Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-09-20

that the pounded rock contains no
dirt, this being washed out by the
rains, and consequently there is no
dust, except what comes from the
locomotive. The road runs immedi-
ately upon the bank of the river at
the base Of the mountains, and oat Of
which it 10 frequently cut for miles
in the solid rock. Up this con-
tinuous grade Of from rs to $50 feet
to the mile, the long train of cars
crowded with people, sweeps along
al the rate Of 35 miles per hour, and
though so rapid is the transit and SO
sharp are the curves, yet one does not
hardly realize that he is running at
such arate. Very frequently while
sitting in the rear car, the locomotive
and as many % three cars are distinct
ly seen from tho car window, 30
sharp are tho curves The traveller
looks out across the river, and away
up, as it were, among the clouds rise
abruptly the mountain peaks. The
reader who is q stranger to mountain
railroading might infer that the trav-
eler would not feel secure skimming
along, as we did, in some places upon
the very verge of an abyss hundreds
of feet in depth; but all timidity
passes away when one sees the admir-
able manner in which the road and
everything connected Herewith is
constructed. Thirty miles up In the
mountains, a fellow passenger point
ed out to US the residence Of the Hon.
John Covode, now dead, but who
was once the most noted member of
the Lower House Of Congress. It is
a plain two-story brick, and the
waters of the mountain river wash
against the foundations, while there
is not level plat of over two hun
dred feet between the house and the
steep side of the mountain. Here
Covode established some mills, but
they are now no mole.
The grandest scenery, however, is
seen in making the descent of the
mountain upon this side, for the first
eleven miles. In this distance we
pass through tunnel cut In the
mountain, seven-eights Of a mile in
length, and we also curve around
what is called the horseshoe bend.
As we passed over the bend, two
trains besides ours were in sight for
many minutes. 1t was indeed grand
sight, worth, alone, coming all the
way from Iowa to see. C'n this side
of the mountains, after we struck the
valley of the Juniata, we found
beautiful country all the way. The
corn looked well; indeed it would
compare favorably with good corn
crop in Iowa. We had supposed
Iowa was the most richly crowned
with apples this year of any state, but
our crop Of apples cannot be more
abundant than we saw through Ohio
and this state.
On Thursday morning, August 3lst,
one gentleman and five ladies of the
party Immediately commenced doing
the exhibition, while we indulged in
the unpleasant task of hunting up
permanent quarters. On arriving
here, we committed the folly of stop
ping at the Centennial depot, in West
Philadelphia. We advise all persons
not to do this, but pass on to Phila-
delphia proper. In West Philadel-
phia are lodged the most, if not all
the sharpcrs. The accommodations
are, in the main, temporary about the
Exhibition grounds, and here the
schemers and sharpers have congrc-
gated to make the most out Of the
public they can. Besides this, Phila-
delphia has so many points of interest
that one here wants to spend consid-
cradle time, especially is it the place
to spend the evenings, when the Ex-
hibition is closed. Good boarding
and rooms can be had ut from $1.5O to
$3.50 per day in private houses and
second-class hotels.
We have now spent two days in the
exhibition and we are only ready to
say that we have seen but very little
of what is there. We will not at
tempt to describe II, or any portion
of 1t. We will only say, it is truly o
worlds fair. The American people
all ought to SEQ 1t. No citizen Of this
nation can sec It without feeling
transcenaently proud Of our Repub.
lie and the glory 1t gains in measur.
ing its achievements Of the last hun
dred years with those Of nations
whose life numbers centuries. Ths
grounds are most ample and one car
wander all day up and down in tht
midst of thirty thousand people and
yet experience no discomfort, excep,
the weariness Of too much walking
and this he can soon allay by drop
ping into . seat in one of the hun
dreds Of quiet retreats, in or out o
doors, upon the grounds.
It is in fact beautiful place of re
sort, If one will not try to see 10.
much in one day. The number o
visitors is very large now, and rapid
ly increasing from day to day. Thi
will be . month Of bountiful harves
to Philadelphia. We want to sa,
that the police arrangements ON tn
grounds are splendid, Saturday, tn
admission fee was only quarter Of
dollar and great many Thousands q
people In the city % well a. the stran
gers, spent the day on the grounds
perhaps $1,000 people were for si
hours on the ground that day an
yet there was not the slightest dil
turbance. We have not yet seen
drunken man on the grounds, no
have we heard one particle Of bolster
ous language nor single quarrel q
quiet and peaccable-a reign Of pei
lcct 0ult1 1uu 8OOu IoelluB. Al IN
regard 1t is totally unlike any lare
assemblage Of people We ever saw.
We hear but little of politics. The
arc all sight seeing with whom v
mingle, intent, like Ourselves, In CO.
ing all that II possible during the 10
days they have allotted to that pu
pose. So tar as we have heard an
expression, as to the campaign, it
that there 10 hardly q probable cham
for Tilden in the contest. Indee
there seems to be too much Of fee
ing Of security In q victory for Haye
There is feeling Of deep disgust vel
largely prevalent towards Tilden
reformer.
There is no satisfaction to writ
or reader, for man to attempt to /
the centennial exhibition and ct d
same time try to tell others VII