The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-07-27
A TRIP TO WASHINGTON,

fOn Friday evening as the train from
Atlanta rolled up to the Spartanburg
depot about thirty members Of the South
Carolina Press Association boarded it,
with light hearts and gay anticipations
for the Capital Of these United States.
Many Of us had never bccn farther
north than Charlotte. and were ANXIOUS
10 zee the scenery along tho rnad lead
ing from Charlotte To Nanvilic. At
Charlotte We had supper, aud soon after
were vending oar way on our journey
at the rate of about thirty miles an hour.
Night soon came upon Us, and after a
while we retired to our berth, and
walked up the next morning in a few
miles of Washington. The country We
saw after daylight was in Virginia, and
showed by its almost t~reeless condition
that the armies Of the G%onfcdcracy and
the Union had once subsisted there.
he railroad passes within u few miles
of the actual battle ground Of the famous
Manassas. We arrived in Washington
at eleven o'clock Saturday morning.
Through the courtesy of that genial
South Carolina gentleman, Col. S,obo
Farrow, arrangements had been made
for us to stop at the Metropolitan Hotel,
the resort for all Southerners, and South
Carolinians especially.
The party we're soon relieved Of their
dusty travelling suits, and after refresh
Ing the inner man with something sub
~stantial, were ready for sight seeing.
A party Of us, under the direction Of
Maj. a, S. Todd of the Anderson .Jour.
ndl. started out on Pennsylvania Ave
nue.. Our object on this trip was to get
a general idea Of the plan Of the city, so
as that we could each of us be indepen-
dent. This was readily accomplished.
we have never seen a city laid out bet
ter. The streets run in only three d.
%rections. Those that run at right angles
are known by numbers and letters, and
those that run d~iagonally are called Az
enncs, and named after some one of the
States. All Of these avenues run towards
the Capitol. Washington City vas laid
out by a F~renchman, and thinking it
would be to Americans what Paris was
to Frenchmen, he laid it out in this man
ner to prevent barricading. The streets
Of Washington are in the most perfect
condition Imaginable. They have all
been graded, and in some portions Of
the city are much higher than the
ground upon which the residences and
stores are built. They are all covered
with some sort of composition and hence
are constantly free from dust and mud.
Washington owes the condition Of her
streets TO one "Boss Sheppard" who,
though he might have been and doubt
less was a ~consummate %scoundrel, has
done a great deal for the city. We were
shown the exterior Of many Of the Gov
eminent huildings,7-two of them, that
Of the Interior, and that Of the Treasury
Department, were designed by a South
!Carolinian, Robert Mills, and magnif.
clent structures they are.
Half-past two o'clock on Saturday
was the time at WHICH the President had
consented to receive the Press Associa-
,tion.- We were introduced to his Excel
.lency, by Senator Butler, and our i'm
preston of the Democratic President
was quite a favorable one. We did not
think he had oil of the surplus flesh
which HIS pictures would lead one to
believe, nor was he as large Of stature
as we had conceived. His bearing was
digni6ed, but courteous. and his man
lners were pleasing and affable. We
were shown over the White House, and
through the conservatory. Every thing
here Of course was in grand style and
you could not fail to be impressed with
the importance of our Government, any
where you went.
From the White Honse, we went to
the Capitol, where both Houses were in
session. In tie Senate, Senator Coke.
of Texas, was reading a speech on the
Oleomargsrine Bill, and in the House
quite an animated discussion was gong
on between Messrs. Randall. Reed and
Veach. Many of the prominent men of
both sides were pointed out to us, and
among them were some striking looking
individuals. Several hours were pleas.
antly spent asout the Capitol. and then