Delaware Gazette

AN AUTUMN DRIVE

Princeton, New Jersey.

Although we write from the seat of learning in Jersey, you must not expect to find our epistles highly tinctured with wisdom; or that we shall tell you any great philosophical truths not generally known. We must write as we travel—in the free and easy manner that requires no tax upon either our mental or physical capacities. Indeed we might think it too much trouble to write at all, but so many of our friends have expressed their desire to hear from us, and have been pleased to say they were amused by our hasty sketches heretofore, that we are willing to give all who cannot conveniently go as we do, a second hand participation in our pleasant excursions.

We go, as heretofore, in our family carriage, drawn by our faithful blacks, who have accompanied us some thousands of miles around about the country. Our party is the same as last year, and lest you have forgotten us I will introduce "Ourselves," (i. e. Little Woman and me,) and Charlie and Sallie. I name "Ourselves" first, for we are the "Old Folks" of the party and are supposed to be as staid as though our years numbered a half century or so. We are not so old, however, but that we have the faculty of enjoying with keen zest the good, the pure, the beautiful, either in Nature or Art.

Last summer we drove the length and breadth of our own little State and over the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Previously we had driven over the greater part of Pennsylvania and visited most objects of popular interest in that State.

We now design unless attracted by some more alluring route, to cruise the State of New Jersey to Raritan Bay, pass up the Hudson river side, recross the State on its north border and descend the Delaware River to our homes upon its shore.—This will comprise an excursion of from 400 to 500 miles which we contemplate making by easy stages in the course of a couple of weeks or so, allowing time to linger awhile whenever objects of interest invite delay.

We started from Hillside near noon on Tuesday, and drove to Frankford, five miles above Philadelphia, where we stopped for the night. The road is too familiar to us all to need particular description interesting as it truly is to the stranger. Frankford is built upon level, almost low ground and is so overshadowed by its grand neighbor as to sink into comparative insignificance. It is located upon Tacony creek which affords fine water power turned into good account for the manufacture of woolen goods and iron.

Nay, we must not say that Frankford is devoid of interest, we found it to possess an acute, but bad interest, entirely unexpected. Its peculiar situation renders it attractive to a class of creatures not altogether congenial with summer tourists however the inhabitants may regard them. These are the insinuating mosquitoes who sing us a song while they stab us. We met a few "pickets" on the outskirts of the town but within were myriads flocking, swarming, singing and stabbing indiscriminately. I would like to conscript the rascals and send them down South if they could only be disciplined to spend their ire upon the foe and not upon our own friends.

An early start from Frankford was not hard to make. We called the girls before the sun had risen and found them all up and ready equipped for travel. Upon expressing our pleasure at their promptness, they coolly referred us to the aforesaid mosquitoes who had commenced their attacks early in the night and continued with vigor until about midnight, when the girls capitulated, got together their dry goods and prepared for a hasty flight.

From Frankford to Bristol is a pleasant drive upon the turnpike, which is too far from the river to afford us a satisfactory view of the recent improvements and fine residences along the shores. Lanes here and there lead from the turnpike to the villages and summer places along the banks of the river, and we are continually meeting carriages freighted with the beauty and fashion of the riverside.

Holmesburg, ten miles above, is a more cheerful village which shares the fate of Frankford in its vicinage to Philadelphia, and can boast only of its manufacture of agricultural tools, particularly scythes.

In one place we passed a large farm enclosed by a fence, the posts of which were round towers built of stone and mortar, apparently with the expectation of everlasting endurance. The builder was however mistaken, for Jack Frost has been under them playing many fantastic tricks, heaving them out of perpendicular and in many cases tossing them completely over, making a mass of rubbish to encumber the ground.

Passing on through Andalusia and Bridgewaters inconsiderable villages, we reach Bristol on the Delaware 20 miles above Philadelphia. This is a pleasant town containing many fine residences. It is situated on a bluff overlooking the river and is backed by a fine stretch of table land, well cultivated and abounding in gardens of fruit and kitchen vegetables. Here we saw an old brick house bearing the date 1735 standing like a hoary sentinel upon the river banks, apparently as firm as the day it was built.

