The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1872-07-13
The Late Edi,oriaI EXCURSION.
An Agreeable Party, a Delightful Trip
and a PIeasaHt Erie" for All.


world within a few hours after they have
happened, it smacks somewhat of old fogy>
ism to speak at so late day of the State Ed
itorial excursion, now for two weeks num-
bered among the things that were, but the
pleasant experiences Of that delightful trip
are too vivid in our memory, too much cher
ished among the agreeable recollections of
our usually humdrum life, too much fraught
with heartfelt gratitude for the kind treat
mert vouchsafed us. to permit this, the first
opportunity afforded since our return, to pass
by without putting on record at least hur>
ried and imperfect sketch of what we saw
and how We were treated on that occasion.
Be it known, then, TO all who think worth
while to peruse this narrative, that on Mons
day evening, oath ult., in company with our
better half" we left home for the purpose
of participating with others Of the Pennsyl>
vania State Editorial Association Ia what
proved to be a most delightful and interest,"
ing excursion to the renowned city OF Erie
and thence down through the oil regions and
back again to the starting poiht-foT which
pleasant trip we had been kindly equipped
with the necessary please psss" over the
Pa. r. R. to Pittsburgh and from thence by
the Erie and Pittsburgh r R., via Home~
wood. to the beautiful city of Erie, located
on the southern shore Of Lake Erie, rendered
famous as the scene of Commodore Perry S
decisive victory over the English fieet-on the
memorable 10th day Of September, 1912.
and also immo rtalzed by the dying words of
the brave aud intrepid Lawrence. Don't
giue mp The ship 20 as well as by the no less
laconic but expressive message sent to Gen.
Harrison at Fort Meigs, 1--WE have met the
enemy and they are ours" 1t is needless to
say that in the superb passenger coaches and
under the indispensable management Of the
railroad company first named we reached
Pittsburgh on schedule time and put up for
the rest of the night at the st. James, one Of
the best conducted hotels OF which any city
can boast, and which is specially recommends
ed to the patronage Of CAmbrians from the
fact that two furmer citizens of Summitvlle,
this county, Messrs. Robert Black and Jas
Mckinley, are proprietor and manager re-
spectively.
Monday had brought together at Pitts
burgh goodly number of the fraternity and
a fair spriuking of the fair sex from West
ern Pennsy lvania, and with these we took
the cars for Erie at an early hour on Tuesday
morning. Along the route our party in
creased in numbers, every new conner adding
his or her quota to the interest and enjoy
ment of the occasion. Past Allegheny City,
Beaver Falls, New Castle, Sharos, Green ,
vile, Girard, and other places of less impor>
tance, we were carried in our onward course,
bringing up at our destination. after enjoying
a most delightful ride from Pittsburgh of
nearly one hundred and fifty miles ia length,
at about o'clock in the afternoon. Once
in Erie, we were not long in seeking shelter
from the broiling sun at the Reed House, one
of the largest and most elegantly furnished
hotels in Western Pennsylvania. but, owing
TO the illness of the proprietor and a strike
among some of the employees, as we were
assured. the excursionists found little else
than the eel0gant. furniture and the;comfortaBle
rooms 10 elicit their admiration. The early
hour at which the western editors and their
ladies arrived enabled all Of us to secure the
necessary rooms without much trouble, but
the greater body Of the cxcursionsts, those
from the eastern part of the State, who did
not arrive until about Z O'Clock, had to en>
dure many discomfnrts before they finally
succeeded in ensconscing themselves in their
respective apartments. However. all came
to enj0y all that was TO be enjoyed, and that
they did without wasting much time in vain
regrets about the want of management and
lack Of system so painfully apparent at the
Reed House. Sightseeing occupied the rest
of the day, and the time so occupied was In
deed pleasantly spent. The regularly laid
out streets and avenues, the latter fully one
hundred feet ide, the two beautiful public
parks and elegant fountains, the handsome
churches, public buildings and private resi-
dences. to say nothing of the delightful loca~
tion and the beautiful panorama which the
lake presents, especially to the one who views
residence of Mr. Lisle White-all were well
calculated, iu conjunction with much else of
interest we might mention, to make exceed
ing glad those Of us at least who had never
before visited the city by the lake. There are
several natural gas wells in Erie, and not a
few natural ''gas houses" One of the for
mer we visited at the elegant mansion of a
Mr.. Clark, who very courteousy received
the party and showed the several ways in
which this gas is made available for heating.
cooking and illumination purposes. This
we'll is some six hundred feet deep and sup>
plies two houses with light and fuel, and
then there is probably enough to spare for a
dozen more houses. Erie contains a popula,
tiou of some 25,Oo0. and being convenien,
to the richest iron and copper ore fields in
existence, as well as being in position to com,