Morning journal and courier., 1883-06-23
CORRESPONDENTS.
Notes of Western Travel.
 CrNcrNNAT1 Ohio. Ju,

l
 To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER
 The present system of selling limited tick
 cts tempts one to hurry to his destination at
 the loss of many of the incidental benefits of travel. Resisting this temptation. took
 the more old fashioned way of buying tick
 cts from place to place, and to my surprise
 found it actually costing less than limited
 ticket by the same route. Perhaps this ano-
 maly might not happen again, but it seems 1 worth noting in this instance - 1 It is rather late to say any thing about Dec | oration day. But as it was never before my
 privilege to spend that sacred anniversary in | New York, allow me to express the interest excited by seeing the great metropolis clos | ing its places of business and giving itself,
 not to the reckless, Haunting gaiety of an or | dinary holiday, but with one accord to the | sober and tender memorial ceremonies by 1 which grateful nation pays it's annual tr1b-
 ute of respect to the heroic dead. Thou | sands crowded Broadway, the Bowery and other streets to witness the military parade, | which was very fine. No disorder was ob- 1 served, but the multitude of spectators I seemed to be universally mindful of the I meaning of those long lines of soldiery es- corting the chariots carrying loads of flowers 1 to the city of the dead Joining the living tide flowing over the Brooklyn bridge, I found myself borne along to the famous gar
 
 wood. Never were the knolis and shafts of l this beautiful place more profusely and taste fully decorated than on that day by myriad of floral offerings.
 On returning to New York observed that the approach by the bridge was very crowd ed, and asked the gate-keeper how many had crossed that afternoon. He replied that the number of foot-passengers was about twenty thousand. Shrinking from such a crowd 1 1 turned back and crossed by the Fulton street ferry, and thus escaped being caught in the
 fatal panic by which at that very time the new bridge received it's baptism of blood. It seemed to me wrong for the gate keepers to allow such throng to so on to the bridge at once.
 Up the Hudson by daylight is one of the most charming excursions, and never was It
 more thoroughly enjoyable than amid the
 freshness of the first day of June. The suc-
 cession of elegant villas on the eastern shore
 and the long sweep of castellated Palisades
 on the western the broad expanse of the lordly Hudson between, bearing along every kind of craft from the rudest barge to the
 most palatial steamer; the opulent cities here and there; the military academy at West Point; the blue heights of the Cats
 kills and finally the solid structures of AL
 bany gathered around the costly and impos ing capital of the Empire State-all these varied objects of interest follow each other like gliding panorama. We had time for hurried visit to the huge Capitol, on which | so many millions have been expended and for l completing which millions more are demand | ed After all it does not equal, either in beauty or practical utility, the less costly 1 structure built for similar purpose at Hart- ford, and of which Connecticut may justly l be proud the most thoroughly symmetri-
 cal public building in America!
 l Syracuse was approached through the grey | dawn of the next morning. Dwellers in | cities apt to forget the peculiar and pure ] lcvelinsss of g sunrise scene in the country l How the soft mists arise from the sleepy 1 valleys, taking rosy tints as they are met by 1 the rays of Aurora How peaceful the
 farm yard scenes as our flying train rushes
 by theml The whole city was asleep when l we left the cars, except here and there some 1 tired watchman or unusually early laborer | going to his daily task. Gradually the shut 1 ters were flung open, the milk-carts and eth- 1 CT vehicles began to run their morning
 rounds, and by the time the train was ready
 for CezenoVia the whole city was astir.
 The village of Cazenovia reposes on the margin of the lake bearing the same musical name, and i5 place of some note in 1 land summer resort There some fine old families residing there and the society is said to be remarkably cultured and delight | full. The lake is finely adapted for boat races, and had just been used by Hanlan and 1 Courtney for that purpose. Not being in a l mood for violent exertlon we were content | with idly strolling along the verdant banks or gently rocking on it's blue waters, in com- | pany with old friends of former days, knit ting anew the ties that bind us.
 When a pastor is off on his vacation it is his privilege to hear somebody preach other than himself-and 1t is really very great
 privilege if the preacher is such gifted ora | tor as Chancellor Simms of the University of Syracuse, whom I heard on Sunday morning
 in the Plymouth church, where worship some of the former residents of Fair Haven. Syr- acuse is an attractive city, about as large as New Haven, but wholly unlike 1t ia it's char
 acteristic features. It is highly mercantile
 and has an extensive trade through central
 and western New York. The adjacent salt
 works of Geddes and Salina are celebrated and present 8 peculiar appearance with their long, low salt sheds bordering the Onondaga Lake as far as the eye can reach. They are in danger, however, of being eclpsed by newly discovered beds in other localities said to be from eighty to ninety feet thick, of solid rock salt, and easily accessible by pits.
 The remainder of the journey was une- ventful, until on nearing Dayton, Ohio, company of s'Duukers" came on board on their way to convention of their order to be held in that city. The term Dunkers, as they told me, is from German word mean, ing to dip, and is used to distinguish them from the Mennonites. Fortunately my seat was next to that occupied by Bishop Brown, from whom much information was elicited concerning this curious sect Their plain ness of dfess and speech is like that of the Quakers, and like them they will neither take an oath, nor fight, nor go to law; and until recently they have refused to take or allow interest on money lent or borrowed The good bishop lamented that there were nota- ble departures from primitive simplicity, es- pecially among the female members of the flock, few of whom have lately gone so far as to wear plain gold rings and garments of brighter hues than black or drab. But the bishop was disposed, after all, to regard these innovations with 8 philosophical eye, and remarked that s'sometimes it had oc- cured to him as being no worse for the sis ters to admire the gold rings on their fingers than for the brethren to set such store by the gold coins in their pocketbooks I'' In. deed, he admitted to me that this is an age of progress and that it's influence was being sensibly felt by his people He hoped, how ever, that it would be long time before 1 they should give up the scriptural usage of washing the disciples feet, which they now do ia literal obedience to Christs command whenever they meet to celebrate the Lords | Supper. They also observe with religious | decorum the giving and taking of the kiss | of charity.''
 Clouds of smoke still overhang Cincinnati, l the Queen city of the Ohio valley, notwith- | standing the law requiring factories, etc., to | consume their own smoke. Coal dust settles | down on fine linen and other fabrics without | regard to the feelings of the owners. Per l manent residents have to accept this as part | of their lot But it is to be noticed that, as | fast as well-to do citizens get rich, they leave the murky atmosphere and grimy walls of | the city proper and build villas in the su- burbs. These are now extended for many miles and include some of the most delight | full abodes the continent. It was my good fortune to be guest for few days at one of these suburban homes The drives by which it was approached were shaded by 1 every variety of tree and shrub indigenous to Ohio, with many hardy exotics inter spersed. Immense beds of roses, and other | flowers, showed signs of a climate more | bland than that of New England. The | dwelling itself contained every convenience and luxury that money could buy, including | the finest private library have ever seen all the books, several thousand in number, | being selected most iudiciously and all ele- 1