Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-22
ACROSS THE WHOLE STATE.
Only a Comparatively Small Sum
Needed to Again Make This
A TRULY MAGNIFICENT HIGHWAY.
Glimpses of Surprisingly Beautiful Scenes
on the Mountains.
PLEASURE TRAVEL IN FORMER YEARS

himself in new way" remarked S. P. Nc
Intyre. of Jacktown, Westmoreland county,
as THE DISPATCH Country Road Expedi-
ton passed through that place the other day.
"Induce the generous iron manufacturer to
give $500, 900 to repair and rebuild the old
turnpike between Pittsburg and Philadel-
phia, and then let the State repay him by
calling that grand internal thoroughfare
Carnegie avenue Three hundred thousand
dollars is far less sum than ne has donated
to the foundation of public libraries-insti-
tutlons which only benefit the residents of
cities in which they are built.
"Here is an inexpensive opportunity for
Mr.. Carnegie or some other philauthropist
to make donation which will be a lasting
benefit to the farmers of the interior of Penn
syIvania. Nor would the agricultural in
terests be all that would profit from the
restoration of the old pike. In connecting
the great cities of Pittsburg and Philadel-
phia they would profit in many ways from a
permanent State highway across the noun
tains.
or Importance TO Mnny,
'The old pike could be we'll repaired at a
cost Of s., 900 per mile" continued Mr.. Nc
1ntyre, ''and it is just 800 miles long, or 81
miles shorter route between Pittsbure and
Philadelphia than the Pennsylvania Rail-
road. I have lived along this old pike all
my life, and beside that l have been max
ing study Of this road-building question
for many years. The turnpike must be kept
up. A large number of counties, towns and
villages depend upon it as their main chan
mel of traffic and communication. Now is
the time to repair it the entire length OF the
State. If permitted to fall into further de-
cav it will take good bit more than 81 900
per mile to fix it up. Although it was once
the best road in this State, and one of the
finest in the United States, no attention has
been paid to repairing it since 1860. Imean
by that it has never had in all that time a
single dressing of stone, and where il has
gone into the hands of townships the spring
time repairs have been the same as on any
rdinsry dirt road-trivial at best.
What IL wouId Cost for Repnfrs.
"a stoned pike, like this once was, could
be built again for $4,000 per mile. But
save it now, and you can do it for s, 900
mile, and then have magnificent road, If
some rich philanthropist will not make it a
second Appian wav, then the State Legisla-
ture should undertake the work BY general
taxation"
For whole week THE DISPATCH ex-
plering party had been riding over these
old-time pike, aud most of that week was
spent on this same turnpike of which Mr.
Mcintyre speaks. The real glorv and beauty
of the Allegheny Mountains must forever
remain a sealed book to those who 20 over
them only by rail. Nowhere else east of the
Rocky Mountains can such scenery be
fund as will be disclosed by an overland
trip through the interior of Cambria, Blair,
Bedford, Somerset and Westmoreland coun-
ties.
PenusyIvnnIn's Natural Grandeur.
The stage coaches once had greater claims
for scenic attraction than any of the rail-
roads OF to-day, but there was no railroad
photography IN those days, and the very
limited travel on the stage coach pixies in
this era leaves the public at large in igno-
rance as to what a wonderful natural park
lies in the heart of Pennsylvania. 1t is
vast il is grand.
Were there better roads there would be
more pleasure in driving across the mount
aims This Yellowstone domain al home lies
within ay'Sdrive of Pittshurg, and yet II
is very little apRreciated. Governor Beavers
proposed improvement Of public roads offers
a plan of making Pennsylvania natural
park accessible to household carriages from
both Pittsburg and Philadelphia.
Pleasure Travel Years Ago.
Years ago private equipages as we'll as
stage coaches traversed these roads in sum-
mer outings. Hon. Thomas NJ. Marshall
and many other Pittsburg families year
alter year drove from Pittsburg to Bedford
Springs, and thought nothing of the Journey.
This custom was kept up as late as a few
years ago, but every year the road grows
worse, from neglect. Crossing the noun
tains by carriages would again become nom
ular if it could be done with comfort and
sa lety. go there is a social side to Mr..
McIntyre's suggestion that some philan- |
tnropist or the State, restore the old pike, |
especially as this is an era of parks and |
Last week, in coming home from Stoves |
town, Somerset county, we recrossed Laurel |
hill. In seven miles we did not pass a |
farm or dwelling. All was forest, and the |
old pike is a lovely sylvan drive. Down |
this side of the mountain the bank on one |
side OF the road is covered with rhododen- |
drOns, high almost as the trees themselves. |
BeauIifled by Flowers.
The laurel hedge is four miles long and |
70 feet high. Its blossoms are just begin |
ming TO shape themselves, and this natural |
wall Of evergreen is a wondrously pretty |
thing. In the Ligonier valley there were |
wide fields covered with bluets, buttercups |
and early violets. Then we entered the |
gorge Of Loyalhsrna creek-the green canon |
IN which the stream cuts its way through |
Chestnut Ridge.
Here again the pike becomes a beautiful
thoroughfare. The trees arch overhead, and |
In the two or three miles through the noun
tain gap they form q canopy SO thick that
sunlight seldom flashes across the LOYAL
hanns'S waters, which dash and foam right
beside the driveway. Water crosses, pretty
white star-shaped flowers, and dozen
varieties Of wild flowers peeped out from
among the ferns. Huge rocks have actually
become soft seats from the moss cushions
growing upon them. 1t was with n sigh of n
regret that we presently sighted Latrobe, n
and left the mountains Of Pennsylvania be3
hind rs for good.
Something Of Rond sill.