HOUSE BOATING ON THE SUSQUEHANNA. 



D. E. BARNUM. 



From office, from store, from factory, 

 from school and from legislative hall gath- 

 ered a party on pleasure bent — a cruise 

 on the Susquehanna. July 5th had been 

 selected as the date and 2.30 p.m. as the 

 starting time. 



Our boat was 28 feet long by 8 feet wide, 

 with flat bottom, each end being rounded 

 up 5 or 6 inches above the water line. The 

 top consisted of a light skeleton frame of 

 wood, with rafters about half pitch, so ar- 

 ranged that it could be taken down and 

 folded compactly into a bundle. Over this 



usually stripped of their cover, framework 

 and bunks and left as a prize for the finder, 

 whoever that may be. 



The Susquehanna, from Binghamton, 

 which is usually made the starting point 

 on trips of this kind,* for the first 150 miles 

 runs in as many different directions as 

 there are points on the compass, and to 

 reach Wilkesbarre, a distance of about 70 

 miles in a straight line, requires a journey 

 of nearly 200 miles by river. From Bing- 

 hamton to Waverly, nearly due West about 

 40 miles, the river runs through a thickly 





SUSQUEHANNA NEAR WYALUSIXG. 



was drawn a canvas cover which afforded 

 protection from storm and sun. Two rows 

 of bunks were arranged on each side of 

 the boat, one above the other, leaving a 

 passage way between, a most convenient 

 feature. These bunks were taken down, 

 folded and put away during the day. We 

 believe this the most comfortable, con- 

 venient and inexpensive form of boat that 

 can be constructed for the purpose. As 

 there is not much sale for craft of this char- 

 acter at the lower end of the trip, and as it 

 does not pay to ship them back, a cheaply 

 constructed boat that will answer the pur- 

 pose best suits the requirements. They are 



populated valley containing some of the 

 best farming lands in the Empire State. 

 At Waverly we turn Southward and are 

 soon amid the rocky hills and mountains 

 of Pennsylvania. A peculiarity of the 

 scenery now', is a stretch of narrow valley 

 on one side and high, rocky mountains on 

 the other. This continuing for 2 or 3 miles, 

 when the order is reversed, the valley being 

 on the other side and the mountains op- 

 posite. Whatever persuaded this river to 

 cut so crooked a path through this ridge 

 of mountains is a question .ideologists have 



* Other starting points are Owc.Ct>, N\ V. ; Sayre, Pa., 

 and Towanda, Pa., on the Lehigh Valley Railroad. 



