The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1890-08-02
Editorial Correspondence.



are holding their sixteenth annual ses-
sion here. In the three years that the
writer has been connected with the Iress
Association, and probably never before
in it's history, has so extensive and enjoy
able trip been planned as the one we are
now having. The party is about eighty
strong, and mostly composed OF persons
from Delaware and the lower part of the
Eastern Shore of Maryland. The upper
part of the shore is poorly represented,
Kent and Queen Anne's being without
the fold entirely and Cecil having only
one representative.
The members of the party congregated
in Broad street station, Philadelphia, at
noon on Saturday and less than an hour
later later held full possession of two
cars on an express train bound for Jersey
City over the Pennsylvania road. AT
Jersey City we boarded cars of the West
Shore Railroad. The road as is gener-
ally known, follows the west shore of
the Hudson river for many miles and the
scenery from the car windows so attrac-
tive to all sightseers, was doubly SO to
peninsula people, whose eyes rarely feast
on mountain scenery. At one station the
party got out for hasty lunch, ten min
utes being allowed for this purpose, but we
were soon moving rapidly towards New
York's capital. 1t was after eight o'clock
when Albany was reached. and the jour
ney from there to Saratoga over the Del
aware and Hudson Railroad was made in
the dark.
Some little excitement was caused
while on the West Shore by man-not
member of the party-jumping off the
train. He must have been bruised, but as
he was seen to arise the train was aot
stopped. We reached the Columbian
House shortly after ten where supper
had been prepared and where the party
is quartered.
Many visited the Springs before break
fast Sunday, and imbibed of the famous
mineral waters that bubble up from the
rocks in many places. Congress Springs
Park is the favorite place of resort. 1t is
a lovely place and while the eye is
pleased with the scene, the ear is greeted
With fine music from an orchestra. The
most disagreeable part is the water,
but then one is not compelled to drink it.
The admission fee in the morning and
Il. Al
may drink all the mineral water you
choose. Some visitors are fond of boast
ing of the large quantities they have i'm
bibed. Old and young, sick persons, and
those apparently hearty, drink the waters.
Other springs are the Hathorn, the Gey
ser, and the Vichy. Great medicinal
qualities are claimed for all. A sacred
concert, for which an admission fee of
twenty-five cents was charged, was an
nounced for Sunday evening at Congress
Springs Park. Tue music was grand
but not all sacred. Nearer My God to
Thee" Was folio we'd by selection from
the ''Gondoliers.
Riding in tally no coaches is favorite
amusement. Every one wants an outside
seat. A Press Association party went
driving in one Sunday afternoon. Elgh,
teen were on top and six inside. The VI
hicle looked top-heavy and attracted SO
much attention and remark that two of
those inside left the coach before the
trip was more than half over. Wood
land Park, Judge Holtou's residence,
was visited. The drives are open to the
public and the park is place of rare
beauty. The Geyser Springs and Sara
toga Lake, two very interesting places,
were visited.
Mount McGregor was visited on Mon
day. This place, which is about ten
miles from Saratoga, owes its popularity
largely to the fact, as is we'll known,
that Gen. Grant died there. The scenery
from the railroad is picturesque. 1t took
US about forty minutes to make the as
cent, two engines being required part of
the time. The Drexel cottage, where
Gen. Grant showed the same heroism IN
his hopeless struggle with death that he
had proved before on many battle field,
is rather unpretentious in appearance. 1t
is in charge of member of the G. A. K.
having been presented to that order by
Mr.. Drexel. Everything in the rooms
occupied by Grant during his illness is
just as it was when the famous warrior
and executive met the inevitable. The
bed in which he died. The large chairs
where he found what rest it was possible
to obtain during the last few weeks
of his il!ness-belng unable to lie down
the fan he used, his wardrobe, every
thing remains as it was at sos a. M, July
23d, 1885, when he breathed his last.
The editorial party was photographed
while standing in front of the Drexel cot
tage. We were also photographed at the
hotel Monday morning and have been
bothered by the rival photographers ever
since to purchase the photos at fancy
prices.
The view of the Hudson valley and
surrounding mountains from Mt. McGre-
gor is grand. Ia order to obtain the best
view, through the courtesy of the pro-
prietor of the Balmoral Hotel, finely
appointed house on the summit, We as
cended to the tower of the hotel. We
found ourselves very high at Mt. MIC
Gregor. Other things were high too, as
IF ~ fnnpd tn thair
One member treated four ladies to ice
cream and received half dollar change
from two-dollar note. Three beers and
an ice cream cost another member dol
lar.
The press party was favored with an
invitation to the grand social affair of the
season here, the Garden Party at the
Grand Union Hotel. 1t was held in the
court of the hotel and to say that it was
brilliant affair falls far below the lam
guage to express its beauty and granduer.
Japanese lanterns hung from the branches
of trees in splendid designs, flags of all
uationalities and emblems of every State
in the Union floated in the breeze. Elec-
trio light, gas light and candle light made
the court as bright as day. Many colored
calcium lights thrown on the fountains
added to the splendor. The delightful
strains of music, the handsome costumes
of ladies with glittering diamonds, and
the graceful movements of the dancers
made the scene one to linger in the
memory.