Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1880-04-13
pleasant Excursion of school Girls.

NON-PAY THEIR RESPECTS TO THE PREsI-
DENT, &c, AND HAVE PLEASANT TIME
GENERALLY.
Messrs, Editors Spectator I'm compliance
with your request, will give you an account
of the excursion to Washington last week of a
number of the young ladies of the Augusta Fe-
| male Seminary of Stanton, in charge of Miss
M. J. Baldwin-the Principal-with three of the
lady teachers and two ''settled" gentlemen of
Staunton who had been invited to accompany
| the party. There were sixty-four in all. as we
were joined at Gordonsviile by Mr.. Aunspaugh
at Liberty, Va. whose daughter was with us.
BY previous arrangement we had special
train to Charlottesville, leaving here on Monday
| at O'Clock, P. NJ, in tead of l0:7 A. M, con-
Meeting with the regular truin at that place.
| and arriving in Washington at 9:15. P. NJ, the
same time we would have arrived there
had we started at l0:l7. A. M. We certainly
made quick time from Staunton to Charlottes-
| Vile, under Conductor Pat Woodward. where
our car was attached to the regular train on the
Midland Road When we got to the National
Hotel in Washington, we found all the ar
rangements complete, and the ladies repaired
| to their rooms-t,Do pupils only to a room,-Dr.
Wayt who had a carefully prepared list, regis
| tering the whole party while they were pre-
pairing for supper.
AS the programme of the visit to Washing
| ton and its surroundings had been determined
| upon for some time, and ali the arrangements
made in advance, there was no time lost.
The next morning-Tuesday-w were up
early and had time to walk through the wash
ington Market" which contains not only
| meats, fish, and vegetables. but also fruits,
flowers, and groceries of all kinds, before TAX
| ing the steam boat NV. w. Corcoran,' at 10
A. M, for Mount Vernon. As we moved down
the Potomac River, which is at least mile
| wide, on the upper deck of the boat, past the
Navy Yard, with Washington, Georgetown.
| the Capitol, and Arlington Heights, In full
view behind US. the prospect was very pleas
| ing one. Col. Hollingsworth, Superintendent
| of Mount Vernon, was on the boat and pointed
out objects of interest: and when We arrived
at Mt. Vernon, conducted the party to the tomb
of Washington. and through the house and
grounds giving explanations which contained
interesting information. We were there two
and half hours and returned to the city at
$3.50 P. M. During the trip some of the young
ladies were much interested in the engine of
| the boat and were discussing among them
| selves the power and application of steam.-l
| Music On a harp and other instruments. by
Italians. and songs by some o. the passengers
with piano accompaniment, contributed to the
pleasure of all on board. After enjoying five
o'clock dinner, we strolled through the Capitol
grounds, which were only few squares from
our Hotel.
| In the evening the young ladies from Geor-
gia, accompanied by Miss Baldwin, called upon
Hon. Alex. H. Stephens, who has made the
| national his home for years. They enjoyed
very much their brief visit to the invalid states-
man, VINO chatted pleasantly with them.
| Wednesday morning about $50, we started
for the Soldiers Home in three omnibuses-
| two of them four horse-and after a drive of
| three miles entered the grounds containing
eight hundred acres, and presenting the ap-
pearance of o Park with its smooth drives, |
green sward and native forests. The buildings
| which are of a tasteful style of architecture, |
and constructed of the most durable material, |
are located upon high ground commanding a
view of the city. The Soldiers Home is well
endowed, the fund having been realized large |
| ly from captures made by General Scott in the
| war with Mexico, ard appropriated to this OBJ
ject. 1t is no additional tag. T be:ieye, upon
the Government The soldiers are very ep- |
thusiastic in regard to the Home, and say they |
get good fare and are made very comfort |
able. Suci, soldiers as have served twenty |
years are admitted to the Home. This is a
charity worthy of the Government, end seems
to be admirably managed.
We next went to Arlington" driving |
through portion Of the city containing hand |
some residences, where the straets are wide and
paved with asphalt. We viewed the Thomas |
statue, Scott statue, the Washington statue lall
equestrian)-and the Louise Home'-the beau
tiful charity founded by W. W. Corcoran. and
bearing the name of his young wife who died \
about two years after heir marriage, and whose
memory he has cherished SO tenderly through
all the intervening years. We drove through
Georgetown Rnd airass the bridge near the
'Three sisters'-large roeks ip the Potomac
to AIRING ton. Here are fifteen thousand fiye
hundred Federal soldiers buried. The ce,nete.
ry is kept in perfect order.
The view from Arlington is magnificent
From ting mansion is seen a large portion of
the eleven hundred and fifty acres of the Ar
lington tract, between the house and the Riv-
sr, the broad Potomac :extendipg fer miles to
the South East, and the cities of Washington
and Georgetown on the opposite side Of the
River.
meet an engagement at one O'Clock. with
friends who had kindly offered to show us
through the building. We went first to the
Senate Chamber. Both of our Va. Senators
were absent, but several Senators from other
States extended courtesies. Capt. Burke, of
this county. who has charge of portion OF the
gallery, had us conducted to seats where we
could see the body and hear the discussions In
the absence of Yice-P President Wheeler from the
city. senator Thurman of Ohio, native of
Virginia. was in the chair.
We happened to be in the Gallery ofthe HOUSE
of Representatives at the time Of the spirited
discussion between Messrs. Clymer of Penn,
and Sparks of Illinois, when the House GER
tainy presented an animated appearance.
While in the Galleries several OF the Senators
and Members came to speak to some of the
young LADIES who are daughters of their warm
nj frienQS.
gratifed at the conplimept..
The Electrician at the Capitol gage an exhi-
bition OF electric lights, with explana ions
which were entertaining and Instructive. We
were shown the machinery for ventilating the
building.
After devoting some time to the paintings
and statuary in the Rotunda and Art Hall, We
went on top of the dome, from which the view
of the surrounding country, but the whole city
with its pubic buildings and grounds extend
GROUND " II FL dir the brad s
We returned to our Hotel through the Boz
tanical Gardens, where we saw many varieties
of tropical plants and FLOWERS.
After dining and resting until near sunset,
we strolled through the grounds of the Smith
Musical entertainment by Leo Wheat Given to
Miss Ba4q win ard her party. in one Of the Par
!ors of the Metropoiitan Eotel. In perfecting
to the accomplished Principal or the Augusta
Female Semi, airy, Mr.: Wheat was warmly Sec
ondsd by 5udgs H oHr
with his family, and who had previously called
to pay his respects to her,
TO any one who has heard Mr.. Wheat upon the
piano, and is familiar with his attachments in
music, 1t Is useless to add that we enjoyed a
musical treat. We were much indebted to q
lady guest OF the hotel-a daughter Of a mem
Der of Congress from Charleston, s. C.,-for sew
eral songs which she sang admirably.
Thursday we were off little after eight
to which We had been invited by q note to the
Principal from Mr.. Fhohpsdn; 9 clerk, who is
a relative Of ths Secretary Of the Navy, and of
diving costume and apparatus, tho machine
shops. ship building and museum, and took us
on the monitor-"Passaic"-w still carries
many indentations received during the bou-
bardlqept Of Forts near Charleston Captain
Grahap snd clhsrc Ct the officers showed us
now bGing cast. It Is of heroic size. w.
We nSEt visited the Smithsonian Institute,
where there ia such q variety of curious and
interesting things that we ooiltented ourselves
with taking hurried view of all.
We moved on to the Treasury Department
where guide was assigned to each four of the
party to take us through the printing estab-
lishment, where we saw all the operations of
engraving printing, and handling money and
4 vJonn l