Mai
BY FREDI L. BAKER.
rE.V. , 7fB
The lifariettian is published weekly,
atslo a-year, payable in advance.
office in, "Lindsay's Bulldiny," near
the Post office corner, Marietta, Lan
caster county, .Pa.
Advertisements ivikbe inserted at the
following rates : One square, ten lines
or less, 75 cents for the first insertion,
g three times for $1:50. Profession
al or Business Cards, of six lines or less,
65 a-year. ilrotices in the reading cot
tons; ten cents a-line ; general adver
tSements seven cents a-line for the first
i a .qertion, and for every additional in
rtioll, four cents. A liberal deduc
tion made to yearly advertisers.
Having put up a new Jobber press
,?n I added a large addition ef job type,
border, etc., will enable the estab-
I,:avnt to execute every description of
and Fancy Printing, from the
in oq st card to the largest poster, at
ii,rt notice and reasonable rates.
The Reaper.
;nere i® a reaper, whose name is Death,
And with his sickle keen,
lie reaps the hoarded grain at a breath,
And the flowers that glow between.
".51,111 I have naught that is fair 1" said he,
Have naught but the hoarded grain?
Though the breath of those flowers is sweet to
I will give them all back again."
Ile zoned at the flowers with tearful eyes ;
He kissed their drooping leaves,
li WAS for the Lord of Paradise
He bound them in his sheaves,
'Yy Lord has need of these flowerets gay,"
the Reaper said, and smiled;
"Peur tt kens of the earth are they,
Leo: he was once a child."
' Tl.ec Anil all bloom in fields of light,
Tiall , plsuted by my care,
A i ,ints udon their garments white,
11b:ie sacred blossoms wear."
in! the mAber gave, in tears and pain,
The rowers she most did love ;
She knew she would ibul.tbem all again,
lithe fields of light above.
n t in cruelty, not in wrath,
Th. Reaper creme that day ;
2 1'.vas an angel visited the greed earth,
And took the flowers away.
_Prom the Lantatter .exprers
On a Raft.
Prom Marietta to Peach . Bottion—Grand
mid imposing Scenery Running the
Rapids— A short trip toiyith taking
-I:;derpise at the lower end.
',lacy people make summer tours to
far-aff places—to Niagara,, the Moro
i:A Cave, the sea shore, or the lakes,
,tarch of the grand and the sublime,
knowing, perhaps, that right here at
own doors, we have onp dile most
Dutiful rivers in the world, whose
in grandeur those of any
ether in the country. We refer to our
riuus Susquehanna. flow many of
citizens of this county have ever
lobed upon or floated over its surface
it winds along and washes the south
ern border of the Old Guard? Compar
iii:vely very few, Yet this is not so
mch to be wondered at a hen we con
sider that the stream is not navigable
lur boats, and that only about IthE weeks
' 41 4 year, in early spring, is it of suffi
eitnt depth to admit of the passage of
tarts. But this is the time to make the
'nil, and it can be wide at a trifling
nat. We have heard,- occasionally, of
c ursion parties poising down on these
rude craft, but we have never seen any
Haled account of such "voyage," and
hove concluded that.those who made
ilwere so enraptured With (he granduer
", the trip, that they hept it to , them :
'dvee, lest others might-follow and en
it likewise. We—that is one of the
cores of the Express—have "done"
!nay miles of this rafting, and will not
b ' s oselfish as to keep it to ourselves; -
tut mill tell all we know and have seen
—as far as our memory will accompany
us
Let us see. It was on Thursday last
t hat we received a pressing invitation
from our genial friend, ex-Sheriff Boyd,
viPit Marietta and raft with him to
tin home at Peach Bottom, wbere he, in
company with ex Representative Nat.
l iaYer, have recently put up a new saw
mill—but of that hereafter. The temp
Cation could not be resisted, and at dusk
we stepped from the cars into Houseal's
h otql,at the Upper Station, Marietta.
