The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1874-08-25
FROM TnEQUAKER CITY.
TRIP To THE swITcHDAcK AND dLEN oNol

PHILADELPHIA, Aug. Is, 1874.
Editor Of the Register:
In a town of this magnitude even in
the heat of summer, all must not expect
10 sojourn in the country, at the aside,
among the mountains, on the Islands, or
at other summer resorts. A large num-
ber must remain to keep the house"
but it is not considered breach Of con.
ventional rules or usagcs, for tho latter
class to occasionally take trip outside
for day. Your correspondent being an
integral part or portion OF the latter des'
ignated class of citizens, on the morning
Of the 10th just procured ticket at the
North Pennsylvania depot at Third and
Berks streets, for an excursion trip in the
interest of Coacqunock Lodge No. 463,of
|. q. y. F., to Mauch Chunk. Glen
Onoko, and the far famed "Switcbback. "
We moved at I A. NJ, were soon out of
the built up portion Of the city, and were
already passing some fnc suburban resi-.
denccs. About five miles out, we pass
fine hedge which encloses the mansion
of the late DR.. Kane, Of Arctic explora.
ton fame about two miles farther on at
Chelton Hill, we pass the magnificent and
palatial residence lately occupied by the
well known ex-banker and Gnancicr Jay
Cooke, Esq A number Of other promi-
nent business men of the city reside in
the neighborhood One mile farther on
stands the summer residence OF the late
lamented Ma or General Geo. G. Meade,
the hero Of Gettysburg who fatally cracked
the back. bone of the late rebellion. on
that ensanguined field, where Vermont
troops as well as others, covered them
selves with glory, and made FURNISHED
record that the rest Of time can never
tarnish nor efface At Sandy Run few
miles farther on, is pointed out a house
whitewashed, in which Washington made
his headquarters for awhile, A few min.
utes later we pass Quakertown, n large
aud neat appearing village, inhabited
mostly by members of that highly respect.
able religious society, called Friends
Near this point we get the first glimpse
in the distance Of the mountains. After
traversing awhile beautiful and undulat'
ing farming section, in turning around the
point of South Mountain we meet the
Lehigh River and see tho immense works
of the Bethlehem Iron Company and the
Lehigh Zinc Company we are now 81
miles from Philadelphia, Bethlehem il
large and fourishipg village, and tht
immense rolling mill here, i, said to bc
the largest in the country. At this poin
we connect with the Lehigh Valley rail
road, with the beautiful l.ehigh Rive
running alongside from and above Maucl
Chunk. After steaming on We pas
Allentown. Catasauqua, which are larg,
and extensive iron manufacturing towns
and Slatington, where are procured i'm
mense quantities Of slate for roofing an,
other purposes. We are now nearin!
Lehigh Gap, narrow and crooked pas
through the mountain chair. Notwith
standing the lettering o. the cars passcn
gers are requested not to stand on th
platform at the hazard Of loss OF limb o
life, | took the venture, iirmly graspln
the iron Tenders of the window and ia
platform railing, rode about four mile
through the noted Gap" and its cnviron'
At the right and left CT the tortuou' raj
way, are seen towering mountains an
overhanging cliIis,at some oints PARTIAL
iutting over the cars like the upliitc
hand of monster executloner ready I
crush us; but our faithful and putin
; steam. horse takes US safely through III
romantic pass After steaming awhil
longer up the picturesque valley, tn
mountains are apparently again neaiiD
each otncr. Taking glance at the ma
rowing space between the precipitot
mountains and turning around the ba'
at the left at sharp corner the trai
stops at Mauch Chunk-properly PR
bounced "Moch Chunk" an Indian nam
We are eighty miles from Philadelphia
nearly u due north direction. Mauc
Chunk is said to be composed OF eightee
D., crooked mountains, three crooked street
q crooked river, crooked creek, and al
number Of crooked politicians, On o
!. sides rise steep cayernous mountai
decked with cliugiug forests. At the lie
stands velyety cone lifting its towerlI
q head, noted AS the terminus of Il
3 "Switchback railroad, This queer loo
!, ing town was the birth place OF OF
W Thanc. The house is still standing
which he once lived. A wag once sa
!, "No epidemic could exist here, as 4
town was 20 wedged that it could n
/. spread neither could Il good sized ba,
al break or burst, as there was not room |
'r an explosion and debris" Brick Pom
a. roy once said, When the Mauch Chun
n, ers want garden, they tunnel into Il
Or mountain and then blow the top off"
Is is said anthracite coal was first disco
y, cred here in l79l. BY cutting aw
c. rocks on either side of the river, th
he manage to get a railway track on be
IL sides the Lehigh Valley one side,
re re the other the Susquehanna division of I
n n. New Jersey Central No room for II pit
e. lie wagon highway, A necessity it |
% been said, constitutes the mother of
vention. Here is case in which
ny axiom demonstrated truism. On
"o west side Of the river should iut
nearly or quite four hundred feet abo
in the side Of the mountain is cut C
'o' riage road for miles. If were to C
n template taking wagon or horse bi
\ ride on that elevated causeway bef
" starting should raise the inquiry is
horse steady or balky?
AS the train halted quite large I
- portion of the excursionists left the tri
y to take rido over the Swtchback bel
dinner The remainder. myself of
number, perhaps three hundred all Il
"a, passed on winding and twisting betw
the mountains two miles farther, when
7 train stops in deep rock cut at the
Of the famed Glen Onoko. The pi
disembarked, aud soon formed II long
Of gentlemen aud ladies and commer
the ascent. We soon found ourselve
wild, deep, rocky and woody ravn
gorge, which we were told was IL
4 a