New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-08-19
THE SOUTH PENNSYLVANIA.
INTELLECTUAL EFFORTS TO FINISH 1T.
A HISTORY OF HOPE OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES OF
TILE PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH

II is ever completed. will through some OF tho
widest and most picturesque territory IN inc stare
The grading the section that crosses Somerset
County was nearly finished before work was suspend
ed two years ago. when tho famous " dear was COM
pleted between tho Vandcrbilts and the PonhsyNah'a
Railroad Cor pany, by which tho Newfo Cehrsi
Compan. ,,rcd control of tho west Shore Railroad.
and the pennsylvania Company was 10 nave tahoi
possession Of tho South Pennsylvania. The courts
stcnned in at this tuncture. however and defeated
the last part of the programme. The history OF the
road since the courts first ntcrfcred, Is familiar 10
the public Every court that has had anything 10 40
with the case hes decided that the road parallels The
Pennsylvania Railroad, and that, consequently ac-
cordlnr to the laws of Pennsylvania the latter cannot
buy H. Periodically there appear stories to the ehect
that tho South Pennsylvania IS to be completed III the
near future: and thousands Of friends OF the enter
prlse have slncercly wished TO sec these promises
matcralzc but any who will take the trouble 10
look over the flies of the newspapers will find that
that the same kind Of stories have appeared at inter
walls ever since the courts first decided that the ROAD
could not be bought By the Pennsylvania Company :
and people that have hoped almost against hope for
the completion Of tho road. have begun TO grow
sccptlcal about their hOUcs ever becoming realities.
The road-bcd IS Graded at great altitude. and the
railroad. should IT over bc completed. would become
famous for its magnificent scenery.
FOUR TUNNELS IN THIRTY MILES.
Where It enters Somerset County. from the east.
tunnel over mile long cuts through the backbone OF
tho Allegheny Mountains at an altitude OF about 21OO
feet above sca-levcl Ten miles farther on. Negro
Mountain IS pierced by tunnel 200 feet long SIX or
eight miles beyond 200 foot tunnel goes through
another lower ridge and the road leaves the county
the west b. piercing Laurel Hill with tunnel
about milo and quarter in length. Besides these
four tunnels in es than 80 niles In this picturesque
hon ms pmbank
mcns some OF the cuts arr IS feet deep and the en-
banhmcnts from 10 TO 100 fect high. These NINA
turc hills and valleys cut up the farms with mpas-
sable barriers, and Isolate one part OF tho farm
lands from the other. causing the farmers no end of
permanent annoyance; and as they do not receive
am benefit in tho wa. Of TRANSFORMATION facilities.
the farmers IRE naturoll. bitter I'm their denuncation
of methods that make such state Of affairs possible
The farming portion of tho Inhabitants Of the county
are for the most part Pennsy lvania Dutch and some
Of them ara rs quaint, and oil too, one would
think to look at them. the hills which the: live
They a hard working set rising before Daylight
and working until after dark; their greatest COM
plant before the railroad partially finished to fur
nish them with a new grievance, that the days
were not long enough. Each farmer has his" coal hole
where he digs coal for his use the veins Of coal
often cropping Of tho top of the ground and many
veins OF coal several feet in thickness werc struck
I'm the tunnels and cuts OF the new railroad The
embankment made from the excavations in Negro
Mountain tunnel was almost entirely OF coal and the
engineers EXPIRE scd fear that 1t would some day
catch fire and entirely burn up. Many of the In
habants have never been ont of the county, some
have never even seen railroad train, and more have
never had a ride on one. Soma of the more ignorant
ones have heard OF the large cities I'm an indefinite
way, and have about such an idea OF them a the
average Now Yorker has Of the realms beyond the
kcso They nearly all Dunkers In their religion
and hold their love feasts, where they wash each
others feet: and the minister, whom the members
of each church elect from among their number to
teach them may be seen six days in the week ploughng
in his fields. end on the seventh exhoring them IN
The picturesque churches. many Of which arc built
in the woods where the only sounds that disturb the
soiemnity Of their worship Is tho chirp of the chip
munk. the whirrrr of squirrel. or tho singing OF
birds.
THE LEGEND OF THE HAUNTED TREASURE
Some strange legends told the occasional
visitor to those parts. ono in particular was caus-
nr considerable excitement at the time Of the writer's
visit Long Yeas ago, the story runs. five men
came across tho mountains from the East. In
particularly wild region, that Is even now never
visited except by exploring parties, they discovered
pocket Of gold I'm the rocks and they stayed there
several months melting it up and putting 1t into con-
vcnient shape 10 carry. One bad spirit among them
conceived the idea Of killing his companions and
trap by which three of them were killed in different
parts of the woods around the camp The last of
tho four, the father of family, the descendants OF
whom arc still living In the nelShborhood was
giant in size and strength and though badly wounded
by the murderer. he had enough strength left to XII
his assailant He then managed to drag himself to
a mountain road several miles away. and luckily fell
In with passing emgrant train. What explanation
he mads to account for his strange position is not
.oId IIO a
letter TO his son, who In the East and as dying
request asked the emigrant to swear that he would
deliver the letter intact TO his SON This was done
several years aftcrward, and after year two Of
delay tho son came out and found the place where
his father had met his death and In exploring about
the place found tho four bleachcd skeletons OF his
fathers companions, and the gold. He was greatly
excited. and began picking up the gold bars, which
wcic in a cleyIcc Of the rock, when the rocks sud
denly became hot. and blue flame shot out OF the
crcvcc. He Jumped back. and he did so heard
great disturbance In the air and bushes close TO him,
but could see nothing lilo was greatly alarmed. and
started to run away, when voice called after him.
seemingly from the air and told him it was his fathers
spirit and that the reason he had been disturbed was
that tho spirits Of the Murdered men had become
jealous thai his postcrity alone should receive ne
benefit Of the gold; but II he would c9mc oacA the
would by that time consent to his taking II. ms
he did, and the next year, and for many years aiier
hs went TO the mountains all alone, out INC otnrI
spirits still refused TO let him have the gold. As
years went by, ho grew old and feeble ana likely TO
coming June so he called his on- SON. and made him
acquainted with the story. The old man died soon
talns but with the same Disappointing results that
his father had mot So the story and legacy have
been handed down for several generations and tho
direct defendants. OF whom thcrr are now bur hvo,
sin continue make the trip to the mountains every
June. They had just returned when they ,oid TIE
writer the story though it IS common property IN tho
nci rhborhood and he bad heard II before and they
ms ,tcd that they had seen the gold ami were about
TO pick II up when the rocks again became hot ana
blue flame shot ont of the crevicc, and again thoy
heard tho spirit pow WOW IN the ar ana bushes, aud
were told TO come again.