Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-06-18
Correspondence or The Start

Correspondence or The Start
SOUTH BETHLEHEM. PA, June s. 1881,
TWO weeks ago, left Washington for the
Lehigh mountains. bringing with me Lad Of
fifteen whose health was suffering In the Mas
matte nelgnoorhood OF the Potomac fiats. The
change OF air has made his eyes bright and his
cheeks rosy; and my health has much improved.
l Go lot intend however. to recommend this
part Of the country for summer resort.
Every body has his own notion as to the best
place to spend the hot weather; and most per-
sons would rather go to sea-shore town,
hastily built ON fat sand beach, without
sewers or drainage, crowded with people and
drawing its water supply from tube wells sunk
In the loose sand than to et-aired, Well
drained mountain hotel with crystal springs
falling In cascades They prefer bathing In
crowds In the ocean to the more secluded
methods OF personal cleanliness. It Is easy to
see why hardy, vigorous person. or one COW
waters of the Atlantic; but why delicate or
IeryCuS person, who comes out of such q bath
with blue lips, shriveled fingers aud half con-
gested brain should think of ever trying it
again. Is one Of the mysteries. The s)lutfon
may be In Better die than be out OF the
fashion" at any rate, advice is thrown away
In such cases, and I'll give none OF it.
A good many visitors find their way up here
In the summer. There were, so it ia said,
THIRTY EIGHT THOUSAND STRANGERS AT MAUCH
CHUNK
last season. It is at greater elevation than
this place, has wonderful things to show In the
matter OF inclined planes and picturesque
scenery, and offers good hotel accommodations
at from $40 to sl2 week Population, over
1000. It lies In mountain gorge, and the afr
Is free from malaria.
houses, all fairly filled in the summer About
mile from town, and on the brow OF the Lehigh
mountain and overlooking the broad valley with
Its several towns, Is the hotel of the "Lecha-
WILL kpn
Is patronlzed chiefly by Philadelphians, of the
mercantile, literary and professional classes,
Dut not much by the class descending In
straight dne from the Declaration OF Indepen-
dence.
MeDl-villages, being without sewers or good
drainage, are nearly all afflicted with worse
smells than cities; they are not healthy resorts
In summer.
MY chief object In writing was to tell you
SOMETHING OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY,
a noted coal region. Its immense stores OF
fuel and easy access to the large markets have
given 1t an enormous trade and made 1t the sea.
OF large manufacturing. establishments. the
Delaware iron works, at this place, Includes
blast and pudding furnaces, BesSemer steel
works, rolling mill, railrosd iron mill machine
works, &c. They cover several acres of ground
and employ several hundre hands. There are
several other manufactortes; the most noted
are zinc WorKs and planning machines. and the
most curious one, the works for that part of
machinery called "the governor" This one
piece Is furnished here for all parts of the
United States. In and about the valley are the
zinc and coal mines. From Mauch Chunk, near
which are valuable coal mines, the grade to
Philadelphia is OF such gradual and regular
descent that hardly any power Is necessary to
take down loaded coal trains OF from 100 to $50
cars: l see them passing several times day.
AS this supply OF large city has been going on
1or nearly half century, the wealth accumu-
lated In this valley Is probably equal to that on
any equal territory In the United States, out
Side or the cities MilliOnaIreS are coun ted here
by the dozen. Fountain Hill, a quarter OF South
Bethlehem, shows a group of very costly and
handsome residences, all the result OF coal
ENC, railroad and iron operations, managed
with brain power.
TIE USEFUL CAREER OF A PENNSYLVANIA BusI-
NESS MAN.
One OF the most successful business men of
this valley was the late Ex-Governor Asa
Packer. he was true as steel, clear headed and
energetic; resut-Wealth and honor. His public
spirit leo him 10 establish, Ia his lifetime, the
Lehlgh University, and TO Dequeath TO IL enough
10 make 1ts endowment equal to S, 600 900. His
Idea was to make 1t the best scientific and tech.
Lical sch0Ol In the country, school for the
thorough instruction of mining, mechanical
and CIVIL engineers, meta,lurgiStS, chemists
practical maIhematiclans and scientific men
generally. During his life. the college was un-
good managers aid one OF them nearly running
the Institution by trying to run it In sectarian
grooves 1t had few students, but made good
engine ef them. At Gov. Parher's death, two
an lh0ependent footing. Mr.. LambertOn, q
lawyer and energetic and judicious manager
was made president. The new impulse was
felt at once; the freshman class Increased from
less tban twenty to forty.five. Last year the
increase was matnta aimed, and the next freshman
Class win. probably, number fifty. 1t would bs
more than hundred If the qualifications for
admission were not SO Vigorously insisted on
Great thcroughnesS is an absolute Condition.
as 20 tuition fee is charged. or fee for library
or Instruments the college authorities can. and
Go, make their own terms. This college Is NOT
run ~ the students. At Yale, Harvard Cor.
nell and Ann AIbor the examinations In the
EngnSh branches, other than mathematics are
superficial; here they are severe. Lehgh wants
thorough students, or none. The foundations
are looked to. OF 151 candidates last year, only
a passed; There viii be graduates this year.
thorough, there being about is teachers to less
than hundred students The library Is free to
an the students. It has an annual income Of
S24 600. all OF which is expended Ia the purchase
Of books.
The college buildings are beautifully situated
on the slope OF the Lehigh mountain and above
the town OF South Bethlehem. The towns of
Bethlehem and West Bethlehem, the Lehigh
river, the Valley railroad, and the Blue moua-
tains, toward Mauch Chunk, are visible 10 the
terraced inteIsected by walks and shaded by
handsome forest trees. The main building
with It's high tower.a the library are Of stone
IelectoTy. 1t Is probable that gymnasium
viii be built within the next year. There is a
COCO genealogical collection (Werner's) ana
the beginning OF a meteorological one.
In bilef. the good which Mr. Packer did bids
IalF 10 i've after him. His best monument Will
De Lehlgh University. AS q school II IL shall
oe developed On the line of Mr.Packers Origisal
!cea. as q scientific and technical school avoid
Ing all competition with Harvard and other
Lalln and Greek schools. 1t must take AMI
hoid the front rank. 1t is better endowed than
the Van Rensselaer,, its professors have received
more practical training than those at West
Point, and It's scientific department is not
subofdinated TO the literary, as at Harvard
C0rnell. Ann Arbor and Princeton. And over
all the others, IL has the advantage of being
In sight OF smoke and in bearing of the
machinery OF large Industrial establishments
The reputation OF the school has brought to 1t
students from distant states, Michigan, Louisl-
ana, Utah, Vermont. South Carolina, Kansas
Maryland, Connecticut and MASSACHUSETTS,:
ako, from China, Japan, Brazil, Mexico, Eeua-
dor and Canada. All parts OF tue civilized
world VIII thus be benefited Dy the munifi-
c. nee OF the clear headed and great souled
Industrial king Of the Lehlgh valley. Yours, b.
Gambetta's Prophet.
tLondon Globe
Tne gypsy woman who predicted that jose
phine de B eauharnais would one day he hailed
q rf-0 loc flnAv