Daily Republican., 1881-06-27
RAMBLERs.
A Rowing Committees Trip Be
tween Wilmington and Reading.

, Union M. T.. church, went up the Wi
mington and Northern Railroad. O
Thursday for the purpose of seeing tn
sights in general and to take a squin
at the beautiful picnic grounds so nu
merous along the line OF the road ii
particular with view to future opera
tions in the picnic and excursion line
The morning was clear, the air crisl
and sharp, and the varied landscap
of nature never looked more beautiful
Along the valleys and all o'er the roll
ing hills were waving fields of grain al
most ready for the reaper, in places 81
rank that the storms had tangled ant
warped the grain so badly that the oil
fashioned scythes and sickels will hav'
to be called into requisitiOn. The new
ly made hay impaired a fresh and swee
fragrance to the crisp healthy atmos
phere. Over the hills and along the
valleys the faithful horse dragged the
cultivator, guided by the careful far
mer's hand, through the waving field.
of corn, that despite the cold weather
had in places grown so rank that tn,
bare clay was almost hidden from view
Speaking of corn fields, along the whole
route of the W. & N. Railroad, from
Wilmington to Reading, there Were
none that looked as well and more
promising than the fields on the Della
ware end of the road. The wheat and
grass on this end also equaled if not ex
celled that in the famed counties OF
Chester and Berks.
Romantic Yes indeed. There are
few lines of railroad that run through
more varied landscapes. Valleys, hills
mountains, woodlands, rocks, streams
bridges high and bridges low, towns
| villages, hamlets, manufactures, schoO
houses, churches-well everything thai
rama of nature and ART combined.
| There are no lines of railroad that
possess more of varied beauty to those
who love to look upon rugged nature a.
it is than the W. 4 n. does.
Leaving this city at a, m, the tour,
lists of day fell in with Wilmington 5
genial and popular postmaster, armed
W tn formidable array OF fishing
tackel and bent on spending u day ang-
ling for bass in the Branuywiue near
Brooktield station. The ready wit OF
the genial postmaster and the flow of
spirit (not liquid was evidence of the
great benefit a.cruing from day away
from the busy cares of office and toll.
We were sorry to part with one 80 live
ly when he let himself loose, but good
things could not last always and 50 we
set him off gently at Brooktield, with
hooks and tackle dangling close around
him, with the promise that we would
meet again on the return and compare
fishermen $ with amateur tourists luck.
The first picnic ground from Will
mingtOn on the W. Il n. railroad was
Point Lookout, a romantic place on the
Brandywine, some ten or twelve miles
from Wilmington. The q. a. Il. will
occupy these grounds next Thursday.
Around curves and bridges, through
cuts, across meadows the train sped,
gathering up here and there a passenger
to be eInptied out at Chadd's Ford to
take trains either east or west. Leav-
ing Chadd'S Ford we began again to re-
Cruit our passengers. The battle ground
presented unusual interest. To the LETT
Of the creek stood the hills from which
CORVALLIS during the revolution greeted
Washington and Wayne with shot and
Shell and up to where quiet little Birn-
ingham meeting house lay which on that
eventtnl day Oh our nations S history was
carpettcd with the mingled gore of friend
and foe, the hills and wales were invested
with peculiar interest.
CUateSYille reaGGeu our well filled car
was again unloaded Of passengers to go
either west or east on the great Penn
Sylvania trunk line, and starting again
recruits once more gathered in as the
engine puited and steamed up the creek,
amongst the hills and mills, that are as
thick as blaCkberrieS in August, on the
way up to Waynesburg junction where
another unloading took place. A place
OF interest before reaching the junction
was The Honeybrook pic mic grounds,
remembered by thousand or more
Wilmingtonians. Leaving the j Jun3tiOn
our train sped towards the Welch
mountains in the distance and before
running right up against them or
through tunnel, it suddenly turned
dow II the valley and passed through Il
gap in the hills at Springfield.
Here was to have been the end of our
trip on the main line, but it was found
mOre convenient to go on to Reading,
aud accordingly soon afterwards our
train was Steaming up to Joanna, from
which summit Hay Creek valley in
"Alt Barks," lay spread before us in
grandeur, while the Blue
ridge mountains afforded magnificent
back ground to the picture. Descend
ing the Welsh mountains at II descent
OF 40 feet to the mile, new scenes were
continually bursting upon our view. A
church standing upon mound was in
CirCled in curve OF the road and be-
fore we got away we were afforded a
sight into the windows of each end and
side. At the foot of this descent we
enjoyed the rare sight OF Il man pulling
a cultivator like Il horse, another man
guiding the utensil and two men were
following hUeIng the corn. Further on
we passed the old tilt hammer mill,
where the celebrated Scarlet scytheS
were manufactured. Further on Hamp
ton furnace in full blast was passed, and
still little farther on came the great
5ridsboro nail factories, two large fur
laces and the town of BirdsborO nestled
1t the foot of the mountains on the |
ochuylkill.
The scenery from here to Reading, in
'luding a sweep Of the Neversink
the Schuylkill river, the canal
he Reading railroad, was grand bOr-
lering on the sublime and the two groc-
n excursionists Of our party never hav-
ny seen it before, werein raphsodies of
lelight. Reading reached we lad
wonty minutes for refreshment, but all
he refreshment we could hear OF was
ager beer, and as the committee be-
onged to the total abstinence society,
hey put up with the best they could find
nd laid in a supply of cakes said to be
wectened with honey but were tough
nough to have been made of scraps of
ole leather. There were better restau-
ants, however, but we had no time to s
unit them. )
Taking IA seat in a returning train we !
anne back to Springfield and switching
II were soon at French Creek Falls t
here Reading Sunday school was $
n inyInu tho haa aut:fuI nnJ ,o,,,,ot;, {