Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-06-21
LACK OF RAILWAY FACILITIES,
Untitled Farms and Deserted Hamlets
Along the Remarkable
South Penn Wreck.
A CHANCE TO SECURE CHEAP HOMES.
Vivid Impressions of a Carriage Ride Across the
Old Keystone.
WRITTEN roR THE DISPATCH.

to some of your readers who have been en-
joying the clever letters from your DIS
PATCH Expedition" in search of good roads.
Being a resident of the ancient, honorable
and peaceful City of Brotherly Love, and
being required by business to cross the Allie
gheny Mountains-a journey most unusual
for the ordinary Philadelphian, previous 10
which he generally makes his will and says
a last goodby-and finding myself in the
beautiful valley of the Youghiogheny, at
the little village of Friendsville, Garrett
county, Nd, the chance arose to secure
pair of young, sound, medium-siEed horses;
the question, however, which at once sug-
gested itself was il bought, how are they to
be gotten home? Why, drive them, OF
course, suggested a friend; and so the deal
was made, and the horses bought.
A MODEL MARYLAND ROAD.
After four or five weeks of driving through
Fayette and Somerset counties, Pa, and
Garrett county, Nd, we-my wife and L
started on q certain Monday to drive from
Deer Park, Nd, to Philadelphia. Our out
Mt consisted of the above mentioned horses,
light buggy, rubber coats and a small bit of
luggage which contained change of clothes
and, after delightful drive on the smooth,
wide, well-kept highway, which leads from
Deer Park to Oakland, passed through
Mountain Lake Park with its pretty little
cottages and handsome villas, reached Oak
land in the early evening in time for sup
per. And just here let me say that the road
from Deer Park TO Oakland is worthy of ex-
animation and imitation by ali the super
yisors of the county roads of PENNSYLVANIA.
Next morning, at an early hour the
horses were brought around. and we started
for Manor Lands, Maryland, the present
terminus of the Confluence and Oakland
Railroad. The Maryland roads over which
we had to pass were in excellent condition.
The horses were eager to go; the air was
cool and bracing, and the views were ex-
tensive and grand, so we had most enioya-
bic morning. After two hours drive we
passed q mud fiat, which at certain seasons
is covered with water, and is then known as
Lake Cleveland, called so because an ex-
President OF the United States fshed there.
What he caught has never been recorded
The views of the distant and near ranges
of mountains, the Hoop Pole Ridge Mea-
dow mountains, Winding Gap, and Negro
mountains, were superb and were made more
than usually so by the clouds, which every
now and then would obscure the sun and
make great shadows, which seemed to chase
each other from hilltop to hilltop and from
mountain-ridge 10 mountain-ridge.
SPLENDID SUMMER SPOTS.
The road from Oakland to Manor Lands
is upon q high, narrow plateau, which forms
the eastern watershed of the Youghiogheny,
and is 2, 500 feet above sea level, so that the
views are extended, far-reaching and grand.
1t was astonishing to me to see how little
this section OF country was appreciated. and
how few had made it their summer home
- = al 81 :.
and so few people realize the beauties which
are SO near to the great and growing Iron
City.
From Manor Lands we went to Friends
vile. and from there 10 Selbevsport, Md,
and then on to Somerfeld, Pa, having
driven 80 miles. In going from Selbeys-
port to Somerfeld, along the Youghiogheny
river, we crossed the State line into Penn
sylTania, and although the road from
Friendsvllle to the State line was not the
best, as soon as we crossed into Pennsylva-
mia it was simply execrable, and more than
once were the fence rails taken down by
some one to fill in the ruts and mud holes so
that we could pass without upsetting the
carriage. AT Somerfeld we put up at the
comfortable country house kept by Mr.
William Endsley and his kindly wife and
daughter. This old hotel is on the old Ma
tional road, near where it crosses the
of three large arches. This famous bridge
was built in 1919, as solid and massive TO-
day as the day on which it was finished.
Mr.. Endsley's ancestors owned and kept
q hotel before him, and at this comfortable
house MANY of the former statesmen and po-
ltical leaders of the country have taken
their meals or spent the night as they were
going from the South and West to Wash
ington, or returning to their homes. For,
hefore the daVS of lroa6e this old fion-
al road was the great highway between the
East and West, from Cumberland, Nd, to
Wheeling, W. Va.
SOUTHERN TIER sAMENEss.
After spending a day or two at Somer-
field, where everything was so pleasant and
bomelike that we were 10th to say good
bye, we started one morning about o'clock
for Somerset, which is the county seat of |
Somerset county. We drove along
the national road to Addison, passed |
the old-fashloned toll-gate, with its no |
tees as TO payment of toll, and |
its requirements and restrictions, more |
numerous than the moral law, and then |
struck off to the north, along the Turkey |
Foot road. passing through Glade and one |
or two other small villages, had our dinner |
at the town of Centerville, and proceeded to |
Somerset, which we reached about o'clock |
in the evening. Here we found very COM |
PORTABLE quarters at the Somerset House, and 4
then proceeded to take in the town. 1t is |
curious how similar the plan OF all the |
county seats of the southern tier counties |
are. Somerset, Bedford, Chanbersburg, |
Gettysburg, Lancaster and York all seem to /
have been plotted out on one general plan,
which consists of large plateau in the
middle and four streets running out there
from. The town of Somerset is situated |
upon hill top. The Court House is easily
visible for a number of miles around. The
streets are wide and the stores inviting. al
though not numerous. There are several
pretty residences which sdioin the Court
House, and the whole town looks comforta-
bic and prosperous.
The next afternoon we started out for Bed
ford, over the famous Bedford and Somerset
pike, and drove about II miles to an old
fashioned farm house owned by Mr.. John IL
Walker, q former member of the Legisla- /
ture. Mr.. Walker and his family were
most courteous in thei. attentions. and as
bountiful and generous as their weIl-flled
granary and well stocked larder would in
dicate they might be expected to be. Mr..
Walkers "reminiscences were exceedingly
interesting, and his history of the famous
old
SOMERSET AND BEDFORD PIKE
was most entertaining. Standing on his
porch, one could see the windings Of the