Illouseal' s is the headquarters of the
l umberme n , and the scene in and about
the h 05.35 is one of much interest to the
uatidile looker-on. here are found the
up river men," who bring the timber
d ciwn, and here they meet the manufact ,
sari and merchants from- abroad. At
this point, nearly ail-the-lumber_c.haageu
B ands, Buyers'ore present from New
; 4 +
.
i _g__ , 1 ~ 4,
4 I
Tke - 1 “,1' t,„li 1 +
41
,_
.
er points, mixing with the • shrewd up
river men and the hardy and bronzed
raftemen. During the running season of
six or eight weeks, millions of dollars
change hands at Houseal's. Here the
bargains are made, the drafts signed, or
the money paid down, and each departs
for his .home in the bustling city or the
solitudes of Clearfield. Night and defy
Houseal's is crowded with these peopie,
buying, selling or bargaining. They
talk nothing but timber from the hour
they reach there until the hour they de
part. It is timber, and only timber,just
as jockies talk horse and only horse, at a
race track. You can easily distinguish
them. Each carries in his hand a stick,
cut from a neighboring thicket. These
sticls , s are from three to five feet in
length, and if you go down to the rafts,
which line,the river for miles, you
discover that these sticks are used as
measuring rods, and year curiosity is
satisfied. .The season, thus far, has been
a remarkably good one; and 'prices are
said to be "up." The number of rafts
which:catne down are almost countless,
and one would suppose that the source
of supply must give out at no distant
day. Old river men, however, say that
the same apprehensions were felt thirty
years ago, but timber is just as plenty as
ever.• The timber here is mostly from
the West Branch, and principally from
Clearfield county.
But we , started out to tell of an expe•
dition down the river on a raft, and it is
about time that we were at work. Meet-
ing some Marietta friends in the evening
we discussed the matter over a bottle of
pop, and affectionate farewells were tak
en. During the talk frequent hints were
thrown out that the proposed expedi
tion would not consist of a "champagne
party," and then suggestive winks, were
interchanged between knowing ones.
We sought information. We learned
that the natives have a vague tradition,
that once upon a time, a party of ladies
and gentlemen made the trip from Mari
etta to Port Deposit, and all the way
down they drank Eleidsick and Moselle.
instead of Susquehanna water, and Ma
rietta lightning. From that day to this
—however remote the period—frequent
mysterious allusions are made to the
"champagne party." It is stated that a
certain well known editor of this city,
was taken along as historian, but the
world has never been treated to any
ratting literature from his racy pen.
We retired early and slept soundly on
one of liouseal's downy beds—two in a
bed--until unmistakably emphatic
knocks at the chamber door aroused us
long before daylight. The sturdy pilot
was there, and told us it was time to
weigh anchor '—or something like tha
—and be off. Down we went through
the chill morning air to the river. It
we s just four o'clock. The sun had not
yet streaked the eastern sky, bat the
moon was right over-bead and silver
bright. Reaching the raft we found the
pilot and crew already there, and as we
stepped aboard, the tow line was cast
off and we were adrift on the broad bos
om of the Susquehanna. The crew con
sisted of the pilot and eight men, and
with the ex-Sheriff and your bumble
jotter down 6f this veracious narrative,
there were just eleven of ns, all told.
Now about the raft. We crept along
at a snails pace, and had ample oppor
tunity for observation. The raft, then,
was one hundred and ten feet in length
and twenty-four in width. The logs,
(the lumbermen called them "sticks")
of which there were fifty-eight, from fif
ty to seventy feet in length '.each, are
lashed together with hickory wither and
oak saplings. (The cost of such a raft
is about $1.500.) At either end istan
immense rudder, which keeps the raft in
the channel ; and tkus it drifts along,
withcint sail or atdam. In calm water
there is no putting, on pressure or re
vereing the engine at rugged places ; it
is simply at the mercy of the river, and
but for the experience of the - pilot,
would not drift many miles without be
ing torn to pfeces in the rapids or
among the rocks. For the first three or
four miles down, the progress is very
slow ; and did the water continue in the
even tenor of its'ziay,rlifting would prove
quite monotonous. But it does not, -as
we shall see by and by. Perhaps it
would be well, right here, to say a word
about:the pilot—or captain, as we called
him—and on whose judgement and ex
perience our safety depended. Capt.
Christ. Shaman is a medium-sized, thick
set, muscular man, of about forty years
of age, with 'a clear gray eye; sandy hair
and yeltisker;,. bronzed face, and rather
pleasing expression of .countenance—,
gentle Susquehanna " sea-dog.".
haS followed the river from boyhood and
grargenbuf Vonsilmitia gournat for te NOM eirdt.
