The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-07-27

Tumble-down cabins are passed with
wenches grouped at the doors. Then big,
square yellow building with pointed roof
bearing the sign, "Postoffice,n sweeps by,
for the train is moving at the rate of forty
miles an hour. 1t is followed by small
building with conservatory about four
feet square in one corner. After the con-
servatory come two buildings painted
white and yellow. The fronts are yellow
and the sides white, with mud chimneys
outside. Near these buildings stands
sign that looks as though it had been
brought down from the Harlem
river 1t reads thus: "These lots for sale.
Inquire of G. w. Dover" 1t is undoubt-
eddy city-on paper. No other house is
in sight, and there are no signs of streets
or of cross streets. Again pines and hem
locks stream past the train. They are fol-
lowed by a new board fence surrounding a
small house standing on an open knoll. A
sign near by informs you thai this is Gard
wick Heights" A field of cucumber vines,
dotted with dirty yellow flowers, chases
out of sight Ardwick Heights.
As you approach Washington. however,
the land grows more fertile The corn is
higher and looks richer and the trees are
greener. The houses and cabins are
whittier and the landscape is brighter. The
valley of the Upper Potomac opens and you
catch your first glimpse of Washington.
The great dome of the capitol and the
alabaster needle known as the Washington
monument, appear above the low ridge in
the southwest. The tall white shaft stands
to the right of the capitol. 1t moves
slowly to the left until it is in line with the
dome. Then it passes still further to the
left and is lost as the train makes a curve
and begins to skirt the east branch
of the Potomac. Crows are feeding
upon the banks of the shall
low stream, and blackbirds are
darling over its lilypads. The water is
muddy and repulsive. AS you cross an
arm Of the branch the Congressional GENE
terry looms up on the right. Its marble
monuments gllsten beneath the oaks and
naples that shades it. A solitary buzzard
is soaring above it.
In an instant all is darkness You are
dashing through another tunnel. Five
minutes of rumbling and the train again
energies into the hot sunlight. 1t dashes
past the many navy yards, past sidings
covered with freight cars, past lumber
yards and great piles OF sewer pipe aud
sling and by long lines of negro tenements
Then you reach the government reserva
| ton. The agricultural building is seen in
| the distance. The Smithsonian institute
the national and medical museums and the
building occupied by the fish commission
come in sight. A moment later and you
are in the depot
washington shouts the porter. ssPass
out by the front door of the carr
| a long walk between the trains made III
and ready to start for the north and south,
and you enter the waiting room where the
twentieth President of the United States
was shot. The spot where he fell is marked
by brass star in the tlling. A marble
tablet in the wall above tells the story o.
the assassination.
You PASS into the street. 1t is only a ste,
to Pennsylvania avenue. Then Washing
ton is indeed before you. The capitol looms
up half mile on the right and the Wash
| ington monument on the left about tn,
same distance away. The pension, tn,
patent, the postoffice, the state, war an.
navy. and score of other famous struc
lures are before you, all exciting admira
ton, all the subject of wonderment and al
inviting attention. You feel like French
man who has crossed the Sahara an
reached Timbuctoo. AMOS j. CUMMINGS.