The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1890-06-20
EXCURSION TO MT. PENN.

orally known to the readers Of the paper
must furnish such reading as the patrons
OF the paper are always glad to find. This
Is what we thought when we received an
invitation from the Philadelphia & Read
ing Railroad Co. to join the Editors Ex.
cursion to the opening of the Mt. Penn
Gravity Railroad and the following is a re,
port Of the trip as taken by our representa-
tive
Thursday morning. Q o'clock, June 18th,
we left Bloomsburg from the foot OF Main
street by the p. & II. early Philadelphia
train to join the Editors Excursion to
Reading and Mt. Penn. Mr.. Brown of the
Republican, and Mr.. ]. q. Rutter of the Sen
tinel, were with us from the first. At Rup.
ert we we're joined by Mr.. and Mrs. B. A.
Lotier OF the Danville Record, and at Cata-
wissa by MIR. aud Mrs. q. E. Randall of the
NeCs Item. With the p. & X. new Pullman
coaches and huge hard coal engine the trip
in the early morning over the Catawissa
branch to East Mahanoy Junction was one
of the most pleasant we have ever enjoyed.
Rising gradually at every stroke of the
piston from Catawissa to Lofty, the seem
cry as we rounded the curves, on the rug
ged points OF the mountains, crossed the
high bridges spanning the rsvines or steam
cd out of the tunnels that make short cut
to a new view was grand almost to the sub
lime. From Lofty to the Junction down
the lsteep grades and around the sharp
curves flsnked at every point by natures
best display of mountain scenery was a
short and delightful ride.
At East Mahanoy Junction we Joined
the Shamokin train and met the excursion
lists from every town along the line as far
north as Williamsport. Among them we
saw Mr.. ]. 1. Steele of the Ashland E,ening
Telegram, Mr.. ]. II. James and Mr.. G. w.
Hartman of the Ashland Local and Record
MIR. Ii. @. Boyer of the Shenandoah Herald
MIR. @. l.. Brice of the Sunbury Neps and
many others who are not 80 well nown in
representative men. With this pleasant
party time passed all too quickly as we
sped on down the narrow andi romantic
valley Of the Schuylkill, passing Tamaqua
and Port Clinton aud reaching Reading at
| 10 05 q. m. In the spacious halls Of the
Philadelphia s. Reading depot the party of
journalists with their families, numbering
nearly 500 and representing the principal
| cities of the eastern part of the State from
| Philadelphia to Wiliamsport and from
Harrisburg to Easton with quite large
| delegation from New Jersey met and wait
ted the signal to start for the mountain.
| With the arrival of the Philadelphia train
came Horace M. Porter, of the Fourth
street office; Superintendent r. B. Gable,
and Excursion Agent Hayes Dickinson,
who took charge of the Readings guests
and whose intentions were such as to call
forth commentator at every turn.
Headed by the Germania Band the party
crossed over the tracks of the P. s. r. or
the cable bridge to Ninth and Green streets
where long line Of carriages, omnibusses
and street cars were in waiting to convey
them to the station Of the Mt. Penn Grav
witty Road at Mineral Spring.
This station is a beautiful and commod-
ious structure with large platforms, along
which we found six elegant observation
coaches, ready to take our party. With two
powerful and novel engines each drawing
three cars we climbed the glen and noun
tain, distance of two and half miles tt
Black Spot, the highest point in the valley
being 1l4O feet above the sea and 945 fee
above the Schuylkill, at this point has
been erected solid stone tower twenty.si,
feet square with five stories of 12 IT. each,
and verandah or canopy on four sidei
fifteen feet wide. From here the City o
Reading with its red topped houses ant
white streets looked like checker boart
and the valley and hills around furnish
view that is az grand as extensive. Afte
climbing the tower we returned to ou
train to find that we had no engine bu
when the cars were loaded we started OF
at rapid late along the brow of the noun
tain going the distance Of about a mil
when we turned sharp curve and begal
the homewsrd run. After running a shor
distance our train came to dead stop a
Anuetam Point and the Band started TO
the grove discoursing such music that GU
party made haste to follow.
On our arrival we found tables loade
with choice picnic fare, seats arrsyed o
all sides and soon all were comfortably en-
joying the cool mountain air in one of tn
most delightful spots we ever saw. A
1890 o'clock Mayor Merritt, of Reading
in neat brief speech welcom ed the guest
to the grounds and invited them to th
lunch provided, A more jolly, contente
and pleasant party will not dine soon agsi
on Mt. Penn. After the lunch had disaI
peared we resumed our pleasant journe
down the mountain, through groves an
past farm buildings to the starting poin
having made run by gravity of over fiy
miles.
We then explored the Mineral Sprin
Glen and would have done the city ha
not heavy shower driven us to the hote
where we spent the lime pleasantly gettr
= good suppers, leaving at 8 o'clock al
reaching home 1l;2O p. m. having spent
, full day of pleasure and profit, and bee
rested and benefited more than it is DO
: sible to gain from ordinary excursions.
The facilities the p. 81 X. now hay
y their early and late trains, their elega
> cars and the care and solicitude exercis
by their officials in handling large numbt
y suggests that trip to Mt Penn would
most excellent treat to our Sund
schools this summer. Should one or me
Q OF the schools decide to make up an {
cursion to Mt. Tenn, we can assure thu
N that the 2. & II. people will do their p
- to make it complete success.
DO There is danger in impure blood. The
g, is safety in taking Hoods Sarsaparilla,
We great blood purifier. 100 doses one doll