The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1858-05-28
Da',riVe. .Iarch 3n, 1858.


II. G. G.
DanrNe, .Iareh 80 1855
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For THE INDEPENDENT PRESS.
Trip to Washington American Medical
! Association-Excursion to Mt Vernon
! Boarded Shad Entertainment, &c.
We left home Thursday morning. April
goth; spent five hours in Columbia nj Z p. nj,
! left Columbia, Oh the Charlotte Railroad bv
! Raleigh, on TO Wciden, thence to Portsmouth,
! where We got Oh board the steamer and were
| landed at Old Point Comfort Mt sun down. 1t
was hnrl to realize that VIC left home but SO
! hours back in time, five hours of which had
been spent in Columbia, and now we stoud 546
miles from home. These North Carolina Rail
roads re fire and we'll managed, and as com
| Portable To the traveller, us rapid movement,
dust aud smoke. will admit iutl;v duality is
! lost. and the traveller becomes a part OF the
movln! mnss. Of wood iron, fire. water, steam,
smoke and dust. 1t is really ref, cshing to get
Oh board line steamer, where you are some
what master Of your own movements; free
iroid the eyc.cutting particles of burnt wood,
, from the smoke, and the clouds Of lust, sent
moving wheels; there is new kind of music
to the ear produced hy the working Of Tie ma
chinery i'll the liquid element; here on the
h"som of the Chesapeake, the sea breeze, nvig-
crates. and the scenery delights: in every di.
rcction. is still and moving panorama
ships schoorrr*. steamers and saibuats, atui
the bosom Of this beautiful bay
| Old Point Comfort is one of the largest and
strongest fc,tiications in the United States.
and arthcially one of the strongest in the
! world. 1t cun mount sdmc five hundred guns;
1t is about mile in circumference with stout
hearts inside it can bid defiance TO the assault
Of the world. The Point is n great place Of
| resort during the summer. there is n very large
hotel. small store or two, the rest nre all gov
! erninent buildings, DC: near this the Cie$n.
Penk Female College is located the centre
! building Is finished aud the school Ia going on
under the care Of Rev. Charles \. Raymond.
formerly of Edgefeld, s. c. the building is
noble structure, and if finished agrceabIy to
the original plan, will present very imposing
appearance, situated ns it is on Ole Of the
most beautiful spots in the United States the
! system of education in this institution proposes
n physical as we'll rs moral and mental train.
ing.
We went on: in company with Mr. Vaughan
| to Look at the firms around Hampton: the
! lands are alluvini, level md mostly dry enough
| for cultivation: wheat yields from fifteen to
thi ty bushels to the acre, with little or no ma
nure they plow deep and pulvcrize with
strong harrows, bunging it into beds about
; eight feet wide; clover grows we'll after wheat
but little Of the lands in meadow; the fences
are mostly Of the old fashioned worm FORM
| four to siH rails high: most Of the farmers in
this section purchase chestnut rails from dis
tance at a cost Of seventy.tive dollars per thou.
sand. Sheep do we'll hero; mutton is very
good. and much used; beef also is of coed
quality: these with an abundance of fine fish
and oysters constitute the principal food Of the
inhabitants. On Mr.. Vaughan's farm were a
flock Of tame nild geese, two females were set
ting; they arc fine bird-very hardy: they
do not commence laying till they are about
seven years old; We were very kindly presen.
ted with pair, by the generous aud polite
owner. We realized in this neighborhood all
we had heard of "Old Virginia hospitality"
We spent three day very pleasantly around
Old Point. When we got on board the steamer
o little before dark, bound for Baltimore, we
regretted much that night spread it's dark man.
tie around, as wc wished much to enjoy the
scenery Of this noble bay. Before midnight
the moon arose and shed her mild rays over
land and watcr this with cool breeze from
oceans bosom, had life invigorating effect
pleasant to feel; We kept on deck most of the
night; next morning after break fast we arrived
at Baltimore, where we took the cars for
Washington; tho cars were crowded. 80 that,
old as we nre, we had to stand up all the way.
At the ticket office in Baltimore, we were al.
most annihitated, by the small impudenee of
the ticket veuder; we handed Sc dollar BILL
South Carolina; lie took 1t, looked at it, and
then in low:bred Language, said, f"You can't
come it over us, neighbor, i. is leetie too far
South;" as p udence is said to be the better
part Of bravery we pocketed our Eve dollars
and swallowed the impude9ce. vept into the
cars, and took stand to Washington when
near the city, gentlemsply baggage agent
presented himself, We gave him our checks.
With directions whore We wished onr baggage
doposital and we had no trouble about IL; cor,
yeniencs and safety are thus occurred ss q Seost
offfy: cents; il we, are net mistaken, this is
done by Adams Express.
! On our way 10 Willard's Hotel, se net Mr.