arsenal purposes, and the finest and most
extensive buildings are in course of cOnstruc-
ton, two of which are nearly completed, and
acres of foundations are laid.
The grounds were made beautiful by nature
exceedingly so; yet Uncle Sans money and
skilled labor attempted an improvement, and
have succeeded well. The only reminder of
war (saye preparation,) to be seen here at pres
ent is a half acre, more or less, of dismounted
light artillery guns, all of which did service in
our late war Dumb as they were, their scars
and battered looks told their story. quiet
place has been assigned them; long may these
dogs" rest Rock Island products in future
will be garden sauce for arsenal officers and
war implements for the soldier. No more
"Black Hawks will find resting place here.
From Rock Island to Altoona the varied
scenery commends itself to the varied tastes and
capacities of all productive prairie
lands for the utilitarian, swamps and stcrility
for the stold and Indifferent, while the grand
Alleghany and Monongahela mountain views
enrapture the lover of the picturesque.
Stopping at Pttsburg we endeavored to take
a hasty view of the city, but they have no sun
light in Pittsburg and views are somewhat OBJ
scured. A Sunday writer, perhaps, could give
faithful description of the city. should say
that the place was substantially built of brick
buildings and brick chimneys, the latter pre-
dominating. The city is nearly environed by
high hills or mountains. Where the Ohio river
gets in and out, do not know, but do know
that 1000 chimneyS are vigorously belching
forth dense volumes of smoke, generated from
bitumnious coal land sooty brick walls and sooty
faces are what you see everywhere. The "smells"
to be had here are mixed and more confusing
than a case of Lubin's extracts. Bituminous
coal smoke in excess, favored with the goings
out of nine oil reiineries, three dstilleries, one
wooden mill, some white lead works, thirty glass
! factories, two lucier match establishments,
score of iron mills, and, believe, a trace of a
glue factory enters into the analysis.
From Pittsburg to Johnston, a distance of
eighty miles, is run without stopping. If you
get hungry, look at the glorious mountain seem
cry; and if thirsty, the beautiful and pictur-
esque COnnemaugh river is pleasing to the eye.
From Johnston, on the west side of the Allie
ghanies, to Galtzen summit, the scenery is
grand, and commands the undivided attention OF
most travellers. At Galitzen short stop is made
to discharge the one or two extra engines re-
quired to draw the train up the heavy grade of
the mountain; also to discharge travellers who
have the courage or inclination to stop over at
this wild yet interesting point The famous Al
leghany tunnel is entered at this place. Through
the tunnel to Altoona is fourteen miles of more
grandeur and beauty than Church or Bierstadt
ever put on canvas Some four miles below the
tunnel we round Kittanning point, or Horse
Shoe bend, where train of nine cars is running
nearly east and west at the same time.
Altoona, like A. Wards particular point in
his lecture, "Babes in the wood is a good
place to stop for a rest; but stopping, you have
the same inclination to climb the mountains for
more beauties las ARENAS had to tell stories while
resting. In seven miles from Altoona, by climb
and scramble, we reached the summit of
| "WhapsanOnic," and were well repaid for our
trouble in going up, Not quite satisfied with
| our thirty miles per hour running view of the
eastern slopes of the mountains, we went back
by rail to Saltzen and having time at our COM
mand visited some of the bituminous coal mines.
Looking down those dismal shafts where
twelve or sixteen real pieces of humanity take Il
$50 feet downward departure each morning to dig
and delve on their knees, or in a crouching
| position, for the five or six tons of coal each
person is expected to send up to daylight each
day, | appreciated coal. From the summit over
the tunnel the views are good enough to treas
ure. A long-liyed artist could spend his days
in this locality painting, on the eight-hour sys-
ten and leave much unfinished work.
The extensive machine shops of the Pennsyl-
vania Central railroad are located at Altoona.
These shops furnish the road with elegant luxu-
rious cars, which, 10 ride in, takes off the tired
side of travel. should say that Altoona's in
terests centered in the Central railroad, and all
trains run over the road center at this point
morning, noon and night, to furnish the hungry
ones on each train twenty minute meals at
that most excellent hotel, the logan house."
My wanderings west have afforded me much
pleasure and instruction, but, as Gosh Bill
ings" says, 81 hay finally cum tew the konclu-
shdn, if man kant be born but once, he had
better issue proposals tew hay it dun somwhare
in New England. &c.
OF Andrew J. GaYey, the great plasterer of
New York, whose magnificent jobs afford such
encouragement to all plastererS everywhere,
a correspondent of the New York Commercial
Advertiser tells the following irresistible story