Year: 1860




BARNs- MOUNTAIN LANDs-SUGAR VAL


LEY-TRoUT-FIsBING-A BLASTED PINE


ANERICANIzED GERNASs-"RoUaHISG IT.


IN SULLIVAN COUNTY - TIE MOUNTAIN


GIRLS HAVE LARGE, BUT FINELY-SHAPED


FEET


Correspondence of TIE Star


WILLIAMsPoRr, May I9, 1860


Dear Star The business of hunting up
some wild (here called ''unseated'') lands in
Central Pennsylvania brought me in this di-
rectiOn, and for some days have, knapsack
on back, been exploring the mountains and
valleys hereabouts. When / last wrote the
river folks were in great tribulstiOn about the
food, and the way it was playing the mischief
with boOms and saw-logs. The river did not
reach so high point as in 1917, but did much
damage to the vast lumber interests of this
west branch of the Susquehanna, sinking the
great boom at Williamsport, which was de-
pended upon to catch the logs from above,
and the loss Of lumber is variOusly estimated
at from four to fifteen millions of feet, As
consequence. the business of Williamsport will
be Frustrated for the entire season. The piers
Of the boom, it seems, were too widely sepa-
rated, and the great pressure submerged it to
such a degree that the acres Of logs above
passed over and escaped, being pretty much a
dead loss, as there is no boom below Williams
port.


The country was all under water at the same
time, and In my explorations up Nippenose
valley Clinton county, 1 was obliged to travel
sportlon of the way upon the top of the Vlr-
gina fence; slow process, you may imagine.
The upper portion Of this valley is rather
noted for its fine farming land, limestone
and Is valued at $40 to SIS per acre 1t is
subdivided into small fields of three or four
acres each, and with the contrasted tints of
these highly cultivated bands of vegetation
presents an exceedingly rich appearance when
viewed from any one of the mountain emi-
nences overlooking it.


Quite singular feature Of this valley is the
total disappearance Of the principal mountain
streams as they strike the limestone formation
OF the valley; indicating the presence of ex-
tensive subterraneous caverns in the limestone
rock At another point these lost waters re-
appear In the shape of a small river filled with
the beautiful and delicious salmon trout with
which all these mountain streams abound.


Another noticeable feature Of the valley is
that the children seem to be all of one sex
female. Whether this is from the limestone
water or not, L cannot say, but the fact is So
L called at n farm house to get drink (of
water;l there was a fine family of thirteen
rosy children, but all girls. Happening to
mention that l had such thing about the
house at home as a child of the male gender. I
instantly found myself an object of such in
tense, though respectful interest, that | got
confused and beat a retreat, but not before the
good man of the house had been hastily sum-
mOned from his work and pushed forward by
numerous fair hands to take good look at the
father of boy,
No tavern on the road. Stopped at a valley
grocery to get some crackers and cheese The
mail-carrier drove up at the same time strad-
died upon a vehicle very much in use in these
Mt a1r rfrr- Had 81,
which is in all essential particulars the trot-
tlng-gig Of the Atlantic cities score of
Nippernosers, dressed in quaint costumes con-
sisting partly Of pantsloOns or overhauIs of
bed-ticking, stood at the counter waiting for
their mail-quOta of political newspapers A
conspicuous warning to NippernoSe loafers was
posted up, "NO sitting on the COUNTER indi-
eating that the trader had been pestered some
that way.


Walked on, and passed a house where a
funeral seemed to be in progress. long box
like wagon, covered with black oileloth, evil
IDENTIFY hearse, was at the gate. Three or
four farmer-looking men stood at the door
wearing that look of discomfort (added to the
natural constraint of the occasion) which agri-
cultural gentlemen may be excused for feeling
on changing their loose and easy working gar
ments for the grim Sunday suit, tight over the
knees and under the arms, which country tail
ors are apt 70 prescribe as the correct thing
for ceremonial wear.


All up the valley l met the huge barns of
agricultural Pennsylvania. They are pretty
uniformly Of one model, constructed of wood
mot unusually painted red,) with wooden
blind windows, and basement of stone hay-
ing recess at the southern exposure as a shell
ter for cattle and for convenience of access
The name Of the proprietor and the year in
which it was built is frequently painted in
large letters upon the roadside front of the
barn. An appendage TO almost every farm
house is q large bell mounted upon posts and
used to summon the farm laborers to their
meals. Deep earthern crooks, used for hold
ing milk, are seen hanging by the dozen on
the fence posts 10 dry.


Crossed the mOuntainehain to Sugar valley
Mountain land here is estimated at from 81 10
s. per acre, has some pine and other timber,
and Is Teclaimable in patches but in the main
consists of barren mountain sides, strewn thick
with strong sand stone) rubbish, and at every
turning the traveller comes upon vast "stone
slides" covering many acres so thickly that
no vegetation can gain footing.
Sugar valley, like Nippenose, abounds in
limestone of the dark blue variety, but the
expense Of burning it with wood is such that
il cannot compete with the lime Of the coal
districts, and little or nothing is done with it,
The land is best adapted to wheat, but in con-
sequence Of the weevil plague, latterly the at
tentiOn Of the farmers has been directed TO
Indian corn and summer crops. Through this
valley the most prOdigal waste Of fne timber
ls e0oh1 "neIo statoly pines, ouc nuuQIeu anu
fifty feet in height, have been girdled by the
original settlers, which trees would, if they
could now be brought into market unscathed,
be worth more than all the land and improve |
ments Of the valley, valuable rs the galley |
land undoubtedly is.
Fishing creek, which drains this valley, gets |
its name from its abundance Of trout. and |
though the twenty-five inch fish Of yore are no |
longer hooked, they are yet flush in numbers
The Track Walton Of the valley-one Murray. |
caught one thousand trout last summer, and |
rarely goes out without getting a string of |
fJrty or ffty 1t may be Of interest to the |
angler to know that he utterly rejects the fly |
and 'all new-fangled notions" using for bait |
nothing but the common red worm.
While was at Logansville in this valley, |
the wonder of the neighboThOOd was directed
10 the astonishing manner in which a huge
Pine, some 100 feet in height and three or four |
feet through, had been literally shattered to
kindling wood by the lightning. / visited the |
spot, and can testify that fragments of the
pine were scattered in every direction to a
81 opa hnndraI and fffv fac. from