The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1876-04-15
LETTER FROM SCRANTON, PA.

CCRAN1oN, Ia, Aprll ora, 1910.
DEAR WHIG:-Thinking that few lines
from this region perhaps might be interest
ing to your readers, and feeling that it is
contributing something homeward, (which,
by the way, is the particular direction our
thoughts involuntarily tend) we pen the
following condensed, abbreviated, con
tracted, boiled down" particulars of our
journey ththerward:
We left Philadelphia at o'clock A. NJ,
on Saturday morning, for this place, via
the Lehigh d Susquehanna railroad. The
country, as far as Landslide Junction, was
comparatively level, fields we'll fenced, and
apparently under a good state of cultiva-
ton. But, after leaving this station, the
mountains began to loom up in the dis
lance, and before reaching the Lehgh river
at Allentown, we experienced that peculiar
feeling of stranger in strange place,
while the train is swiftly running through
narrow passes, with the huge boulders
overhanging the track, or through long,
dark tunnel. We felt glad, however, that
the train ran at such rate of speed, as we
got over the apparent danger quicker. We
then followed the crooked windings of the
river, passing along so close to the waters
edge that one could have easily jumped
from the car into it, while. on the other
hand, the huge mountain cliffs rose per-
pendicularly and the gigantic gray rocks
iutted so unpleasantly out in close proXim-
ity to the cars, which were swaying to and
fro, that we almost imagined a collision.
1t is needless to say, that we did not put
our head out of the window to "behold
wonders net bit of tive saw and felt
enough inside
We hardly know whether the term
crooked =" will properly describe the
course of the Lehigh, but we do know
that it was fearfully full of crooks and
turns, as sometimes we would make large
circuit, perhaps of several miles, and then
come back nearly to the same place again,
going exactly in the angle of horse shoe.
Then the train would cross and recross the
river, pass through short tunnels, careen
over about to an angle of so degrees, run
slow and then fast, turn and twist, stop
every few hundred yards, till we left the
river at White Haven. Then the train
assembled the steep mountain, which was
covered with burnt pines and short under
brush.
We came through Mauch Chunk, which
is situated on the Lehigh, SO famous of
late for its Molly Maguers." The next
place of Importance was White Haven,
where the lumber trade is extensively car
ried on. When at Franklin, several miles
below Lockport, we noticed very percept-
ible change in the temperature of the eli
mate as the water which issued from fis-
sures in the huge rocks was frozen, and
the icicles and ice marked the course of
these diminutive streams down the noun
tain side. At Lehigh Gap, the mountain
tops were covered with snow. Here coal
and coal cars appeared in earnest. Long
lines of loaded cars stood on the tracks on
each side of the river. We don't think it
would be exaggeration to say that we saw
coal cars enough between Philadelphia and
this place to form one continuous line of
cars from Philadelphia to Elkton.
WE'LL as said before, we assembled the
Alleghanies till we reached the "Summit"
"a barren looking district-and then com
menced the descent to the North Branch
of the Susquehanna river. This descent
was So feet to the mile, for perhaps fifteen
or twenty miles, right down the side of the
mountain, with the overhanging crags on
one side, and, on the other, an almost un-
fathomable depth-still the train glided
swiftly down this grade.
We next came to Wilkesbarre, on the
Susquehanna, and entered the renowned
coal regions. At . O'Clock P. NJ, we arrived
at this place, which is IS miles above Pitts
ton, and 100 miles from Philadelphia by
rail, situated on the Lackawanna river,
branch of the North Branch of the Sus-
quehanna. This city has $4,000 inhabit-
ants, and is noted for its extensive coal
and iron business.
We saw plenty of snow on the adjacent
mountains, and quite quantity in the
yards of some residences, where it had
been shoveled into pile, and where it
remains unmelted. While out walking
with friend, we saw the mouth of one of
the mines, but not feeling that way inclined,
we did not attempt to explore its dark
depths. Yours lonesomely,
COUNTRY Cousin.