The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1878-05-11


excitement, told US better than words how
vivid was their appreciation of the beauty
and grandeur of the scene. Upon the
summit we pause and again look out,
around, above, below us, photographing
upon one of memory's pages, so that it can
never be erased, each mountain and vale,
that which is "a thing of beauty" and will
be "a Joy forever" Once more we move
forward. Our conductor is now wide
awake and watchful, with head erect and
firmly planted foot, he sits with hand upon
the brake Now we move faster-faster
faster. Time and space seem annihila-
ted as we rush wildly onward, propelled by
no motive power, save gravity. Onward
we rush, our breath almost taken away as
We hurry on around the brow of the noun
tain, and in an incredibly short time we
are at the foot of Mt. Jefferson. What
is this that comes rushing down the noun
tain, like huge serpent, almost above our
heads 1t is loaded train of coal cars,
coming from the mines. 1t seems to us
that, in their wild career they are rushing
on to sure destruction, but the man on the
rear car understands his business, and with
his hand on the lever, controls and directs
this almost living monster.
By another stationary engine we are
hoisted to the summit of Mt Jefferson;
the scenery here is grand beyond all de-
scription, but not so picturesquely beauti-
full as the scene we beheld from Mt. Pts
gah. From here We again made rapid
descent around the brow of the mountain
to the curious little mining village, known
as Summit Hill. Before us and below us,
as we rushed on toward the village, we
beheld banks of clouds, heavy and dark,
on either hand as though two contending
armies were being drawn up in battle ar
ray. When we reached the village we
found that we had rushed into the very
midst of this battle of giant clouds, war
ring with clouds equally dark and sombre;
the rain fell for few moments in torrents,
but we, undisturbed by the falling drops,
for the curtains of the car had been drawn
tightly, partook of our lunch and were
happy, listening meanwhile to the remarks
of our fellow travellers, for besides our
party there were about twenty other pas
sengers. Some of these remarks we will
never forget, they are indellibly fixed upon
our mind. We may have missed much,
being prevented by the storm from visit
ing the mines, but as we afterwards had
the pleasure of visiting the mines in anoth-
er section, and of descending into the
very bowels of the earth, we did not re-
gret it, for the spectacle of storm, right
in the home of the clouds, amply repaid
us for the disappointment. The most
beautiful and pleasant part of our ride was
yet before US. We thought our descent
from Mt. Pisgah was rapid, but here it was
manifoldly increased. We seemed to fly
as on the wings of the wind, down long
stretches of road way, around wonderful
curves, along giddy chasms, by beautiful
water falls, under the shadows of great
vine clad crags, always amidst the most
beautiful mountain shrubbery and scenery,
until with feeling Of sadness that the
happy moments had sped so quickly by,
we had reached again the base of Mt.
Pisgah. 1t is blessed thing to see
human being happy, this too we had seen,
men and women, away from the turmoil of
the busy world, happy in holy communion
with nature. Leaving these pleasant
scenes behind us, we were driven back
through the village to the Mansion House.
We again enter the cars and are carried
to the beautiful Swiss villa at the entrance
of Glen Onoko, that wondrous, and beau
tiful glen, made classic by the legends of
Onoko, the Chief, and Wenona, the beau
teous Indian maid. Upon entering the
glen, we suddenly come upon Hidden
Sweet Cascade, catching faint glimpses of
the outer world through the vista made by
the opening of the gorge. Onw go, past
the Entrance Cascade, along the rugged
paths to Crystal Cascade, well named, for
its falling drops glisten like diamonds in
the sunlight. From here we pass by a
curious mass, the Pulpit Rocks, catching
a glimpse of Moss Cascade and the Lovers
Bath. We pass on, over another rustic
bridge to the Spectre Fall, the spray TAX
ing the form of yelled lady, by the
Chameleon Fall so called from the beauty
and variety of colors, seen in its spray as
it sparkles in the sunlight, to the foot of
the rustic stairway, formed by giant
hemlock, which has been toppled over from
the high banks above, and placed there
by the hand of Nature, herself. Follow
ing our guide, assisting each other in the
ascent, we Chamber onward and upward to
Onoko Falls, where Onoko and the indian
maiden, in their wild despair, over the
shelving overhanging rocks, committing
themselves to the care of the Great Spirit,
threw themselves to be dashed to pieces on
the cruel and pitiless rocks below them.
Standing above the fall on a jutting
crag, just at the point from whence tradi-
tion says these two devoted lovers, hand
in hand, leaped into the spirit land, We
look below us over perpendicular preci-
pice, ninety feet to its base, and before us
through an opening in the most luxuriant
foliage, we behold, stretching far into the
distance, the beautiful Lehigh Valley.
Leaving this romantic spot we climb up
ward by beautiful cascades and sparkling
rivulets. until we reach the platform erec-