The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-10-11
PENNSYLvANiA.
The Coal Kegisns.--G Gravity Rail Roads.--A
burning Mine. Wyoming Valley, sc.

! SCRANTON, IA, sept 70 1879.
| have been so completely 'on the wing" sine
my last conmunic alton, that until now it wa
simply impossible for me TO think OF anythin
outside OF business matters.
think my last letter closed At the Delawar
Water Gap,--a thing once seen, the sublimity q
its surroundings will forever remain brigh
spot on the tablets OF the memory. We woul
gladly have fingered in that region longer,
seemed SO beautiful, so inviting and SO full o
summer gladness; but the time for departure Ia,
come, and boarding our train we were sooi
whirled out OF sight Of its crooked streets ant
pleasant homes, set among the clustering tree
and hills, and winding through the magnifcen
mountain amphtheatcr OF this earthly paradise
Lately | have been taking in" the coal min
ing districts around Carbonate, Scranton ant
Lackswaxen, and riding over II few OF thei
gravity railroads" Too much cannot be sale
in praise Of this delightful region, nor can it.
charms be told. When Americans learn to ap
precate the scenery Of their own land as the Eu
ropeans do theirs then this region will be one o
the spots famous in song and story. AS we are
whirled along and round lofty mountains anc
tall cliffs, over broad chasms looking out into
lovely valleys, and down upon miniature town:
far below us, We are reminded Of the sacred cit
les Of old and the fairy legends told Of their coy
works and charming retreats, and we ask our
selves, What fairy tongue can tell OF the beau
ties Of this enchanting region; what magic pen
could do il Justice" And as our train rushcs on
through deep cuts, round sharp curves on the
borders Of digging heights-somctimes shut In
by the thick and towering forests, sometimes
looking abroad over smiling valleys and broad,
green mountain slopes-we say TO ourselves,
"surely earth can possess nothing more beauti-
full, or SO picturesque and extensive in variety of
scenery" and slowly the importance and gran
deur OF this great and glorious country Of ours
begins to dawn upon us. This entire region is
full of magnificent and enchanting scenery, of
which most travelers-whirled along upon
through express trains-know nothing about.
Thousands travel east and west who fancy they
"know it ALL" as one glorious vista after another
glances by them, seen only fromth car window.
A few mornings ago we left iiawley for forty
mile ride over the gravity road to Scranton, and
embalm it in our memory rs one Of the most in
teresting rides Of our life: a succession Of pleas.
ant surprises, wild mountain vstas, picturesque
valleys and uplands, cszy homesteads and -four
ishing villages-were few Of the characteristics
Our long train of tiny cars flew up the several
steep plains with an ease and swiftness simply AS
tonishng and then off for ten or fifteen mile run
through deep cuts round sharp curves, on the edge
of dazzling ravines-sometlmcs shut in by forests,
sometimes looking abroad over happy valleys
and broad green mountain slopes, then suddenly
another engine house or incline we
are allowed few minutes for observation. We
spend the time trying to take in the beauty of
the marvellous groves above US, OF the still more
magnificent forest growth in the great ravines
hundreds of feet below us. shut in by the noun
tain on whose side We stood, and the Unfolding
range beyond; or in admirng the various shades
OF foliage from the fsintest tint OF young NAPLES
to the somber hue OF the abundant hemlock, and
the thousand and one other attractive features Of
the scene around us.
Ascending another Of those planes we soon
find ourselves skrtng an attractive mountain re-
gon; thence onward and reaching the pinnacle
in PENNSYLVANIA, comes boldly into the view, then
the water sheds Of the Lackswana and the dis.
tant Delaware In another direction; and finally
we reach that altitude where the picturesque
LackawaYen lights up the the landscape. Here,
at the summit" two thousand feet above the
level OF the sea, a glorious panorama opens to
our view and the scene appears so thrillingly
grand and picturesque that we are forced to i'm
agne ourselves among some tabled region OF old
or in the hands OF some fairy enchaatress whose
magic power compels us to cry out:
20, beautiful vision OF summer delight
o. marvellous sweep OF the crcling hills!
Where sunshine and shadow contend on the height.
Az they leap in the valley whose gold and green
Add the hnising charm to the exquisite scene"
On we move again and presently reach
THE MoAsIC HIGHLANDS,
across which our "cngineless" train pursues its
way, bringing pure delight to ono and all as its
long succession Of planes are reached and passed
each presenting different vista Of forest, noun.
tain and stream. No two miles of the journey
are alike, but momentary changing into delight
full contrasts, as the frelcss train sweeps onward
rushing through some narrow cut in the solid
rocks with scarce room enough to pass, now to a
wide vision on either hand, view across a val
ley stream and upland losing itself in the dis
lance in another range of hills, until the misty
outline of others still beyond blend with the
faint blue sky; then rushing waterfall, or n
long quiet stretch of primcyal forest, thick with
and fascinating in its deep silence
Leaving plane after plane in the distance our tiny
train sweeps on, clinging closer to the mountain
side on the narrow lodges it follows, and present
ly a sudden curve and swift descent bring us di-
rectly to the depot where the train stands wait
ing to bear us on to other regions OF delight
On alghting from the train which brought us
over the gravity road from Hawley We were most
agreeably surprised with the beauty and lowell
ness of the little town Of
PITTSTOWN
At no point does the natural beauty Of the Wy
omug Valley appear more completely and beau.