The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1873-05-30
LocaE Cosa.esi,o,.sEence.



having had one days leisure, in which to
/ look around and become acGuainted | fee!
II mount bent on me TO give Il sketch of my
. late wanderingS and the incidents connected
+ herewith. ! have made two through trips
from this place to Marietta. The first, OCCU-
pying almost eight weeks. was remarkable
/ tor nothing save cold and stormy weather,
/ high water, and a perfect jam. Arriving at
/ home on "Wednesday evening, April Both,
/ We only had time to make few hurried
/ preparations for the next food, and Sat
urday it came. On Sabbath, May 18th, we
! lett the Tree on our second trip, and it is Of
/ this one ! wish more particularly to speak,
II having been so repleUe with pleasant Incl
dents that l look back upon it rs the most
enjoyable trip 1 ever experienced, save and
except Of course that memorable one to the
{ land OF luscious peaches, where the sands
OF Ilfc, or life among the sand, unlike the
timber in this region, will never run out
The raft upon which | took passage was
run by Nh NJ. Il. B. Creery, of this place 4
thorough pilot and a king among watermen.
His crew con sisted Of six Jolly, good hearted
boys, always ready for fun and frolic, aud
just as ready for work when necessary. In
addition to these, Prof. y. NJ. Crcery, the
blind musician, accompanied us as passcn-
ger. Our cabin, l Will venture to say,
one Of the most comfortable that ever tloated
down the river. The sleeping apartment
was well provided with robes, while the cul-
mary department., under the skillful man
agemcnt of +. Il. Mccormick, was an tuH.
With fair weather. Il band OF music consist
ing OF four performers, on board, the stars
auh stripes floating from the peak of our
shanty, and our table well supplied with all
the suhSt2nt1alS and luNuricS Of the season,
we made very quick and very pleasant run
to Marietta, landing in that place on the
morning of the eighth day out. To enuIncr-
ate the many pleasant incidents Of our trip
would require too much time and space.
Suffice it to say, that wherever we Went our
tlaE and music were received with cheering
and hearty expressions of good feeling. At
one point in particular the scene was anus
IIg. y short distance below the mouth of
the Siuncmahouiug, while floating near the
railroad we perceived some four or five hun
died iaborerS engaged i'll layinga new track.
i he instruments We're immediately ordered
ont and naturally SUpp0siug them to be ma
tYeS OF the Green Isle, we gave them st. Pat
rick's day in the morning. The effect was
magical From one end of the line to the
other. picks and ShOvcls were dropped or
hung SUS pended III the air, while the listeners
showed their appreciation by either cheering
or indulgiHg i'll u true Irish jig. The scene |
was one We shall not soon forget, yet but one
among many. Gn Sabbath evening we pass
eel the city of Harrisburg, just rs the church
bells were ringing for evening services.
Their sweet tones, rs they reached uS uDou
the waters, sounded strangely grand and (
solemn, and long after they had ceased and
tWliIEht AHu fallen, We sat there upon the
raft, tiJating along upon tho mOOuiit wave.
one caring to break the silence. but each
one approaching and silently enjoying the
calm beauty Of the night. l thought if this /
be rafting l could wish 1t would last for
ever. Arriving in Marietta the following
morning, the boys indUlgcd in a regular /
breakdown upon the raft to the no small !
amusement of the good people of Marietta I
Leaving the river with The flag at the head .
o. our procession, we put mp with that prince ,
of landlords, Mr.. Geo. w. Hcckrothc, where
all our physical wants were supplied il first
class style. ON Tuesday evening, previous
TO the departure OF our crew for home, We
made public; presentation OF our iiag to Mr. /
Geo. W. Heckroth", Nj. =. hinpurts III very
neat and appropriate address presenting the .
flag, Elr Heckrothe receiving 1t and res
pundlug III a similar manner. Mr.. John /
Chase, of Clearfield, then addressed III" COM .
pHny, his remarks producing the most hearty
good hHmOr among all parties. The occasion !
was = very pleasant one, and the sentiment (
Of each one OF our crew Is that wherever that /
flag le found next spring we viii rail around
II. George needs 40 better siSu-GCard than I.
that.
ON Thursday morning, your correspond /
cut. IN company With i. kinpOrtS and ,juo. Z
Bell, Es'l., started for trip to Port Deposit /
This being portion of the river had never !
seen, and having heard so much OF its rough /
water and splendid scenery. you may very !
naturally suppose that | felt quite e.atcd at ]
the prospect OF having my curiosity i'll this (
particular gratitiGd. Although | had heard /
many glowing descriptions of this part OF the /
route aud formed in Imagination some idea !.
of what it was like, I must say that l was /
more than gratified in finding that the real /
ity far exceeded my most SInguirc CNpcctsl-
lions. And just here, Mr. Editor, permit I
me 10 say that l feel my Inability TO give you (
even Il faint idea OF the grandeur OF maguifi- /
ccucc OF the scenery thro' which we passed. I
There are times, believe, when EdmiratioH ,
can be best expressed by silence, and 50 l /
feel it to be in this case. We left Marietta
AZ five o'clock III the morning, provided with /
splendid lunch prepared by our kind and .
thoughtful hostess Passing Columbia Dam, /
where the Shad fishers We're busy 1T work, /
l.
gan TO realize the nature OF the water he (
tween Marietta and Port Deposit. To the 4
uuinitiatcd the scene at this point is well .
calculated to bring feeling of terror. The ,
rtIt, going at breaiS-ucck speed, is hcnmcd !
IL apparently by huge rocks, between Which /
10 outlet is visible until atterWhiriing around |
III" sharp angle OF 4 StupcndOuS rock We ind /
ourselves III another basin similar i'll CharslC- /
ter to the first and thus it continued for up
wards OF Il mile before felt free to draw q /
long breath inspect our lunch basket and !
note the magnificent scenery on our left.
The channel for RATS is close to the left band .
shore the entire distance, thus afOrshng one /
an opportunity of viewing the finest scenery /
along the river. Tall cliffs of solid rocks .
rising perpendicular from the waters edge .
to the hci ght of several hundred feet, crown /
ed with the bright green foliage OF early /
spring and this intcrspcrscd with the bcail-
tiful pink aud white blossoms of the wild (
peach and Juniper trees, thus combining as ,
it were the grand with the beautiful, fur
nlSned food tor our greedy eyes Tor many /
mile. Here and there little streams came .
rushing, tumbling and falling over the rocks, .
forming such beautiful miniature cascades /
and waterfalls that we could not repress our /
eXclamations of delight rs new beauties pre- /
scntcd themselves to the vision; each rCCur- /
ring one seeming more beautiful than that /
which had preceded it. So entranced were /
with the scenery along shore that we al !
most forgot TO notice the river, which is Il /
strange feature i'll itSolf Accustomed as we /
a u lfX-t O ne
we could not understand how the Port pilots :
could run so slillfully where there are no
leads, the water seething, boiling and rush !
ing in every direction. At times its surface /
would be calm and sInoOth-a moment after /
it would be in the widest coinmotiou, a huge !
boil coming to the surface and throwing tho /
water off in all directions, only to encounter I,
and be thrown back 10y other bUils, thus Caus- |