tween Milford and Beale for nearly 7 miles to the summit of the high anticlinal spur of Medina white sandstone, which sinks beneath the Clinton rocks in the Lost creek or Forge ridge, about 3½ miles west of the Juniata river. From that point the line bears south for one-half mile to a public road, which everywhere divides the two townships southwards to the Tuscarora creek at the base of Limestone ridge, about 4 miles west of Port Royal.
The drainage of this combined area all passes into the Juniata river by means of Tuscarora creek and its numerous tributaries descending southward across the valley and through the Academia ridge from the Shade mountain district. Licking creek is its chief tributary, rising in the narrow valley between Licking creek and Black Log mountain in Mifflin county, and flowing eastward into Juniata county south from Minehart’s gap. Thence it passes eastward for nearly 10 miles through Licking creek valley; but instead of pursuing its direct course for 2 miles further to the Juniata, it is there turned abruptly southwards, passing through the Lost creek ridge, across the Mifflintown valley at Farmdale, and makes a deep gap over a mile long through the Academia ridge before entering Tuscarora creek, a mile west of the Juniata river. The sudden deflection in the course of this stream north of the Shade mountain or Lost creek anticlinal is all the more curious from the fact that it had a narrow limestone valley to conduct it directly to the Juniata, instead of following which it forced its way through two high anticlinal ridges before finding its way to the Tuscarora creek.
Patterson, Port Royal, Johnstown, Allenville and Academia are all flourishing villages in these two townships. The two former, situated on the west bank of the Juniata river, in Milford township, derive greater advantages from their location on the main line of the P. R. R.; while of the three latter, situated in Beale township, Academia is the most important and the most beautifully located at the base of a high ridge overlooking the Tuscarora valley.
