Middletown transcript., 1873-08-09

Office, aud wcaried OF the mental strain Of
tho editorial chair, We determined to take
. little recreation. aud accepting the gen.
~rous offer Of our good friend. $. g., TO
run the TRASscRirr during our alb
seuce, valise in hand. in which our
house hold angel had packed such things
% she knew would be necessary, We took
. scat in one OF the luxurious coaches
with which the Delaware Railroad is now
provided by the = ". 4 Il Co., waved
short adicu to Mdjletown. and, after a
pleasant ride Of a few hours. reached
Baltimore. Having heard much Of the
superior style in which Guys Monu-
men, House. i. kept. VIC resolved to try it
We did SO aud wcre-saiis6ed. For,u-
na,rly, we didn't have to stay but one
night, and mex, morning. after as poor a
breakfast. for which VIC paid as big a
price. (on the European plan,) as VIC
ever sat down to. We took the Baltimore
and Ohio cars ria Metropolitan Branch,
for Harper's Ferry. The run from Balti-
more to Washington. a distance Of ~
miles. was made 10 just one hour, includ-
ing one ',oppage at the Relay House.
The weather was pretty warm and the
dust blew in at the windows sometimes
in clouds set, for all that, the ride was
not an unpleasant one, and Loudoun and
Maryland Heights loomed up before US
much sooner than We expected TO see
them. Here we were delayed some three.
fourths OF an hour. which time. potwi,h-
standing the heat Of the sun, We spent in
looking around the place, rendered his
torc by the scenes ,ha, i. witnessed dur
ing the great civil war. 1t is in a most
romantic situation. but the town itself is
the mos, diapida,ed, forsakcn-looking
place iha, We ever saw. II is but the
wreck uf the beautiful town Of 1860.
The walls Of the building from which
Old John Brown fred the first gun Of
the - irrepressiblc conflict still stand
but the arsenal and the government
works were blrut nut during the war, aud
only the crumbing ruins mark the place
where they stood They will. doubtless,
never be rebuilt The B Il .. Il II.
Co.'S. new triangular bridge across the
Potomac ia the only thing that looks new
in the place. Not even the churches
have been rebuilt, aud the town is rapidly
going TO decay. On either side Of the
Ferry are the memorable heights on which
we're posted tho batteries Of jackson aud
Breckenridge ou the day when Gcucral
Niles entire command was 'gobbled up
BY the reb., In their march To An,ic,am
Viewing the situation We don't blame
fen, Niles for surrendering. We would
have douc so ourselves.
We were no, left long 10 dream Of the
days Of La Gioire. for. suddenly, the
shrill scream Of the iron horse was revcr-
bers,ed from the rocks around the Ferry
and the &" all.aboard" Of the conductor
caused oil hands to "g grab" their bag.
gage and away VIC went rumbling over
the confederate grauary at faster rate
even than Banks retreatcd over the sam,
ground ahead Of Jackson. over every foo
d which the con,epding hosts struggled
for the mastery during our late "unpleas
au,uess."
Growing tired Of car.riding We conclu
ded to ..lsy over for a day at Jordan
White Sulphur spriugs," 2s miles from
the Ferry. Accordingly. when We reach
cl Stcphenson's dcpo. We we're agail
dumped, bag and baggage. upon the pla.
form. Here we found gaudily pniute'
s,lgs coach waiting to convey passenger
20 the Springs. Handbills and advertise
meu,s had told us that tho Springs wer
cnly mile and half from the depot.
that /, the distance. the stage certsiul
goes very slowly. for il took Us just for.
minutes to get 10 The Springs.
Among other passengers in the cosc
Vas . vcrdsus youth from Baltimore. VII
had. evidently. never been from home be
fore. lie exhibited intense anxiety I
learn sll he could about the Springs. be
fore he got there, aud some Of tho que'
lions he asked were amusing from .hei
very eimplieisy.
Al,bossh the house vas not full. b
cog nesns. the senslsmsnly clerk SCENE
- labor sndss considerable difficulty
lpd - suitable room. At last. how
sSes. ue we're accommodated, 10 th
ejesk's satisiacsioo. II not to ours.
Jssdanls 1psiass are not very fsmor
:. s~,GH TIA nlaoe II visited eomS