to be worked to its full capacity, the outstanding balance of the demand must of necessity fall to the Reading road. This distribution of the business may be exhibited to the eye as follows:

ness.

If, under these circumstances, all the companies do not make money, they have not the business sagacity for which they are generally credited. They are now all thoroughly organized and equipped for a successful prosecution of the busiThe experience of the last year seems to have convinced them all that their true vocation is to carry coal at remunerating prices, instead of seeking to underwork each other. Indeed, with the prospect before them of all having a demand for as much as they can possibly do, harmony among them as to rates and prices, is as certain as any future event, dependent upon the laws of either mind or matter. The operations of the present year have, indeed, already commenced upon an amicable basis. Pursuing this line of policy, every addition to their business adds, in a rapidly increasing ratio, to their net returns. The main expense of the roads, canals, engines, boats, hands, and other permanent investments, having been already incurred, increase of business brings with it small comparative increase of cost. The addition to their income from increased tonnage is almost entirely profit. The ratio of net profits, to the gross income, is necessarily a constantly increasing one, until each line is worked to its full capacity.

Under these circumstances, we repeat, all the companies must necessarily do a profitable business. Even those lines already worked to their full capacity, will increase their profits, because it will be the interest of the other companies, equally with themselves, to raise their freights and prices above those of the last year. The Delaware and Hudson Company has already raised the price of coal 50 cents a ton, and the Reading Railroad has added 10 cents a ton to its charge for freight. The result to the consumer will be, without doubt, a slight increase in the price of the article, put to the great companies engaged in mining and transporting it; we see not how it can be otherwise than a full realization of those rich returns for which they have so long, and at some periods so disastrously labored.

In the above estimates, the Union Canal, extending from Pinegrove to Middletown, has been overlooked. The capacity of this improvement, since its enlargement is equal to some 800,000 tons; of which probably 200,000 will be passed over the line the present season. The Swatara coal district, it is well known, is one of the richest and best in Schuylkill county, and the amount of coal that will hereafter seek the line of the Union Canal must increase very rapidly hereafter.

PART III.

Wyoming.

Thou comest in beauty on my gaze at last,
"On Susquehanna's side, fair Wyoming,”-
Image of many a dream, in hours long past;
When life was in its bud, and blossoming,
And waters, gushing from the fountain spring

Of pure enthusiast thought, dimmed my young eyes;

And by the poet borne, on unseen wing,

I breathed, in fancy, 'neath thy cloudless skies,

The summer's air, and heard her echo'd harmonies.

Two courses, comprising the substantials of our little repast, have been set before the friendly guest; the third, a favorite poetic dish, with some “trimmings" of our own scattered around, shall now be spread out. Wyoming-sweet vale of Wyoming!-'tis of thee that we shall sing!

There are several stage-routes by which Wilkesbarre may be reached-the most eastern one of which commences at Easton, in Northampton, and passing through Monroe, enters Luzerne county at the Great Swamp, locally called the shades of death. This route is interesting for its scenery, and is generally selected by the New Yorkers in their travels to and from Wyoming. The route is sixty-four miles in length, and passes the villages of Effort, Nazareth, Jacobsburg, Wind Gap, (in the Kittatinny mountain), Taylorsburg, Shafer's, Mount Pocono, Soxville, Stoddartsville, (on the Lehigh river) Beaumont, and Bear Creek to Wilkesbarre. The trav eller at Mauch Chunk can either fight his way up the Lehigh, by (236)

