The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1878-07-20
LETTERS FROM TIE PEOPLE.
THIS COLUMN is orEN TO All.
FROM OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT
A Trim TO Columbia, Pa.

THE ROMANTIC sUsQUEnANNA--MR. BELLS
BEAUTIFUL. PARK "FouNTMNnAhE AT
CuNowINGo-FEATrR Es or COLUMBIA
\ PENNSYLVANIA DIoGoNEs- PATRICK
ELAENLY's COMPLIMENT TO SOUTHERN
GIRLS.
DEAR WHIG:-On the ith Of July, 1873.
three adventurous members of the female
persuasion, compelled by that stern motive
which knows no law, declared themselves
independent of !he opposite sex, and took
passage at Ocioraro junction in the morn
ING train bound for Columbia. The rail
lies on the shore of the river from Fort
Deposit To Columbia, and the entire route
is an varying and uninterrupted PIANO.
rama Of beauty.
At Conowingo we noticed and admired
the Fountandale Park, which is part of
the tract owned by Robert Bell. Ona high
bluff, IL short distance above the park,
stands the elegant mansion occupied by
Mr. Bell aud his family in Summer. The
country seat is named Fountaindaie.
few years ago this beautiful property was
4 comparative wilderness, covered with
trees and bushes, with here and there a
negro cabin dotting its surface. Mr.. Bell
| has extended a small fortune III making 1t
! Il valuable and desirable farm.
Stations are numerous on the line OF the
| Columbia and Port Deposit Railroad, and
! they mostly consist of-an-SX1O depot ana
waiting room, built in the sides Of -1- -
and rocky hills. We could discover no
roads by which they might be approached.
and consequently were somewhat puzzled
10 know how the lads and lasses, a pair
of whom got on at almost every station,
| reached the diminutive depots. Like many
Of the mysteries Of life, this one remains
unsolved by your correspondent.
| Columbia is a thriving town of some ten
thousand inhabitants. 1t was a bad day 30
judge of its business capacities, as every
place WAS closed in honor of the 4th, ex-
cCpt whi&key saloons and a ninety nine cent
! store, into which we wandered out of mere
curiosity. Here brass .iewelry and carved
| brackets seemed to FREEDOM mate. Return
! ing to the Railroad hotel we partook of a
| plentiful and substantial meal at reason
! able rates, and again walked ont to take a
| lock at Columbia. Near the bridge, which
connects it with Wrigbtsville on the oppo-
site side of the Susquohanna, we came
| across an odd genius who. like the man in
| the parable, had d withered hand. As he
did not seem to have any thing else on
| hand, We determined to set him at the task
of answering few questions concerning
the place and its inhabitants. We soon
| found that, if his hand was withered, his
wit was not. lie gave it as his opinion.
founded Oh the observations of half a life
time, that 70 man ever made a fortune
honestly. The nsidday robbers Of the land,
he said needed looking after as we'll as the
| 1ldHtGht ones. From him we learned that
there were twelve churches and four print
ing offices in the town, and yet it is far
from being redeemed FROM the power of
that mighty triumvTate-the world, the
flesh, and the devil. lie regretted, exceed
nglv, that we had chosen the national hol,
day for the occasion of our visit, as we
thereby missed the sporting characters of
the place, that useful and interesting por-
ton OF the community being gone some
distance NJ the river to pic mic.
The educat ional facilities of Columbia
we learned f!onl our friend Of the withered
hand, are excellent; besides the graded sys
TEN OF public schools. there is il seminary
enjoying a good degree of local patronage
But the main business Of the place is that
which springs from the railroads cente:ing
and passing through. Hundreds of rail
road employees have their homes here and
spend their wages within the town limits.
Our queer friend thought that there was
little danger OF 4 " strike during the
present year, as the strikers have the disas
trous failure Of last years instruction too
fresh in their minds; but if The wide spread
discomfort among the laJoying classes was
not checked by concessions from capital
lists, he anticipated an outbuTst of gigantic
proportions in the near future.
"No" you're SoGthronS aren't you ~