To Trenton is a pleasant road through a quiet country. The farms and farm houses generally indicate a happy rural population if one may judge by the neatness and apparent thrift of the farms with their crops of grain and orchards of various kinds of fruit.

Morrisville is on the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware opposite Trenton. The town is named in honor of Robert Morris whose residence was at this place. Trenton is connected with Morrisville by a bridge over the river more than two-thirds of a mile in length.

This is the lowest bridge across the Delaware and is regarded as the head of navigation.

In the Jersey capitol we conclude to "take our ease at our inn" for a day, in order to look out the objects of interest attached to a State capital.—State street, through which we drove impressed us with the beauty, taste and elegance of the architectural character of the city. In New Jersey we everywhere see a taste for flowers and shrubbery and the handsome residences on State street are beautified by all such rural decorations.

At the foot of State street, overlooking the Delaware are the Capitol buildings, well arranged and admirably located. There is a neat library inside the main building as well as large and appropriate chambers for the two branches of the Legislature.

We noticed hanging on the walls a fine engraving of a magnificent Monument commemorative of Washington's Victory over the Hessians, at Trenton in 1777. We concluded to find it and ascend to the top so that we could have an extensive view of the surrounding country.

Sallie, however, persisted that with the recollection of the sad time she had climbing the Washington Monument in Baltimore last summer, she should not make the attempt to climb the Trenton Monument, which was doubtless quite as high and equally difficult.

But after much persuasion we induced her to agree to make the attempt, and so at once set about finding the place.

Meeting an old codger we at once began to institute inquiries as to its whereabouts.

The man replied crustily that he "did'nt know nothing about it."

Charley remarked that he had always found it better to make inquiries of intelligent persons, and accordingly set about looking for some office as though the profession monopolized the intelligence.

He finally found his man, who with a quizzical expression replied that he had resided in Trenton for about twenty years and had yet to see the monument; that in fact it belonged to that class of airy castles whose foundations were upon paper only.

In Trenton's extensive manufactories of paper, iron and wire. We were particularly interested in the Potteries, where a beautiful white ware is manufactured and gave us a lot of exquisite small specimens of handiwork.

Mr. Square, proprietor, and Mr. Young, kindly showed us over the potteries. The material is brought from various places: Clay from near Kennett, Penn., and Quartz and Feldspar from Connecticut. These ingredients are ground into powder, mixed in proper proportions and when finished come out the finest stone China.

From Trenton to Princeton everywhere reminded that we are in the Jerseys. The country is generally level and the soil sandy. We look for peaches and melons and grow thirsty and hungry for the far-famed products of "New Spain."

But we are doomed to disappointment. The day for fine peaches in Jersey has passed away. Disease attacks the young trees and they attain no great size and produce but inferior fruit. They grow some melons, but the finest are insignificant compared with the magnificent fruit of our friend Col. Frame of Sussex.

The drive from Trenton to Princeton is rather monotonous, and I observed that we must look to ourselves for something to enliven the way. But

Sallie saucily replied that we had "looked to ourselves" so long that such observations lacked the charm of novelty. She would therefore move to amend the proposition by substituting the word Hamper for ourselves. The amendment was unanimously adopted and acted upon without delay.—

A spreading elm with its grassy carpet underneath invited us to spread out our lunch under its friendly shade. Now this 'Hamper' will be referred to so often during our excursion that it will perhaps not be out of place to take a peep at its contents as we lift the lid. Cold fowl, Ham, Sandwiches, Maryland biscuit, Rolls, are mainly the substantials—while Jelly-cakes, Cherry-bounce, Blackberry syrup and wine compose the ornamental department. You see we are a temperance party and carry nothing to eat or drink but domestic manufactures. These articles, we have concluded after many years experience, are about the best suited to our purpose. Traveling as we do, we cannot always depend upon country taverns for our meals and the change of water requires oftentimes something as an antidote against deleterious qualities. Beside, the "pick-nicks" are of the most pleasant character and constitute one of the charms of such an excursion.

As we proceed we see from an elevated position, the spires piercing a beautiful greenery away in the distance. This we are told is Princeton and the nest of the Colleges and the University. As we gradually approach the town evidences of taste in buildings and grounds indicate a population of no ordinary character and the smiling, rubicund face of the landlord of the --- gives us assurance of a welcome and of excellent entertainment.