The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-08-29

CITY INTELLIGENCE.
TOURNAMENT AT THE wARRENToN SPRINGS
The annual Tournament at these springs will take place
on "Wednesday, the 9Th of September and sure
that all those who have heretofore attended these bril-
liant and fashionable aemblages will be present unless
unavodably detained The ground is unslr-
passed consisting OF broad and level OF several
acres surrounded by shady trees beneath which are seat
cd the judges and the spectators and the trial of skill
progresses, and each valiant knight charges across the
plain many bright eye sparkes and bosom throb. with
emotion, each fair lady hoping that the floral wreath
may be placed on her brow by her favorite champion
Such sports recall TO minds the Of chiyalry
presenting the bright and festive side of the picture with
out its dark and sgunay accessories which were better
suited to the genius of barbarous age.
AS usual the tournament will conclude with a grand
ball ON the evening of that day. The accommodations
at the springs ample and the attentive proprietor
will do all in his power to render the visit an agreeable
one to all who may be present The last number of the
Knickerbocker contains article sIife in Virginia
from tho pen of G. p H. James, in the course of which
that well-known writer thus speaks of this watering
place
'The house itself il one of the finest buildings have
seen in the country, large wellbut with spacious and
lofty rooms, splendid ball ROOM with large ante rooms
good parlors am extensive dining and chambers
such as can hardly be found in any gentemans dwelling
in the land The cabins, too are much more spacios
and convenient than ut most of the springs and then
there 49, stretching before the ye down to the very val
Icy OF the Rappahannoc, that beautiful open grove
which, with its herds of iaow-deer has very much the
appearance OF gentleman's park in England The
spring is one Of sulphur water light easy of digestion
and certainly powerful in its effect but surely that
which does the most good is the ne free air the morn
ing walk to the well or the baths in that ocagon build
ing on the other side of the grove"
RAILROAD CoSNBxIoNs.--A day or two since we sup
gested the propey of accommodating the through travel
on our railroads by the construction of branch roads to
around the large cities and thus avoid the DELAYS
and Inconvenience which exist and with which
every traveller is familiar The present system of selling
through tickets between distant places and having the
baggage checked through is great improvement on the
old plan for the incidental expenses for hack hire por
terage &C., used to amount to very considerable sum
long journey besides the trouble of taking care of
the baggage and the risk of having it mislad or lost
But there is still for improvement in these matters
andanother plan has been suggested, which we think
would give general satisfaction especially In those cities
from which large number of railroads diverge in differ
ent directions This is, to have all the various lines
unite in common depot. The advantages of such a
plan too apparent to need any argument and In some
places it has already been adopted. We learn that
movement is foot in Chicago to unite eight long
railroads IN depot the Of tho CITY,
correspondent Of the Newark IN. ~ Advertiser, in
speaking Of this improvement, says
g However desirable this measure may be to the bust
interests Of Chicago it is equally essential to the
of the travelling public. Without well req
uaed union depos in great centres of travel the railroad
system of our country cannot be complete What Is
more dsagreeable, reaching strange city than to
fall helpessly subject to the tender merces of hackcn
baggage smushers and the renuc of those whs thrive
w for In he
state of things here and elsewhere the crossing of city
is often of more anxiety and trouble than the
travel of hundred miles The union scheme now pro-
posed will actually connect by iron rails the remotest
cities Of the land Success then. to the great Union De-
pot of Chicago West"
Last winter proposition before the Pennsy vania
legislature to charter similar arrangement by which
oil the great lines of railroad running into Philadelphia
would be united in central depot. The arrangement
here, however, (says the Philadelphia Ledger,) 'swas
a great improvement over that In Chicago for here
it proposed to unite them all by an underground
railroad with passenger and freight depots on level
with the street by this arrangement all the inconve
nencs Of freight railroad travel through the streets of
the city would be removed and all the advantages of d.
mnishcd cost in handling goods, transhpment being
necessary would be secured to the trade of Philadelphia
This magnificent idea, and when realized the ben
eft Of it would tell upon the increased trade and
Philadelphia made this feasible project and the cost
was but small compared with the advantage The legis
aurc received the proposition too late to pass it in both
branches but the merits of the plan too great to al
low it to rest without further action
In speaking of railroad connexions we will remark
that the editor of the New Orleans Picayune who has
recently been to the North and returned home by the
new southern route cia Memphis speaks in terms of
high commentator of the beauty of the scenery and the
working of the roads which he passed He states
that the connexions the line punct,laly made,
and the three days and three nights travel fom Bilt
more to Memphis was made without accident.
T. o. o. F.-The report of tho grand secretary of the
Grand Lodge OF the District of Columbia for the year ond
ing on tho 3Oth of june, 1853 shows that the Order of
Odd Fellows continues in prosperous condition in this
District We obtain from this report the following statis
Tics of operations of this portion of the Order for the year
mentioned
Number admitted by card------- 20
Number withdrawn by card -------- 2S
Number of reflections ----------------- IL
Number Of rcinstatements- --------- SO
Number of suspensions ------------ss 100
Number Of explosions ----------------
Number of deaths ------------ %
Number OF members -------------1 ], 1855
Number of brothers relieved ---- 26I
Number of widowed families relieved IS
Paid for relief of brothers ------ $50, 256 so |
Paid for relief Of widowed families sos rs
Paid for education ------------------- 536 %
Paid buryinr the dead 694 rs |