MARIETTA, PA., SATURDAY, MAY 11, 1867.
not wrecked a raft in ten years, so we
felt pretty safe on that score. Bat. like
all pilota•we have ever met, whether on
the Ohio, the Mississippi ; the James,
the bay or the ocean, Captain Shuman
has very few words to gay, but keeps his
eyes wide - apen,Mid about him, whether
floating over unruffled waters or dashing
down the rapids. Now, with this brief
and imperfect photograph of the pilot,
we will go ahead. Just as the sun is
gilding the spires and windows of
Wrigiitayille, we reach the abate at the
Columbia dam. Here we meet the first
"rough water." In we go. The raft
creaks and bends, and we "ship a lea"
that sweeps from stem to stern, but we
are soon through and once more on calm
water. A few miles further down, we
round Turkey Hill. This is a bold, pre
&pitons bluff, and here begin a succes
sion of rocky bluffs, some towering sev
eral hundred feet overhead. It is- here
that the grandeur of Susquehanna scen
ery forces itself upon the mind. The
water is rough, too, and we dash along
at the rate of six miles an hour—and, as
we go, we pass in the course of a mile,
enough grand and romantic points that
would make the fortunes of any half do
zen of rivers in the country, did they
possess them. These views follow in
such rapid succession that it is almost
impossible to take a fair look at any ode,
before another diverts your attention.
These bluffs are rock and earth. The
rocks are frequently covered with a soft
velvety-like moss, and between the crev
ices and along the side's shoot up the
cedar, water oak, sycamore, dog-wood
and other smaller trees. We run through
Connelly's break, a short but ugly rapid
which takes its name, like many other
such along the fiver, from the person
who has, at some time or other, been
wrecked in it. Next comes several im
mense rocks, jutting out into the river,
towering a hundred feet into the air, and
-known as Star Rock, Sliding Rock,
Burk's Point, Ste. Passing these the
river becomes more swift, and in a few
moments after we are running over Fry's.
Falls. This is a long and dangerous
rapid. The water all round is churned
into a foam, dashes over on the side's,
and the raft strains and groans and
twists as if going to pieces at every turn.
The pilot is at the bow giving directions
snatching the rudder, or looking out .to
avoid running upon the rocks. This is
the only place during the excursion, that
he has manifested any excitement. It
is considered the most 4angerous point
on the river. That this is not without
foundation may easily be inferred _fron:t
the fact that three or four wrecks were
lying upon the rocks, and thetr crews
working to getlhem oft. When a raft
once strikes here there is little chance
for her—she invariably goes to pieces,
and he must be a good swimmer who
can stem, the torrent. Loss of lifet is
not unfrequent. Wherever ships sail'
or boats run,- there are a class of men
known as "wreckers." We have them
on the Susquehanna and during the sea-
son they are quite active. If a raft
goes to pieces or
,e log breaks loose, the
wrecker is, about with his boat, and book.
He tows the log-ashore, ties it, and
waits the coming of the owner. Should
it be claimed, he claims his salvage. If
not claimed; he Sells it, often doing a
good day's work. The wreckers are nu
merous at Fry's Falls. A short space
of calm , water arid we strike another rap
id called " Running between the Broth
ers "—so-called from the fact. that on
each shore of the river, and directly op
posite, are two bluffs strongly resembling
each other. Leaving the Brothers we
have comparatively smooth water until
we strike the darn at Safe Harbor. As
we near this spot, the prospect is- any
thing but pleasant to weak nerves—
which we haven't, but some people have.
The river roars and hisses and
_seethes
over its rocky bed, as if it would grind
to pieces everything that would come in
its Way. But it don't. We went right
up to the encounter without quailing,
(we might just as well have gone that
way ae any other, seeing we had to go
whether we wanted to or oo) and dash
ed right over the breast of the dam into
the seething cauldron on -the other side.
The raft carried us through in safety,
but she performed some carious -curvet
ings'and twisting, suggestive of a gener
al smash up.
