236 Ten Days in Ohio. 



the landing nearest to his dwelling. At Wheeling or Pittsburgh he 

 seats himself in the stage, and in eight and forty hours, with very little 

 trouble, crosses the mountain ranges, once so formidable to the 

 equestrian ; thus accomplishing, in five or six days, a journey from 

 the falls of the Ohio to Philadelphia. His goods now reach the 

 heads of the Ohio, in ten days, and the steam boat, in a very short 

 period, takes them to his home, greatly abridging time, fatigue, and 

 expence. The change has wrought no good for tavern keepers, 

 whatever it may have done for the community. 



SOMERSET. 



At 1 P. M., we reached Somerset, the capital of Perry County. 

 It is pleasantly seated on elevated ground, and surrounded by a rich 

 agricultural region. It has a neat, brick court house, some good 

 dwelling houses and stores, and about eight hundred inhabitants. 



Catholics. 



More than one half the population of the town and county are pro- 

 fessors of the Roman Catholic religion. They have a substantial 

 brick chapel and nunnery, or school for educating young females. 

 The seminary is in good repute, and many protestant families send 

 their daughters here for that purpose. It is supposed, that in a few 

 years, the whole county will be catholic ; as they embrace every op- 

 portunity of purchasing the farms and the houses of the protestants, 

 and occupying them with those of their own creed, from other places. 

 A few proselytes are also made, although rarely. The early preju- 

 dices of education, and the little intercourse between the protestant 

 and catholic portions of the community, seem to have generated a 

 general desire amongst the former to leave the place, as soon as they 

 conveniently can ; thus giving the catholics peaceable, and quiet pos- 

 session of their hearths, and long cherished homes. It was a wise 

 provision in our constitution which left religion free and every indi- 

 vidual in our happy country at liberty to attach himself to that sect 

 which he preferred. So long as this liberty remains, there is little 

 danger of the catholic religion either ruling, or Overturning the gov- 

 ernment. 



RUSHVILLE AND RUSH CREEK. Geologt/, 



A few miles west of Somerset, we passed through Rushville, a 

 small village in Fairfield County seated on the high ground east of 



