Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-08-27
Of the Yorkville Enquirer
LETTER FROM NEW YORK.

NEW YORK CITY, August lo.-Ine Guy
of Washington has grown very rapidly dur
ing the past quarter of century. From
population of about &c, 900 at the commence
ment of the war, it has increased nearly
four fold, numbering at the present time
something over 100000 souls. Taking its
beautiful situation into consideration, and
all the advantages it has fallen heir to as
the seat of the national government, the
wonder is that it was so long at a stand-stll!.
1t has indeed at last lost the right to be call
ed 'the city of magnificent distances" but
the grandeur of its plan, its lovely streets
and avenues, it's handsome public build
ings, and its elegant private residences,
with the Potomac on one side over mile
in width, and low hills encircling it on all
other sides all these give it some. show OF
right to the claim it now sets up for itself
as being the most beautiful city in America.
One cannot see very much OF Wasnng, asn tI :
ton in a day. For a person that has the
time, a very good plan would be to take
whole day to learn the geography OF the
city thoroughly with the aid of a city map
and guide, which can readily. be procured
at any of the news stands, and then, as the
street cars run by every point OF any in,
terest, he can, with very little walking and
less expense, take in everything to be seen
in one or two days more. Another great
convenience of the present day to sight
seers, is the number of restaurants scatter
ed here and there over all the large cities,
where one can get his meals whenever ne
feels so inclined, without the trouble of hav-
ing to 60 back to his hotel. And by stop
ping at house kept upon the european
plan, where you are required to take only a
room, nothing is lost in the way OF extra eX-
pense. >.
was only a day in Washington myself
lust long enough to learn how to get about
but through the kindness of Mr.. San'l b.
Latham, late of Yorkville, now in the War
Department, was enabled to see a good
deal. Prominent amongst the places that
I visited were, the Capitol, the Smithsonian
Institution, the National Museum, the Bo-
tanical Gardens, the War and Treasury De-
partments, and the Washington monument.
This last is an immense structure. The
marble obelisk is 55 feet square at the bot
tom, and decreases in size as you 60 up at
the rate of one-fourth of an inch to the foot
until the top is reached, which, is 555 feet
above the gneiss rock foundation upon
which it is built, or 159 feet taller than the
Capitol dome.
From Washington I went Immediately
to Philadelphia, where [ spent very quiet
and very pleasant day. This is a great big
country town of a million people-the most
orderly city of half it's size in the world.
Of course great deal of new blood and new
life has been infused into it since colonial
days, but the impress of the quaker founders
is still plainly to be seen on all sides; in the
general plan of the city the character OF the
buildings; and the style of dress and tenn
perament of the people as exhibited upon
the streets, &c. have many a day seen the
people of Yorkville look more stylish and
more pretentious generally. Without stop,
ping to mention points of smaller note,
may say at once that visited the Centen,
NAL grounds, and also Independence Hall Of
course, taking a long look at the OLD bell
which rang this great country OF ours out
of the grasp Of King George Ill; but 1t
seems to me that it's work Of liberty will not
have been completed until it rings forth
again to proclaim to the. world the solution
of the great problem how to keep the
land of the free" out of the grasp OF the
great and ever increasing monopolies of the
great and ever increasing cities OF America.
The Union Depot at Philadelphia is very
grand affair of the kind, and affords all the
modern conveniencs of which the travelling
public can feel the need, until another step
be taken upon the road of general progress
towards Western civilization.
On Friday morning after two hours
ride-the cleanest / ever experimentation a
particle of dust or cinders, or a puff OF
smoke, felt or seen along the whole line OF
95 miles-I found myself in the great city
of New York, in and around which l have
spent four days with much profit, pleasure,
and interest, and of which 1 may tell you
something at an other time. c. E. S.