The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1878-01-12
atheelin9 &e9ister.
A FIRST TRIP TO WASHINGTON
over the Baltimore and Ohio Rail-
road.

n IInOI I'M ~ "'S'S'
over the Baltimore and Ohio Rail-
road.
Nv Lady Correspondent.
SO many, many pictures crowd the
retina of ones memory at once that 1t is
hard to find beginning or stopping
place in the attempt to describe stay-st-
home body's first trip to Washington.
The very house itself wherein L now
write has almost historic interest. Here
it was that Schuyler Colfax held his re-
ceptions IN the pslmy days when he was
Vice-President. He stood Immediately
under the archwsy in the middle OF the
long parlor, with the American flag
draped above his head, and received all
corners with his smile that was chlldlike
and bland. Here too II was that sturdy
old Senator, Ben. Wade, lived at one
time with his family. Here again the
indomitable little Mrs. General Gaines
resided part of the time during the long
and courageous fight for her name and
her rights. At times she was so poor
that she had no more than change CT
clothing, yet she appeared at the recep-
tions in the house, and was so charming
that next dsy the newspapers reported
the sparkling wit and beautiful appear
snce of Mrs. General Gaines, in "blsck
velvet and diamonds" The diamonds
we're all in her eyes, and her conversation;
the black velvet, alas! was all In the re-
porter's eye.
The very journey itself to Washing
ington, over the b. u o., road, is full OF
interest, in fact, all OF which the lively
traveller has an opportunity OF sppreciat-
ing before his journey is ended. The OH
GERS Of the road are perfectly polite ard
obligin =, and answer pleasantly all the
Questions of even newspaper person.
One thing don't remember ever reading
about is the curious sensation OF seIslck-
ness experienced sometimes by travellers
on the b. IL D. road. II one wants to
feel how IL is 10 be seasgck without the
trouble of al ocean voyage, let him come
to Washington over the B..& y. K. K,
and maybe he will be sick and maybe he
won't. | wasn't sesslck q bit, II you
please, and I'm proper proud of 1t; but
people often are, and scenes not pleasant
TO the eve or reassuring TO the inwards
sometimes take place. They say 1t Is
the great number Of short curves In the
road that does the mischief. We swing
around and around, and climb up and up
among the mountains, and cross three
ranges, the Allegheny, the Cumberland,
and a spur of the Blue Ridge. At Gran
berry Summit, in the Alleghenies, we
are 3 700 feet above the tidewater-3, 700
feet nearer the sky than we were IN the
valley-snd still the sky seems us Tar OFT
rs it did at Cincinnati.
The curves are so short and sharp that
from the rear OF train one can often
see the locomotive at the front, darling
IN and out, and skirting around the
mountains.
"Does 1t make men seasick, as well as
women2" asked l snxlously OF the con-
ductor.
"Uh, yes, indeed. l assure you it does,
replied the conductor.
"I'm very glad, says |.
To stsy-at- home body VINO never saw
mountain, there is something not to be
spoken or written in the sight of one.
His soul must be- stupider than u brick
bat who can look even at such hills as the
Alleghenies without being flied with a
sudden longing after the tremendous and
the unknowable. One looks far up at
the serene heights and suddenly longs
for wings to fy like bird and soar over
the everlasting hill-tops, on and on
eternslly, over heights and depths no
human foot can reach. Wings are the
one thing lacking to the human race. In
our dreams sometimes we seem to be
propelled through m les OF space by some
unknown power, by sort of gliding or
owing motion of our bodies; and the
same dream has come to everybody ut
times in his lite Maybe the coming race
will be able TO glide through the alr rs we
glide 10 our dreams. Maybe they can
scale the beautiful heights unattainable
by our tolling feet. Who knows?
The mountains are covered with scrub
oak quite to the top in most places.
Thick growLhs OF cedar follow the course
OF creeks and ravines A feeling OF
Loneliness and wildness takes possession
of one at sight of the little cabins and
wooden houses perched far up in the
hillsides, where it seems impossible for d
wagon to be driven. don't suppose
they get their daily paper once year W
there. IL looks rs If not enough would
grow in the ground 10 sustain the lie o!
that sort of snake which only eats once
IN three months. From that conCeited
as we'll rs stingy polnt OF view which
looks upon everything rs made tor the
use man, what are these mountains OF
| West Virginia good for, anyhow? They
are still full OF dear and game for one
| thing, and so furnish an unlimited field
for green young city fellows TO waste
powder on, every year. That Is wha
! thew are good Tor on the outside. Ga the
inside of them they are tull OF ineXhaust
ib,e and Unreasonable riches in the shape
of minerals. Coal is the staple, but leac
! is found too, and there are mincs oil
ousrrles OF cement and other minerals
AS we skipped past on the train saw
coal mine tor the first time IN my life
II didn't look bit like what | thought ,
proper-minded mine ought TO be. L
| looked like hole in the ground-bles
| youl a rabbit-hole, or q rst-hote, or any
other kir d of Iow-minded common hol,
in the ground. But there are millions o
money in these holes.
The b. & q. road passes, too, through
scenes rich in historic and prehistoric in
,erest Theslght of the mountains mske'
one regret bitterly that he has forgotten
ali his geology. The great walls O
lodges OF rock which now run In strange
gray streaks up and down the mountain
,lde. and now lie broken and tilted cross
wise by some unrecorded earthquake, re
mind one at once of the unknown age
gone before, and OF the littleness o
human history.
| HISTORIC SCENES.
We pass over ground made eve
memorable by the late unplcasantneSs
The Cheat Mountain battle. ground j
pointed out to US Ms We fly past. Tn
bs;tle OF Chest Mountain was IN tw,
places at once, the conductor told us
one place on the hillside At Cheat Noun
| tain itself. another in 4 Tavlne sewers