The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-11-30
Eto. ETC., Ete. Etc. Eta., etc.
Continued
WRshinRtOn-The LegtsIaturs-Andt the
PreAld enL's HOmae.
TCONTINuED.1

TooNTINUEDl
WRshingtOn-The LegtsIature-Andt the
Prestdent's House.
We left Philadelphia by steamboat at O'Clock
towards Washington.
In the course OF this days journey, as on sub.
sequent occasions, we encountered some Eng.
lishmen (small farmers, perhaps, or country
publcans at honey, who we're settled in Ame
rica, and were travelling on their own affairs.
OF all grades and kinds OF men that iostle one in
the public conveyances Of the States, these are
often the most intOieTable and the most insuffer
able companions, United TO every disae reeable
characteristic that the worst kind of Ameri-
can travellers possess, these countrymen of ours
display an amount OF insOlent cOnceit and cool
assumption of superiority quite monstrous to
behold. In the coarse familiarity of their ap
proach, and the ellrontery of their iuQuisitiye.
ness (which they are in great haste to assert, as
II theY painted to revenge themselves upon the
decent old restraints of home), they surpass
any native specimens that came within my
range of observation; and l often grew so patrl-
otlc when heard them, that / would cheer.
fully have submitted to a reasonable fine if |
could have given any other country in the
whole world the honor of claiming them for its
children.
AS Washington may be called the head
quarters OF tobacco tinctured salivs, the
time is come when | must confess without
any disguise, that the prevalence of those
TWO odlous practices OF chewing and eXpecto-
rating began about this time to be anything but
agreeable, and soon became most offensive and
sickening. In all the public places OF America
this filthy custom is recognized. In the courts
of law the judge has his spittoon, the CrIer his
the witness his, and the prisoner his; while the
Jurymen and spectators are provided for, as so
many men who in the course of nature must
desire to spit incessantly. In the hospitals the
students OF medicine are requested, by notices
upon the wall, to eject their tobacco Juice into
The boxes provided for that purpose and not to
discolor the stairs. In public buildings visitors
are implored through the same agency, to SQUIRT
the essence OF their guilds, or plugs" as have
Leard them called by gentlemen learned in this
kind of sweetmeat, into the national spit-
toons, and not about the bases of the mar.
BILE columns. But in some parts this custom is
lnseparably mixed up with every meal and
morning call, and with all the transactions of
social life. The stranger who follows in the
track took myself will lind it in its full bloom
and glory, luXuriant in all its alarming reckless
ness, at Washington. And let him not persuade
yious tourists have exaggerated its extent The
thing itself is an eXaggeration of nastiness which
cannot be outdone.
On board this steamboat there were two
young gentlemen, with shirt.collars reversed as
usual, and armed with very big walking
sticks, who planted two seats in the middle
Of the deck, at a distance of some four PAGES
apart took out their tobacco boxes, aud sat
down opposite each other to chew. In less
than quarter OF an hours time, these hopeful
youths had shed about them on the clean
boards a copious shower of yellow rain; clear
ing, by that means, a kind of magic circle,
within whose limits no intruders dare to come
and which they never failed to refresh and re-
refresh before SPOT was dry. This, being
before breakfast, rather disposed me, confess,
to nausea but looking 9ttentively at one of the
eXpectOrators, plainly saw that he was young
in chewing, and felt inwardly uneasy in him
SELF glow of delight came over me at this
discovery; and as marked his face turn paler
and paer, and saw the ball of tobacco in his
left cheek quiver with his suppressed agony,
while yet he spat and chewed and spat again, In
emulation of his older friend, could have
fallen on his neck, and lmplored him to go on
tor hours.
the cabin below, where there was no more
hurry or confusion than at such a meal in Eng
land, and where there was certainly greater
pollteness exhibited than at most OF our stage
coach banquets. At about nine O'Clock we
arrived at the railroad station, and went on by
the cars. AT noon we turned out again to cross
a wide river in another steamboat; landed at a
continuation of the railroad on the opposite
shore, and went on by other cars; in which, in
the course OF. the next hour or so, we crossed
by wooden bridges, each mile in length, two
creeks called respectively Great and Little Gun
powder. The water in both was blackened
with flights of canvas backed ducks, which are
most delicious eating, and abound hereabouts
at that season ofthe year.
These bridges are OF WOOD have no parapet,
and are only just wide enough for the passage
of the trains, which, in the event OF the smallest
accident, would inevitably be plunged into the
river. They are startling contrivances, and are
most agreeable when passed.
We stopped to dine at Baltimore, and, being
now in MARYLAND, were waited on for the first
time by slaves. The sensation of eXacung any
service from human creatures who are bought
and sold, and being, for the time, party as it
were TO their condition, is not an enviable one.
The institution exists, perhaps, in Its least re-
pulsive aud most mitigated form in such town
as this; but it as slavery; and though was, with
respect to it, an innocent man, its presence filled
me with sense OF shame and selfreproach.
After dinner we went down to the railroad
again, and took our seats in the cars for Wash
ington. Being rather early, those men and boys
who happened to have nothing particular to do,
and were curious in foreigners came (according
to customA around the carriage in which sat-
let down all the windows; thrust In their heads
and shoulders; hooked themselves on convent
emily by their elbows; and Tell to comparing
notes on the subject Of my personal appear
ance with as much indifference as If l were a
stnffed figure / never gained so much uncom.
promlsing information with reference to my o Wn
nose and ewes the various impressions wrought
by my mouth and chin on different minds, and
how nv head looks when 1t is viewed from De-
hind as on these occasions. Some gentlemen were
only satisfied by exercising their sense OF touch
and the boys (who are surprisingly precoclous
in America), were seldom satisfied even by That,
but would return to the charge Overland over
again. Many budding President has walked
into my room with his cap on his head and his
hands in his pockets, and stared al me Tor tWo
whole hours; occasionally refreshing himself
with q tWeak at his nose, or a draught from the
Watering; or by walking to the windows and
inviting other boys in the street below to come
nm aud do likewise; crying, Here he is y
TCone onm Bring all your brothers !" with
other bospitable entreates of that nature.
We reached Washington at about hal
past six that evening, and had upon tht
wav a beautiful view Of the Capitol, whict
isSS 6ne building of the Corinthian order
nlecad unon a noble and commanding emf