Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1893-08-03
AMERICAS SWITZERLAND.

AMERICAS SWITZERLAND.
The Beauties of Mauch Chunk the
Switzerland of America-The Trip
from New York to Mauch Chunk by |
the Popular Leh1gh Valley Route
The Famous Switch Back Railroad |
Glen OnOko and Wilkesbarre-Cor-
respondence from Eastern PennsyI-
vanta.
MAUCH CHUNK, Pa, July 29.-This ia q
place few New Haveners visit on their
summer outings, but for those who enjoy
the beauties of mountain scenery there is
not place in the country that is more at
tracive. Many New York people come
up here, however, and the popular Lehigh |
Valley road runs many excursions through |
the summer season to accommodate the |
thousands of tourists who visit here. The |
ride up here by this route is a most excit |
ing one. Nearly every variety of scenery
is presented to the view. Leaving New
York at s:15 by the Liberty street ferry
one is in time for the fast Buffalo express
out of Jersey City. After passing for
some distance through the lowlands along
for mosquitoes, the train commences to
wind up through rich farming districts
around Plainfeld and Bound Brook. The
road passes in sight of the large silk manu-
featuring town of Paterson, SO that fine
view of the city can be obtained. Diverg-
ing the more thickly populated part of Jer-
sey the train lsaves the main line of the
Reading road and strikes out across thu
country for the Delaware river, which it
crosses at Phillipsburg and Easton.
The central and western parts of New
jersey are devoted in large measure to
fruit raising. Large peach orchards laden
with fruit rapidly pass by as the train is
whirled through the smaller towns. 4
few minutes before PhillipsbCrg is reached
a time you are enveloped in Ethiopian
darkness. Coming out into the light again
you ride along the bank of a most bseuti
full valley for short distance, when
all of sudden the train goes
through a long cut and comes out
on the fertile and beautiful valley of
the Delaware. After a short stop at Phil
| lipsburg the train passes across the river
to the large and fourishing town of Easton
| and you are on Pennsylvania soil. The
Lehigh river flows into the Delaware at
| this point, and a new engine is put on
| here for the long climb up and down the
mountains to Wilkesbarre. After leaving
here the first stop is Bethlehem and South
Bethlehem. Here the immense repair
shops and the main Offices of the Lehigh
Valley division of the Reading system are
| located.
There are fine towns laid out on both
sides of the Lehigh river. The famous
| Lehigb university, which was founded by
1 n Doa1 t. 90 Dakl
Soon after leaving Esston you begin to
| notice evidences of the extensive coal and
| iron trade that ia engaged in by this road.
Large iron foundries, with the flames
bursting up from twenty chimneys, and
| many large coal breakers line the road
| After leaving Bethlehem ten-minute run
brings you to Allentown, which is the csn-
| ter of an extensive coal and iron trade. It
is also the seat of numerous manufacturing
interests. Connections are made here for
Reading and Pottsville, in the coal and iron
regions.
| Still proceeding up the Lehigh river you
pass through Catasauqua, where large car
shops are located. Slstington, where there
are slate quarries and where a large part of
| the school States used in the United States
are manufactured. Mountains tower on
each side of the Lshigh valley hsre, and as
the train winds around the long curves
you could almost reach cigar to the en-
gineer in his cab on one of the mammouth
Mother Hubbard engines.
After passing through the thriving town
of Lshighton the train stops at Nauch
Chunk, which has rightly been named
"The Switzerland of America" This is a
beautiful little Pennsylvania town, nest
ling right in the heart Of the Wilkesbarre
mountains. The Lehigh valley Ia very mar
row here and q large part of the town is
built on the sides of the mountains, which
rise up to the height of 1,700 feet above
the town. The train stops on the opposite
side of the river from the town. The rail
road company has built a charming villa
like depot here. Bear mountain, a round
, knob like height, thickly- wooded, rises uI
from this side of the river.
he~Lehigh canal, which passes dowr
the valley, is one of the interesting points
There is quite fall in the river here anc
the canal decends to the lands below by
, series of locks. A large part of the cana
trade ia carried on by this canal, and The
twinkle of the little bells which are huns
on the necks of the mules is heard al
} day. A large iron bridge crosses over thu
river to the town. The Mansion house
the largest hotel at the place, is located
, right opposite the end of the bridge. Pass
ing over the bridge one is on Susquehannl
street, which is the principal business
} thoroughfare of the place. II Is quain
old street, but has an air O.
considerable activity. Mauch Chunk i
one of the Oldest towns 10 the Lehigh val
ley, having been settled over one hundred
| years ago by the Germans and Dutch, en(
many Of their descendants to day cling t,
the traditions, customs and dress of thei
forefathers.
The new buildings which have been pu
up at Mauch Chunk are, however, modern
and elegant. The aim of the architect
seems to have been to construct the build
ings in the Swiss style of architecture
which is found in Geneva, Switzerland
The town is often compared to Geneva
and many tourists say that, viswet
from the bank of the river, wher
the Lshigh Valley railroad runs, i
has the appearance of that beautifu
Swiss town: Among the new building
Valley depot, the depot of the Contra
railroad of New Jersey and the now post
Office building. St. Marks Episcopa
church and the residences of Asa Parke,
and Mr.. Cummings. The residences O
| these two gentlemen are on the street lead
ing to the Switch-back depot, and are I
veritsble chateaux. The grounds are per
are much admired by all tourists
Keeping on up the mountain yor
come to the depot OF the famou
Switch-back Gravity railroad. The de
pot Is pretty little Swiss structure.
The cars resemble somewhat the electri,
cars of the West Haven line, but are bull
much stronger. You get on the car at tn,
depot and wonder how the car ia going tt
start. There is no electric trolley, ne
horses, NO cable, nothing that you can Sc,
to give the power OF locomotion. On thu
. minute of leaving a little bell rings in tn;
depot. The man on the front seat loosen
the brake and the car moves. Gravity i
the unseen power which moves it, Afte
J short ride the car comes to Mount Pisgal
up which the railroad goes by an inclined
plane 1922 feet in length anc
1854 feet in height. Huge station
, airy engines at the top of mountain
draw the car up, two broad iron belts serv
ing as cables. The engines and machinery