:At this point the character of the
scenery changes as well as the charac
ter of the river- The bluffs are, not so
large and imposing, -while the river is
'dotted with little islands, and bold and
massive rocks loom up right in the mid
dle of the channel. We' run- through
Eshleman's Sluice, a short but saucy lit
tle rapid, and — nicit aillein view of , the
navigation here is a little difficult and
wrecks are frequent. The channel is
tortuous, winding round and round these
huge boalders, which are washed smooth
by the ever dashing water. We pass
Ellis'. Rock, the Upper and Lower
Neck, all along which are'many things
to see well worth seeing, but which the
rapid carrent permits but a glance and
thus prevents us from referring to them
in detail, On either side, or on the
islands, miniature cascades dance down
the bluffs or over the rocks. The scene
here, if not so imposing as farther np, is
really enchanting. • We are now near
the York county side of the river, hav
ing hugged the . Lancaster shore all the
way down, bat we soon get over again.
We next strike McCall's Ferry. The
river at this point is exceedingly deep,
and not two hundred yards wide The
surface is smooth' and we glide along
quietly. From one of the little coves
that dot the shore, out shoots a skiff,
and rapidly approaches the raft. To
.the uninitiated it seems as ifs custom
house
officer was about to take up his.
quarters with'us, or else that some bold
buccaneer intended to levy tribute. We
were soon undeceived, however. The
boat was simply a floating restaurant—
carrying solids and liquids—and inas
much as we did not provide ourselves
with refreshments before starting, the
visit was a grateful one. The dough
nuts were good, and the apple jack equal
to any we ever found in the Old Domin
ion, once famous for its apple-jack and
healthy niggers. But we must push on.
We run over McCully's Fulls, and next
we are dashing , through the rapids known
as, Neal's Fishery. This is a long and
swift stretch, and carries us into Fite's
Eddy, where we overtook a raft that was
in sight all day, but which the eddy
holds in its grasp as if unwilling it should
go further. We help our distressed
brethren out, and have a "good time" I
getting out ourselves, which we finally
do, and 'in a run of a mile or so we strike
calm water. Here the river is a mile
and a half wide, and as we float along it
saems as if we were gliding over a sun
gilt bay instead of the turbulent waters
that came with us. There is' no occa
sion now to watch the rudder so closely,
and all kande stretch , themselves - upon
deck and enjoy a nap, or , drink in the
beautiful panorama of water and bluff.
Three miles further OD we strike John
son's Mount, a huge knob-shaped island
rising up ,out of the water like a sea
monster, or "any other man." A little
further on we .rua ashore and tie up.
Here is. teach . Vottcom"lkere 48-,our ,
buttl-liere is' oar joiltney's end." The
distance from Marietta to the last, nam
ed point is thirty miles , and the trip
Was made from 4 o clock a. m., to 11 a.
m.—or just , seven hours. We doubt
whether so much can be seen in so short
a period on any other river in the world.
Those who want to enjoy a new sensa
tion, should try a raft on die Susque
hanna. Much can be learned, much
seen, mach enjoyed, and there is just
abont enough danger to make the whole
thing exciting.- The season will proba
bly be over by ge close of this week.
A New Yorker, an extensive lumber
dealer, takes down a party of friends in
the course of a day or two.
If the people at whose very,,doors this
river runs are acquhinted withlts beauty
and its granduer, many are not better
posted in regard to the extent of the
lumber trade which floats over its sur
face. Take a few facts and ; figures.:-On'
an average fifty , rafts pass down the riv-,
er each day. The average,,value of each
raft is fourteen hundred dollars The
season, say„ lasts _six weeks, counting
seven days to the week, and we have an
aggregate of twomillion, nine bun - deed
and forty dollar*. Of course -much tint;
her is bought up and manufactured at
Marietta.andOolumbia. The great ma
jority of rafts run down to Port Deposit,
Md., from whence they are conveyed by
steamboat to Baltimore, Philadelphia,
New York and other,points.
At Pella Bottom we enjOyed the
hospitalities of our friend, ax-Sheriff S-
W. P. Boyd, who, as we stated at the
beginning of this sketch, in , connection
with ex-representative Nathaniel Mayer,
have formed a copartnership for the
manufacture of lumber and the sale% of
coal. They Five jiist erected a new saw
mill, which has nci,equal in, the county.
