The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-03-17
AN INDIANA ROAD.
Seven-Mile ThorOughfare Which Is
Both Picturesque and Historic.

Between Lafayette, Ind, ana the village
of Battle Ground, to the north, stretches
seven miles of the most delightful highway
in Indiana. A bill just passed in our Leg
islature will add another interesting fea-
ture to this charming drive, known as the
River road, which begins with a Wabash
town and ends with the one battlefield of
history that Indiana boasts. TIL bill pro-
vides an appropriation of $4,000 to estab-
lish a State soldiers home here and it's
location is already decided. This home. un-
like others of the State and the one at
Dayton, o., is not to be under military
discipline and control, but the bill provides
for the division of the land among the
soldiers, allowing a garden spot and cot
tage for each. If the soldier have a wife
he may bring her too, thus making a home
life possible-which is quite an innovation
for a soldiers home. And this is to be
added to the west side of the River road.
Now, to the patriotic Lafayettian the River
road is already the symbol of many things
that are lovely. some things that are in
teresting and of all things to enjoy. 1t
does not mean to his enlightened mind an
ordinary gravel road, built for commercial
purposes, skirting the Wabash river. Not
by any means. That would be a very crude
idea, indeed. 1t means history, poetry,
culture. moonlight nights. serenades,
mirth and joy, mellow September afternoons,
the perfect days of June. starlight drives
with the freely. Wah-wah-tay-see, lighting
up the brakes and bushes; it means the
violets of spring, the golden-rod of autumn,
the. happiness of children, the songs of
birds, and. indeed. all the dear delights
has come to be something characteristic,
Individual. possessed of a personality, ali
Having in it's conception something vital,
necessary, and without Ii something beau
tiful. it has arrived at the heaven of all
And the people of Lafayette have found
out its worth and looked upon it's lowell
probation behind, has entered upon the
joys of success. 1t is one of the sights of
and satIsfactions Of life a as It Is lived tioh n
Lafayette in this year of our Lord eighteen
hundred and ninety-fve.
of the Wabash, takes away from the air its
sometime touch of chills and ague. AMI
makes murkineSs seem artistic.
Indeed. like all roads it is a civilizing
and christianizing influence. There are
reasons for this-two of them.
First, the road is beautiful in itself. Sec
ondly and lastly, there are points along its
course of more than local interest.
When we leave Lafayette and turn north
on this road we drive along a quiet mile,
close to the river, securing a fine view OF
the soap factory and brewery opposite. Then
a few large noble-looking sycamores-yes,
sycamoreS can look noble when they try
though they are the most inaligned of trees
give us a stately and gracious welcome,
and the sordid has vanished.
Another mile. the trees have grown thick
er. the river is seen farther away in shin
ing patches between their branches. We
pass the summer residence of MIR. Mortimer
L~evering-a pretty house set on a hill, on
the west and AWKWARD side. 1t has an i'm
mense front yard sloping down to the road
and no back yard at all, for it would have
to be perpendicular, which wouldn't be con-
venient for a back yard.
Then look. we have come to the kissing
Tree. This is a. strong afiG perfect oak,
stately. erect, manful. standing squarely
and deliberately in the middle of the road.
A vine clingS TO it-likewise some tradition.
They say that an officer named Reynolds.
in the period of petty warfare with the In
dams in the days of long ago. camped under
the tree once. And then somebody else con-
meets IL with the life of that most doughty
chief-Tecumseh But all we know for true
its there, and they do say-another ira
dition-that on a mellow August night when,
say. the moon is just coming up. and a man
and a maid drive along this enhancing
road-and the moon-and the man Is im-
pressionable-and all the evenings stll-all