The Evening critic., 1882-11-16
"a CURIOUS TRAVELLER, "

In ap Interesting Manner. Gives the
Public Impressions of u Westward
Trip Via tho baltimore a pi1io
RaiIrOnd. ma DiscOurscs of Some
Interesting Matters About Chicago.
CHICAGO, Nov. IL, 1882.
Special Correspondence Of THE EvES1NG CRIric.
have lived TO learn that q cheat can bo
beautiful, that 1t can mirror majesty and have
n noble end, for have seen the Cheat River,
and IL Is the lovelest, most transparent fraud
have ever come across, shall not tell you
much Of my journey, for you know tho route
as well as l; but was glad TO follow tho
Potomac to Its source, to see II In It's hill.
cradle, TO watch 1t 'grow up" TO full-sized
river and sec IL start for washington w.:h
TO make "malaria" n bess slander, O libel
''writ In water" like Keats epltaph.
l shnll not toll you that "tho mountains
crowd liz sorrled phalanxes to the brink OF
the rivers" nor that "the clouds and tholr
shadows ran races over thoir tawny breasts"
nor that .'Nature has emptied her color box
over their SIDES" nor that "tho frost has
scaled their loftiest heights and planted tho
red ensign OF victory on Summers grave"
for anybody can say such things about any
place, and having Just come down from "On
The heights," don't want to be lmportincnt
TO Nature by indulging In
- Idle chatter,
OF q transccndental Kind"
/ can say, however, that along the entlro
route tho sparkle and CLEAN OF water lent life
and beauty 10 the scenery; nrst the Potomac,
then the Cheat, then the Ohio, and finally the
Muskingum. Tho waters OF the Cheat are as
clear MS amber, and from creeping among the
pine roots, and among the hemlocks have
taken the color OF the bark, and are more the
hue Of the Wisconsin (where IL runs through
the Dells) than any Southern rlvor know.
Along the shores are stretches OF pasture
land, which are clad In eight or ten shades OF
brown, green and yellow, that would throw
an msthoto Into "languld paroXysms OF super
lative delight" They arc merged Into each
other by such ilno gradations that the "color
1g,t.. Ia nu and a la Ian n
Virginln. These lands alternate on opposite
banks, and lend touch Of tintlng that is very
encctlyc-I say 'alternato', because they
change sides rs often assay General Butler.
have promised 10 refrain from stereotypcd
phrases, so Will only speak OF two pecullaritles
that strnck mo forclbly A stretch of palisades
that might be the twin brothers OF those on
the Hudson, colorcd as vividly-on small
sc0le-as tho Yellowstone rocks and formed In
strata like the cllns OF the North Wisconsin.
growth OF vine, and lichen and pine that dis.
tipguishes tho rocks in tho Wlnnobago conn
try, and arc as distinctive feature of the
scenery ms the Tamarack swamp above Min
neapOlis.
The other thing is the curious shape Of
some Of
The Mountains Between Cumberland
and Bellaire.
They riso go suddenly and culmluate so
sharply that they look as II nature had raised
gigantic hands and laid them palm TO palm,
giving thanks for the harvest whose sheayos
valleys.
The day was beautiful, tho sky as bluo as
June ana light fantastic clouds rode thro tho
air, like witches on broomsticks OF sunboams,
and the only thing that interfered with our
comfort was tho Intense heat of the cars. Tho
IRE was at n degree that would have been sat.
isfactory with tho mercury below zero, but In
such summer weather the only thing could
think OF, whom was not out window, was
the geese OF Strasbourg and the process Of
making pates-dc cfoies-gras of the same.
Lift your voice, dear paper, and protest
against the grilling practice now In vogue,
tell the people. fresh air Is never hurtful, ex-
cept on the napo Of tho neck or tho chest and
assure them how much less headaches they
Will have If they would only consent TO mod
Grafton in sheet-iron stoves and fuel.
We Climbed Out Of the Mist
at Cumberland and passed Deer Park, oak
land and Grafton In blaze Of sunshine. At
Oakland the houses arc springng up like
mushrooms, and arc OF a pretty and ornate
style. The grounds are tastefully laid out,
and can fancy 1t must be a charming resort
In the season.
by an east wind that blew up collars, wraps
and munlers with genuine Western rapidity.
Tho only people up and out, apparently, were
the men on the wharves, and all OF them were
armed with fshing-poles, and scoop-nets, and
seines; and learned later that the two
Sunday Amusements
OF the Chicagoese arc fishing and hunting.
The Hon. Bob Ingersoll made third to-day
by iecturing at McYicker's Theatre TO O large
and hilarious audience.
Several places OF "public entertainment" are
open to-day, but the only point OF interest that
tho curious stranger (myselO could see was at
the Lincoln Park, across whose eastern front
run the Holland Dykes. The lake at this point
sweeps in such sudden curve and Is so OK
posed to tho force OF the wind that stretch
after stretch OF beach was gnawed out and
swallowed up by the hungry waters. Millions
were expended on sea walls and devices for
protecting the shore, but the builders were
like those OF the Eddystone Lighthouse, who
"Built at ebb and rowed them homo
on nood-tide's flowing stream,
But at the boat side with tho tide
Camo also bar and BEAM"
For nights storm would destroy months
of labor. / have seen the water roll In, curl
and fall on tons OF stone held In place by iron
clamps, and when the spray cleared away
there would be n gap wide enough for troop
Of horso 10 go through.
Finally 1t was suggested TO the "City
| Fathers" to try dyking, and O band OF Hol;
| landers was brought over and set to work.
| About three feet from shore they planted rods
| ten feet long OF willow and hickory, In rows
| about two feet apart, and wove basket pat.
tern OF the same In and out OF the slender
| foundation. Every ono laughed. Twlgs the
thickness of n child's arm; 1t seemed absurd
| But the stolid, light heated, ruddyfaced men,
| In their blue blouses and their wooden shoes,
| kept quietly at work; then they knotted the
| rods together in bunches the size OF mans
| body and filled in the rows; then they put a
| layer Of small broken stone on this and fast
| ened the whole down with few more rods
then they went back few feet from the water
|
| sat down for
A Dutch Rest and Meditation.
great storm arose n few days after the firs
| eighth of n mile-the contract "sample'-had
| been completed, and curious even them
| drove down to see tho "twigs" washed away.
| The Hollanders were there, too, but with n su
| perior air that made them objects OF much re
| spect 10 the spectators. The surf was as wild q!
| the sea, and rolled in with IN angry sound; n,
| II neared the dyke, the rods and osiors sanl
out OF sight, except for the trembling tops tina
reached like knitting.needles from the swell
but even In that minute, lol the wave wa;
gone, Its crest sheared away, and hun
dred little "trickles" of water that came
streaming through the hurdle, was all that re
mained OF Its strength and size. In the tw
| years that have gone by since then the siftinl
waters have dropped their burden OF sand IN
side the barrier, the twigs have taken root an,
been a sandtrap for the 'wind drift" and tn
beach has been augmented by about six feet Q
solid ground. To-day when went TO the Parl
| / found that new dyke had been built thirt
or forty feet beyond the first, and that alread
tho sand deposits are shoaling the water raj
| idly.
1t is tho quickest" place ever saw. Tn
stones and rods that have been In the lax
only six months are
'nearded Like Parsis''
with rich green fringe, and have hoary an
venerable air that is very deceptive,
~. 49, - "A. 10 I..N.