The Republican journal., 1911-04-13
Across the American Continent
l V

was all of concrete. Shavings and saw
dust were used as litter. Men are in the
stable all the time and keep it as clean
as water will keep it. There was an
iron kettle on post for each two cows.
Pipes keep the kettles about two-thirds
full of water all the time by automatic
action. The feed is conveyed along in
front of the cows on a car suspended
from track overhead. Two thousand
dollars worth of sterilzing, pasteurizing
and bottling machinery increases the
value of their milk so that it retails for
sixteen cents per quart. The cows are
thoroughbred Guernseys and are some
times sold at $500 each. The proprietor
is asking 81. 900 for his best cow.
At the Geological Garden in Philadel-
phia | saw wild animals from the ocelot
and leopard to the elephant. The ma
cav, parrakeet, oryx and gnu are all
interesting. Though the buzzard and
vulture fly high in the air they constitute
a low stratum in the the architecture OF
nature. In the cells of the brain human
intelligence may wing itself for flight
infinitely higher. Emerson says that
1.-THE temples grew as grows the grass.
"Out from the heart of nature rolled
The burdens of the Bible old"
| attended a Friends meeting March
18th at 18th and Race streets, Philadel-
phia. The speaker dwelt upon the fact
that all nature, including earth and man,
is still passing through changes which
are creating something new out OF the
old. Our business is to so bring divine
humanity in contact with the common
as to cover the earth with rev race
of men possessing all the characteristics
attributable to Christianity.
left Philadelphia for my home on the
Pacific coast March 18th. Near Frazier
a man was blowing red soil. A rotten
ledge comes near the surface. The morn
ing is cloudy and chilly, but not cold.
We meet train after train loaded with
passengers and see cars loaded with coal
as far as the eye can reach. The engines
have three or four drive wheels on side.
The ridges are covered with forest and
the farms are along the valley. At
Coatesyille the smoke is coming from
many tall chimney along the valley.
There is some stone on the surface near
Elizabeth town, and four tracks all the
way. In coal cars the floor slopes toward
the center so that coal can be sluiced out
at the bottom. Orchards are growing
without cultivation on light or red shall
low soil. A man is blowing on our right.
On the left is the river, and beyond that
a wooded ridge. A small island in the
river is covered with trees and has
small house on it. At Harrisburg we
crossed the river on stone arches. The
mountains are covered with forest as far
as we can see There are some farms
along the valley, which becomes narrow,
with stony, mountainous bluffs on each
side, covered with some scrawny trees.
Similar scenes are repeated; farms along
the track with wooded ridges beyond,
then the valley narrowing again, with
stony bluffs on each side. At Hunting
don, Pa, is an Industrial Reformatory.
Tyrone is a widening of narrow, stony
canyon. Learning that we could get a
faster train by changing at Altoona,
most of the passengers changed. There
are lots of dams across the creek. We
come back on the other side 100 feet
higher. Our two engines with three
drive wheels on a side are in plain sight
as the train makes nearly half circle.
The canyon between us and Altoona is
mostly covered with forest. We are
near the top of the bluff on the side Of
deep canyon with railroad on the other
side and a wagon road in the bottom.
We pass through tunnel and start on
down grade. We meet one long coal
train after another with one engine in
front and two behind. There are some
crops raised in places, though the land is
stony and ledgy. At Johnstown the
valley is about one fourth of mile wide.
Most of the houses are below the level
of the track At the time of the flood,
rubbish collected at the bridge below the
town and fire started. This is today a
busy town. We meet one freight train
after another. Greensburg is larger
city. The surrounding hills seem to be
devoted to raising crops. The soil is not
very fertile except in small valleys.
W left Pittsburg just as the sun was
going out of sight. Piles of stone at
Columbus indicate some kind of mining.
We are at Logansport just before dawn.
The grass is frosty. AS we approach
Chicago there is some snow along the
fences and buildings. Water is frozen
over. Left Chicago at a. m. Many
trees have been planted near Seminary
Addition. The heavy clay subsoil is free
from stone and much of it is covered
with natural forest of oak.
We cross river and pass through
Sycamore. We see Is of corn fodder
near Wilkinson and cross another river.
The country is more rolling, higher and
drier. We pass Myrtle and German VAL
ley. There is willow in low places all