Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-08-17

people, and to any one who knew no better il
might have seemed as though there was going
to be good deal Of an exodus Of brunette
brothers and sisters. The warning whistle
showed the fallacy Of such theorizing, for its
vigorous footing separated the sheep from the
goats, or the passengers from their escorts, in
the twinkling of an eve. The venturesome vow
ayers going to some of the lower landings
were instantly the central figures in a dozen
groups. departing mother was surrounded
BY half dozen of her children and their COM
panions, and before she was released and al
lowed to go on board she was kissed and en-
braced vigorously and often. On the boat SIM
Aar scenes were being enacted. Farewell mes
sages to country relatives were dictated In
loud tones and with such distressingly absurd
repetition that the Imagination of the beholder
and listener did not have TO be stretched in the
least to fancy that these travellers were going
to Japan or to some equally distant country
from which return was improbable. Then the
whistle blew again, the crowd rushed for the
gang-plank, lines were cast of, and the steamer
backed out into the stream. while the couple
OF hundred colored fnlks on the wharf waved
and shouted their adieux 70 the ten or fifteen
colored people on board The Caucasian race
was represented on the Sue by about fifty
excursionists, and it did not take more than
cursory glance to show that they were of that
very nice class of people which knows how to
behave better than those who are either bur-
dened with ostentatious wealth or are loud
In the declaration of their satisfying poverty
They were well-to-do sociable folks, and to this
fact can be laid much of the real pleasure
which attended the trip.
As soon as the Sue had started down stream
there was a movement toward state rooms and
fortunate 1t was that there were Just about as
many oerths as thers were passengers. / be-
heye there was slight surplus of passenger,
but IL was immaterial and could have been
avoided had the passenger secured accommoda-
lions in advance. Anybody who gets caught
without berth is provided with a comfortable
bed IN an out-of-the-way corner of the saloon.
Purser Cavander and Assistant Reese had
busy time from the start, for there was much
money to receive and numerous documents to
be made out and signed. At Alexandria brief
stop was Ilade and both passengers and freight
were added to the cargo and at Liverpool
point-which some sarcastic man termed the
great shipping point for Charles county-a
male passenger was added to the list. II Liver
pool point was only decorated with new wharf
and could be approached over decent road it
would look better.
SUPPER.
Supper was an institution which captured the
crowd, and at o'clock the cabin deck was
practically deserted. There we're few spoon
ing couples who preferred, however, to wait
until they could eat in comparative solitude.
By good luck, or rather through the machina-
tions Of Capt Geoghegan, was allotted seat
1t the captains table, and although those who
fringe the other long mahogany" which par
allels II on the port side of the dining saloon
get precisely the same fare and as much as
they want, there is always some slight advan-
tage in being where the captains eyes can rest
upon the forms OF the ordinarily elusive walters
The meal was an excellent one in every par
teular. and the variety of edible matter nicely
cooked, was simply bewildering., The greater
portion OF our table was occupied by party OF
Baltimoreans, who were making the round trip
As guests of Mr.. James X. Wheeler, well known
business man in the Monumental city, and
never did any little aggregation Of humanity
do more for the general welfare of fellow-pas-
sengers than did these good people, unless we
except the captain. He, of course sat at the
head OF the board, and it is not too much 70 say
that he was "a grace before meat"
SIoHT AND sLUMBER.
After supper there was calm. The forward
end OF the saloon deck was the fsvorite resting
place, and here the majority sat and conversed
In low tones while watching the sails Of other
craft as they fitted through the neutral tint OF
approaching night. looking like marine phan-
toms. The breeze-rufled river was full OF
diving lights and deepening shadows; the long
trail of smoke from the Sues stack spread il
self beneath the almost dark sky. the red and
green lights shone up more clearly; and then i,
was night. One of the peculiarities of Poto-
mac navigation showed up quite clearly during
the latter part of the evening. Ii was fire.
quently noticed that the steamer seemed TO be
In huge lake, and for several minutes il
seemed as though there was no outlet-due to
the abrupt turns Of the river. The moon came
out almost blood red, or rather the cloud.
which partially obscured il gave il that color,
Just as the Upper Cedar point and Point Mat
thias lights were first sighted, and for a while
the groups on deck chatted away and admired
the dimiy-illumined landscape, but they grad
ua!ly became sleepy and coul, and when the
bell sounded 10 o'clock there were but few who
Mad not retired to the clean, coy state.
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