Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1877-06-20
the Presidents House and even Mrs

you think we will read and talk more
intelligently about these things than
before? If you doubt it sir just come
to our house and hear our observing
Keziah discourse on the simplicity Of
Mrs. Hayes toilet and the cheap little
back comb that held her tangled hair in
place just like Il girls all have till they
get their morning work done. l tell
you, sir, it pays to take your wife to
Washington and show her Mrs. Hayes,
and how she does. As soon as you
return you'll find the hifalutin of your
household gone, and the madam at hard
work doing like the presidents wife.
So marvellous is the effect that we
would not have our wife know that the
woman she saw was not Mrs. Hayes for
three times what it cost us to 90 on the
excursion.
The trip was a complete success in
every essential. There was not a delay
Of five minutes at any point and every
thing went off as though it was a daily
business with those having charge. The
eNcursionists were most all quartered
at the Washington, fremont and
Howard Houses, at a cost of two
dollars for the lou meals and lodging.
The train vas under the management
Of Messrs. Averill, Smith and Dorsey
who wed with each other in friendly
competition for the credit of doing most
toward the comfort Of the party. We
have been along with several excursions
and notice that Mr.. Averill always goes
with the train. This would appear to
us as providing against accident. As
superintendent he can and does give
orders in person. thus almost insuring
against the mistakes possible with the
telegraph and other means of COM
munication. All Of these gentlemen
are entitled to the gratitude of our
people for the labor and pains and care
bestowed upon the young exeursionists
of their trains. We are assured the
next excursion will be under the same
management i'll every detail. But what
would life be worth on a train without
the reliable engine man, We had
Mr.. Buckley. than whom their is not a
better on the road FIVE may accredIt
what every body says, and he was as
sisted by Charles Cole, the ueecher,
whose skill with the throttle valve is
only equaled by the precision with
which he losses ice cream to his palate
without carrying the spoon near his
mouth. Ned Smith Of Winchester was
along to introduce the party into the
mysteries ola hard crab saloon. Dorsey
said Smith was sent down by the COM
pany to talk a livery man to death for
not shipping some horses over the road
Very few Of Our party went to Mt
Vernon as anticipated because of a
heavy rain coming up about the hour of
starting. We saw Capt Frank prancing
up the Avenue with his head at an Il
gle OF 80 degrees, and he said that when
we sent down another party he would
arrange for an afternoon trip. on the
arrival Of the train. That will be lust
the thing.
Now Mr.. Editor we promised not to
tell anybody that Dur boys (and men too
all went to the Avenue Thater where a
few got stuck for a private box. and we
must be Is goodas our word. By the
way talking about what benefits result
from those excursions. most any of
these fellows can tell you exactly the
difference between a flower girl and a
steam boat, which. but for this trip.
they would have lived grossly ignorant
Of. These Woodstock boys do not sleep
much away from home, but they catch
the music Of a song with alacrity. Some
Of them are unremittirgly humm;ng or
whistlng an air rendered by a beautiful
danseuse whose net weight is about $40
with lungs in proportion.
Returning from Washington we en-
countered Bob Wilson. with his dining
room on wheels, at ITarpers Ferry.
Sandwiches hot coffee, ice cream and
other d~e1lcacles put every body in the
highest flow of spirits and the scenes Of
gayety continued to the very moment Of
disembarking. In this respect the ex-
cursion was an exception. No body
was ''broken down" tired or played
out" All returned just as they started,
more than satisfied, and generally
resolved to try it on again next time.