Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-09-03


open question, but we need not hesitate to
use so much Of it as may be required to kill
potato bugs, for several years, aud by that
time imagine the Colorado beetle will be y
thing Of the past SO many 10 Vermont
have mistaken the blue Canadian beetle for
the Colorado bug that will here repeat the
remark that they do not in the least resemble
each other. Tho genuine Colorado beetle is
round.bodied, with body as large as the
nail of my fore6Oger, bright as if newly
vanished, striped, dark brown aud clear
yellow stripes running lengthwise of the
body. The young are not striped, the
the bodies being pale red or reddish brown
in color.
1t would be foolish to attempt descrip.
ton Of the region about Mauch Chunk. The
most can do is to tell little about it, and
that little very imperfectly. 1t is very ap.
propriately styled "the Switzerland of Amer
ica." was born among the Green Noun.
tains Of Vermont, and have rambled over
those and New Hampshire's granite hills
some, but | never saw mountains till came
to Mauch Chunk. This village has some
1000 inhabitants, l see by the directory,
though hardly see where they can live.
The steep mountains come together so closely
that the houses are almost above each other.
There are places where you can climb stairs,
for several hundred steps, starting from the
back door of some buildings on Broadway
or Race streets, and then look up at streets
and houses Mauch Chunk Greek, which
comes in from the west and empties into the
Lehigh river here, is completely bridged
over, 80 precious is level space. Some Of
the way the streets are over the creek, and
again it runs under houses and sheds.
do not think day mas passed since
came here but the excursionists visiting the
place have numbered hundreds, and some
days there have been thousands. There were
800 in one party from Philadelphia and
Norristown, last Saturday. Everybody who
comes must do" the Swith. Back railroad
and If they have time other points Of inter-
est well repay visit. Let me tell you
what the Switch.Bick railroad is Take a
a coach from the depot, up steep hill, to
Upper Mauch Chunk Here you buy your
ticket for the Switch. Back. For the round
trip think it is 81 cents, or you can &C
part way and stop. You can't get back by
this road, though, without taking the round
trip, as the cars run only one way. Get in
to car, and it gides down an inclined tract
to the foot of Mount Pisgah, at the edge o
the upper village. Here iron bands are at
tached to the car, which reach to the top o
the mountain aud are wound upon n hug
drum. There are two Of these bands, eac
about Eve or six inches wide, and perhaps
: quarter of an inch thick, but | should thin
less-1 did not notice particularly. A 2lO
horse steam engine at the top Of the noun
tain turns the drum and you rapidly ascen
. as the bands are recled up the length Q
70 the track up the mountain is 1922 feet, an
0 the rise 664 feet. From here you get on
: Of the most splendid views ever had tn
fortune to look upon. A little way out
! the wood is the pavilion, large buildin
with open sides, where picnic parties, moor
light dances, &c are held. 4 few roc
from this is the observatory" whence OF
can look upon the scene around and lmagin
"A he sees as much as Moses could from thi
4. other Pisgah across the waters. Bror
70 Mount Pisgah to Mount Jefferson, distan,
n OF six and one.eighth miles. the car glid
i. without locomotive, governed by the brak,
', man. The fall is 302 feet Here anoth
|. stationary engine hauls the car up Mou
=. Jefferson. Length of track, 2,070 feet
= rise, 462 feet At Mount jefferson is
. large first.class hotel. From here to Sum n
Hill, where there are coal mines in operatio
and where is also the celebrated "burnil
mine," which has been burning for thir
years, is one mile, with a fall Of - fec
+ From Summit Hill you "switch back"
~ another route, to the point of starting
Upper Mauch Chunk, distance of nj
= miles with fall of 30 feet to the mile.
= Last Monday took trip up the Lehi
= aud Susquehanna railroad to Lansfor
: Just before reaching there We passed und
:, u mountain, seven.eighths of a mile throu,
= u tunnel AT Lansford there are some doz
n or 80 Of shafts extending far into the mOr
p. tains. where the miners are steadily at wo
80 in the bowels Of the earth to provide warm
- for the hearths of thousands, yes, millions,
- people, When the business which h
- called me there was completed l had j
=, time to reach the depot and jump on boa
the last train for Mauch Chunk as it "
., moving away, so | did not 90 into any
~ the mines, though in one instance | went
on the mountain side and found one OF
men wanted to see at work in an "air-hol
- WHICH is necessary for the ventilation Of
- mines. Ne was dOWn only about 100 ie
~ and so was quickly at the top when cal
~ to him to come up. asked how deep
'u hole was and he said "about 1870 yard
l'o At the bottom of that was the m
lug at the mouth Of which, half a m
70" away, had a short time befC
'0' been standing aud seeing the mules drag
~ the empty cars. Some of these days, l sh
'"0 20 into some of the mines, and as, thou
the story has often been told, it will b.
u telling again. I may write something alb,
W it for the FARMER. wv u. WHEELER
''u Mauch Chunk, Pa, Aug %.
IL,