News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-06-12
WASHINGTON LETTER.
. AsHINGTON, d. I
June 2, 1884.

June 2, 1884.
There is, we believe, no city in our
land that is, at this season of tie
year, more beautiful in itself or has
more delightful and interesting sur
roundings than Washington. The
visitor here often comes with the no.
ton that the public buildings, Con-
gress and the President are about all
that there is worth seeing in the Cap
itaI. While these are among the
chief attractions of the national scat
of government, they do not by any
means comprise all there is here that
is calculated to charm and interest
the visitor.
The drives in the vicinity of Wash
ington, in addition to being the love-
Hest that can be found anywhere, are
invested at very many points with es-
pecial interest connected with the war
of 1912 and the late war for the
Union, as well, also, as important in
cidents in times of peace, relating to
the rise and progress Of the nation.
A drive of two or three miles in
any direction from the boundary of
the city proper will bring the visitor
in the vicinity of old forts and rifle
pits, crumbling to ruin and decay,
telling of the dark days of the rebel
lion which cost the nation SO much
blood and treasure.
Ohentimes the driver will find his
way lying through these earthworks,
and he will wonder how it can be true
that there, near at hand, where a
robin in a bending sassafras bough is
singing his evening song to his listen
ing mate, cannon were such short
while ago pouring out shot and shell
to destroy or beat back the enemy
that was struggling for mastery in the
now quiet and peaceful vale below.
Here and there ale roads now quite
unused and impossible, which were
constructed for the sole purpose of
moving guns and other munitions of
war from point to point, and on every
hand there are evidences of the thor
ough fertilization and completeness of
the defences Of Washington in those
sad old days.
But it is not alone, as we have
stated, these reminders of the war
that are calculated to interest the Wis
itor in his drives in the suburbs, but
the charming wild and picturesque
natural beauty of the scenery will be
found to delight and interest him as
we'll.
Arlington, formerly the home of
Gen. Lee, but now the city of over
eighteen thousand dead who gave up
their lives Tor their country, on the
heights on the south banks Of the
Potomac, and the Soldiers Home,
with its thousand acres of park, laid
out in walks and drives, stretching
through forests, by meadows and
over hills and dales, are usually
thought of. Then there is drive up
the Potomac, over the conduit road
for sixteen miles to Great Falls,
which, in themselves and their sur
roundings, comprise scenery scarcely
equalled anywhere for variety and
loneliness. Cabin Johns Bridge, the
largest single span of masonry in the
world, is crossed on this trip.
The scenery in the neighborhood of
Rock Creek, stream of considerable
size, which winds its way through the
hills of Maryland and the district of
Columbia, and empties into the Po-
tomac at Washington, is the perfec-
ton of loneliness and wild natural
beauty. A road lies along this pref
ty miniature river, and it is the IA
vorite drive in the evening when it is
desired to escape from the cares of
office and shop, and heat and dust of
the city.
A dozen other beautiful drives
about the capital light DO Illel toned
to show the readers of the NeaUS and
Citizen, who have never been here,
that Washington at this season is a
real paradise. BY and by, however,
the warm days, will be here, the gov
eminent official will be going away on
thirty days vacation, and the now
lively city will assume a dull and
sleepy appearaace.
Our country friends who were here
last winter on excursions to ''do" the
Capital, or came here as delegates to
attend reunions, annual meetings,
conventions, or the like, whom we.
tried hard to entertain, and who
pressed us so hard to come and visit
them this summer, will soon see us.
The season is about here when
1.-THE bleating lambs, OF tender age,
Frisk gaily DER the lawn,
The sweatful farmer smites his mules
And ploughs the growing corn.
The city cousins pack their trunks
And cos their softest COO,
Dear Uncle :-We'li be down next week
And bring the children. too.'"