National Republican., 1883-05-28
FRESH AIR FACTS And FANCIES
Pleasant Excursions TO the Seaside and Noun
tain Summer Resorts.
A jolly Party BowIed Over the Baltimore
and Ohio to Deer Park.
A Flying Trip Over the Pennsylvania Road 10 Cape
May and Atlantic City.
Both Parties Handsomely Entertained
Preparations For the Summer.
AMONG THE MOUNTAINS.

AMONG THE MOUNTAINS.
On Friday night pleasant little party Of
newspaper men left in two special Pullmans
for the mountains of West Virginia and
Maryland as guests of the Baltimore and Ohio
Railway company. The seekers of novelty,
ozone, and pleasure, who composed tho party
were w. B. Shaw of the Boston Transcript;
c. 7. Murray, of the Philadelphia Times
George w. Shanklin, of the Cincinnati Nelcs
w. c. MacBride and George Gilliland, of the
Cincinnati Enquirer; Byron Andrews, of the
Chicago Inter Ocean; Harry Ford and G. NJ.
Fairbanks, of the Baltimore SIN; Edgar Good
man, of the Baltimore american; +. V. Her
mango, ofthe Baltimore Neps; Harry $. Brown,
Of the Baltimore Day; John B. Mccarthy,
of the Hartford Times; Frank Carpenter, of
the Cleveland Leader +. II. Trusdell of the
Baltimore american; o. o. Stealey of the
Louisville Courier-Journdl; Edwin Fleming,
of the st. Louis Republican; G. NJ. Ogden, of
the Philadelphia Press; V. f. Bond, travelling
passenger agent of the Baltimore and Ohio,
and the representative of THE REPUBLICAN.
The host was Mr.. ]. G. Paughorn. tho assist
ant passenger agent Of the Baltimore aud
Ohio. Tho train left shortly after 10 o'clock,
reaching Cumberland after very fast run in
about four hours. The cars were side tracked
till morning. After an excellent breakfast at
the Queen City hotel special engine was at
tached and the party steamed away for Deer
Park. The scenery along the route was
greatly enjoyed, comprising as it does all the
varied phases of natures face, from the quiet,
pastoral beauty of meadowland to the stern
subimity of the forest covered mountains.
Every turn-and heaven only knows how
many there are on the Baltimore and Ohio
brought magnificent panorama before the
eye. After going through Wills gap tho
Potomac, which the road clings to with an
unwavering fondness, again became
companion. Father Shaw wanted Mr.. Pang-
horn to stop tho train here and let him make
the river speech, but his forsenic power was
quarantined for more favorable time and
place. At Piedmont the assent of the Allie
ghanies was commenced. Along the seven
teen mile grade, up which the en-
gino strained and tugged from Pied
mont to Altamont, there is probably some
of the most beautiful scenery in the world.
The train seems to cling TO the mountain
side, and looking out of the window hun
dreds of feet down to the torrent below the
traveller seems to be running on nothing.
There seems TO be an absence of life here
no houses, no farms, nothing but frowning
crags and kingly forests. One cannot but
feel admiration for the men who
pushed the steel rails through the
solitudes, and the wonder Is increased
at every duff of the locomotive. At Alta
mont, nearly 5000 feet above the level Of the
sea, the dividing line of the eastern America
is reached, and the streams and torrents
begin to run westward. Tho train ran the
few miles from the mountains crest to Deer
Park, and here the excursionists dsembarked
and visited the famous hotel which. in the
summer, is the mecca toward which so many
ozone seeking pilgrims make their way. The
hotel will not be opened until June 10, but
the boys made a raid on the empty hostelry
and examined it, 1t was hard to realize that
decade ago there was nothing ut Deer Park
but the forest primeval. The thick carpet of
green grass that beauties the lawn, and
make splendid romping place for little ones,
seem to bear the impress Of years of cultva-
tion, and the hotel loomed up rs impor-
II antly as if it was an old inhabitant.
Fred Crawford offered the company So
for the place. and Mr.. Pangborn said he
would take the matter under consideration.
"This is great place." said one of the party,
who is q regular summer visitor; "a fellow
always has to sleep under blankets, and the
table takes the cake. Pm a hay fever suf-
ferer, but the disease never troubles me
here" The party noticed that all the rooms in
the hotel were carpeted something that other
summer resort hotels would do well to notice.
After rambling through the hotel the party
boarded the train, and Mountain lake was
shortly reached. Here carriages were taken
and three miles of lovely country traversed
to Oakland, where the train was waiting
and admired and the trip was commenced to
the famous Cheat river grade and the Buck
horn wall The scenery ON the Cheat river
grade is unsurpassed. The train twists in
and out among huge walls of granite and the
travellers eye is delighted with transforma-
tion after transformation, each ofwhich seems
more lovely than the other. The train
was stopped at one of the curves
where the scene was grandest
and few minutes spent in admiring IL.
Harry Ford and Fleming could only be re-
strained from jumping down tho several hun
dred feet between the road and the Cheat
river by the assurance that lunch was ready.
The trip was continued to Buckhorn wall,
and here the crowning pleasure of tho trip, as
far as the eye was concerned, was enjoyed.
A deep canyon, through which the
river rushes with impetuous velocity,
lay at right angles to the road, and for miles
and miles the mountains rose eperpendicularly
on both sides. A toot from the engine and
the backward trip was commenced, and the
boys gave themselves up to fun. At Gram
| berry the train stopped, and several villagers
| who happened to be around were treated to
Il speech by Father Shaw
The party got back to Cumberland about
dark and ut o'clock sat down to banquet
| in the Queen City hotel as the guests of Mr..
II. w. Walker, tho proprietor, who also con-
trolls the hotels at Deer Park and Oakland.
| The evening was spent most enjoyably.
Toasts were he order of the night after tho
solids were disposed of, aud every gentleman
present made a few remarks. Yesterday
morning the cars were attached TO the
"Daisy" train, with Amos Reed, the fastest
run to Washington was made in four hours.