Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-07-28
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP,
OF SUMNER TRAVEL.

wv II July ., 1860.
On The WINs-EcKINGTox-Jo GALES. &C.
len washington at 6 20 this morning, bound
Tor the West making one of well-alled train
Carrying, as usually do when of upon such
Jaunt, stout camp stool, with arrangements for
resting the back, occupy the best seat Cor rather
Position) In the train. That is, | sit, pencil and
paper in hand, Immediately ad jacent TO the hind
windows Of the hindmost car. Or, In other
words, have a capital view of all the country
anywhere In sight from any portion Of the train.
AS to secure such a seat Is {" wrinkle" worth the
travellers knowing, thus give him the benefit of
my experience.
can never leave Washington, in any direction,
without being struck with new features of its
ever-varying CONFERENCE.-The increasing houses
avenues and streets, gradually as their construc-
ton year by year increases, unfolding the plan of
whatwas originally designed to be the most mag
niacent city OF modern times How well re.
member what the portion of Washington trav-
ersed by and in sight from the railroad, was
years very long lineage; when | caught
hares and SHOT partridges among the huge oaks
that there lowered within a hundred yards Of the
present depot when, indeed, there was no house
visible from the depot, not on Capitol Hill or
Pennsylvania avenue, except, il might be here
and there, an humble shanty of some laborer. or
The residence Of some country gentleman, In what
is now among the best builtup streets of the Fed
eral Metropolis. remember Washington, well,
when 1t had from six to eight thousand inhabit-
ants only certainly not more than ten thousand
and to me the constant changes In its appearance
the new dresses 1t wears in the march of its pro-
gress-are perhaps fuller Of interest than to almost
any one elsei for who more thoroughly identified
with its progress than the Ersning Star?
This morning the point Of most interest in the
view from the car window was lexington, the
late residence Of Mr.. Gales deceased, not only on
account Of It's own beauties Of location and en-
bellishment both by nature and art, but from the
thousand "reminiscences concerning the career of
Mr.. Gales in Washington, which passing Ecking-
ton brought to mind. His good taste made par
adse there out of originally very rough materials
1ndeed-out of what most persons would pro-
n0unce very unPrOmising ground work for such
an undertaking. His success in reducing the wild
ness Of nature there to systematic beauty was but
typical Of his success as a philosophical thinker
(writerl upon the rough, and at times most in
congruous, elements Of the history Of our whole
coun'rys progress How often has his pen Gained
the sectional storm, reduced chaos in the Capt.
toi to order, folly to common sense, angry words
to words Of fraternal kindness, he only knows
who knows the details of the country's political
history He always saw things in a kind and
genial light, not only in politics. but in all affairs
of life. Thus he sought to build up rather than
10 pun down, having kind word for the inter-
ests OF any and all. In the course Of his more
Than nifty years connection with the press here
do not believe he ever penned a line in individ-
uaI anger or spite, though no man was more high
spirited than he; which may not be said, l pre-
sumo, Of any other of his profession anywhere
The lawns, groves and avenues Of lexington
are not more graceful than was the mind of Mr.
Gales; carefully cultivated that was and pro-
dueing when in its vlgor, richer and ripper fruit
Than the mind OF any professional contemporary
He was for half century the only intensely la
beTioUs editor OF an American daily paper who
always wrote with the elegance characterizing
tie articles Of the leading English magazines
which form the school of modern English bellies
kitTes. Time and such an opportunity as is bt-
fore me will not permit me to follow this teeming
theme-Mr. Gales and lexington
The train has just passed the Annapolis Juno
tiOn. My eyes have been Toasted with beautiful
sylvan views from the city to this places the golden
harvest is but just over, and the waving corn is
In full tassel the country shows to the best DOS
sible advantage and to look upon it in its present
cast, is to me delightful recreation. The world
Is accustomed to pronounce the region travelled by
the w ashington branch Of the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad an uninteresting one. 1 beg to dissent
1
there are few very striking pictures by the way
industrial art has crowded 1t every where with
substantial interest-with that interest springing
from improved agriculture, than which none other
is more substantial. No where else OH this CONT
nent have seen agriculture progress more stead
lily and satisfactorily than the line of this rail-
road. All have apparently participated in this SO
commendable work that Is to say, IL Is not the
Improvements Of here and there, a rich mans farm
or estate but Of every farm and every estate be-
tween Baltimore and Washington The land
now produces much more heavily than formerly,
the the buildings are vastly better than they were
formerly, and plenty and comfort smiles not only
in the rich and carefully cultivated fields one sees
on all sides, but In the looks and motions of all
living kind 10 be found there-whether Of man
or beast.
am now at the Relay House, and after COM
Portable breakfast, / feel like ''two-year-old,,
turned, for the first time, in the Spring, into
pasture. Not that anticipate an idle time ont.
but fortnight Of sight seeing In rural regions at
tbs season Of the year, Is to me like grass to
the long stable-kept horse-food that restores to
my nature its original elements Of health and
strength. The Western train approaches from
Baltimore, so must hurry this into an envelope,
and bid the Star gOod-by few moments
w. d. WI