The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1885-09-06
TENT LIFE ON MOUNT pocoNo.
Primitive Country A vision OF Paradise
Berries In Abundance. and No Trsmps-Sho,s from
CAMP PocoSo,

n frimtttVc country - vision or farAutse-
| Berries In Abundance, and No Trsmps-Shots from
| Ambush.
CAMP Pocoso,
FORKS STATION, PA, September 4, 1sss.
This is spot the knowledge OF which seems to be
principally confined TO the people Of Philadelphia
| and possibly of Baltimore, although 1t is on the
through route from Washington to Richned Springs
| and other Northern resorts.
| 1t Is about twenty-five miles above the Delaware
Water Gap and four hours ride from Philadelphia,
and is reached by the picturesque Bevidere Division
OF the great PENNSYLVANIA Railroad, which, as every
one knows, turns of at Trenton and runs along the
| bank OF the Delaware through dozen pretty towns
and hamlets as far an intersectlng mountain pass
| known as Manunka Chunk. Here the Delaware,
Lackawsnna and Western Railroad enters the
valley. through car Is transferred to the Lacka-
wanna train and continues on to the Water Gap,
Stroudsburg, and number OF other stations among
| the mountains and beyond. From the Gap the train
| has steady and labOrious climb of about ninety
| feet TO the mile to surmount the Pocono range OF
mountains, said TO he far outlying spur OF the
Caskills, and near the summit Forks Station, which
takes Its name from the meeting of a number Of
noted roads, nestles snugly in a small depression.
The Post 0ffice Department, with rather confusing
independence. calls the place Mount PoconO."
| Several large hotels one OF which s conspicuous
| from the tran have chosen to go further down the
| slope at various distances from the station, but
those who come for mountain life will prefer the
breezy altitude above, where there are several home
like cottages, besides the white tents from which
| this ia written.
This Ia not quite the summit, but Is within short
| walk Of several "knobs" commanding a superb
| view OF the Water Gap, whose clean.cut slopes and
the vista OF scenery through them always form a
strange and beautiful study Of light and shade, very
1
are quite Wild, covered with tangled wilderness Of
scrub oak and huckleberry bushes. The yield Of
big, fine berries Is immense, and not only delights
| the summer visitor, but adds an important item to
| the means of the mountaineer-women and girls
making several dollars day in the season by gath
ering these lavish gifts Of nature aud sending them
| to the city. Rambling is quite safe for the most
timd for snakes and whisper 1t out OF their hear
ingo tramps are virtually unknown. This is still
one of those primitive neighborhoods where folks
| eau sleep with their doors unbolted.
The highest point In Pocono Is several miles dis
tan afording pleasant ride in the universal vehicle
OF the region, the blackboard, and not too arduous
climb afterward. In another direction, and further
| off, are the Bucks Falls, to surmount the difficulties
OF which fairly tests the beginner in mountain
| scrambling. But the most beautiful drive is down
into what is suggestively known Paradise Valley,
| which extends toward the Water Gap, and through
which rushes the crystal trout stream happily known
as Swiftwater, wonder IL was not Stigsbys Crick or
some such suphonous name) After passing a
number OF fine farms, shady groves, and other at
tracive places, the climax Is reached at Paradise
| Falls, not large, but SO perfect that the amateur
photographer of our party was led TO unparalleled
feats Of boldness in getting his camera planted on
| rocks in the very middle of the stream to command
| the sunt "nashing, dashing, and crashing OF the
waters. II the name Paradise" has one special der-
vation, it must be from the wonderful and almost
| tropical luxuriance of the rhododendrOns in this
charmed spot The bushes grow into vertable trees
which arch overhead, and in the season the whole
countryside for miles is gorgeous with their flowers
AT this season the golden rod s beginning to usurp
the place Of both rhodes and berries, but the
! still shines warmly, and the occasional mountain
| showers are soon disspatcd, while the water dsap-
pears rapidly into the thirsty soil. So sharp is the
demarcation between shower and clear sky that the
other day were treated within few hours to the
| spectaces OF brilliant double rainbow in one d-
rection, and perfect lunar bow in the other.
The country is primitive, there is no doubt Of that
sherins notice OF execution posted at the station
warns us OF sale of "pursenal property y belonging
| to sed defendence," including "about eleven tuns
| OF hay" "one Surfing orgn," and other strange
merchandise. The advertisement of n picnic re-
Gently invited all those fond Of the slight, fanaca
dance" But the country people are few and unob-
trusive, and the summer residents have all their
way. They make the long trips above spoken OF, or
still longer ones to Tobyhanna Station where there
are silk works and other interesting factories on to
| Scranton, or down to the Gap for the day. Short
walks those to Tunnel Hill, to the big and beaul-
ful Suiyans Spring, (where Gen. Sullivan is said to
have halted hst troops during the Revolution to an
old STILL pcturesquely situated In the woods and de-
voted TO the harmless work Of dstilling wnergreen
| and many other points. They play croquet and
lawn tennis on the short, crisp grass, and possibly
the young ones hrt. Forks and "spoons" are
naturally associated together.
Practically speaking, there is telegraph onice
open day and night at the station, three or more
daily trains, and one daily mall. One feels entitled
to some credit for discovering and making known a
place combining 30 many advantages to the popua-
ton OF city always 30 anxious for some new resort
to visit.
News from the lowlands il occasionally waited I'm
here. One item Is that John r. Newman, d. d.
who was expected to subslde after the Grant obse
qules and give the nauseated country rest, has
bobbed up sereneiy az candidate for bishopric In
the Methodist Church. lie tried this years ago and
was ignominiously beaten. Having In the meantime
virtually deserted his church for the sake OF preach
Ing In the Madison-avenue Congregational, (Which
he rent in twain ana left loaded with debt in splte OF
all the hlppodrome features he introduced In order
To make money! and having lost his chief backer Ii
Gen. Grant, he il applying the motto tonjouri
raudace by going In for the prize he missed In hi
heyday The best the Methodsts proposed to d,
| for him was TO give him the pastorate OF rathe
small uptown church in New York, heavily ladeI
| with debt. For man VINO has PLAYED "inspectO
OF consulates," with his wife at salary of 800 pc
month as clerk, has toadled 80 successfully to thu
rich and great and consistently snubbed the poor
and has preached SIC 600 funeral sermon over tn
son OF millionaire, this would he indeed slim pick
: ings II the Meihodisis do not look out they will
lose the most splendid example OF the sycophan
and court preacher the plain sect OF Wesley has eve
produced, and he will turn up as Buddhist bouze,
worshipper OF the Grand Llama or Sheik- -ul-
| anything where he can hang upon the skirts o
| power and use the pregnant hinges Of the tongu
| that thrift may follow fawning.
A little incident has recently come out which full
illustrates his character Chaplain McCabe, the grea
! "debt-raiser," preached In the Madison ayenu
Church during Newman's incumbency. The latte
slavered him over with praise and professions o
regard In introducing him, and again after he ha,
; closed. A cabinet organ was dragged out with III
usual theatrical flourish that belonged TO that hippo
drome management, in order that "dear Brothe
McCabe might sing some OF the beautiful hymn
that he sung to the soldiers In prison. aud whlcl
left scarcely dry eye In the church. All went Of
delightfully."- and with benent TO the church. few
days after an artist friend In reduced circumstances