The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1875-05-29
LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.
WASHINGTON, d. c., May -, 1877

lnjuns, with reference to their quarters
here. On former visit of Red Cloud,
Spotted Tail Il Co, they were quartered
at the Washington Hotel, and being "mucll
sick" from their long journey they were
freely INDUCED by the Bar Medicine
Man," (at Uncle Samuel's expense and as
Il natural consequence, gave considerable
trouble to those having them in charge.
Cpon this occasion they have been assigned
to the fremont House, temperance hotel,
where the :" fire water" tloweth not, and
the Medicine Man is no more. This fact
together with the effect of their journey
has made them every much sick, if not
sicker, and has driven them Oh the war
path, and they refuse to transact any bust
ness with Uncle Samuel until they are
moved to their old quarters. Their con-
duct shows the defiant temper they are in,
and should make the Government authori-
ties very firm in their treatment of them.
Red Cloud has been i'll bad humor for
over a year, because the Commissioner of
Indian Affairs insisted on taking a frequent
census of his people and issuing supplies
| accordingly. Formerly the number was
estimated, and his tribe received more than
they were entitled to. He has never liked
the counting business, and has done all he
could to thwart the intentions of the
authorities in this respect. Add to this
the pernicious influence exercised over the
principal chiefs 10y interested traders and
half breeds, and the Government finds them
in very unamiable mood. Under the
circumstances it is not unlikely that they
will return to their country dissatisfied,
and ripe for bloody war on the whites.
MOUNT VERNON.
l had the pleasure of accompanying a
party on an excursion, during the past
week, to that shrine dear to the hearts of
all true Americans, known as Mt Vernon,
where the bones of the immortal George
are watched over by the good ladies WHO
rescued home and tomb from the hands of
the vandals There is no pleaSanter pill
grimage on earth than that, on a sunny
day, such as this was, in Spring, Summer
or Autumn, from Washington to Mt. Ner-
non.
The lower Potomac is not picturesque
stream. The banks are low, and rounded
in abrupt hills, afford no landscape on
either side: but the river has certain
quiet dignity of its own that comes of its
width and the quiet movements of the
water. Along this the little steamer
! .irr6'r, devoted to carrying pilgrims to the
shrine, glides so quietly, that to read, sleep
or gossip, is as easy as at ores home. The
boat was crowded. and what, with supply
of choice lemonade and the music from
four troubadours of sunny Italy, armed
with violins and harps, quantity of the
soil of their sunny land on their persons,
and their several countenances a good deal
out of drawing-with these adjuncts we
were rs merry as kittens playing with a
humble bee.
The street music furnished from the
classic shores Of Italy is not generally of a
very inspiriting sort, but our string band
put great vehemence in their elbows and
fingers, and in few minutes two lovely
| girls, of sweet sixteen, were waltzing along
the narrow deck. The example was conta-
gious, and from that out we had dancing
on board.
Mt. Vernon is wonderfully improved I'M
der its present management. Visiting a
tomb is rather a melancholy affair under
any circumstances, but as the shrine in
cludes the former home of Washington,
and as it is preserved almost as he left it,
the excursion is pleasant. y beautiful
roadway or walk winds up the hill from
the river past the tomb to the house, and
the quaint old mansion stands intact under
its fine old trees, looking out upon the
dreamy Potomac, SO unlike anything of to,
day that one almost expects to see the
tall, slender figure of George, in his knee
breeches, top boots and shad- belly coat,
pacing to and fro along the stone paved
veranda.
The Superintendent, Col. IIollingshead,
made himself very agreeable in conducting
parties over the premises, and giving the
history of every object worth notice.
The managers of the Mt. Vernon Asso-
citation, regents | believe they are called,
displayed great shrewduess in selecting the
Captain of the Arrotc as Superintendent OF
the house and grounds: he is jolly good
fellow, every where at once, and every
where agreeable. He volunteers to carry
Sunday Schools and Orphan Asylums gratis
on excursions, keeping the boats manned
and ready in case an infant rolls overheard,
and he can mix a julip Il beg pardon, lem,
onade) in a way to make one in love with
to chosen few. But several fair haired
youths repeated so often that by the time
we reached the shrine they were in a very
confused condition, and dropped tears at
the milk house, ice-houses, and divers and
sundry uncalled localities, and got away
with rather 4 confused idea of Mt. Vernon
and its honored dead. BY the way, there
is no place so troubled by relic hunters as
this same Mt, Vernon. Knives, scissors,
thieving fingers are continually at work.
| The bed cords of the bed on which the
great patriot died has to be renewed every
week. An old bureau has to have its brass
knobs inserted again continually. Col. II.
told US of nice looking lady caught with
her pockets full of decanter stopples from
Washngton's camp chest, while man who
had a sane appearance went in search of a
bedbug, declaring that he would give ten dol
lars for specimen taken from the bed the
General died on. Think" he cried en-
Enthusiastically, "of possessing an insect de-
scended from bugs that probably fed Oh the
father of our country or Gen. Lafayette -
| The Company is fortunate in its Supern-
tendent, who made our visit SO agreeable
that we heard the steam whistle recalling
us not tioyfully, and left with reluctance.
J. ii. 2.
| THE RAILROAD STRATEGY.-As there
would be nothing gained by one bankrupt
| COMPANY disposing of road in running