Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-12-23
LETTER FROM TIE WEST.

DAYTON, ONO, Schools, MILITARY ASYLUM
-CINCINNATI-LoUIsyIL ITS LIBRARY
GLASGOW JUNCTION, EFFECTS OF THE WAR,
ILL FEELING DYING OUT AMONG THE PEOPLE.
GLASGOW JUNCTION KY, Dec. Sth, 1873.
To the Editor of the Journal:
l find myself this morning thinking Of the
pleasure afforded by the regular coming of
your paper through the snow Of this season,
full of the news of the day, enjoyed by the
cheerful blaze that bids defiance to the winter
wind and frost outside, and having a moment
to spare you shall have hasty word as to
this locality and a trip here at this season.
The traveller sees little change in old Massa-
chusetts, for the winter winds bite as sharply
across the hills of the Bay State as over our
own, and while the mercury may not fall so
low along the lakes as you pass ria Syracuse,
Rochester, Buffalo and cleveland, there is
damp, penetrating force in the atmosphere
that teaches one to fold his wrappings closely
about him, and makes the fires in the passen-
ger coaches very acceptable. When we came
this way, our first stop was at Dayton, where
we visited Maine man, an old friend and
classmate, Mr.. o. G. Wilson, General Agent
for E. II. Butler & Co., Educational Pub
fishers. who through the excellence of their
books and the energy of Mr.. Wilson, have the
schools very generally supplied with their
books. With Mr.. w. we visited several of
the city schools, and found most excellent
system and discipline and great apparent sue
cess. Indeed, New England must look well
to her laurels or she will find them transferred
to the west, which is making rapid strides in
the race, for excellence in this respect, if in
deed she is not already in advance. The
traveller in Ohio especially will be struck
with the evidence of interest in education, as
manifested in the fine school buildings in al
most every village through which he passes.
In fact for medium sized village a school
house costing from fifty to one hundred
thousand dollars, of elegant plan and finish. is
no uncommon affair, for each seems to have
generous rivalry. with its neighbor, as to
which shall have the best accommodations
for the scholars of the place. They place
them in nice localities and make special effort
at liberal salaries to secure the best teachers,
the Principal Of the high school in Dayton,
is New England man. an old student of
Bowdoin College. While at Dayton we visi-
ted the Asylum for Disabled Volunteers, which
is located about mile from town on a fine
eminence commanding very beautiful view
of the city and other points along the Miami
valley. The Government has about 700 acres
here, and the shops and buildings are on
more extensive scale than at the Eastern
branch, at Togus. The hospital and chapel
especially are fine buildings and are very
credtable to the place; fine school is car
ried on with success at the asylum. The ride
down the main valley is very pleasant, and
the traveller finds at Cincinnati busy bust
IL l.: H. L..
an omnibus to the trains going southwark,
which leave from the other side of the city.
If he stays for dinner and stops at the Mer-
chants Hotel, he will find all that is desirable
in the way of table fare and the attentions and
courtesies that belong to q first class house.
We found little to look at with interest as we
passed along toward Louisville over what was
once sort of debatable land between Slav-
cry and Freedom, With only the river between.
We found at Louisville a pleasant home at
the Louisville hotel, and the traveller need
look no farther for the comforts which are so
desirable. Here is the location of the great
library which is being built up by lottery
and has already assumed very considerable
proportions. 1t has also received many rare
and curious gifts from the citizens ofthe State,
and is worthy of a visit from any one who has
a spare hour in the city. We left at night,
moving on towards the South, and stopped at
midnight at Glasgow junction for visit to
Mammoth Cave. Here we begin to see the
effects of the war not yet removed in the
chimnies that stand here and there over the
country like fingers pointing out the work of
the contest, and yet much has been done to
rebuild the fences and remove the marks of the
struggle. The cavalry forces moved back and
forth over this portion of the State, and what
was left by the one was as surely DESTROYED
by tie other. One thing which strikes the
traveller as very singular is the very moder-
ate and sensible tone of the people, espec-
tally those who have served in the southern
army. The old neighbors who faced each
other in battle, having laid down the sword,
agree with each other to let bygones be by
cones. and chat together over the very battles
in which they met each other as if it was a
mock affair, rather than a real scene of war
1t seems wise that it is so and better for them
and for the State.
On the morrow we shall visit the caves and
move farther south. From the next point we
may find something more worthy of interest,
If so, you will hear again from A.B.C.
GENERAL NEWS.
western newsnanar has ia ;ts LET of fo,nola