The, mill is one bandied and tweniy-Six
feet in langth by twen t ty.iii width, and is
run by a Jonval Turbine wheel. Peters
creek, which-,supplies the water power,
has a fall-of eighteen , or nineteen feet,
and is never
,failing. Alttbe latest im
proved mill machinery, Including 0-Im 7
stead s -self-setter, have been put in.
Although the mill has been in-operation
b, ~week jt tarns_ oak aboal Bv .. , thou
sand feet of lumber per day. A. circa
.
lar saw for cutting laths and palings, is
also in operation, and it is the intention
of the proprietors to put in a shingle
machine, and also a pair of , burrs for
grinding plaster, &c. The mill was con
structed by Oliver J. Bollinger, of Glen
Rock, York county, and gives entire
satisfaction to the proprietors. The
lumber is sold in the neighboring coun
try, and the demand is equal to the sup
ply. The contemplated Columbia and
Port Deposit Railroad will run for a
distance of two miles through Sheriff
Boyd's property, and within fifty yards ,
of the mill, which will, open the way to
distant markets. Peach Bottom will
then have every facility for making itself
a thriving business place. The Boyd
estate, is quite an• extensive one, and
has been in the family for many genera
tions. It embraces a mansion house,
eight tenant houses, including a store
and tavern stand, on the Lancaster
county side, and on the York county
side two dwellings, lime kilns, &c. The
place has an interesting history. The
new mill is built on the site of one erec
ted by james Porter, the great-grand
father of Sheriff Boyd, previous to the
year 1764. This is as far as the records
go back. Mr. Potter came from Octo
raro Hundred, now Cecil county, Mary
land. At that time there was no house
within seven miles, and when the man
sion house and mill were being built,
supplies for the workmen had to be
brought a distance of fourteen miles.
The mansion house has since been en
larged and remodeled. Wm. Porter, son
of James, kept a store in the house in
1764. He had occasion to send' to Lan
caster for au iron bar for his shutter,
which was forged by a blacksmith. The
blacksmith, who was acquainted with
Mr. Porter, concluded to surprise him
by making the bar ornamental as well as
useful, and punched upon it, in rude let,
ters, thq, legend: "Win Porter keeim
good rum,- April 17,-1764. This bar
is still preserved as a relic of "ye olden
times."
ilar If there is anything in our lan
guage that puzzles a Frenchman, it is
the different eignificatioris of the same
word. The perplexities of a persevering
Monsieur arising from the word fast,
are more numerous than one would sup
pose. For instance :
" Zis horse, sair, he go peek, what
you say ?"
"Yes, he is sfast horse,"
"Ah I pardon Moniietir, but your
friend say he fast'inake his hoists, nod'
,
he tie him to. post so be no go at all."
.
" Very true, he is made fatt . hy being
tied."
"Ab, zat cannot be ; be cannot go
aeP but what you call a man zat keeps
ast 7"
"Oh, he is a good man that does no
eat.on fast days."
" But I have seen one! bon- vivant,
who eat and drink,and ride, and : do ev
ery zing. Ze people say .he is a bad
man—he is very fast."
" Tree, that is called living a fast life."
" Ah, certainment; zen all ze da►ys o
his life mooet be fast days."
" Certainly they are." _.
" Eh Bien I Does le eat, every ilay,T l
" Certainlihe does."
" Zen how can he keep fast ?"
" Why, he keeps going, to besure."
"Mail, tenez I You tell me t i o ; itand
fast when you want me to keep still, and ,
go fast when you want me to run—diable
take ze fist."
THE HEAD TIIRNEVROUND.--.A crazy
man was. found at a grind stone sharp
en,ing a large butcher knife, and every
now and then examining the edge to see
if it was keen.
"What are yon doing here 2"
"Don't you Bee ? Shnipening this big
knife."
"Yes, bat what are you - geing to do
with it when sharpened 7" •
"Cat old Ben Brown's bead off, to be
sure."
"What I you won't kilniint; will yo - u '?"
"Oh, .no I I'll only cut his - head off and
stiolt.it right, on again hind-side befoie,
just to let the old fejlow look back upon
his past life I It *Could 'take him all . the
rest of his life to review."
What a queer idea the lunatie had• in
his head;! And what itit.were so, that
every man when he reached a certain
age, had his face turned round, and was
obliged to spend the rest of his days. in
looking over his -past life. Wouldn't
there be strange sights?
