The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-11-25
PENclLINGS.
autnmn in the NIountains---Cheat
the Summit---Summcr Resorts Vi Dee'
Park, Oakland, &C.. &c, &C.

There is no season so glorious in any country
as an American Autumn-in OCTOBER, whch
This winds blow fresh and his SUNSETS iiai'ie
And the whole earth burns Win ms crimson ia'ne'
The prince of months-OctoOer'
Evon in our fiat forestless west, the beauty OF
the wear is in autumn, when nature puts on her
rcsplendent livery for her last effort 10 char"
before going to rest. But infinitely more glorious
is autumn among the mountains oil the east Inc
hills appear like one great mass OF name iar rs
eve can reach, as the sun lights them up whiie
the smoky haze of the atmosphere adds wonder
fully to the illusion At no time can the noun
tains be seen to better advantage Inc a''hos-
phere, cool and bracing, acts on the frame Ike
champagne, while the ever changing out Always
lovely scenery of mountain, valley or hillside
covered with forests clothed in their splendid
dives of gold, crimson and sober brown, Is ike
cbampapnc for the mind. The dash through the
Alleghanies and the crossing OF the Blue Ridge
at such season. is like entering into new life
n new world of bcauty-cspecially to the western
bred man.
The first hours ride on the Baltimore ~ ONO
road from the Ohio river east IS disappointing
The high hills at the river sink into nothingness
for a while; appearing again, though growing
higher, they are still anything but picturesque.
But we are on the fast tran and station after sta
ton flies past the windows Of the "Pullman" as
we whir on, on, in that autumn day. The road Is
smooth; the cars are comfortable, and riding at
35 miles an hour is luxury never enjoyed on the
dragging trains of the west. And SO it is not
long till we strike Cheat river, and follow for an
IA. fret a.
hills and afterwards among the mountains. Then
we do have scenery. We ride along the west
bank The road is one continual wind to dodge
the mountains rising above US. Sometimes the
sun is in front of us, then in the rear-thcn on
this side and on that. 1t is impossible to tell
which way one is travelling; all we know IS that
we shall come out somewhere, and that all we
are to do is to watch the panorama as 1t flashes
by On the left are the hills-not yet quite
grown into mountains, but lawful" high hills to
western eye; on the right the river, bounded
by the road bed and highlands or rocks. Now
it glistens in the sunshine; now il is hidden in the
shade of the heavy foliage of its banks How it
calls to mind the lines of Praed:
"Oh, beau,eous is that river still,
As it winds by many sloping hill,
And many n aim grow,
And many fiat and sunny cove
And rocks whose very crags seem bowers,
so gay they are with grasses and flowers
1t seems pity to rush past 1t all 50 swiftly
But how we fly! rhirty-hve miles an hour around
these bends, Talk of the mania for fast travel.
ing II makes ones hair rise sometimes when
the train turns square eorner,--but isn't it
d.. 10. Ia,r npI LAT In, hal
fresh air, land the dust) or look ahead at the To-
connective, which seems to be always making Il
circle; look far Gas you can through the rocks
ahead at the flame clad hills and the sweet river
at your side; look in when you rush thro' that
tunnel; or at thepcturesque houses on the hill
side, and all the other minutie OF the scenery;
forget all about business; stop oil your specula-
lions about a raise" In salary; forget all about
not having paidyour last wash-bill; forget ali
The cigars YOU will have to eschew for this lit.
tie trip" open yourself, body and sonl, and take
IL all in; and this poetry has been stamped
and ground out OF your soul, If you ever had any
in it, If you don't exclam, isn't 1t magnificent
The river seems to have been made to let the |
railroad through the mountains, which wall up
both sides OF It's course and In this valley ride
during the morning, crossing the stream at times
but always following 1t on one side or the ether.
Along the route there are no towns-only vii |
lagos or solitary houses or the little hut each
mle for the nagman, who sees to 1t that no dan
ger is ahead of us. The architecture of the vii !
lagos or lonely homes Is decidedly Of the ccnten-
NAL order-most of them being improved log
huts They combine the features of the south.
hon with hat nj the north max inU n not |
Unlocking figure on the hill side; indeed, they |
eeem TO be natui al out-growth OF the spot. |
The inhabitants, too, are in keeping with the
country exempllfying the theories Of domlcile
and character. They are rough looking, like the
logs among which they work-(for tmbering is
evidently the business Of the country)-and I'M
der which they live, and are stout and healthy.
The children run bare footed and bare headed,
and look like Porte Crayon's" pictures in Hdr-
p-r's. We see them along the river, ia the saw
mills, among the pigs in the front yard" in the
dirt eyerywhere-ther chief clothing is dut.
According to all our laws of health aud comfort,
they ought to be wasting away in misery, but
they amt. They are surprisingly lively; they
start TO their feet as the train rumbles along,
climb the fences and disclose some marvellous
lungs as we fash by them-indeed /. Is aston
!shing the interest these people take in the pas
sing trains The whole population turns out to
see; the matron seases her spanking for the
time; the victim bushes his yels the "heirs cx-
pectanp forget their fears; business ceases; the
melancholy mule and the barefooted corn.husk.
er on the hillside rest from their labors-ther
whole country stands still till the "Fast Express
whirls around the bend and out Of sight; when,
we suppose, the enchantment is broken just as
in the Arabian Nights story Of the marble city.
The farming lands pleased the grangers more
than "a red wagon" "Punklns" and corn seem.
ed to be the crops The corn was cut and stack
ed, each little cock standing out from the hill
side like the stump Of yaller dogs tail. How
they keep the crop from sliding down hill, and
how they pillow, and gather in what crop they do
raise is what bothered our friends.