The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1874-07-31
Ie Land Of the Vest.
EBEssBURG, July 2s, lST4.

DEAR SIR-Haying enjoyed with
you the pleasures aud borne with you the heat
of the late hurried trip 10 Omaha. cheerfully
comply with your request to add Il chapter to
what you have all eady published ON that Su b.
1ect; and do this the more willingly because
| know that your other duties are of so press
ing nature that it was or is scarcely possible
for you to spare the time requisite to give Il
more minute account of the trip than you have
already published.
with this by way of introduction, permit rre
TO venture upon hasty though l hope not al
together un.nteresting description OF some of
I the scenes and incidents peculiar to our week ;
Jauut in the mighty West.
AS has been already intimated by my kind
friend. yoursc'f fn,IiyfduoiIv the extramrIs-
not weather which prevailed during our trip
sure which would ha +e attended il had the tenn
peraTuTe been more akin TO that which we on
the mountain generally experience at this sea-
son of the year. As il was, the heat sim
ply excruciating- Those mex perienced in rail-
road travel i'm the west can Scarcely Imagine
how it feels to be pent up in a railroad car while
the mercury indicates hundred degrees in the
shade and almost impenetrable clouds or dust
eri1g your entire person, TO the depth of an
inch or two, more or less; for be ii known that
tic railroads in the west are not like ours, in
usmuch as they have no clean stone ballast be-
tween the ties, but are laid on ties embedded
rapid motion or the aars hurls up in such dense
volumes that the tr:~eer is not only prevent
ing through, but if the windows open his
chances for being buried alive are exceedingly
good Such. at least, was our experience. tho
Otherwise there was nOthlIIg TO COMPLAIN OF, as
the cars very comfortable, THE seats and
spaces between of more than usual width, the
movement rapid and free from jar, and the con-
ductors courteous and ohliging-
or THE COUNTRY
we passed through between PittsSfrg and Cit
cIgo, taking in the States of Ohio and Indiana
ana portion of Illinois, in all a distance of 46S
miles, but little could be observed by us,
did OtstOp between the two points name /, cX-
cept while taking meals at Alliance and Crest
linc while westward bound. aad at CrcstIiue
and tt. Wayne on our return trip. The coun-
try, n, wcver, seemed for the most part to bc
very fertile, immense fields of wheat and corn
Farmers
busy cutting the former, and much of il was
already in shock. This too on the 9Th day of
July, which is considerably earlier than such
work Is done on The mountain. The wheat
crop. although not regarded as up to the aver
age there, would be considered extraordinary
here. The corn-the principal cereal raised
ranged from one to six feet in height and look
Ell very promising. just here it might be well
to explain, lest the writer's vcracity might be
doubted, as il will be observed that / have sai0
StigdIn TO the mOunfaineer who strictly oh
serves the Sabbath day, even thoughEhis crops
f, brIv h',t ..trtIth is thaT n ti5,r,
and it is n fact that in several instances we saw
farmers at work in their grain fields on the
Sabbath ay!-and that too while the weather
was as dry punk and there not single
indication Of approaching rain. And all this
time tCC did nothing but ride in the train on the
CHICAGO.
