Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1876-02-29
tor,sspondence Of the Tur'.
FAMILIES In THE EAST. /
y The switzerland Of America. +"

Ia. and picturesque scenery in Ne
"a. .hst Il may seem out OF place
. vr;,e of the natural charms of
Ill. mountain region in a letter to
,bs TINES, but to those who have
..sb the place need not say that
the title commonly accorded TO
.u.uch Chunk and Carbon Couny OF
,ahe switzerland Of America" Is by
no means undeserved.
Eighty eight miles from Philadei-
phis, and l3l from New York, In the
valley of the Lehigh river, lies the
village of Mauch Chunk-an Indian
pAu,e signifying "Bear Trap" from
the nature of the spot, shut In by
hills as 1t is. On either hand as we
come up the valley the mountains
r.e abruptly 600 to 800 feet, so
aeep and bare Of shrubbery that
scarcely anywhere could q man
scale thcm.
The village derives its chief im-
portance from the immense coal
trade centeriug here, this being the
shipping point for the Lehigh coal.
though Of late years it is acquiring
ouita an enviable reputation al a
place Of summer resort. Two rail-
rsads-one double track-and a
canal find all the work they are ca
pable of performing in transporting
coal from here south and east thro'
the Lehigh Gap in the Blue Mount
aims. The headquarters of the Cen
ral Railroad of New Jersey and of
the Lehigh Valley Railroad are here,
and these two companies have pay
roll aggregating 500, 900 per month,
which, added to the disbursements
by the coal and other companies,
makes currency quite plenty (for an
Eastern town. in this little town of
1000 inhabitants.
The two railroads, IN building, had
to be cut into a bank of solid rock on
either side of the river. while the
canal was made by appropriating a
portion OF the river bed, 81 marrow
Is the bottom of the Lehigh Valley
and SO abrupt the hills. Where,
then, you ask, is found room for a
village of 1000 people Just at this
point creek comes in from the
west, up which extends two streets,
aud part OF the way three, the third
one being cut into the bank on the
south of the creek, $50 feet above
the level OF the other two. The
creek itself Is entirely bridged over
and occupied b the streets ard
houses. This, with a single street
for short distance up the Lehigh,
on the west side, constitutes Mauch
Chunk Proper. North of the creek
spoken of, lss feet above the level OF
Mauch Chunk Proper, and but few
rods distant laterally, Is Upper
Mauch Chunk, occupying a large
plain, while half a mile up the Le-
high on the east side Is East Mauch
Chunk, fully occupying all the hab-
table space there. So much for the
village; now for its attractions;
The first and greatest OF these is
the Switch-back Railroad, and not
unfrequently in the summer season
parties Of 1000 come from New
York, Philadelphia, or other places,
70 take ride over this road and visit
Glen Onoko, while every day from
May 70 November there are hund
reds OF visitors from abroad. This
t0ao runs from Mauch Chunk to
summit Hill, nine miles away, re-
torning BY another route, aud no
locomotive u used. 1t was first
quilt Tor coal which was mined at
summit Hill, but, an easier route
navinS been secured by tunneling
ander mountain, 1t has now for u
long time been used solely for pleas.
ure travel. Leaving the station in
upper Mauch Chunk, the car glides
ouwn slight grade to the other side
o' 'he village, where a hosting ap.
parstus' consisting of two great iron
oands, Is attached. These reach up
mount Pisgah Plane, 22oO feet, with
r'se OF $50 feet, where a 240. horse
stationary engine winds the bands
upon q huge drum and rapidly hsuls
"o car up the slope. Here you are
'" Tue top of Mount Pisgah, on a
~vei with the mountains on either
ae Of the creek and river, with
Aucn Chunk lying almost under
your feet. The view from here in
summer, with the mountains all
"ound covered with scrub caks,
p'nes' and the evergreen laurel, the
00A' trains with shrieking voice and
'0a'n OF smoke darting up and
aown the valley, the canal boats
~"ing slowly up and down stream
while the men and mules look
"Ae pigmies In the distance, and
sucn Chunk, Coaldale aud other
'"'ages dotting the valley, presents
scene well worth coming many
uuo1 10 see N ssoiyaar NtOrV' ana