stage to Whitehaven, thence by railroad, or he may proceed direct by stage via Lausanne and Beaver Meadow, to Hazleton, at which place he will intersect the line at Tamaqua. For travellers from Philadelphia, Tamaqua is, as before stated, the most direct starting-point, while the line of stages is superior to the others, or used to be—each coach employing four horses. The distance from this place to Wilkesbarre is about forty-five miles, the road crossing the mountains of Locust and Mahanoy, in Schuylkill, and those of Nescopec and Wyoming in Luzerne, with their interesting valleys and coal districts. At the foot of this latter mountain, (which, further north, is called the Moosic mountain-what nonsense!) lies the borough of Wilkesbarre, and before it stretches out, in a north-east and south-west direction, the beautiful and far-famed valley of Wyoming. In the centre of the valley flows the Susquehanna, in one broad, clear, and tranquil sheet, and north of it rises the towering mountain range of the Nanticoke, the Shawnee, and the Lackawanna. The Susquehanna breaks through the mountain range near Pittston, where, entering the valley from the north, it receives the Lackawanna river, and strikes to the south-west, traversing the valley in a nearly straight line, until within a few miles of Columbia county, where it makes a graceful bend around Wyoming Mountain; pitches due south to that of the Nescopeck, and then again stretches out in a south-west course, and enters that county.

The county of Luzerne is plentifully supplied with streams. Excepting one or two of nearly equal area further west, it probably con

tains more small streams and little lakes than any other county in the State. The principal ones are the Susquehanna, the Lackawanna, the Lehigh, the Wapwallopen, Nescopeck, and the north fork of the Lehigh-all south-east of the Shawnee Mountain. West of this mountain range are numerous small rivulets, where "trout most do congregate," as Huntingdon, Shickshinny, Harvey's, Toby's, Bowman's and others. Some ten miles north-west of Wilkesbarre, is Harvey's Lake,

a beautiful transparent sheet of water, much resorted to by fishing parties. There are several other small lakes, near at hand, all of which abound in trout, and other game fish, and are surrounded with the most splendid scenery which the unerring hand of nature could produce. No where in the United States is the beautiful brook trout found in greater abundance,—no where is it found in better positions for the excitements of fishing,-no where are its freshwater retreats found amidst finer scenery, or streams of clearer and purer water. Hear what the poet has to say of this delightful sport:

Now, when the first foul torrent of the brooks,
Swell'd with the vernal rains, is ebb'd away;
And, whitening, down their mossy-tinctur'd stream
Descends the billowy foam: now is the time,

While yet the dark brown water aids the guile,
To tempt the trout. The well dissembled fly,
The rod fine-tapering with elastic spring,
Snatch'd from the hoary steed the floating line,
And all thy slender wat'ry stores prepare.
But let not on thy hook the tortur'd worm
Convulsive, twist in agonizing folds;
Which, by rapacious hunger swallow'd deep,
Gives, as you tear it from the bleeding breast
Of the weak, helpless, uncomplaining wretch,
Harsh pain and horror to the tender hand.

When with his lively ray the potent sun
Has pierc'd the streams, and rous'd the finny race,
Then, issuing cheerful, to thy sport repair:
Chief should the western breezes curling play,
And light o'er either bear the shadowy clouds.
High to their fount, this day, amid their hills,
And woodlands warbling round, trace up the brooks ;
The next, pursue their rocky-channel'd maze,
Down to the river, in whose ample wave
Their little Naiads love to sport at large.

Just in the dubious point, where with the pool
Is mix'd the trembling stream, or where it boils
Around the stone, or from the hollow'd bank
Reverted plays in undulating flow,
There throw, nice-judging, the delusive fly;
And as you lead it round in artful curve,
With eye attentive mark the springing game.
Strait as above the surface of the flood
They wanton rise, or urg'd by hunger leap,
Then fix, with gentle twitch, the barbed hook :
Some lightly tossing to the grassy bank,
And to the shelving shore slow-dragging some,
With various hand proportion'd to their force.
If yet too young, and easily deceiv'd,

A worthless prey scarce bends your pliant rod;
Him, piteous of his youth and the short space
He has enjoy'd the vital light of heaven,

Soft disengage, and back into the stream

The speckled captive throw. But should you lure
From his dark haunt, beneath the tangled roots
Of pendant trees, the monarch of the brook,
Behoves you then to ply your finest art.

Long time he, following cautious, scans the fly;