The Republican journal., 1882-06-08
From California to Maine.
SOUTHERN SENTIMENT. HOMEWARD AN INLANE
VIEW OF THE CAROLINAS AND VIRGINIA. AT
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL. GLIMPSE OF GOTHAM
AGAIN.

| The session of the Grand Lodge of Good Tenn
pars Of the World, which brought us to Charleston,
closed Friday May 2Gth and our delegations depart
| ed towards the four points of the compass We
| find ourselves thousand miles from home
| but when our brother Aylif the delegate from So.
Africa reports that it requires ten weeks for his
journey home, we accept our short trip without
murmur. On this last day the citizens, headed by the
Mayor, rendered us their hospitalities in the shape
| OF an excursion down the bay to Fort sumter and
other points of historic interest and the afternoon
was filed with speeches, music and sociality.
| Among our members and delegates were those who
| Wore the blue and those who wore the gray score
of years ago, and several who experienced captyi-
ty either side, but the bitterness and hard feel
ings have softened with time and under the motto
of our order, charity, their fratcrnal hand grasps
We're given with will aud their parlings were
| truly sincere in mutual regrets. We find here, 50
far can judge, that our southern friends are
perfectly willing to shut and close the door of that
past they say they have had all they want of it,
and only desire peace and a return Of prosperity to
their States.
saturday morning found us enroutc from DiNic
to cooler climes and TO u.s. faircr shores. We were
not sorry to leave Charleston and the South We
should not like to live there. There is everywhere
1 a
lack Of vim and goahead itveness-to lie brief Il
constitutional lazness apparent, which is sadly at
variance with our New England ideas Then again
man needs the purse of a millionaire to be able
travel here. Railroads and hotel fares are eNhorl-
tamt, and the qtid pro quo at the latter, minus. Eu
faultfinding is easy.
The route 10 Washington is through the inland
counties of the Caroinas and Virginia, which are
unraNpm Agricultural Il,- in, oH..
the shore sections There are many really re- pecla
bic houses and plantations and much fine farming
soil. The cetton plants are Just up ana in their
| first leaves, peaches nearly grown, wheat is
ripe, and vegetation is green, full and thrifty. We
often pass groves Of hard pine trees each scared
at their trunks by the axe, from which wound the
sap drps and is collected for manufacture into tur-
pcntine and rosin, and occasionally we sec these
factorie. deep in the pnry woods, turning out car
loads Of "tar, pitch and tWpentnc."
\ feature of all this country most noticeable us
is the almost entire absence Of roads highways.
Outside Of the cities anI larger villages there are
| orfly paths and lanes. We shoIld say the cost of
keeping the roads in repair in district IN Belfast
would suffice to run 4 whole township in Carolina.
There no drives ami dust mud it = a go-as-
you please over the country wherever you can find
the best track. We ttre constrained to believe that
roads types of civilization ana intelligence and
our Southern neighbors had better hasten To learn
to mend their Drags.'
But this country must be the paradise Of railroad
builders, for with but few bridges to built, no
cuttings worth mentioning, and no frost aud cold
to guard against, the cost must be comparatively
small. The whole line from Charleston to the
Virginia line--humdrc,- Of milcs-coulrl not have
cost much more than the huoN 4 Lincoln. Not
withstandng thiS the cost Of a ticket from New
York to Charleston and return i $1,000.
sunday morning found is il Washington, and
gave Us the opening of Il glorious ,ay. Vegetation
here is at its height The leave, are vet ccan full
and unsollc, flowers III fun bloom, ANA ull nature
seems to be in her gala dress 4 general resting.
and strolIs to the Navy Yard Smithsonian grounds,
the mcompleted Washington monument, &c., oc-
cuped the day. nnt IN the evening we attended the
| last meeting for the season of the Washington
| Dashaway Club which is Il temperance society on
the plan of reform club-. This Glib meeting
was largely attended ami it has done good service
for the cause but why they should adjourn tr fol
the summer we could not exactly understand. We
didn't learn that any Of the shops or Iar beer
saloons thought of adjourning.