which we reached at s O'Clock Sunday evening,
is one of the finest cities if not the finest, I'm the
United States We spent nearly three days
places of interest as possible, most of which
have already been alluded to 10y You. Deiev-
of some of these places may not be without in
terest to your readers, will endeavor to de-
TIE WATER WORKS
are located I'm the upper or northern part OF
world. To give anything Ikea full description
Of this immense piece OF mechanism would re-
luire too much space; so L viii have 20 cOntine
myself within a narrower scope. The city of
Chicago, il is proper to say, IS built on prat-
rie which is almost perfectly level, except that
II slopes gently from the lake shore, and before
these works were built the only water they had
This method was OF course soon Iodnd made
luate to the wants OF a great and growing city,
and as aconsequence the present means Tor OBJ
tanning plenty OF good water was ere long con
ceived, and finally, after considerable oppOsi-
tion, was adopted. On the lake shore a shaft
was sunk to greater depth than the bottom
Of the lake, and from this shaft a tunnel was
10 a distance of more than two miles
under the lake, where the water was tapped
Through this tunnel, by means OF large pipes,
the water is conveyed to the cistern or shaft,
work forcing the water into an upright tank
enclosed in a magnificent stone tower ls0 feet
high and about one hundred Icet from the wat
Pr works proper. From this tower pipes
laid throughout the city. the volume of water
in the tank being such as by Its weight alone to
force the aqueous fluid all over the city. The
outlook from the top OF this tower well repays
the almost exhaueting effort necessary to at
tain the giddy height
visited
and for the information of those who have
never seen one and no are but little acguaint-
ed with the wickcdness com ID on in large cities,
will note sOme,Of the proceedings hich came
under our Observa ton. These courts are con-
iucted in a manner entirely different from the
slow, careful and cautious method which pre-
yafIs in oIIr county courts, as was made anpa-
rent in the trial of two well dressed and genteel
looking men who had been arrested the night
previous for indulging, or being suspected of
ndulging, in tricks that are vain and ways
that are dark" otherwise known as the conf
1ence game. When their case was reached the
for rinFa
we're members of the police force, RS well as
hose for the defense, wero ordered TO hold up
heir right hands, after which the usual oath |
was administered to all OF them at once. This !
s an economical way of swearing witnesses pc
cuiar to these courts. Being thus sworn, they
estifying-SOmetimeS one at u
time, but more frequently two or three at the
is hastily the witnesses had been sworn. and
n less than no time the cause decided 1t
Ogether at one of these courts-men, women !
ma children OF nearly all ages md apparently |
3r crimes of greater or. less degree.
For the edification of those who have never |
'isited a fashionable beer garden a few words |
lbout
TIvOLI GARDEN
nav not be out of place. This resort Is located |
IN one principal streets I'm the wcalthtest |
part of the city, is the grandest thing Of the |
rhe room is perhaps $50 feet long and fully so |
FEET wide. 1t is cNtraVagantly furnished with !
handsome tables and luxurious chairs and !
OUNCES, while the walls are decorated win /
oil paintings, and the entire garden |
s brilliantly Illuminated with a prOtuSlOn OF !
plendid gas burners almost bedaZZling. Three !
arge fountains with their squirting jets add to |
he beauty and novelty of the scene, while in /
he large circular basins beneath the fountains |
IRE hundreds of gold fish sporting feStiyely in I
he clear water, amid specimens of the mineral |
md vegetable order of rare beauty. Here the |
lite of the city. of both sexes, in immense num- |
1ers. come to while away an hour pleasantly /
ma sociably, indulging in the meantime in II /
cold lunch and a cup OF hot coffee, or a glass |
If wine or mug of beer. The best of order is |
preserved and ali is in accordance with the |
,trictest etiquette.
A delightful boat ride on Lake Michigan and |
, visit 10 Lincoln Park, now embracing, aR area .
If 95 acres but soon to be enlarged to 400 acres,
,lso added to the pleasure of our stay in Chi
,ago, but these and other scenes OF interest L !
nave not time to dwell upon. We left Chicago |
bound at 10 O'Clock Monday night |
most of the time spent there being on the re- /
urn trip, and did not halt again until we had /
accom- plished 2U7 miles more, W hich landed us IN
BURLINGTON, IOWA.
1t 7 o'clock Tuesday morning This city is Sit |
lated on the right bank of the Mississippi river
md claims population of about 10000. 1t Is
IN industrious, thriving town, and is the chief |
shipping point for all places west OF it on the /
inc of the c. b. s. Q. r. X. 1t contains many /
iue buildings, but not many as 1t did two !
rears ago, a destructive fire having about that |
i'm consumed the Court House and other mas |
;ive structures of great value and beauty, !
which are, however. being rapidly replaced by !