Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-09-24
Down the Potomac; Up the James.

STEAMER ARIEL, JAMES RIVER, Sept. 49,
Editor Stdr:-It is a pleasant ride on the
Lady OF the Lake from your city to Norfolk.
1t is true that the sightseeing, or view of
scenery is quite 'limited"-as the latter day
railroad ticket puts it-for there are but two
bits OF daylight to see in, just the little begin
ming and ending of the trip. But if 1 could not
see, could think, and the hundreds OF memo
rles, more or less, of the grand old river Poto-
mac came M thronglng to the mind: Since 1
washington via Baltimore, the Chesapeake
bay and Jal..eS river, have not been puzzled
oyer the fact that the Marylander and the
his familiar Potomac with an abounding ad.
miration, even affection. Well. il is a beauti.
ful stream, broad, placid and plentiful in its
aqueous aqueous depth; and then its historic
the war OF iSl2 it Was the scene Of
many important transactions and events.
II l mistake not, the proud Briton with his
ing the late sanguinary strife it was the thea
ter of some mOmentOus events. But to me one
OF Of ITS chief attractions lies in the fact that
critics, lived on its banks and loved it. Since
my trip for pleasure and observation down
the chesapeake in 1856 soma changes have
made their mark about Hampton Roads. The
hip RapS have become almost a complete ada
mantine fOrtificatiOn. The Hygeia Hotel since
then has risen up On the sands of Old Point
Comfort: Then Jefferson Davis was tenant
in one OF the casemateS of Fortress Monroe
The village OF Hampton seems to have added
lew large slightly structures to its precincts
NORFOLK
Is larger town than l supposed. 1t has
ranked as the third-in point of amount-rot-
ton shipping port in the country, New Orleans
helng The first and Savannah the second Bus
heard some of its citizens expressing appre.
nenSlonS that This cotton shipping business
was liable to be greatly diminished the season
now about opening, from the fact that a rail-
road issY that has heretofore empted its freight
trans, by the management on the Norfolk
WharyeS has changed prOprietOrShip, or is
about to do so, and that in future its cotton
trains Will be controlled in the business inter-
est OF Savannah. Norfolk has an important
lact IN lis favor as shipping port, depth of
wafer and harbOr easy OF ingress and safe,
Hon. John GOOde resides at Norfolk, and he
just now appears to be at his home both fam
Gus and infamous, the which character pre-
dominating, depending on who speaks his
pOiltlcal friends or enemies. The latter are
particularly bitter against him In their utter
ances. Ihe Hon. j. G. is on our steamer go
ing TO Hi, suppose some of his appointments
He is canyassing his district preparatory to
election day.
We are having a delightful ride up the
James We shall pass through Dutch Gap;
We didn't in 1865.
THE POLITICAL REVOLUTION.
have been struck with the fact that cool
headed men with moderate views hereaboutS
and further north declare that they are fear
1ul that the present national labor party'S ac-
tion will finally result in material modifica-
tion OF our institutions That the cOmmonalitv
will be used by their ambitious, Inscriptions
leaders to circumscribe the privileges and
powers of the people, and to increase, on the
other hand, the force and al albitrary power of
tHe government OTnclalS. OBSERVER.