The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-08-31


moro than at any other. when a great
many Of our people are going away on
their annual vacations. have they af-
forded opportunities to recognize at'least
Of Scranton. Those who were born here
and but very seldom go elsewhere. often
live on for years and finally die and never
learn fully to realize and appreciate some
of the rare natural blessings which but
few Of the larger cities are permitted to
enjoy. Man at best is an ungrateful crea-
ture and since ingratitude makes the
otherwise cultured and refined appear
rude and repulsive, 1t certainly can only
prove wholesome for US to be reminded
from time to time that our own city really
does possess advantages OF which We all
have every reason to feel proud as well as
thankful.
-:Il:-
Although II Is a fact which no one could
deny, that u great many ScrantonianS
leave the city every summer and spend
their vacations along the seashore. some
lake or mountain resort, We never could
understand the motive or object for do
Ing 80. since one Of the natural advan-
tages We have the most reason to pride
ourselves upon Is our pure mountain air.
1t Is true in the day time, during the heat
OF summer, here, as at most other places
in this part Of the world. 1t frequently
gets quite warm, but no sooner does the
sun disappear than the cool mountain
freshness and purity, 10 entirely differ
ent to most other large cities. begin to
circulate. SO that even during the hottest
days Of July and August our evenings are
always comfortable while the nights fire.
quently are unusually cool. Besides, the
air In Scranton not only Is cool and de-
lightful, when in most other cities the peo-
pie are sweltering in heat and laborng to
catch their breath. but 1t is exceedingly
dry and pure. and therefore a very
healthful place to live. We doubt very
much indeed. whether there is summer
resort or a sanitarium In this part Of the
country that can surpass Scranton In
this particular
Sometimes we hear 1t said that It Is q
great misfortune that Scranton Is an in
land city. Yet in spite of this seeming
drawback, We certainly can boast Of as
good, II not better. drinking water as any
other city In the state Of Pennsylvania, or,
for that matter. of any other state. There
are no tanneries. slaughter-houses, fer
tilizing and other similar clogging-the-
stream-lndustries carried on along the
water line which supplies our city reser-
voirs. Neither Is the coroner In any way
officially identified with the city water
works. But on the other hand, miles and
miles out Of the city, In the quiet primeval
forests-where nature still blooms in her
morning splendor and laughs in her noon
tide .nnocence-where springs are bubbling
up through the white sand as clear as
crystal. we prudently and wisely re-
ce.ve our water supply, even for a city
with population upward Of 100.O from
mother nature herself. in Its original and
unadulterated state of pureness. Lancas-
ter and Reading, Philadelphia, Baltimore
any amount of money for water supply
like ours, but money cannot buy 1t. 1t Is
gift Of nature and one Of the rare gifts
that have been bestowed upon our inland
city. Air and water not only are two
things We all must have, but In addition,
they, more than anything else, are es-
| sential to our health, comfort and happi-
ness No matter what else a man may
| possess, IL he Is sick and uncomfortable.
| he certainly can not enjoy himself there-
| fore good, pure ar and water ought to be
amongst the very first things to be looked
| after when deciding upon a place to live
| in. Scranton has both and we may we'll
feel proud, as we'll as highly grateful for
them.
-:I:-
We often say that life. as we'll as nature.
generally Is pretty evenly balanced l. e.,
| the child who laughs great deal usually
cries great deal, that the man who to-
day may be exceedingly kind. tomorrow
may be just as harsh, and that q delightful
place In summer invariably means an ex-
tremely dreary and unusually trying region
in winter. No doubt this Is the general
rule of things as one commonly would find
1t, yet this rule Is entirely inapplicable to
the city Of Scranton Our winters are
not bit colder than we find them else
where. Here again nature comes to our
side. with her surrounding mountains,
breaking and checking the cold and the
storm. But on the other hand, although
we occasionally do experience the ex-
hilarting effect of a so-called cold wave,
We again are highly favored with all the
fuel we need and the best In the world, in
order to keep warm. The coal deposits
under and around our city are amongst the
best and richest throughout the entire an
supply us with cheap fuel, but in addi-
tion. they furnish employment, either d.
rectly or indirectly. for fully one-half the
working people of this city; they have In
one sense founded Scranton; have kept
1t growing at almost a miraculous rate
UP to the present and from the ndica-
tsons at hand now there really Is no tell
ing what 1t is not destined to become In
ten or twenty years from this. Simply
look at the number Of large buildings
both public as well as private many run
ming into hundreds Of thousands of dol
lars, that have been put UP during the last
year. and Others In the course of erection
now; notice the new Industries that have
been added and those that are constantly
enlarging. as well as the new institutions.
social, intellectual. civil and religious, all
Of which are growing very rapidly, both
in influence and strength compare 1t with
tne scranton OF only Ten years ago, ana
you Will perhaps form some idea of the
manifold advantages as well as the prom
;s,ng and rosy OrtloONo OF the city, which
our world-renow nesghbor down the
valley, for no other motive than that Of
pure jealousy. Is pleased to designate as
"a mining town near Wilkes-Barre."
-:I:-
In all fairness be 1t said, that the people
Of Scranton should not be held responsible
for the city's many advantages especially
in SO far as they have been conferred by
nature. SO II our friends down the valley
do boast of their history and insist upon
a. full recognition of their blue blood, we
certainly should be willing and ready TO
abide It all In patience, since old age and
feebleness generally go hand In hand.
while ar!stocracy and wealth never did
have any intimate relations with enter
prise and prosperity. Even In this we
have conferred upon us n most assuring
| compliment. We ourselves at times stop
for n few hours to take a look over our
enterpr,sing and rapidly growing city and
talk to our friends over It's many advan-
tages. yet In no other way can we be as
sured more positively that our home
opinions are not over-statcd, then when
our ne.ghbors show such n sinister inter.
est In our affairs, since superiority inva-
riably begets the most blttef0jealousy on
the part of those whose positions only al
low them to be followers. when they feign
would be leaders. In this. therefore, we
have the double argument that our high
opinions OF the city Of Scranton are not
mere phantoms-webs OF gossamer that
will disappear as readily as the dew be.
fore the morning sun. but on the other
hand. stern reallties-cold facts that will
stand the test OF the most penetrating
scrutiny and that the more they are