A fishionable, butignorent lady, de
sirous of purchasing a watch, was shown
a very beautiful one, the shop keeper
remarking that it went thirty-Mx hoar&
"Whet in one da 1" she asked.
VOL. XIII.-NO. 40.
For The Mr:grist:law.
Hints to Young Ladies.
As I was - glancing over the columns
of the "Mariettian" of the 20th ult.,
my attention was directed to an article
entitled "A LADY'S ADVICE TO YOUNG
MEN."
I will not attempt to palliate or deny
the statements made by the "Martyr
to Late Hours ;" but in retaliation, I (a
presumptuous youth) would like to give
certain young ladies a few general hints.
"We (the young ladies), want to rise
early these pleasant mornings, and im
prove the shining hours.' " Rather
shining, I should say, for '• Old Sol " is
gsnerally pretty high in the heavens
when yon leave your couch ? And hav
ing descended to the dining room, you
are greeted by "Ma," with a pleasant
' good morning, and ' my dear, will you
have your dinner now ?'" "Thank you,
but I prefer taking a lunch first.' The
hopeful young daughter ()scorning her
self in a large and comfortable lounge,
exclaims as her " Ma" disappears to
prepare her meal, "a little more sleep, a
little more slumber, a little more folding
of the bands to sleep 1"
0, how my heart aches for 'poor
ma,' as I think that she must act the
slave, while her daughter is acting the
lady ; that she must do the work while
the daughter is afraid of soiling her lily
white hands, by placing them in the
greasy water of a dish-pan.
Now may I inquire how these young
ladies improve 'the shining hours P Yes
yes,' methinks I hear some one exclaim,
and since asking the question, I will an
swer myself. Having partaken of the
morning meal, she arranges her toilet,
proceeds to the street, and, meeting a
gaily-dressed companion, they saunter
along the sidewalk like idle butterflies.
Not walking for any other purpose than
to see and be seen. And they are fre
quently starched up so stiff, that they
would . scarcely condescend to notice
their own mother. I agree perfectly
with "the martyr" about keeping late
hours, and sometimes staying to the
ema' hours" of morning. Yet it is
as frequently the fault of the fair damsel
as of the beaux. For will) can resist
that most plaintive appeal, "Do not be
in a hurry, 'tis not late yet." And to
add strength to her words, she turns her
beaming eyes upon him, which speaks
so mach louder thin words, his heart
goes pit-erpat, and he is lost, he stays
another hour. Oen you blame him l'
ONE WHO KNOWS.
=MI
ir,Tle subject of impression at first
eight was , being talked over at the sup
per table, when the lady whose dnty it
was to preside "over the tea cups and
tea" said shel always formed an idea of a
person at Hest eight, and generally found
it to be correct.
"Mamma," said the youngest son, in a
shrill voice that ittracted . the attention
of all present.
"Well, my dear, what is it ?" re - plied
the fond mother.
"I want to know what was your opin
ion of me when you first saw me r
This question gave , a sudden turn to
he conversation.
far A loving wife once waited on a
physician - to request• him to prescribe for
her husband's eyes, which were very tore.
"Let him wash them," said the doctor
"every morning with a small glass of
brandy." • •
A few weeks after the doctor chanced
to meet the wife.
"Well, has your busband followed my
advice V'
"He has done eveything In his power
to do it, doctor," said the sponse, "but
be never could get the glass higher than
his month, I am sorry to asy."
sir Hope writes the poetry of the_boy,
memory.but that of the man. Man I,ooke
forward with smile!, but backwirds with
signs. Such is thel wise providence of
heaven. The cup of life is sweeter at
the brim, the flavor is impared as we
drink deeper, and the dregs are made
bitter that we may not struggle when it
is,taken from our lips.
A gentleman, upon being asked what
was the-reason.of the present fashion of
loading young ladies' necks with huge
chains, replied that it was to keep the
dear angels earthward, lest they should
soar away—se they were made to "'carry
weight. '
Kisses like the faces of Philosophers
vary. SooTie are hot as a coal of fire,
some as sweet as honey, some as milk,
some as tasteless as long drawn soda.
Stolen kisses are said to have more nut
d
meg an cream than any attar sort.
Whelk is-a storm like a fah after
hook ? Whoa it le going to Alitit
bolt.)