DANVILLE AND HAZLETON BRANCH.

PHILADELPHIA AND ERIE JUNCTION is the point of intersection with the Philadelphia and Erie Railroad.

DANVILLE, 12 miles, is noted for its production and manufacture of iron, the works in operation employing more than two thousand men. Limestone and iron are found very abundantly in the adjacent region. It is the seat of justice of Montour County, separated from Columbia by act of May 3, 1850. It contains seventeen churches, two national banks, a fine opera-house, and three good hotels. Population 8,436.

CATAWISSA, 21 miles, is a delightfully situated borough in Columbia County, on the left bank of the Susquehanna. It was laid out in 1787 by William Hughes, a Quaker from Berks County, and was for many years under the control of that sect. These were superseded by Germans; and in 1816 an iron furnace was erected by one of these latter settlers near the town. It is not important as a business-place, but is justly noted for beauty and sublimity of scenery, causing it to be much resorted to. The chief business now is merchandising and railroading. It has a public hall, two hotels, six churches, and a deposit bank. Population 1,614.

TOMHICKEN, 45 miles, is the terminus of this road, and point of connection with Wilkesbarre Railroad, running to Hazleton, at which place a junction is formed with the Lehigh Valley Railroad.

Having now noticed most of the important places on the Pennsylvania road and its western branches, we return to the branches from New Jersey owned by the Pennsylvania. The places on these roads do not come within the limits of this history, except where they enter and pass through towns and villages in this State. The Camden and Amboy road enters Philadelphia at the Walnut Street Ferry; and the Camden and Atlantic, at the Vine Street Ferry. On starting from the West Philadelphia Depot, the traveller goes thirty miles to the Delaware River, where the road crosses a long bridge, and enters Trenton, N.J. On this route of thirty miles are several villages, most of which are included within the city limits. Bristol, a

pleasant town in Bucks County, on the Delaware River, nineteen miles above Philadelphia, lies on this road. This was the first seat of justice of the county, and is still the largest town. It contains several churches, a town-hall, a bank, and a mineral spring. It was settled as early as 1697. Population about 3,000.

CHAPTER XXIII.

CITIES AND TOWNS ON THE READING AND OTHER RAIL

ROADS.

Net-work of Railroads - Afford Facilities for Historical Description - Reading Road-Conshohocken-Norristown-Valley Forge - Phoenixville - Pottstown-Reading-Port Clinton-Auburn-Schuylkill Haven - Pottsville -Mount Carbon-Ravino Gap-Lebanon-Mahanoy Plane - Northern Pennsylvania-Gwynedd — Lansdale — Sellersville — Landis Ridge - Hellertown-Lehigh Valley Railroad - Bethlehem - Allentown-Catasauqua Hokendauqua-Slatington-Lehighton-Weinport - Packertown - Mauch Chunk-Mount Pisgah-Summit Hill-Burning-Mine-Glen OnokoChameleon Falls-Onoko Falls - Terrace Falls-Nesquehoning BridgePenn Haven-Stony Creek - Rockport -Tannery-White Haven - Freemansburg-Redington - Glendon-Easton - Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western Railroad - Delaware Water Gap - Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Baltimore Railroad - Chester-West Chester Railroad-West Chester.

THE

HE railroads of Pennsylvania form almost complete interlacings, penetrating every portion of the State; and hence, by following out these roads, the traveller passes through the three great regions into which the Commonwealth is divided; and by this means he is enabled to survey and explore all her cities, towns, and hamlets. As these three great divisions of the State are drained by the tributaries of three great rivers, running through their several valleys, so the whole surface of the State comes under the eye of him who follows these immense tracks through the river-beds. Thus the valley of the Susquehanna affords the natural avenue for these great thoroughfares from north to south. Next the Upper Delaware, Lehigh, and Schuylkill with its tributaries, afford a passage for the roads through all the north-eastern portion of the State, to the vast coal deposits in these regions. The north-western parts- the oil-regions-are alike accessible by

the head-waters of the Alleghany or Ohio River; and, finally, all of the courses, with the mountains between them, are intersected by the great Pennsylvania Railroad, running east and west through the entire length of the State, which territory the reader has already travelled.

As this offers the most feasible way of reaching the vast mineral fields, as well as the agricultural portions of the State, and showing its natural scenery, so, also, it is the most proper and easy way of arriving at all that is of the greatest historical interest; and thus every thing most conducive to a full history of Pennsylvania can readily be set before the reader.

Pursuing this plan, we now take the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad with its branches, the second in extent in the Commonwealth. The Reading road proper begins at Philadelphia, and takes its name from Reading, its original termination, a distance of fifty-eight miles only; but, with its branches and connections, it extends over fifteen hundred miles, and is justly considered of great importance for its transportation of immense quantities of coal and iron from points along its route to Philadelphia. Starting from the depot, a spacious edifice at Broad and Callowhill Streets, the road passes through the built-up part of the city, by the eastern end of Fairmount Park, and along the Schuylkill, until Columbia Bridge is reached, which it crosses. The first station beyond is Belmont; and now the banks of the river are followed, taking Tom Moore's cottage, Falls Village, Manayunk, which are included in the city limits. The next station, Conshohocken, thirteen miles from Philadelphia, is a village in Montgomery County. It is a thriving place; and iron-working is largely carried on. It contains a large blast-furnace and foundery, in which gas and water pipes are made, and sent to all parts of the Union. It has also several machine-shops, and one large rolling-mill in operation, and two blast-furnaces across the river. Norristown is the next point; and the station is known by the name of Bridgeport, situated on the opposite side of the river, with which it is connected by a bridge. It is a very handsome town, the capital of Montgomery County, and commands an elevated and delightful situation on the left bank of

the Schuylkill River. The Reading Railroad is upon the Bridgeport side; and the Chester Valley Branch is its terminus; while the Norristown Branch is ended at Norristown. The town is regular, and contains many fine buildings, mostly of brick and stone. Chief among these is the Court House, of a light-gray native marble. It has also a fine county prison, banks, a public library, ten churches. There are flourishing boarding-schools here, two of which have elegant buildings, located upon rising ground. The trade of the town is increasing, being facilitated by the improved navigation of the river. The great water-power of the river is employed in large cottonfactories (employing several hundred hands), and several rolling-mills and nail-factories.

Now we arrive at Valley Forge, twenty-three miles from Philadelphia, on the right bank of the Schuylkill. It is at the mouth of Valley Creek; and it will be remembered this was where Washington encamped during the winter of 1777-78. Perkiomen Creek, just above this point, empties into the river. There is a road, called the Perkiomen Creek Branch following the creek, terminating at Allentown, fifty-one miles from Philadelphia. Phoenixville, the next stopping-place, is twentyseven miles from Philadelphia, and the terminus of Pickering Valley Branch. It is in Chester County, on the right bank of the Schuylkill, at the mouth of French Creek, which flows through a very fertile valley. It is one of the most populous towns in the county, and has large manufactures of cotton and iron. One of the largest rolling-mills in this country, that of the Phoenix Iron Company, is located here; and a large quantity of railroad iron and nails is made annually, the material being obtained in the vicinity, and of a superior quality. After leaving this place, the road passes into a tunnel two thousand feet in length, upon emerging from which we cross the river to the bank opposite the one the road has followed since leaving Belmont, and soon arrive at Pottstown, which is in Montgomery County, at the mouth of Manatawny Creek, forty miles from Philadelphia. This is a neatly-built town, its houses being principally upon one street, very broad and attractive, from the great number of shade-trees and