Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-10-05

THEY HAVE sEEN-CoL. WILSON'S HOSPITALITY
| AT WEST PoINT-eEN. KELroN IN FIX.
STAFF Correspondence Of The EVENING STAR
| NEW YORK, Oct L.
| Nearly every one Of the delegates to the in
ternational congress who was on the excursion
train yesterday said he was sorry, and their
tones and gestureswere proof of the genuineness
Of their grief. But they were not sorry for
themselves; they mourned for the absent ones
and seemed to be continually regretting their
absence. Everything was as pleasant as money
and the Pennsylvania railroad could make it
and those who sighted the invitations so freely
proffered them will have nothing over which
to congratulate themselves and they will have
lost at least two days of such pleasant travel
ing as the ordinary pilgrim knows nothing of.
| Sixty-four delegates and attaches we're down
on the printed program as members of the
| excursion party, but the greatest number that
put In an appearance was forty. The Argen-
| tine Republic was without representative
and so were those portions of South America
| known as Chill and Ecuador. A fraternity of
| good feeling was apparent as soon the COM
| Portable easy chairs in the smoking car were
| filled and within an hour thereafter everybody
| was apparently satisfied that everybody else
| was jolly good fellow. This disposition to be
| friendly was even more marked after lunch
| had been disposed Of and what a lunchi Any
| one who didn't know any better might well be
| excused for denominating il a full-grown BAN
quent, minus only the post-prandial oratory.
| The exquisite appointments of the dining car
| were commented upon admiringly by the gen.
| tlemen from the south and one of them sorrow
| fully remarked to a companion, IF we collide
| with anything these beautiful decorations
| would all be smashed up" From his manner
ne had evidently left the possibilities of human
| wreckage ont of his calculation and anticipated
nothing more than ruined cars
| ONE DELEGATES IMPRESSIONS.
what strikes you as the strangest thing you
have seen since you started from Washington"
was the question l addressed to one of the most
prominent foreign delegates as the train was
| speeding across the long. low stretches of sandy
meadows which are Jerseys own.
| Your love, as people, of publicity-of adj
! vertlslng and he pointed to a huge. ram
| shackle barn, which was covered from the
| ground to the roof with faring recommends
| lions of somebody's pills. There is nothing
| like that in South America" he continued.
| but wish there was. If we had more of that
| spirit which impels you to take advantage of
| every opportunity we should be as rich as any
| people under the SUM- The diplomats admir-
alton foi this peculiarly North American trait
| was heightened when he learned that the
| thrifty barn owners often demanded and re-
| ceiyed a substantial cash bonus for allowing
| the protane advertiser to cover their property
| up with symphonies in brown and white
| The foreign eXcursionists were not Impressed
| with Jersey City. They looked cUriously at
| what could be seen of that suburb of New York
and said but little. There was much of fifth
and no little squalor. Establishments which
| seemed to deal exclusively iii rags were nurner-
| GUS and 50 were attenuated billy-goats. frowsy
men, sickly and bedraggled women and dirty,
| unkempt children. Human habitations became
| fewer as the train moved out over the West
| shore tracks toward West Point. but they were
| none the less miserable in appearance, while
| their locations must have been more unhealthy
| than the rickety tenements of the town. Many
| or the shantles stand in the marshes
| which lie between the railroad and
the river and they can only be approached over
skeleton walks laid on attenuated piles. Be-
| meath these stringerS of communication and all
around the tumble-downs novels is water at
| least that Is the presumption, but it is covered
with thick and decidedly odorous green scum
| Goats and ducks seemed to flourish, but the
specimens of humanity which were visible
| looked as though a breath of pure air and a
| good square meal were prime necessities. 1t
was relief to get out to the country beyond.
| where the yellow stubbie. the green herbage.
and the many-hued autuma leaves compete
with the more business-like growth of acres of
purple picking cabbage and make the land
scape appear
LIKE HUGE CRAZY QUILT
The weather was all that could be desired
and when the train emerged from the tunnel
! Just south OF Hayerstraw. the scenery of the
| Hudson river became visible for the first time.
Conversation slackened perceptibly and the
natural beauties of the region were admired
| They make brick at Haverstraw; that is the
| main, IN fact the only industry. but they DOM
use much of their own goods for nearly every
| house III the busy little place is of frame One
| OF the delegates made the discovery and
several of them wanted to know the reason why
Hayerstraw should patronize the lumber
dealers so extensively
Of course you've heard all about the I'M
yelling of the portraits of Grant. Sherman and
| Sheridan, but I'll engage that no one has
written word about one of the principal
| features OF the ceremonies on that occasion
1t was the evident pleasure which was visible
upon the face of the Secretary of War. From
the time of his entering the hall until he left
| for New York his visagc was decorated with a
| broad and satisfying smile. He greeted every
| body with the utmost cordially and while the
speeches (ncluding his OWN were being made
| lie looked as though this world could add
nothing to his happiness. His condition was
| infectious, for in little while the smile was
taken up pretty generally and all was very
| pleasant. You can't talk to those cadets of the
| stern Secretary of War; they have seen hum
and they know better.
| COL. WILSON'S RECEPTION.
The reception rendered by Col. John NJ. Will
son to the excursion party was an extremely
pleasant affair with much more of Washington
| in it than West Point. As a matter of course
| the gallant colonel and his wife were the GEN.
| trail figures and all Washington society knows
them. Then there were present such WELL
| known people Adjt. Gen. Kelton, Col Barr.
| Gen. Van Vliet, the members of the congress
| (many of them of the legations at the national
| capital, Mr.. William E. Curtis, secretary of
| the congress, Capt. Burke, Lieut. Lemly and a
| number Of army and navy officers who have
adorned Washington with their presence at one
| time or another. The affair was a complete
success, the foreign delegates being
especially charmed by the ladies who
| had come to see what they looked
like. Adjt Gen. Keton was not Just
| as happy as he would have been under more
| favorable circumstances. The general only
accompanied the party to the Point and had
| no intention of going any further, but through
| some blunder his trunk was sent on to Boston
with a lot of other baggage. On its face this
| would not seem to have been a very serious dis
aster, but it was for the trunk contained the
generals splendid uniform, which he intended
| to wear in honor of his old friend Col Wilson
and OF the occasion. But no trunk no uniform.
| and the kindly, suave old officer had perforce
to greet his friends arrayed in the suit which
| he had worn up on the train. He would not
even compromise on proffered dress suit
Col. Wilson looks much better since he went
| to West Point to live, and he says he feels bet
ter. but he has a very soft spot in his tender
heart for Washington and Neutrality-suspicious..
Tell the folks down there" said he to me last
night, that I'm still trying to do my best and
to deserve few OF the complimentary things
they have been pleased to say about me-