The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1871-11-03
CorrespOndencr.

of Sir Robert Malpnle that, having rc-
oucsted his son to read 10 him In
his last illness, something for his enter
talnment, aud his son asked him it he
should read history, be replied mo sirl
not history ry--anythinE else but history
Afsforv Is an lies" We do not propose
then. tatell YOU lies" In the following ar
tiele, but simply to state Ia order, under
the heads Of Northampton county,
Easton and Lafayette COLLEGE y few facts
aud incidents which history IN his stately
march cannot step aside a. notice, but
which, We conjecture may have sufficient
interest ta the several readers 0t the Re-
portrr a. insure their publication We
Will he compelled, on account ofspace and
time, 10 ahridgc these statements very oi
ten aud entirely exclude Others which
might be- given under moro favorable cir
eumstanccs Northampton county Was sep
arated from Bucks and established by act
OF March II, 1902
IL included originally, Wayne, Pike
Monroe, LchighRn Carbon counties The
county of which We speak lies almost Who'll
Ia within the beautiful aud luXuFlaut hit
tatinay valley, bounded by the nlue ar
Kttatinny mountain, ou the y, w by
South mountains OF Lchigh hills on the
y r.. with the DcleWArv river flowing on
the east aud l.ehigh ou west side, The
more Important creeks are the Mastlus,
Bushkln. Manoekasy and Hockendock.
Zach of thesn are of quite considerable
siee and Mruish water-powcr for numerous
mills aud factories at different kinds which
Tine their banks, The Bushklll especially
Is noted for the purity and freshness OF the
water al all times aud the beautiful scenery
along H. banks The northwestern side OF
the valley il composed Of slate lands The
southeastern Of limestone, \ great many
Of the limestone blutls are solid rock aud
furnish the best quality OF building stone
The rocks arc regularly straIihed and are
arranged at an angle Of about seventy do
srees 10 the northwest The easern bOr-
der OF the county on the Deleware is ia
many places exceedingly rOckey aud u
seems as though the river in rs grand on
ward march 20 the ocean had forced It's
way through mountains and impregnahle
rocks. Ia many places the rocks and pro-
montOries As it were rise almost perpendie-
ularlv To the hight Of several hundred feet.
their sides skir,ed with trees and shrub
berry which il would be thought could not
survive on such sterile soil. One rock in
the Delaware Water-gap, particularly de-
serves notice Ii rises n solid body OF
rocks. 10 the hight Of three hundred feet
from the waters edge, and projects over in
long nose at It's apex, nom which II Is
called ''St Anthony's Nose" On the top
of the nose is a natural carved seat, ap-
on which the observer may slt and take IN
one Of the most beautiful sights which the
eve i permitted 10 behold Here students
repair 10 receive inspiration for 'pr0phi-
cies" aud aid from the muses.. Tradition
states that Vulcan carved out this chair for
jupiter and was the place Of the assem-
bly Of the gods in ancient times.
Coming into the valley through the l.e'
high-gap, broad eXpanse OF the valley
opens 10 view, consisting of high v cultiva-
ted felds and orchards. sloping wood lands
aud primeval forests neat stone or brick
houses, mostly stons barns, eommodious
and we'll hlled excellent roads and fences
all speaking OF the general prosperity Of
the farmers who inhAbit there, The farm
ing nopulation is mostly of German decent
and formerly the German language MAS cx-
elusiyely spoken, but now all can speak
English and many nothing else
In the southern part OF the county are
rich deposits Of iron ore, which supplied
material for number Of furnaces and for
ges. This ore is said 10 be Of the best
quality and well adapted 10 the Inanufae-
tnre oi steel Although agriculture is the
chief employment of the people, an i'm.
mense amount Of capital is invested IN
and in the coal and lumber
trade. The Lehigh valley and Lehigh aud
railroads, do an enormous
business In the transportation Of coal from
Sehuylkill aud Pottsyille mincs 10 New
York and the other eastern cities. The
Lehigh navigation Cos canal Is kept ~
operation and IS in excellent working or
der. About two miles south Of the Dele
ware wAter-gap is the celebrated Slate
ouary OF the Pennsylvania Slate Co. This
Co. was Incorporated in 1911 and ~ that
time il was opened and worked for some
time, when, from want OF skill IN the busi-
ness, il Was abandoned. Hon. james POr-
ter again opened u some years since and
operations are continued.
IL may be more convenient 30 notice the
further development Of these facts in con-
nsction with a few ofthe principal towns
Bethlehem Is the principal town outside
of Ea<ton and was originally settled by the
United Brethren or MorRyians OF the L nj
ted States liz is situated on a high site Of
ground ON the len bank Of the Lchigh ai
the mouth Of the M0nockisy creek. The
scenery In the vicinity, and indeed All
along the Lehigh for twelve miles 10 Eas-
ton, ''is not surpassed by the finest park and
forest scenery in England, The photo
graphers in the vicinity have not neglected
this fact, but have taken several hum
drcd different steroscophic views which
eality 10 those who have not had the priyil-
eye Of seeing il otherwise.
The town has always elected much ad-
miration from travellers and visitors, num-
Der of whom stay here during the hot sum-
meF months. In 1916 the principal build
ings Of note -Wcre the spacious church ca
pable OF containing about 3p0 persons, the
Brothers house, and Sisters house where
those who chose could live in single blessed
ness and still earn an independent support;
the corpse-house, cemetery, museum of the
Young Mems Missionary Society, contain.
ing a cabinet Of minerals and collection Of
curiOsilies from all parts Of the world, the
the very celebrated seminary for young Ia
dies and the water works on the Manocki-
~, said 10 have been in operation more
than ninety years and 20 have furnished
the model for those in Philadelphia. The
Muravians are very fond Of music and
have n nambcr Of bands IN tho town.
When a member the community dies they
have peculiar ceremony which may now
not be observed but which was formerly
part Of the peculiArities. OF the sect four
musicians went TO the tower Of the church
with trumpets and announced the event by
performing the death dirgc. The body
was Immediately removed TO the corpse
house" where the remains were deposited
for three days. The weeping willows
which overshadowed the resting place Of
the dead conveys an impression Of the
solemnity and silence which reigns in the
narrow house prepared for all mankind.
Ii stands detached from all other buildings
excluded from all communicationwitht the
fuss and hustle of the business parts Of the
town. On the third day the funeral ser
vices are. performed at the church. The
corpse Is brought from the dead-housc TO
the lawn in front Of the church, and after
several strains Of solemn music the process
sion moves towards the grave, with the
band still playing, which continues some
time after the coffin is deposited. Among
the graves may seen that Of the pious
Heekewelder, born l743ldied 1923.
Here Is the house where Lafayette lay
during his recovery from. the wound re-
ceived at the battle Of BrandyNine.
In our next, we will give in this connec-
ton sketch of the early history Of the
MorAvians, since Bethlehem Is the great
stronghold ofthat church in the state, and
near their was made their first settlement.
PAUL WARD.
From Gettysburp.