The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-08-12
THE ART SCHOOL EXCURSION
A Record Of the Doings Of a Pleasant
Party Of Ladies and Gentlemen.
The Points of Interest Visited in the South
and What Was Seen, What Was
Done Personal Observations.
7orreapondenee Of the IndlanapolI. Jonrn.l.

OLD POINT COMFORT, Va, Aug. 9.--The ex-
cursion which left indianapolis on Monday July
%, for various Eastern resorts was advertised
to consist of members of the Indianapolis Art
School and personal friends 1t was to be under
the auspices of that organization, and flattering
inducements were offered to those aspirants, in
an artistic way, who desired to have an oppor-
tunity to sketch from nature, where her visible
forms were most picturesque and striking. AS
finally made up the party consisted
of thirteen persons, an ominous number,
but so far as my limited observation extends,
not one of these can do anything worth men
tioning in the way of sketching. I,myself, have
had considerable experience in drawing-to a
small pair, short flush, but that is the ex-
tent Of it In a spirit Of confidence in the
possibilities of the development of some artistic
talent the other day. 1 undertook to make
picture of a Virginlan blowing with blind mule,
directed by ropet mes, but the experimentwas
disastrous failure got very fair representa-
ton of the mule, for long experience in studying
circus bills has made me somewhat familiar
with animal forms; but the man and the pillow
| and the surrounding scenery were above and
beyond my powers Probably this is the only
determined attempt that has been made at
sketching by any of us. One of the gentlemen
in the party has camera, and takes photo
graphs by the instantaneous process. He is
about the busiest man know of. He will get
that instrument out Of his grip and take
picture Of something, without the slightest prov
ocation, and on the shortest notice. Up to date
he has views of about everything we have seen,
from the bridge across the Ohio at Cincinnati
to the deadly sandwich that the train boy ped
dies. He holds up the reputation Of the com
pany as coterie Of artists,
The party consists of Col Jay Kankakee Mar
tin the commanding officer his daughter. Miss
Villa, Miss Jennie Cooper, daughter of Hon.
John J. Cooper; Miss Mary Hall, Mr. George
Bryce John Baltzly, Messrs. John and William
Dean, of Dean Bros, and myself, from Indiana
polls, Misses Nellie and Edith Brown, of Lafay-
cite, Mr.. J. B. Johnston, of Charlottesville. and
Mr. Rufus Strattan, of Greencastle It was ex-
pected that several others would go, but the re-
cent financial troubles prevented them from
carrying out their plans for the summer We
left Indianapolis over the Big Four on the 28th
were transferred to the Chesapeake e Ohio at
Covington, and reached White Sulphur Springs
Virginia, at noon, on Tuesday, The ride was
| remarkably pleasant one OF all the eastern
| through lines, the Chesapeake g Ohio has the
| best accommodations for travellers, aud the
scenery along it is decidedly the most plctur.
| esque and interesting. An observation car
| which is composed principally Of immense plate
! glass windows and easy chairs, is on every
! train going over the mountains, and is free
| to those who wish to occupy it. The scenery
! along the Kewanee and Blue river valleys cannot
| adequately be described by an innocent like
| myself, further than in conventional terms II.
is sufficient however, to say that it is unexcelled
in all the mountains Of the East. We stayed
one day at White Sulphur, delightful rest,
! where there are about / 900 people at the hotel
and in the cottages In accordance with the
dictates of an unreasonable custom / drank of
the water but will drink no more all the days
of my life. 1t may be good for dyspepsia and
all that sort of thing but there is nothing pleas
ant about it. To me it tastes like combination
of the sulphurous hereafter and eggs whose
better natures have been seriously impaired by
old age. The guests here are mostly wealthy
and aristocratic Southerners, who spend their
days in various lazy pursuits, and their nights
in dancing Full-dress balls are given every
evening, the first two hours being devoted to the
terpsichorean efforts of the children. A pretty
custom is the DRESSING of the little boys in the
old English court STYLE rufied shirt fronts, long
laced waist-coats satin knee-breeches and dress
coats. Their dancing is directed by a
master, who compels them to observe even the
minutest details of an exacting etiquette 1t is all
very pretty and graceful, but it does not seem to
be natural The fashionable dances are the va
rious forms of the waltz and the lancers-the
latter being gone through without the figures
being called White Sulphur is doubtless a very
nice resort for those who have more time and
money than anything else, but in the language
of one of the Hoosiers who is with u.s. ut is Just
a trife too rich for my Western blood
The next place visited was the Natural Bridge
about the greatest Of natural curiosities, and
a resort that is very popular. We stayed here
two days, because the accommodations were so
pleasant, and the scenery so interesting and
thence went to the Caverns Of Luray, the trip
being over the Shenandoah road and through the
valley of that name, which is replete with so
many memories Of the late unpleasantness.
The next stopping place was Washington, where
the party divided, Mr.. and Miss Martin and
myself going TO New York, and the remainder to
Old Point Comfort After two days stay in
the city, we joined them there, going by
the Old Dominion line of steamers,
the trip taking just one day, My nautical ex-
periences here tofore, have been confined to oc-
casional trips up the canal, and associating with
female members of the Pinafore companies If
/ am to have my own way hereafter, they will
| be even more restricted. There may be, and
doubtless are, great many good people, who
like to 60 down to the sea in ships but don't
After being out few hours felt like the boy
who ran away to be sailor, and after a two
months stay said that there were only two things
on this earth that he wanted. One was to get
back home, and the other to kill the man who
wrote Jack Harkaway: don't want it under
stood that I was sea-sick / never would ac-
knowledge that, but was very much disfgured,
more than care to admit We went down on
the Wyanoke-T think that is the name-which
is supposed to be a very exemplary and proper
boat The scene in going out from New York,
down the bay, past Coney Island, Long Branch
and other reso rts, was naturally interesting but
when we got fairly out at sea, like many others,
was willing to get out and walk / did very
we'll until got down TO supper and that settled
it--or rather unsettled it Miss Martin
was the first to go down and she
retired pnecipitously to her state room. was
not hungry. didn't want to eat / just
wan ted to 60 out on the deck and think Let
the veil of mystery forever cover what trans
pired there. Martin was not feeling very well
himself and he had a PARKWAY look in his eyes
that indicated better than could any words the
terrible ordeal through which he was passing