The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-03-29
abe Sutelliaeuttr
A nuNDRED lRARS AGO.


MT, Vernon TO New York.
John Bach McNaAiT Ia HaPtII NdgdstAtJOr APrl.
Washington set out on the 18th Of
April. But he had not gone a mile from
his door when a crowd Of friends and
neighbors on horseback surrounded his
carriage, and rode with him to Alexau'
dria, There the Mayor addressed him.
in the fuIsome manner Of the time, as
the tirst and best Of citizens, as the
model OF youth, as the ornament OF old
age, and went with him 70 the banks OF
tue Potomac, where the men OF George
town were waiting, With them he went
on till the men OF Baltimore met him,
and let him through lines Of shouting
people to the best Inn their city could
boast, That night a public reception
and q supper were given in his honor,
and at sunrise the next morning he was
on his way toward Philadelphia,
In size, in wealth, in population, Phil
Rdelphia then stood first amOngthe cities
OF tue country, and her citizens deter
mined to receive their illustrious Presi-
dent in q manner worthy Of her great
ness and OF his fame, The place selected
was Gray's Ferry, where the road from
Baltimore crossed the lower SChuykill-I
a place well known and often described
by travellers, On the high ridge that
boTdered the eastern bank was Gray's
Inn aud gardens, renowned for the green
house filed with tropical fruit, the maze
Of walks, the grottoes, the hermitages,
the Chinese bridges, the dellsand groves,
that made 1t "a prodigy Of art and Ha'
ture." Crossing the river was the float
ing bridge, made gay for the occasion
with flags and bunting and ~iestoous Of
cedarand laurel leaves, Along the north
rail were eleven flags, typical ofthe eleven
States OF the new Union, On the south
rail were two flags; one TO represent the
new era, the other the State OF Pennsyl.
vania. Across the bridge at either end
was a triumphal arch, from one OF which
a laurel crown hung by a string, which
passed to tho hands of boy who, dressed
in white and decked with laurel, stood
beneath a pine.tree hard by. On every
side were banners adorned with emblems
and inscribed with notices. One bore
the words, "May commerce flourish f"
On anotheF+Was a sun, and under 1t,
"Behold tho rising empire" A third
was the rattlesnake flag, with the threat
ening words, "Don't tread on me-" On
the hill overlooking the bridge and the
river was a signal to give the people
warning OF the Presidents approach.
Toward noon On the Goth Of April, the
signal was suddenly dropped, and soon
after, Washington, with Governor Mitlin
and a host Of gentlemen who had gone
out to meet him at the boundary line Of
Delaware, was seen riding slowly down
the hill toward the river. As he passed
under the first triumphal arChway, the
crown OF laurel was dropped on his
brow, and Il salute was fired from the
cannon on the opposite shore, and the
people, shouting "Long live the Presl-
dent |" went over the bridge with him
to the eastern bank, where the troops
were waiting To conduct him on to Phila.
delphia. The whole city came out TO
meet him, and as he passed through
dense lines OF cheering men tho bells Of
every church rang out q merry peal, and
every face, says II who saw them,
seemed to say, "Long, long, long live
George Washington"
That night he slept at Philadelphia,
was addressed by tho Executive Council
Of State, by the Mayor and Aldermen,
by the Judges Of the Supreme Court, the
faculty OF the University Of Pennsyl'
vania, aud the members Of the Society
OF the Cincinnati, and early the next
morning set out with u troop Of horse
for Trenton. On the bridge which span.
ned the Assanpink Greek, over which,
twelve years before, the llessians lied In
confusion, he passed under a great dome
supported by thirteen columns, and
adorned with q huge sunilower, in.
scribed ITO Thee Alone" The women
of Trenton had ordered this put up. and
Just beyond the bridge were waiting,
with their daughters, who, as he passed
under the dome, began singing:
"welcotnc. mighty chief, once more
Welcome to this grateful shore;
Now no merCGlary foo.
Aims again the fatal blow
Aims ut thee the fatal blow.
"Ylrglns fair and matronS grave,
Those thy cOnquerlng arms did save,
Build for thee tflumphAl bowers.
Strew, ye fair, his way With flowers
Strew your llcrO's way with flowers"