The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1893-07-21
ALONG THE sUsQUEHANNA.


of country that it has ever been our
privilege to traverse, is the valley Of
the North Branch of the Susquehanna
River. Starting at Bloomsbury, as
clean and pretty town as there is in
the state, we boarded train on the
North & West Branch railway last
Saturday morning. The view of the
town from the other side of the river
is grand. There is SO much foliage
through the town that it looks as
though it were built in a grove. The
Normal School buildings stand out
boldly on the hill, and present an i'm
posing appearance, while the towers
and steeples of the churches and other
public buildings, and the steam and
smoke ascending from the many mills,
furnaces, foundries, shops and other
industries, give to the stranger riding
by in the cars, some idea of the i'm
portance and prosperity of the place.
AT the point near where the N. &
w. B. station is located, great changes
have taken place in the past fifteen
years. The ravine was then a very
pretty SPOT, and used to be favorite
resort for picnic parties. There was
an excellent spring Of water, and other
accommodations. This was before
the railroad was built and there was
plenty of room near the bank of the
river for the erection of tables. Those
who desired could climb the noun
tain, while those whose tastes ran to
water, could indulge in fishing and
boating. 1t was here that the first
picnic of the Bloomsburg Literary
Institute was held, in the days of Pro-
fessor Henry Carver, and those who
remember it, will agree with me that
it was a delightful occasion. Now
there is no place for a picnic. The
railroad embankment has spoiled the
little grove that used to stand close by
the river, the pretty raune has grown
up with underbrush, and number of
shanties have been erected at the foot
of the glen, SO that there is no longer
anything wild or romantic about the
place.
But the whistle Of the locomotive puts
and end to these thoughts Of the past
and the train comes rushing and snort
ing around the curve, and stops at the
little station, and we are soon on our
way up the river. The tracks follow
the water pretty closely most of the
way to Wilkesbarre, and at this season
of the year it would be hard to i'm.
agine a more charming ride. The
placid waters with their numerous
beautiful islands, the tree-clad noun
tains rising majistically on the oppo-
side side, the pretty little hamlets and
the large and busy towns on either
side, all combine to make the scenery
beautiful and attractive. We pass
through Nescopeck, Nanticoke and
Wilkesbare, changing to the Lebigh
Valley road at the latter city; then on
through Pittston, Tunkhannock, the
county seat of Wyoming county,
Laceyville where the news agent sup.
piled the passengers with ice cream
made by the Laceyville Creamery Co.;
Wysox, noted chiefly for having been
the home of the late Victor f. Prollet
who was we'll known in this county
on past Towanda, and up through the
foreign section of Bradford county,
Ulster, Milan and Athens, to Sayre,
our destination. Besides the three
places above mentioned which are
named after foreign cities, Bradford
county has Rome, a Troy, and a
Canton.
Sayre is prosperous borough Of
about 5000 inhabitants. 1t has been
built up entirely within the past twenty
FIVE years. 1t was laid out when the
Lelrigh Valley railroad was first built
up the river, and was at first distinc-
lively railroad town, the shops and
offices of the road were located there,
and Robert A. Packer, the President
Of the company erected a magnificent
mansion with extensive grounds, and
Gil ttlC duOiuuiCHto thdt SiCdt WCditi
could provide. AT his untimely death,
this fine property went to the Packer
heirs, and was by them presented to
the public and converted into hospi-
tai, and is now known as the r. A.
Packer Hospital A beautiful stone
Church, the Church OF the Redeemer,
stands near the hospital. 1t
was erected by Mary A. Packer,
now Mrs. Chas Cummings, a daugh-
ter of the late Asa Parker, and one OF
the richest women in America. The
Wilbur House, another familiar lie.
high Valley name, is the largest hotel
in the place. 1t is fine brick struc-
ture, elegant III all its appointments,
and the proprietor, L. X. Jordan, and
his estlmable wife are among the best
known people in the northern part Of
the state.