Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1877-06-22
EynURsToN TO WASHINGTON.
LARGE N1r,1BER OF PAssENGERs-THE
RIDE DOWN THE VALLE9-SCENES IN
WAsuINGTON-9IT. VERNON.
&C., sc.
tRanortod for the "Staunton indicator"

sc &C., sc.
rRanortad for the 'Staunton Findcator."]
The r. g. O. r. r. excursion train of
eleven cars left Staunton about sun rise
last Friday morning, taking 80 citizens
from this city. At all the principal points
along the ronte accessions were made TO
! the party. wildwood furnished 2, Weyer's
! Cave ?. Mt. Crawford 2, Harrisonburg IS,
Linville II. New Market u, Mt. Jackson
26, Edinburg q, Woodstock go. Maury-
town 10, Toms Brook IS, Winchester 1874,
Summit Point 80, Charlestown rs, and
Tarper's Ferry IS; so that we carried into
Washington at l 2. NJ. 541 as jolly eXcur-
sonists as ever went pleasuring
The excursion was III charge of Supt. J.
II. Ayerill and Capt. j. Z. Smith, whose
experience relieved the party Of all aprrv-
tensions as to accidents and whose cOul-
| teous attention secured every comfort and
| convenience, att;llnable.
| This excursion is the first of a series Or
ganized by the B. & o. road to last during
| the summer and fall and if all are as sue
| cessful as the first they will contribute
much to the pleasure OF our Valley people
and those who may be sojourning amongst
us as it is well known there is no scenery
that surpasses that of the lovely Valley Of
Virginia, no air that is so pure and brac-
ing. and no road that is more pleasant and
safe than the Baltimore u Ohio and its Val
ley connections.
| There was q new and most agreeable
feature inaugurated on this first excursion
VIZ: an eating car attached to the train
which is managed by Mr.. Wilson Of Wood
stock a well known caterer. A neat din
Ing room is in one end of the car, fitted up
with tables running along both sides,
where the traveller gets a comfortable seat
and an excellent meal such IL bill Of fare
as ham, beef, tongue, chicken, the freshest
butter, and coffee, worthy OF q French
cook, all for fifty cents, no necessity for
your cold lunch Of stale bread and meat
and hard boiled eggs numbering up syour
bagge and littering your seat. This Car
will be attached also to all the regular
trains.
The impression produced OH the traveller,
who has an eye to the farming interest
along the route in question, is that their
| never was q more promising crop OF wheat.
1t waived luxuriantly every where, and in
Maryland great deal will ripen the present
| week Nothing but hail OF prOtracted wet
weather can now stand in the way of an
enormous crop. Corn and oats are late,
but growing well, and the hay harvest has
| commenced at some points.
On reaching Washington, the principal
part Of the Stanton delegation, with a
great many Others went to the Washing
ton House, on Pennsylvania Avenue,
where special and extremely reasonable
terms were offered the party, and every eff
fort made to render their large number Of
guests comfortable. After q hearty din
Her we scattered i'll every direction, the
first point visited showing pretty &C
curatelY the peculiar procllvities OF each
individual mind. The ladies mostly made
for the Botanical Gardens, the first thing;
the lovers Of natural history and Egyptian
mummies fastened to the Smithson ian;
the farmers and machinists repaired to the
Patent Office, while the Corcoran Art
Gallery and public libraries were the re-
| sorts Of the scientific and sentimental; the
ambitious Slght-seerS were on the summit
of the Capitol's dome i'll less than half an
hour, taking it all in at once, and the po-
litician and professional caller, i'll less time,
was ringing the door-bell at the White
House.
Following up his natural instincts, the
writer got into the Treasury as soon as
possible, and leaning over the gallery Of
the cash room, watching the cashiers and
tellerS counting out the millions of bank
notes, bonds, gold and silver, WAS happy
for q time.
This cash room is an elegant apartment,
panelled with fine marble of every hue and
almost every cline, the Egyptian prepon-
derating. This room cost $50, 900, and in
huge double-doored, double-locked and
ironbOund vault adjoining we were told was
stored s65, 000, 000 in gold-the government
reserve. The names of Secretaries Spin
ner and McCullOch and others are carved
over the different doors Of the room.
There is something interesting to see i'll
nearly every section OF this large building,
but there is not room on this paper for
half of it. L. one apartment a set Of clerks
are busy cancelIlng coupons Of withdrawn
bonds. A small package Of $4,000 is just
thrown aside, while another bale, lying
near, represents SIS, 900, 000-that much OF
the public debt paid anyhow.
In the other rooms Il number OF the lady
clerks are counting bills so rapidly that the
eye can hardly follow the motions of their
hands. Further along the corridors are
some engaged III counting and redeemlng
large piles OF mutilated currency, Which is
reduced to q pulp instead OF burning, as
was formerly done.
The silver is handled by another set and
the gold by still another. There are about
20O0 of these employees the pay of the
clerks averaging about $50 per month, all
mistakes are traced to the party who makes
them, charged up to the unfortunate clerk
and deducted from his or her pay and some
times q Zig hole is made i'll the years sala
ry of q careless hand
We will relate an instance to show the
nervous dread Of dismissal, which hangs
like dark cloud over this money centre.
One Of cur party called at the Superinten-
dents office for an acquaintance. HE
young lady was summoned from her room
and came into the office pale and trembling
expecting to receive her discharge. She
was immensely relieved to see the face of
an old friend instead Of her walking pa
pers. 1t is not our intention to give a
| sketch of the sights at the Federal city,
the story has been too often told to carry
! much freshness with it; SO leaving the
subject here we will take our reader on u
hasty trip down the Potomac on the steam
er Arrow to the tomb Of Washington 1t
WAS raining so ON Saturday morning that
but few Of our party carried out the Mt.
| Vernon part Of the programme. This is a
most beautiful place and owned by the
Ladies monument Association. Ihe old
mansion house has been repalHted and re-
paired, without altering any of the inter
nal arrangements and still contains Il good
deal Of the quaint Old furniture used by
the original occupant. 1t was in charge
on the day in question of Mrs. Busllrod
| Washington, of CharlestoWn, W est Va,
| connection of the family and an officer
OF the association, who entertained her
guests with many interesting reminiscent
ces and reminders and one of the most ell
egant and abundant Of lunches. the mod
ern Zettlle could not have surpassed The
grounds are kept in perfect order, grass,
flowers and shrubbery neatly trimmed aud
arranged, butno remoda!ing OF the plan of
anything, so that the visitor beholds an
attractive blending OF the old and the new
which always enteTtains and never tires.
There were no tears she'd at the time hon
ored ''ice house." Our faithful guide took
us straight to the veritable tomb where
those who had patriotic tears to shed could