Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-07-03

HOLIDAY RIDE TO HAhBE THE NORTH
PENRA. ROAD-THE LEHIdH vALLEYr-EDITORIAL
GATHERINGS OVER THE MOUNTAIN INTO THE
WYOMING VALLEY.
Correspondence OF Tho CONNER lal
WILKES BARRE, PA. June 80.
The ride to this city, from Philadelphia, ria
Bethlehem, Is familiar to many readers of the
COMMERCIAL. Leaving the former city, tile
North Pennsylvania road traverses the country
almost without help from the valleys Of friendly
streams, and striking boldly crosswise OF the
hills, cats it's way to the head waters OF the
Saucon Creek, forty miles from Philadel-
phia 1t runs through farming country,
mostly rich and well developed The lime
II one lands of Whitemarsh and those in the
charming Saucon Valley are OF exceptional rich
ness, and the average fertility all along the
route Is high. Extending to Gwynedd, nineteen
miles out, the rich Philadephlans have their ell
egant SUMMER residences, one OF their faYorite
localities being the hills OF Cheltenham, where
Jay Cooke has built his grand home. Above
Gwynedd you enter the country OF tho Pennsyl-
vania German element. Industrious, &C -nomi-
cal, enterprlsng--ln some respects progressive
they have built at nearly every station. from
Moth Wales to Bethlehem, thriving towns, con
tanning from two hundred to a thousand people,
each. Neatnesa order aud thrift characterize
these towns and while there Is less of the beau
tiful than one could wish, they lack nothing Of
comfort
= Al Bethlehem, fifty five miles from Philadel-
phia, Se enter the Lehigh Valley, and at Mauch
Chunk, thirty-four miles above we halted, at
noon on Wednesday. We had come thither to
join the Excursion Of the Pennsylvania Editors.
A portion OF those professional people including
representatives of some OF the best papers In the
State, have an Association, which, for three
years past has made an annual trip in some
direction, within the State limits. Ia 1871, they
visited the lumber country and Watkins Glen
III 1872, Eric. and the Oh Region and this
year. Danville, and the coal regions of Carbon
and Luzerne
Half an hour later than we, the excursionists
artive at Mauch Chunk. They had come in a
special train from Danyille, at which place they
met on Monday. The party numbered some
thing like hundred and twenty, of whom about
one-third were ladies'.
The programme of entertainment, at Mauch
Chunk, INCLUDED ride up the inclined planes
to summit Hill, and the return by the gravity
railroad After dinner, Wednesday, We took
this grand and interesting ride, The plane in
clinalion Of the slopes to Mount Pisgah and
Mount Jefferson was plainly not against the in
clination of the exoursionists, though the rise
OF the former il about 800 feet, i'll distance of
2300, grade which would give much gravity to
the occurrence IL ANYTHING should break, anu
the cars suddenly start down hill. Bat nothing
ever has broken, and everybody assures you
that such an accident is impossible. The lean
of the railway, they assure you, is not like
mortgage lien, but leaves 1t strong and unln-
cumbered.
Some'at hilly as it was, we reached Summit
Hill, sound aud safe, and came down cheerfully,
speedily, and pleasantly. Afterward, many vls-
tied the splendid new Episcopal church, of which
Rev. leighton Coleman is rector. 1t was bnilt
two or three years ago at : cost OF about S19,-
000, OF which Asa Packer, (who lives here, and
ID warden OF the church,) gave half. The site
is an extraordinary one, on tho hillside, giving
q commanding position to the building, and tho
interior is very handsome. Mr.. Coleman's Gull
tivated and artistic mind is shown in many de-
tails OF the structure, as we'll as in its general
plan, and at Mauch Chunk, as at Wilmington,
he is always found among the most philahthrop-
ic and public-spirited citizens.
Thursday morning, We rode up tho Nesque-
honng branch OF the Lehigh Susquehanna
railway, to the .high bridge" over the bod OF the
Little Schuylkill the rails of which are 159 feet
above the waters below Returning to the Le-
high we went up to Glen OnokO on the noun
tlin-sde, two miles above Mauch Chunk 1t is
very romantic and beautiful place, and well
worth visit. There are several beautiful cas-
Cades. and many Natural CHARMS, which Art has
improved and developed.
On Thursd afternoon, q epeciat train leav-
ing Mauch Chunk at lbs, brought us to Wilkes
, Barre by about O'Clock. Tho road follows the
Lthigh to White Haven, and then bears West
ward, as the stream tends to the East and boldly
climbs the mountain plateau that crowns the
"divide' Of the Lehigh and Wyoming valleys.
From the summit of this mountain, at Falrvlew,
$50 miles above Mauch Chunk and for several
miles beyond that point, tho magnificent views
OF tho valley beneath are probably unsurpassed
anywhere. Tho panoramic effect is extremely
beautiful
"-susquehanna's slde fair wyoming"
is spread out away below you like lovely paint
ing. Far to the right, is Pittsburg, near the
head of the valley, and away to the left is Nanti-
coke, where the Susquehanua breaks the side
ridge, and leaves the Wyoming basin. AT your
feet some four miles OF in a straight line, is
Wilkes Barre though the railroad, in order to
reach it, makes long loop, away to the East
ward running around the rides of the mountain
sixteen miles to get down by reasonable grades
the great elvation-some fourteen hundred feet
of the summit above the valley.
This morning, Saturday. the Excursion
breaks up. Yesterday delightfully."- spent
here. he people OF Wilkes-BArre have been
most kind in their hospitalities In the morning,
carriages we're provided, and dozen excursion
parties went OH to points OF interest up and
down the valley. A special locomotive took
number of gentlemen down to visit the eXten-
siVe mines and breaker OF the Snsquehanra Coal
Company, at Nanticoke. Judge Hoyt, Col. Wash
ington Lee OK. Senator Kelchum, MIR. Stookney,
the Coal Company's Superintendent, and others,
were OF the party. In the afternoon, the busi-
ness meeting of tue Association was held, and in
the evening Il very handsome " banquet ten
dered by the citizens of Wlks-ljarre, took place,
at which there were toasts, speeches. and much
good fellowship.
This is brief sketch OF the little iant. All
| have hastily described. The distance from
Philadelphia to Wilkes Barre by this route, is
1ll miles, and its Whole length is a aucc ession
If beauties Numer JUS trains leave daily, from
the North Penn. depot,in Philadelphia, with yigi-
liant and DoIjta ennductOrR. and elegant cars,