Monday forenoon we visited the Capitol, and after
time spent in viewing the many objects uf Inter
est to stranger eyes, II o'clock found seated in
the House gallery devoted 10 rommoncre, looking
down upon the 0eeembed--wc had almost aaid wis
dom representatives of the nation. We were eN-
tremrlv fortunate in the time of our first visit to
Congress, for il the day when the deaiack was
broken in the House in the MarkcyConn"r contest
cd election case For eight days the Democrats had
lllibueered and preyenedany business being done,
but to-day the Republicans had determined 10 pua
adopting rule to prevent iilatory action Uy mi
nority, ana they victory. We wrlr fortunate,
because On this question wr h,;trl -lrcrhc, from
half dozen more of the leader, on both the Re
publican and Democratic SIDE. The contest n;ts ex-
citing and interesting. From II 4. VI till 4. vi, we
sat and took note of time, did the huge gallery
| full Of spectators. ! presume you will give the
particulars Of the contest i'll your news columns,
| and need not rcitcratc. Reed, of Our state, as
chairman of the committee reporting the new rule,
performed his duty in able manner dljd honor
to his State. The best speech Of the occasion was
| made by Robinson, uf Mass.
Tuesday 5oth Decoration Day, was very liAe in
| Washington. Early in tie day the city Wa alive
with the moving mutitudes, with the tramp of mil
| itary companies and the music of bands, with
scores Of iower laden hands and thousands Of peo-
pie route to the different cemeteries in the Ncin-
ity where soldiers graves were to be decorated and
! services rendered appropriate To the occasion. In
the forenoon we visited Arlington Heights, W here
is located the National soldiers Cemetery 1t is
| some three miles from Washington and il lad out
| and kept in Il manner betttin4 tho memories and
| deeds Of those who there found their last resting
| place. Better than in any other way, one gct- 4
| trucr, more correct and solemn idea Of the mumen-
tOusnc~S of the war and its result, ll viewing thp
grounds where acres on acres stretch ont before us,
| covered only by noble shade trees ana the small
white headstone beneath which slumher an that is
earthly of So many thousands of our boys who went
"to the front" and never returned. But the most
solemn spot Of An is the central tomb Of tie TN
| known" where are gathered and rest together the
remains of over two thousand soldiers, unknown
| and namcesS until the great hereafter Thc ccmc-
| terry rlaborately decorated and trimmed and
Interesting services, consisting of sautcs. music,
! parade poem, and oration, were carried out. In
the afternoon we visited Mt. Vernon and looked up
on the home of Washington which with its accesso-
ries IS kept in fine condition by the Iouiy, ASso-
citation The tomb, mansion house, rooms, &r., have
been so often described, we will avoid repetition.
! OF course sat in the arm chair brought over in
| the MAY flower; looked into Washing tons bedroom
| gazed in awe upon the key Of The BAste and also
on the splendid picture of the Fathcruf his country
| IN which ne is represented reprimanCng Gen.
Lee. It is said to have been the Only occasion when
he was known to indulge in "a tu-s word" With Il
more practical eye we noticed tine field of wheat
nearly ready for harvest, and nice herd Of AYR
Shire COWS in the stable! Mt Vernon il a very fine
| ly located place. and must have been 4 pleasant
home. We don't blame George for retiring from
| public labor to its quiet retreat.
| Of tie many public buildings in Washington, in
| clu,iing the plain, unpretcnous White House, we
have no time space to write but there Is one lit
tie matter which stands in such bold relief to
our average experience that must mention it,
We found most pleasant home at reasonable prices
| in Washington at the Temple Cafe 9th St. opposite
! the Patent Office. 1t is stclasS, Il tcmncrance
| house, and the rates are within the means of com
mon mortals. SO much we pleased to say for
| Mrs. La Fetra, the propretor 1t was an oasis in
| our hotel experience.
Tuesday nights train Whired us to New York.
where Wednesday was hastily spent in looking into