The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-12-09

fame We find the wingidescrption OF th'
view coming west in Picturesque America
which is 80 very much better than our own couio
be that We copy it bodily. The view Is writer
by one riding west:
awhile we have been morali2ing, the tram has
Numbered over the costly and graceful bridge
Oron) built by the b. ~ o. r. r. Co., and whicl
snons fine Potomac on i've substantial piers, JUS
at its junction with the Shenandoah. NheT
fairly on the platform and the train has left The
view unobstructcd, we see, rising, sheer and in
accessible, directly before us, the rocky sides o.
Maryland Heights. Upon their laminatcd sur
face the curious eye ranges among the over
hanging masses Of projecting stone, 10 this
point and TO that IN search of the well known
Profile Rock. 1t catches, jutting out from
crcyice in the wall.like side a mass of shrubbcry
the hairs; little lower down patch of stunt
cd bushes-thc cpaulets; glancing then lttle
to the let, the Imagination quickly forms The
features. Curiosity being then satisfied, we turn
to the foot OF these frOwnng rocks, where are
seen the slow, languid Canal-boats, almost I'M
perceptbly in motion, crawling into the lock al
the bridge and vanishing by inches aroud the
mountain. On the left are Bolivar Heights, and
below them is the ruined armory at the Icrry-a
| long row of walls, windowless, rooiless, black
ened and desolate. Far up tile mountains re-
ccdc and become low hills, and close in upon
the rocky.slanded Potomac, which comes boldly
sweeping down past the town and meets the
Shenandoah and untcs with it on its way to
the Chesapeake and the ocean," The town Is
built at the foot Of the narrow tongue OF lana
that thrusts itself like a cut water, separating
the Potomac and the Shenandoah, and known as
Bolivar Heights" The town Is quaint and old
fashioned, and the Heights are covered with
tumblcd down and ruined buildings, many OF
them relics of the war. The inhabitants seem
to have long since gone 10 seed-to have lost
heart and to have given up the fight against the
inevitable. It's ancient prosperity was owing
to the armory and its regiment OF hard working
and well paid labOrers-days when the little
town was having flush times. But the war has
wiped away all this, floods have come, aud all the
natural spirit of the people seems to have gone
out also 1t had considerable notoricty in the
early part of the war which is too well known
to be repeated here.
We have but short stop here--iust time to
make Il few hasty notes of the surroundings and
admire the handsome bridge with its crooks and
turns, and we are of again There are few or
no places of interest now till we rcah Washing
tom The scenery along the Potomac to Point
OF Rocks the junction of the main line and
Washington branch, is pretty and never wcari-
some, but tame in comparison with what we
have seen before. One especially notices the
great number Of ruins Of bridges, destroyed
during the war From Point Of Rocks to Wash
ington the country is fiat, very wei! cultivated,
especial attention being paid to vegetable and
garden truck for the city. This is the border
dividing section Of the north from
the south, and has that appearance, being dis
tinctly neither side by side we see evidences
Of northern energy and southern shItlessncss;
the number Of negroes increases, indeed we be
rim to see them for the first time almost, for
there are evidently few negroes in the mount.
ans Yet they are rather the negroes Of the
north than of the south; for all who have seen
tie freedman know there Ia vast difference
N his appearance according 10 the section he
lives in--the dandyfed colored gentlemen of the
northern cities beng a very different bird from
VIC bl- 'NNN-hi-ENI VI AHD opuAlNlH HliLNS'
Otherwise, they are much alike, though hardly ,
link one white man could bull.doze dozen
MARYLAND negroes as he is said TO have done
Louisiana negroes.
To adopt a remark in liowclrs, az Days Pleas
ire" we might observe that there Is n shabb- |
lcss about Washington; but we must own that
Is soon us you ret reasonable distance from !
he city, it turns wholly beautiful" more cspcc.
ally if the view is had somewhere near mid |
hight As one rides into the city with the glare
If its multitadinous gas lamps flashing brightly, |
md on the Hill sees the outlines of the splendid
white marble capitol, hc is apt to think Washing
ION must be a beautiful city; but seen by day
light we much fear vast deal Of the desire to
,nthuse over the Capitol City VIII bc forciby
md painfully knocked out Of him before many
Iours. Accustomed rs wc are to roam the mag
Efficiently bull, up street, of our state mc.ropo-
is Chicago 1t IS hard TO fall in the way Of en-
Dying the old fashioned, red brick, square win
lowed rows Of buildings ON the avenues Of
Washington. And, too duriag our visit Penn
ylyania avenue from Wizards to the Capitol
vas all torn up and filled with tar boilers and
cgro workmcn laying the new asphalt pave
lcut, and more vile smells to the acre could
ardly be found anywhere However, as visitors
% to ". to see the government buildings there
no difficulty in being pleased and in being am
,y repaid. Also for their time and money for
hey are well worth visit. No one, In addition
o the Government buildings, should TAIL to visit
he Corcoran Art Gallery, nearly opposite the
White House, If he is lover of Art But Roose's