St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1890-11-20
EN- ROUTE TO NORFOLK, VA.
DR.. f. blanchard Gives a Description of
the City and Scenes the Way.

Dr. r. BIdHcHdTd Gives Il prescription OF
the City and Scenes the Way.
One of nv former letters related to
a part of Virginia which has not
materially changed since the war. |
am now in very different kind of
place, the city of Norfolk, a place of
life, activity, wealth and Importance.
Daily steamers ply between Washing
ton and Norfolk. You leave the 18th
St. wharf at D p. m, and arrive at
Norfolk about the next morning,
the time varying somewhat accord
to the weather The distance is
about 300 miles, and the waters
sailed over are the Potomac river,
Chesapeake bay, Hampton roads
and Elizabeth river. Just as the
steamer was about to start Mrs. B.
came rushing up the gang-plank and
handed me a package OF papers of
the last Importance to me. Accord
ing to my invariable habit, had left
on my desk the only thing that |
really needed, and she had followed
me two miles on the horse and cable
cars to bring it along. 1t is not
good for man, at least this man, to
be alone.
The first part of the journey was
dismal enough The wind blew. 1t
was cold. The clouds were black
and ugly. The low-lying river banks
suggested snakes and masked bat
teries. l could imagine how our
bows in blue must have felt in 81
and 90, as they were being towed
over these waters in crowded trans
ports, targets for unseen foes on the
wooded Virginia shore. | also
thought that if | were a preacher, |
would paint the future residence of
the obstinate sinner, not warm and
lurid, but cold and black, with
muddy water reaching up after him
from below and a blizzard overhead.
The steamer was lightly loaded,
with few passengers, and every revO
luton of the wheels shook it from
stern to stern. In the forward part
of the cabin it was difficult to hold a
paper steady enough to read it. For
nearly 80 miles we could see the
glare of WashingtOn's electric lights.
A cranky old man, with the flavor
of whiskey about him, went from
one passenger to another, inquiring
the way to Gettysburg, and insisting
that 1T was down the river; but find
ing no sympathy with his opinion,
he finally settled to sleep on a lounge
in the cabin. By-and-by the moon
came out. changing the blackness to
gold and silver. The wind went
down, and l spent a delightful hour
on the after deck, watching the rip
pies, the rapid changes of the rudder,
the glorious play of light and shade
on woods and waves and CLASSY
bays, the red and green eyes of pass
ing steamers. One string of coal
barges showed eighteen lights. In
the saloon ran across a newspaper
man who was thoroughly imbued
with Henry Georges land theory,
and we talked Henry George and
Edward Bellamy till near midnight
| am not surprised nor sorry that
nationalistic ideas are gaining adj
herents all over this land. The care
less sneer at them, but thinking men
see light and hope ahead
In my cubby-hOle of a berth l
slept the sleep of good digestion and
WORKOUT conscience, and woke to
find myself dancing over the broad
est part of Chesapeake bay, Cape
Charles to the east and Old Point
Comfort ahead. The waters were
alive with craft of every sort, from
dorieS to ocean steamers and vessels
built for the purpose carrying whole
trains of cars. We came near the
Rip-Raps, that famous fort, said
now to be slowly settling into the
mud There were no signs of life
there. A few minutes later we tied
to the wharf close to Fortress Mon
roe A big summer hotel is more
noticeable than the big fortress
which for many weary months was
the buttress of our loyal army, and
which later on served as a retired
homo for Mr. Davis. 1t is a huge
affair, requiring 3 900 men for full
garrison. 1t looks harmless enough
now | could have thrown a stone
over the grassy bastion,-but l
didn't. The darkies unloaded a few
canvassed quarters of beef and few
dirty frkins of butter, our friend
hunting for Gettysburg went ashore,
and our steamer turned her head up
Hampton roads, into Elizabeth river
crowded with shipping, and IN an
hour we were at Clyde wharf in Nor
folk The Elizabeth river makes into
Hampton roads from the south.