Morning journal and courier., 1880-03-30

! Pittsburg, "the Iron Citys' and ssth Smoky City, - Connecticut Pecpl There-PIeasant Meetings IrOn-O
 the OhIO-SOmethiDg about the Rive
 Boats and Their Management
 ON THE OHIO RIVER, March 26. ! To tue Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
 When last wrote you I was just leavin
 Harrisburg going down to Baltimore. |
 Baltimore I met my wife, who brought me
 file of the JOURNAL AND CoURIERs, which
 read over with great interest," having beel l away from home nearly week. After goiu,
 over to Washington we went together to tn
 eIron City" or more properly the ssOity 0
 Smoke" Having never been there before l realized most wildly what I have so ofte,
 heard of Pittsburg, for of all the places fo
 soot ever visited that takes the first place
 I cannot put into language the dreadful smel
 of the atmosphere or tell correctly how tn,
 little particles of soft coal dust collects every
 where. I found them covering the windowsil
 Of our room, and in the washbowl, also dowr my clothing. But oh the business that i. done there? Notwithstanding the marrow ! streets, great warehouses of all kinds, fol ! blocks together, show the wealth of the city | and on it's outskirts large, roughly-built iror l works are on all sides.
 But as have so much mora to write you ] \ will only say here that from Pittsburg I went ' Wheeling, West Virginia, and was there met by many of my Connecticut friends, who had settled there in business. Going into 8 large store was suddenly taken by the hand, called by name and so many questions asked me, all l at the same time, that was really confused for words My friend moved from Hartford dozen years ago and is now owner of one of the largest stores in the city. We talked over old times until it was with difficulty we parted. As it was now late in the evening,
 was groping about trying to find my hotel when I was met by 8 good look
 ing stranger, who asked me to step inside fine dry goods store whose outer doors were closed. I did not recognize his face in the
 darkness, and felt an unwillingness when he
 fairly pushed me inside, and whom do you
 think found but three young fellows, all
 well known to me, who had just arrived to start one of those celebrated Boston Branch stores, which have gained such reputation all over the land. Ohl how glad they were to see me, and need not tell you was quite as much pleased to see them. So you see New England is not behind hand in her enterprise in settling out this way, and to my mind there could scarcely be 8 better outlook for business than is found here. All the large iron fac tories are running (and they have the largest here of anywhere in the Ohio Valley am in formed), but the proprietors are having meet ings often, in hope to keep the price up to it's present standard, as already there seems to bs prospect to increase production faster than sales. This is the first whisper of ''overdo
 ing' yet heard, but more fear will follow.
 l was greatly amused to see that the same manner of running the river boats is followed as when was here, now almost twenty years ago. heard man say to-day, what seemed to me to be the exact truth, that these boats
 except that they float on the water, are other wise as unlike water crafts as anything can be, both in construction and management. They land at a dock hnt llT0 m ha eida If the river-bank anywhere they wish to stop always keeping the head up stream and work ing the of paddle wheel to hold them on. The wheels are not on one shaft, as in other boats, but each wheel is worked by separate engine and is independent of the other en- tirely, often in regard to speed or direction, consequently they steer by them ss well as by the rudder. As they will run in twenty to thirty inches of watsr-they are fiat bottomed and although often of great size and carry ing capacity, they have to be very evenly loaded to keep afioat, but with the tide they almost fly, making almost railroad time. Their officers are the kindest of men. oblig ing, and will stop anywhere to take on @ passenger pig, and answer any amount Of Yankee" questions Gas I to day learned) without getting the least bit mad. I saw them feed the deck hands to night about five o'clock-and, by the way, they feed all who travel with them-and the way the men were fed was after this wise: The cook placed in large tin pans meats of several kinds, vegetables, boiled rice, etc, fiat on the deck, and then the men helped themselves with little wooden paddles to whatever they wanted in such quantities as they desired, ell on the same plate, some of them carrying away enough to feed an army. The passengers meals are: Breakfast at o'clock, dinner a 12 and supper at 6. The ladies are all seated and then 8 bell is rung, and if the boat is crowded general scramble for seats at the table follows, and each one tries his best to eat the most in the shortest possible time Now all this is wholly needless. for I have always seen enough to eat and had any amount of time desired to eat in, too, but ths same fashion of rushing for seats is followed now as when I was here bsfofe. I have talked with all sorts of passengers upon all sorts of subjects, and thoroughly enjoyed myself to- 5e V paxaip1 dnvyn fha Ohio NJ q q