Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1879-08-01
OUR NATIONAL CAPITAL.

Washington in common with other places
has suffered severely during this prolonged
heated term, and the prayer for rain is as
earnest here as among our farmers whose
crops are greatly injured by the draught.
We have, however, one means of relief,
through excursions on the Potomac, which
is accepted by everybody that can take the
time and can raise the pittance Of fare.
1t is only few years since an occasional
tub OF boat constituted our only sailing
facilities while now we have dozen strong
ly built steamers constantly plying up and
down the Potomac and filled at every trip,
not with some annual Sunday School pic
mic party as was the case 10 years ago, but
with citizens of all ages seeking relief from
heated walls and streets in the gentle
breeze which ever greets the occupant of
a boat on the Potomac. A company Of
public spirited citizens put on the river
this Spring an immense new steamer-The
George Leary-for excursion purposes ex-
clusively, and putting down fares to a nom
inal rates they have induced spirit of trav-
ell equal to that which sends all New
York city down to the adjacent ocean wa
tering places. The "Leary" carries pas
sengers from here to Norfolk and return
for $1.50 fare, and for this small sum the
excursionist can see the whole of the Po-
tomae, the lower half of Chesapeake Bay,
spend hours at Fortress Monroe IN bath
ing or in enjoyment of its sea breeze, have
several hours at Norfolk and then can en-
JOY ride out on the ocean for the boat
steams to Cape Henry, or far enough to
send many to their state-rOOms to avoid
sea-siekness which the ocean swell induces
with many stomachs. There is not in the
whole United States more enjoyable ex-
cursion than this and our citizens appreci-
ate it fully, for hundreds crowd the boat
on every trip. Though the Potomac offers
no rugged picturesque bank, yet its great
breadth of water fringed with dark pine
and shadow united with the broad sweep
of the Chesapeake Bay and the ocean which
lies east Of and eneircles Fortress Monroe
gives an effect as pleasurable and fascinat-
ing as the grand scenery of a western
mountain river, hence every visitor to the
Capital should embrace a trip to Norfolk in
his programme of travel. At all hours of
the day and evening smaller boats than the
'Leary" leave our wharves filed with
young and old and it would seem that half
our city is on the water. Fifteen cents
will carry one down past Mt. Union and
Fort Washington and return, and there
are few who do not devote that much to an
excursion some day or evening during the
week.
Notwithstanding that we have a river on
each side of US, for the city lies bet ween
the Potomac and one of its branches and
can under our hcense'law indulge in whis-
ky straight or watered ad. lib. and further
have a most costly system Of water works
which pours more than 10000, 900 of gal
Ions daily int6 our houses and sewers still
we are not happy. We have rebelled
against our city authorities, who, in chang
ing the old mode of water rents have de-
vised new that takes US most unmerci-
fully and we insist on lower rates or new
hands at the mill which grinds away our
greenbacks.
We are also pegging away at the GoY't
Engineers whom Dame Fortune or Dame
Evil has sent TO govern us and we are in
convention demanding that men, not fool
ish and young graduates of West Point,
shall care for our ills. The District of
Columbia, like the dead of Potters field, is
an experimental subject for all characters
in politics. But Of all the evils inflicted
upon us through this Congressional expert
mentlng not one equals the West Pointer
in magnitude. Destitute of practical
knowledge OF business and of engineering,
possessing unlimited self-eonceit and not a
particle OF common sense, there is not a
county surveyor this side of the Rocky
Mountains but would better suffice for gov
erning power than the Lieut.. Hoxies ct al. !
who waste our monies in all manner of i'm
practicable schemes. Any civil engineer of |
i've years experience can accomplish any
stated OBJECT with one half the money and |
in far better manner than any West Point |
er, no matter how experienced he may be, |
and IN so lar as our observation goes we |
do most unhesltatingly declare the West |
Point engineer IN contrast with the citizen |
as the prince Of humbugs How |
long must we endure him. He recently |
built stand pipe to force water into Ger. |
tain portions of the city, which proved an |
utter failure and loss of nearly $50. 900. |
he is now building a sewer which has at |
least 100000 mistake in It. and so on |
through his role. We are sure that our |
people, without exception, have no love for |
the West Pointer and his aristocratic con- |
eelts with consequent financial failures. |
His proper place is on the frontier, even If |
there his brains do become "ossihed COM /
two company posts"
A Mr.. Mead came here recently from |
California on his way to Baltimore where |
his brothers reside. But he suddenly dis
appeared. His body was subsequently |
found hanging to tree near the city much |
1eeomposed and eaten by the birds. His |
relatives insist it was not case Of suicide /
though S63 found in his pockets and other
circumstances strongly indicate self-de-
itruotion. JUNIus.
Washington, July 20, 1870. !