The Wichita daily eagle., 1891-09-08
EAST.

At the edge of the grassy slope what
now appears to be a small pile of red bricks,
but which, while on terra frma, we had
admired as the great building of the bureau
of engraving and printing, is seen. Be-
yond, astonishingly near, are the waters
of the Potomac Seen from the ground
this noble stream had seemed of immense
width, which it is, or fully half mile at
this point. Now the opposite bank is SO
plainly seen that the channel appears al
most narrow enough to jump across. And
what is that long, gray line spanning the
stream? 1t is famous old Long bridge,
the weatherbeaten structure which the
Union troops crossed by the hundreds of
thousands during the war, many of them
never to return. Now a railway train is
rolling over the bridge, like long, thin
serpent with a black, fuming head trailing
its jointed body after it. Beyond the river
you see the hills of Virginia, haze covered,
blue, the heat dancing upon their crests.
Where the haze is, and where you can just
distinguish spire, lies the village of Fair
fax, and just beyond, Manassas or Bull
Run.
Now 90 to one of the west windows.
This view is, if possible, more charming
sweep of the Potomac as it curves and mar
rows past ancient Georgetown; the boat
houses and the regatta course, where as
write innumerable racing and pleasure
boats are moving to and fro; Analostan
island, green and low, now given wholly
DER to baseball and pionics, but once the
site Of a proud lords seat; Georgetown
college, which not long since celebrated
the centennial of it's birth; the Aqueduct
bridge and the rocky banks of the Potomac
beyond, leading by sinuous and charm
ing course to Glen Echo, the new Chautau-
qua, and to Cabin Johns bridge, until re-
Gently the greatest arch in the world. But
in all this west view that which longest
holds the eye and most stirs the imagination
is Arlington House, its Doric proportions
clearly outlined against a bank of green
and its huge yellow columns standing cut
conspicuous even among the trees. The
eye can see an6 from this point of view the
mind can comprehend the beauty and the
pathos of the grassy slopes, white dotted,
where
On Fame's eternal camping ground
Their silent tents are spread
And Glory guards with solemn round
The bivoaac OF the dead
One'seyes never tire looking st Arlington,
and the sad, dreamy fascination which II
possesses with its strangely intermiBgled
suggestiveness Of the Washingtens and the
Lees, of Sheridsn and the almost countless
nAmeless heroes, is not easily broken
But at length we turn away and look 70 the
north. Here more modern, more bustling
view greets the eye. The city OF " ashington
is a. our feet First large green field, with
an oval driveway around it, which we know
TO be half mile in circumference, though
from this elevation it looks not much
larger than q circus ring. Beyond this al
almost perfect lawn, with a long slope to
ward Us, q fountain az its foot Al the
top stands the White House, which IS q
work Of architectural art in that the far
ther you get from it the more perfect IL
appears. In front Of the White House
and all over the lawn, is scattered an i'm
mense concour=e OF people. Il IS crowd
in white garments, though not BY any
means all Of white skins, for in Washing
ton the summer girl with her bewitohing,
airy and immaculate gown, and the sum
mer young man in his white flannel OF
duck suit are often OF the race Of free6
man