Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-11-29
JUST 40 YEARS AGO.


Five Day9 Trlp From New York to Pitts
burg--What a New Yorker Thoughts Of
the Iron CIty-His saugnine Prophecy.
Forty years ago Philip Hone, of the city Of
New York, made journey to 1.-THE West and
took in Pittsburg on his way. Hone was q re-
tired merchant, man of culture, a man Of
affairs, and a broad-ninded and public-spirited
citizen. He had been Mayor Of New York; he
was trustee in nearly all the institutions Of
charity or learning in the city; he was the
founder of the Mercantile Library. In his
handsome house. which cost $4,000 and was
pointed out to strangers as ons of the sights Of
the town, many OF the most notable people Of
the day were entertained. Webster, Clay, and
Harrison we're always quests of Philip Hone
while they were in New York. Fanny Kemble
and Charles Dickens were entertained there.
The big house, whose windows looked out upon
the City Hall Park, fenced in with wooden
palings, was one Of the recognized centers Of
both social and political life.
1t is worth while to know what sort Of Journey
this substantial citizen and courteous gentle
man had when he ventured 40 years ago into
the wilds of ''the West" And the impression
which Pittsburg made upon him we would like
to discover.
Fortunately, Philip Hone kept diary. It
was so extensive and Voluminous a diary that
when his busy life ended there were 2S-1uarto
volumes of it, closely written on both sides of
the page Bayard Tuckerman has edited this
diary, and Dodd, Mead & Co. have published it
in two handsome volumes. We set down here
that portion of it which relates to Pittsburg.
Philip Hone arrived at Harrisburg on the
Philadelphia" (" he says. Sat O'clock. and came
to this place, LOG miles by railroad, at o'clock.
He Did Not Like HarrIsburg.
The we ather is warm, but fine breeze made
the ride delightful The road passes through
one Of the mosI fertile and best cultivated dis
tricts in the United States; but there is not
pretty town on the route, and none of any note
but Lancaster: nor is Harrisburg, though dig
nifed by the name of the Capital of the great
State of Pennsylvania, anything. more than
miserable collection of lawyers offices and
barber-shops. There is not handsome edifice
in the place. that we could find, with the ex-
ception of the State House and public offices,
which are in good style but constructed of the
everlasting red brick and white marble The
town is beautifully situated on an eminence
overlooking the Susquehanna, which is here
nne stream and deserves something better than
this loater-lOoking city to grace its banks. We
have determined, as choice of evils, to go
tomorrow to Pittsburg by canal although we
snai pc three nights on the voyage, in prefer
ence to l5O miles Of stage-traveling BY Cham
oersburg. on dusty roads in this warm weather
Juae IL At 3 o'clock we embarked in the
canal-boat Delaware, Captain Kellar, on
canal voyage of more than 200 miles The
weather is pleasant, and we have an agreeable
set Of passengers. Not too many. The day
does very well, but the sleeping is tolerably ur-
comfortable. There is not much of that, how
eVer.) The delay on this, the first day OF our
voyage, is rather discouraging; there has been
breach in the canal, which has caused an ac-
cumulation Of loaded boats; but the scenery is
splendid. Just at the sunsetting "a more glo-
rious one never saw) we came to the junction
OF the Susquehanna and Juniata rivers, fifteen
miles from Harrisburg, where the boat crosses
the dam and the towpath being conveyed across
on long bridge of light and delicate construc-
the mouth Of the Juniata is handsome man.
sion and fine estate of 400 acres, called Dun
cans Island belonging to lady Of that name
position. Here we leave the 6usquehanna and
follow the course Of the Juniata-a beautiful
stream, abounding In romantic and picturesque
scenery.