Wilmington daily commercial. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1866-1877, 1874-11-09
FIRST EDITION.


Correspondence of the Commercal.l
PHrIApELpIriA, Nov. g. 1874.
On last Monday morning, between 7 and 9
o'clock, people driving along the Wissahichon
road towards Philadelphia, turned and stared to
see three youths striding along with steady step,
having vasculum apiece hanging over their
shoulders. Lest the readers of the COMMERCIAL.
should not know what yaacuum is, we will say
for their beneft that it is an oblong tin
box, used by botanists to contain spec-
mems of flowers, plants, edves, etc.
The three youths mentioned, however, did
not use them for that purpose. They carried in
them provisions, and such clothing as seemed
absolutely necessary. There were in the three
one long youth, one shorter youth, and one
short youth, making complete series. These
boys, whose odd accoutrements attracted the at
tention of the dwellers and drivers along the
Wissahickon, were three friends bound on
short pedestrian tour along the line of the North
Pennsylvania Railroad, with the Intention Of go
ing as far as bethlehem, and seeing what was to
be seen.
We walked ON up the banks of the romantic
and historic stream enjoying to the full the
and all talking at once, on whatever subject
ohanced to come up We passed several mills
along the Estream, and at some, particularly Ma
garges extensive papeImills, wishing to stop and
go through them but as our time was limited,
and we could see the places OF interest near the
city at another time, we concluded to push
on and leave farther examination for
the present. After walking up the Wissa-
hickon for about ten miles, we left 1t, and
crossed over to the Bethlehem pike, which
we struck at Flowertown, small viii
lage beyond Chestnut Hill. Then we
walked steadily along, through very thickly
settled country, the houses lying so near each
other that we could hardly decide where one
village ended and another began, until we ar
rived at Fort Washington, where the railroad
crosses the turnpike. Here we stopped to re-
port progress to our friends at home, who were
supposed to be anxiousy waiting the first news
from us. We had provided ourselves with plen-
ty of postal cards. and we Immediately COM
menced an active correspondence on the steps
of the Post office. We concluded that If the
two dozen postal cards We wrote did no other
good, they at least amused the postmistress at
Fort Washington for the next hour. After fin
ishing our business there,w went on some three
miles, and stopped for dinner in piece Of woods
| near brook. Here we spent an hour, and the
| tall aud middle-sized members of the Brother
hood of Three" had good laugh at the short
| member, who became thirsty from eating some
| excellent ginger cakes, which formed part of
| the provision, and went down to the brook to
| get some water. He filled the mug, and took
| two swallows before he could stop himself, and
| then began to choke and splutter, while the
others lay down on the ground and roared. On
| further examination it was found the brook
| drained tannery few hundred feet off, and
| the short member thinks IL any of your readers
| have an idea that tannery water is good, let
| them try it and see.
| After this little affair, we proceeded on our
| way not meeting any other adventures worthy
| of notice. and stopped for the night at hotel
| in a. small village named Trewigtown, having
walked about 20 miles The loafers from the
country round filed the bar room, talking over
| the probable result of the next days election,
smoking, and taking in supply Of the ardent to
| last them until Wednesday. Not being used to
| breathing an atmosphere reeking with che fumes
| of tobacco and bad whiskey we went to bed
early and slept the sleep of the just.
| Next morning we rose with the sun and agood
| appetite for breakfast, and started off rested
| and refreshed. We noticed that as we got
farther north the German element began to
| increase, and at Sellersvlle where the railroad
| again CROSSES the road, there seemed to be quite
| as much German as English spoken. Most of
the farmers had finished Their hiskng and some
were hauling the bundles of stalks into the barns
| or stacking them in the fields. Near noon we
/ arrived at Quakertown and stopped at the house
| of friend, where we were cordially received
/ and most kindly entertained We left here with
regret after stay of over two hours, and pushed
| on. past the villages of Xons Hill and Coopers-
burg, and stopped for the night at Centre Val
| ley, a small station about miles from Bethle-
| hem We received excellent fare and the kind
| est treatment at the hands of Mr.. Wilt of the
Centre Valley Hotel, and being tired with our
| days walk, went TO bed soon after supper, which
| we disposed of with the sharpeat of appettes.
| There was some noise below, during the night
| from an excited crowd of German voters and
politicians, but they could not keep three tired
| boys awake long, and we enjoyed ii hours of
| the most profound slumber
Next morning we made an carly start, and af-
ter sharp walk of three miles, arrived at Fried
enavile, where the mines of the Lehigh Zinc
Co. are situated. At this mine the most power
fcl stationary engine in the United States is
used to pump the water from the mine. As it
| may interest some of your readers, / give the
dimensions, etc, which were obtained from the
| very polite and obliging engineer in charge.
Stroke, 100 inches diameter of cylinder, 1lO
| inches revolutions per minute, weight OF
each of the two fly wheels, 10 tons diameter Of
fly wheels, 30 feet capacity of pump, ll2S gal
Ions per stroke. 1t ia low pressure, direct ac-
ton condenslng engine, and was made by Mer-
rick & Sons Southwark Foundry, Philadelphia.
After thoroughly examining this enormous
piece of machinery, we proceeded to inspect the
working of the mine. There are several shaftt
sunk, which are worked by ordinary dumping
buckets attached to wire ropes, and there is also
| a wide pit dug, from which drifts run under
ground IN all directions. We did not descend
any of the shafts as you get very wet and dirty
by 20 doing, and there il little worth seeing un
derground, the most interesting parts of the
works being above. We saw the quartz crlsher
the washing troughs, and the other mining ap
pliances The ore is carted to the railroad, aut
sent to the works of the company at Bethlehem,
to be refined and manufactured.
We next proceeded to Bethlehem, about foul
miles farther where we arrived about o'clock
lU lb bllUdteu On pObn bluoh VI luc iloulBli, LLh
part of the town on the north side being the ole
part, founded by Count Zinzendorf in 174l, ant
containing the famous old Moravan church anC
, seminary, besides many other quaint aud ole
fashioned buildings. The town contains man.
new and handsome residences, stores, etc. Or
the borders of the south part of the town,is stu
ated the Lehigh University, comprising severa
fine buildings, founded by Hon. Asa Packer
On the south back of the river are sitn
ated the immense works of the Beth
lehem Iron Company one of the largest corpo
: rations of its kind in the United States. Herr
they receive the ore from the mines at one par
of the works, and turn il ont in the best stee
rails at another. This is one of the places wher
steel is made by the Bessemer process, whicl
: is of itself we'll worth walk to Bethlehem t.
see. We felt constantly impelled to admire tn
perfect system noticeable In the working of til
whole mill, labor and space being economical t.
the greatest possible extent, and the best pro
duct obtained with the least expenditure of tim
and labor. We spent the principal part of tn
afternoon examining the works, then walked {
: the depot OF the North Pennsylvania Railroad
t where, after getting our suppers, we took til
610 train for Philadelphia. We arrived there q
$40, voting our trip a complete success, and say
ing ia tho most emphatic manner az we separai
, ed, "Fellows, we'll do it again" IL.