The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1885-04-23

psonihS Ill America, ike those on the con
tlnent, nice looking houses along the shore
With comfortable dressing rooms, and tubs
OF fresh water-a great luxury. All veal
costumes and battle together, and l often
wish we could have something of that sort
mere, but our habits are so different |
suppose it would never do. There were
no organ grinders or niger MINISTRIES at
Atlantic City-another great advantage
| over English seaside resorts y The author
was delighted with his visit to Washing
ton and after describing the public build
lngs, etc., alludes to some OF the amusing
notices ne saw on the walls Of the city
Dulldlngs, such as one near the dinner
Dell OF the men working on the Washing
ton Monument in these words: I'VE paw
a man to ring this bell.' And another
near = fenee-wanted, another loafer to sit
on this rail. .
OF his visit to Mount Vernon, the home
and tomb of Washington, he says 1.-The
| scenery on the way down the river Poto-
mac is beautiful most English visitors
think it is Potomac from the Greek for
river, but | was told the word is Indian not
Greek.D The house and grounds are Just
like an old fashioned English country
home, the bricks came from England, and
the veranda is paved with stones from
the Isle of Wight-they looked like Benz
bridge limestone, and probably came from
the old quarries at Binstead, near Ryde.
The whole trip was most enjoyable and
very interesting; it was curious to notice
IN Lady Washington's bedroom, the hole
in the door which had been made to let
her fayorite cat go in and out, without
disturbing her There is very touching
custom for every ship passing I'D and
down the river to toll their BELLS whilst
passing Mount Vernon, as tribute to
Washington's memory. The first to set
this good example was an English man-of-
war, at the beginning of this century. -
Mr.. Peyton says The Fifth Avenue
Hotel is a very magnificent house, and
most comfortable, with everything first
class and without stint. A good room
with gas and water laid on Ia most conye-
nient arrangement and three square
meals day for S. is not dear. There was
great excitement in the hotel at the time
of my visit, as Mr.. Blaine, the Republi-
can candidate for the Presidency. was
staying in the house, and there was a con-
tinual mob interviewing him, or demon
stating in the street in front
Again the authorremarks There is one
noticeable feature in American and Cana
dian life at hotels, and that is, the temper
ance shown at mealS-nearly every one
drinks iced water or milk. Each hotel has
bar. where every Imaginable mixture of
alcohol can be obtained Straight or
perpendicular drinks, as they are called, |
must, | think, be very unwholesome.
They swallow glass of spirits, and some
times wash it down with a little water
they never seem to sit down with glass
of beer or grog, and have quiet smoke
like we do-they haven't time. suppose.
aiV can't sit still Who could under
straight or perpendicular 2" Of course
We tried all the different Yankee
dri4 cocktails, . .mashes, ''ssslings, 2
etcI The ones voted best as the weather
was very hot, were ''whiskey souri, and |
lemon squashes."
At another point he says The museum |
of natural history is on the towers of Cen
trial Park, and contains fine Indian COL |
lection, including war canoe also
good national geological collection. There
are some cratic blocks, roches moalto4a-
mees, and glacial drift deposits in the
grounds attached to the museum. Hands |
off !" is the notice put up in America for
the gentle form used in England, 'Visi- |
tors are requested not to touch, . or the
ne touches pas S. z. P. Of France.
The authors visit was so brief that he
had little opportunity Of seeing thepeople
IN their homes, on their farms, in their
marts of business. in their amusements, |
consequently he has wisely abstained from
those criticisms which form so large and
Objectionable feature in the narratives !
or fancy sketches" Of the average stock |
tourist. He has succeeded in a brief space |
however, in giving a graphic, life like and
truthful account of what he saw, and has |
produced fair, favorable and most read |
able memoir of his flying trip to our
shores.