Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-07-18

Wide1s or Loofers f-Fire Hundred BARROW
Bammers in one Small Toscn.
Correspondence of The Start
NORFOLK, VA, July 18th.
Washington is highly favored, climactically.
and her citizens, taking the whole year through,
are blessed with alarger proI ortion of clear days
of pleasant temperature than the residents of any
other American city, perhaps; but last Monday
was exceptionally warm, and few OF us who i'm
the afternoon of that day turned our backs on
the Capitol, and embarked ON the Lady of the
Lake. bound for Norfolk, found the change from
the bot and dusty streets of the metropolis 20 the
cooling breezes of the Potomac, mort refreshing
and invigorating. Passthe ancient city of Alex
andria; under the big guns Of Fort Foote, and
the bristling walls Of Fort Washington we
steamed down rapidly
g. W,
The tolling of the steamers bell caused all
eyes to turn i'm the direction of Mount Vernon,
and for a minute two American practicality-
and irreverence yielded to a sentiment We may
poke fun NJ the little Ratchet story, and publish
scandals about the Father of his Country being
the father of other fellows whose mothers he
didn't marry even look without blushing at the
unfinished Washington Monument; but Il Is not
safe TO argue from these surface indications that
patriotism is dead or even dormant among US.
Beneath all this levity and seeming indifference
there is astreak of love for our country and rev
erence for its founders, just as real and earnest
as If we didn't Familiarity dub the First Presi-
dent g. W. =
just below Glymont we noticed a thunder
cloud, black and threatening, advancing up the
river. Steaming down at the rate of fifteen
miles an hour we soon encountered the Storm
The wind blew q hurricane, the rain came down
in torrents, and the vivid lightning flashes were
followed by crashing peals of thunder, ipdi-
eating that the electric discharges were near
Some OF the tmid passengers were frightened
and if We hsa been in the bay, searsickness
would have added TO their wretchedness
. but the volume OF water was not sufficient to roll
the Lady of the Lake, and she kept on her way
as stcadily as If she had been in pond. In
marked contrast with the shrinking of some of
the male passengers, was the conduct of a fe-
male invalid, young and interesting, who. un-
able to move herself, had her chair wheeled to
the forward saloon, where she watched the con-
fiict of winds and waves with sparkling ewes. as
II 1t was the most enjoyable feature OF the trip
THE LADY OF THE LAKE
Is a well arranged boat for the comfort and CON-
Vehience OF Passe.,s,ers, and the table is libe-
rally supplied with the fresh fish, fruits and
vegetables for which Chesapeake Bay and
its shores are famous, while prices are not
exhorbitant. This line Is a great convenience
to the citizers of WASHINGTON, and brings them
the daintiest salt water fish, tho latest and
freshest oysters, the first and finest fruits, and
the earliest vegetables they have in market,
and they are therefore deeply interested in its
success.
HAMPTON ROADS.
The boat reached Fortress Monroe earlv in the
morning, but the passengers were all astir, sniff
fng the bracing salt air. The wide stretch of
water out to the Atlantic; that queer looking
artificial island, Fort Calhoun oftener called the
Rip-raps-the Long Branch of President Jack
son; the white shelving beach of Old Point Com
fOlt; the formidable walls of Fortress Monroe, a
safe retreat during the rebellion: the ship
ping in Hampton Roads, a harbor where the
nayies of the world can ride at anchor; the
sheep shead and other odd looking salt water fish
ON the wharves, we've all objects OF interest to
those who saw them for the first time. We
stopped for few minutes only, and then
steamed up past the scene OF the naval combat,
in which our little monitor gave the victorious
rebel ram Merrimac such hard knocks, and were
soon in sight OF f.- -fs.
The first scene which presented itself as we
neared the landing, was one peculiar to the
South. The wharves were fairly loaded down
with cotton bales, which had been brought in by
railroad, and were being removed by gangs Of
ColoTed labOrers TO the warehouses for storage
until they could be shipped. Other gratifying
evidences OF a revival OF trade here were noticed
Thomas jefferson, in his Notes, predicted that
Norfolk was to be a great commercial city-the
New York of the South-with Baltimore, Wash
ington and Richmond as its tributary suburban
towns; but that was before the era of railroads,
and he could not forsee the revolutions they
Previous to the war the city was doing fine
business, and had
r-l- E.- GREAT IMPLICATIONS,
which were rather increased than disspated by
that event, as the citizens fondfy hoped that
Norfolk was to be the commercial metropolis
and principal nav al depot of the eastern States
OF the Southern pConfederacy. These hopes
were blasted, but the city is now fairly beginning
to recover from the effects of the war, which
kept back its progress ten years at least and the
long-cherished and earnest desire of its business
men for direct trade with Europe Is realized at
last The first steamer of the new Allan line Is
to leave Liverpool on Friday of this week, to be
followed by two more August 18th and Septem-
Der sth. Arrangements have been made with 1
the railroads connecting with Norfolk to CO.
operate with the new line; others are talked of,
and again is heard the assertion, confidently
made, that Norfolk can be and will be made the
great entrepot of the South and Southwest.
1t is very warm here, the thermometer as
write standing at IS deg in the shade, but the
city is toleIably clean and quite healthy.
A DEAD TOWN. G
All the signs Of thrift and progress noticed In
Norfolk vanish as soon one crosses Elizabeth
river and sets foot in Portsmouth. The steam
ferry boats between the two cities are filthy and
suffoeating little tubs, and the unfavorable i'm
prtssion one receives from them Is not dispelled
ON landing. Portsmouth is a dull and sleepy
looking town. All enterprise seems 10 have died
long ago. The aiority of the houses have not
been painted or whitewashed for years. fences
s are ts 4. down ISols leaking and every
- 49, WHAT KILLED IT. A'& Il
"A New England woman, who came down here
few days ago on a visit to some friends, met
Some Portsmouth ladies, and was very frank in
her expressions as 10 the Visible evidences of
shiftessness. "0hi my" says she, " don't YOU /
ever paint your houses down here? never did
see anything so rusty and all to piecesn To this
eP@tsmouth LADY replied: ss Well, I'm widow,
my husband was killed in the war; that's tie
reason I'm not fixed up" Says another, And
Ina widow too. 81 Weil," says Miss ophelia,
ron must all be widows down here then from
the looks OF things.Y
WIDOWS on LoAFERs jsf
But hard-workins railroad emplOye whom 4 |
met-an intelligent mechanic-gave q more rca-
'sonabie explanstion q the difhcuity than the
widow Theory. Says hex " In this little town
alone there are between 1--WE and six hundred
able-bodied young men, who do nothing but loaf
abouf tbs bar rooms, and cpss the Yankees and
ringers; and there are as many more in Norfolk.
Iscpe Of tfnm are mechanics who used 20 be
employed in the navy yard here, and who, hay-
ing no work here, sit down in ideness instead Of
going elsewhere to hook forEit. Others are nice
but strangely enough can see no degradation IN
perding useless, mproft bile lives living ON
the FsmAalt of their little propertY-H living Il
can be cafled-or dependfne on me charity Of !
relations but little better on than themselves /
There are some young men about here who seem
to realize the changed cor dition OF things and
have gone earnestly TO work, At ANYTHING Their