The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1873-07-18
BETTER Late than Necer.
SOMETHING ABOUT THE EDITORIAL ExCUR-
SION THROUGH THE LEHIGH AND
WYOMING VALLEYS,

Almost three weeks have elapsed since
the third annual excursion of the Pennsyl-
vauia Editorial Association, with all its at
tendant incidents, sensations and pleasures,
has been numbered among the things that
were, and yet it is only at this late day that
an opportunity has been afforded US to say
our say about it. Having had little en-
gagcment with the assembled representa-
tiyes of the democracy of Cambria county
on Monday, June 23d, from which engage
ment we retired with our bright flower of
political promise most effectually nippcd III
the bud, and having had to issue our paper
ON the day following. we were forced to
forego the privilege of participating in the
pleasures aud indulging in the feast OF
reason and flow of soul to say nothing of
the many other good things, which marked
the brief sojOurn of the party at Danville,
the home of Dr. Bradley, the worthy and
respected President of the Association, and
of that warm-heaIted and whole-soulcd war
horse of democracy, gentleman who has
grown grey in the editorial harness. one of
the ablest champions of good cause, Hon.
Thomas Chalfant, State Senator from the
10Th district. Suffice it say that the fra
ternity met with perfect ovation at the
hands of the hospitable people of that pros
porous town, and for once in their expert
ence sat down to a sumptuOus banquet the
credit whereof was not claimed for the town
at the expense of the editors themselves.
In other words, it was free Offering from
a generous people to body of men whose
pockCt-hOCkS are, generally speaking, as
devoid of greenbacl>s as their heads are of
living animalculH.
Leaving home on the evening Of the oath,
we caught the party ''out on fly" on the
morning of the 25th; that is, we found them
to the number of one hundred and twenty
five or more, at least one-third Of whom
were ladies, awaiting cmbarkatiOn by spe-
cial train at the DanviIle station. Alight-
ing in the midst of the gay assemblage,
many familiar faces met our vision. many
friendly greetings and enthusiastic hand
shakings bade US welcome, and thencefor-
ward with us, as with the rest, ''all went
merry as a marriage bell or Il belle on the
eve of marriage. Ere long the excursion
lists were comfortably seated in couple of
elegant cars, or elegant coupled cars, on
the Danville, Hazleton and Nilkes-BaTTe
railroad, and soon after we were StCaming
away over the mountains in the direction
of MauCh Chunk, the next tarrying place
in the route laid down. In a comparative
ly brief length of period = the excursion
lists arrived at HaZleton, a beautiful town
Of some 5000 inhabitants in the centre of
the anthracite coal region, where an hour
OF 50 was most agreeably spent in examin-
ing the spacious and magnificent grounds
Of the princely Pardee and other points of
interest.
Once more safely aboard the train. we
were rapidly borne onward to our destina-
tiOn, Mauch Chunk, where we arrived in
time for sumptuouS dinner at the Man
sion House, one of the finest and best con-
Quoted hotels it has ever been our good for
tune to put up at. And now shall We give
YOU our impressions of Mauch Chunk and
is surroundings? Gladly would we do so
if our ability was equal to the task. but as
1t Is, we must content ourSelf with saving
that it is one of the most interesting UNIQUE
and rOmantically situated towns the eye of
man ever perhaps rested on. The first view
one obtains on entering it is, to quote the
language of the veteran BrattOn. of the
Carlisle Volunteer, like the lifting of n
curtain before a stIauge and fascinating
picture the beholdeT is at once in the mid
die of the quaint environs Of q rnagic cir
. Gle. He must be right in the town before
he can see it, walled III as it is by the ma
sonTy of nature, with huge rocks scattered
here and there and projecting at various
points of the surrounding mountains whose
/ sides and SUBMITS are covered with the
towering forms Of beautiful trees clad in
/ eternal foliage. How pitiful and insiguifi-
/ cant are the works of men when compared
/ with scenes as glorious as these - In the
centre of this interesting picture, so graph
/ ically described, flows the placid waters of
I the Lehigh which looks 50 much like any
other river OF like dimensions and with
similar surroundings, that we deem any at
tempt at description entirely Superhuous.
4 Nature itself seems to have been violated
( IN locating a town in SO wild, 50 romantic.
. and 50 apparently Inaccessible a SPOT vet
II Is none the less pOpulOus, prosperous,
pretty and enterpriSiug town, well worthy
the Sobriquet II hears. ''The Switzerland
/ of America, and no one who has the time
7 70 spare and the money TO spend should
! fail TO pay Il a visit.
Wednesday afternoon was occupied for
the most part in making a trip around tile
famous ''Switchback. A" 4 railroad construct
Z ed and principally used for the conveyance
OF coal from the mountains above to the val
4 ley below, but why it is called the switch.
sure we are that no switching back was
done in our behalf. In one sense such an
experience might have proved beneficial.
Tor IN making us smart IL might have i'm
pressed uS more forcibly with the eternal
fitness of things in general and of the
" SwitChback' appelatiou in particular.
/ But we anticipate. Reaching the inclined
plane at the foot of Mt. Pisgah, whence
some Of the party were conveyed in coach
H es, " hIie others, ourself among the number,
'tnpped the light fantastic toe or words
10 that effect, on "Shank SNARE" we ere
+ long were comfortably ensconced in three
small passenger coaches, somewhat resemb-
ing street cars. These, with their living
freight. were moved one at time to the foot
/ OF the plane, where they were securely at
tached TO strong iron band, six and a half
I inches IN width, and a .'Safety-car' placed
III the rear Thus equipped, the signal was
gwen by pulling a handle connected with
long wire attached to a bell at the head
OF the plane, the 120-horse power steam
engine was set in motion. and with many a
hah-suppressed exclamation of terror on
part OF the more timid, we commenced the
ascent of Mt. Pisgah. Up. up we Went Ia
inc mead OF the plane which (thc plane,
not the head is >, 322 feet in length with
rise OF one foot in every three, an eleva-
ton OF 664 feet, and an altitude of / 31O
ieet above tide water. Soon we are safe
~ l'lhdeu at the top where a magnificent
beauty by any like scene in the world. is
presented to our admiring vision. AS far