Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1874-04-30
DOWN AMONG TIKI; CLAY
EA FERS.

SIT has been said by one of deep re-
search, and profound philosophy, that
no man can be truly happy whose
trousers bag at the knees. ."-Daity
NeUs.
After long journey by water and
rail we are able to refute the above
we have found Arcadia. On the
14th day of April We turned our face
toward the Sunny South, at the Wheel
ing wharf, we went aboard and regis
terrell On the good Steamer Express U.
IS. Mail line, the bell was tapped, the
plank drawn and with bon voyage
from the fshore and aHreUoir from
deck, the boat swung around anti we
were off. Our first object Was to make
friends aboard, and this as the day
wore on we succeeded in dOing-just
those nice cOmpanjOnable friends
whom one enjoys SO much, those who
talk when yOr wish and hUid sweet
communion even in their silence. On
we sped swiftly, pleasantly touching
now and then at landing for freight
or Passengers. AS organ agents would
exprt IS it the boat WAS running with
the trenolo on e. e. that peculiar
vibration of the hull which indicates
that the engineers are working at their
utmost capacity. We sat by the rail-
ing until u late hour of the night watch
ing the river, the towns, and the land
ings as illuminated by the red glare of
he cleaning cres5ett torch which
4 a"ung from the deck below; then with
a remembrance of the sad fate OF the
''crescene city" We sought our state
room, and over the fiery furnace and
the clang OF the ponderous machinery =
ave laid lls down to sleep,
And left to God the rest
! Whether to wake and weep,
Or wake no more be best"
We srent two days and nights upon
the beautiful Ohio, ana at one point
oCr boat was blown ashore and went
crashing among the willows, furnish
ing an incident both terrifying and
amusing. Fortunately the water Was
high up on the tree trunks, and the
boat floating was soon under control
again. We will not presume to write
up for an intelligent and travelled pub
lie q description ofthe cities and towns
we visited, but if the reader will par
don the di.reSsi0n We will give Al few
| incidents of Tho Temperance movement
las uUs.i,.iei ui citizens outside Of the
press re,,ort+. At Wheeling the ladies
were. ca.orci.is the ''Sun;iay Law"
il AMI n.ihy young men were crossing
the "bln1dy clrisin" as they termed
the c:uc;tixiOu Of their appetite for
strong drink. Friends of the cause
are very hopeful of good results iii this
city At Marietta we obtained con-
fiicting st; te,nentS from persons claim
| ing 10 be friends of the cause. One
thing is certain, that what tie press
often record ;,s q victory is only co:n-
! promise with saloon keepers in order
| to end the crtlsade of which the women
grow very weary in the large cities.
| Missing a transfer near Marietta we
were carried into Athens County. and
stopping OFF at a village called New
| England 10 await returning train, we
had an opportunity of witnessing the
happy result, OF the efforts of the Pat
terSon Peace Committee, a temperance
Organization formed previous to the
iadvent Of Dio Lewis. On reaching
| Parkersburgh, Va, We found the peach
bloom falling and people eating little
onions raised in their own. gardens.
Here also the ladies were working in
the temperance cause with but poor
hope of success, as members of tie City
Council were largely interested il the
manufacture and sale of liquors. Twice
we crossed the magnificent Railroad
Bridge at this place, and which exceeds
in beauty and grandeur any structure
of the kind we ever saw. A portion of
the city is passed over, and high in the
air above the streets and buildings one
gszes earthward with mingled feelings
of awe and admiration. In this city
we received (unsolicited) the following
card which was handed us by an emf
nent citizen of Marietta: tYou will
take good care of this man-he is Of
| and one ofmy friends. Signed DIR. B.
n. hejoicing in the possession ofsuch
passport we turn and look toward
the mountain country. IL.