Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-09-03
FOUR GOVERNMENT CLERKS.
Their Vacation Spent in = Long Tramp in
Virginia.

Virginia.
SOMEWHAT rsEp Up AT TEE END OF THE Y1ksr
DAT AND THEY SPEND ANOTHER IN REST
Some STORIES BIT THE NArIvKs-Nor A GOOD
xIoar's REST.
EOUR OF Us WHO WERE IN THE Gov
u eminent service and . young man whom
we had styled ''the kid started on q tramp
from Warrington. We believed that to be a
healthy way to spend our vacation. We were
bright and firm of step when we left George
town, but We weakened somewhat before the
day Was done.
The FIRST days suffering ended at Seneca
when the party sat down to q table loaded with
ham and eggs, smoking biscuit, good butter and
honey. The host could place but two rooms at
our disposal, and All and Willis were assigned
to the smaller. Half an hour later strange
sounds were heard, sounds of hard blows and
muttered ordinations. The three from the
large room crowded in and found Willis fast
asleep, but the man from Jersey, in an abbrevi-
ated shirt. was skipping from chair to chair and
with towel in hand waging war on mosquitoes
that would have been a credit to his own state.
Crimson blots on ceiling and walls showed that
the fight was effective. lifetime training in
Jersey stood him in good stead, and in fifteen
minutes the enemy was annihilated.
Harry's desire to get somewhere had lead to
his asking the man Of the house to get us of
early, and as a consequence we were given n
cold breakfast. and before o'clock the march
on the towpath WAS begun. There was a little
stiffness of joints and complaints of ill-fitting
shoes. tending to moderate the delight which
should have greeted such q morning. Passing
Seneca locks and the great sandstone quarries
the mOnOtony Of the towpath was forgotten
n a Climbed
and the long line Of sandy towpath quivered
In the heat the party grew silent Conversation
was limited to very short observations and OBJ
jurgations on the weather. A noontime
shining full upon the bare skin was enjoyed at
the time. but with dire results. Blistered
backs and arms. raw shoulders and burned
faces did not contribute to the comfort Of the
afternoon walk.
1t began to look as if the nearest railroad sta
tion would witness the end of the trip. Peace
was only maintained by struggling, no two men
being within earshot of each other. 1t was
dark when the party struggled into
Monocacy, too tired for anything but
rest. Forty-two miles with twenty pound
packs in two days was too much for raw re-
cruits
SLEEP AND BREAKFAST MAKE A CHANGE.
Sweet sleep and a solid breakfast did much
toward restoring both vigor and temper, but
All announced that he had left ring at the
noon rest of the preceding day, nine miles back.
and proposed to go after it. No one ever saw
him wear a ring, and he came back without
one. but these two facts were hardly enough to
justify the charge that he did not 60 back at
all, but only went out Of sight and slept in the
shade all day.
Monocacy was a good point for days rest, a
place interesting on account of its present at
fractions, 1T being one of the best bass fishing
points on the river. interesting a relic of the
departed glory Of the old canal and again as
probably the site Of an Indian settlement
Years ago when the canal was in its prosperity
this was point of considerable commercial i'm
portance. 1t was the great shipping point for
the grain fields OF the surrounding Maryland
and Virginia country and men made fortunes
in buying and shipping wheat. Quite a town
grew up and hourished but with the changing
order OF things it passed away and now one or
two houses only remain mute witnesses Of de-
parted glory. single decaying warehouse and
the ribs Of O boat sunk and rotting in the shall
low water tell thatthe decay still goes on. The
native tells that here was a store, there q ware
house, yonder busy street or road down which
came steady stream Of country produce seek
ing a market. but you must take it on faith.
Kind nature has blotted out the marks of times
rsvages and green sod hides the scars of mans
activities.
That the canal has even maintained n sem
inherent value as to the fact that the partition
of its effects among rival claimants could not
be satisfactorily settled. II has been miniature
eastern question. waiting for the end only until
the heirs could settle upon the division OF the
estate. Different corporations have wanted the
promoted its longevity. The question is
about settled, but if the rival interests are not
soon adjusted nature may bring lasting set
Element Another freshet such as swept the
Potomac in 1888 will forever wipe the canal out
Of existence, at least as a line for continuous
traffic. For wears 1t has paid its stockholders
nothing, its ditch is in poor condition and it is
far in arrears with its labor. The end is near
Monocacy has stories older than canal times
There are abundant evidences that there was a
settlement here before white men saw the
country. Fragments of pottery, relics Of the
chase and Of the domestic life of the aborigines
are occasionally found. In q field where the
sluggish stream joins the Potomac our party in
half an hour picked up hatful Of arrowheads
and similar samples of stonework, while piles
Of clippings indicate that at one time these
were made on the spot.
ONE DAY OF REST.
The day was spent by each member of the
party according to fancy. George and Harry
made some impossible sketches Of trees and
landscapes in colors and proportions that made
them resemble Chinese work Willis borrowed
store his erstwhile natty white shirts to their
former brilliancy, but the attempt was a fail
ure. The dust and stain of the two days travel
instead of coming out simply spread. giving all
the garments q gingerbread hne. 1t was blow
to his pride, and he alternately contem-
plated his success and his abraided knuckles he
declared that never again on the trip would he
wash garment. He kept his word.
In the afternoon Alf came back bringing
with him one of the characterers Of the coun-
notorious as the best informed man and the
pair, for ALI occupied the same position in our
The old man was an Englishman and re-
fifth wife. ALI with q patronizing air said
that when he was in India last year he found
hundred children, in fact that the name Hindu
ignition Of their wonderful fertility. As
soldier the old gentleman assured us that
he was something of q walker himself He
frequently marched sixty miles day carrying
q forty-pound pack. He was assured that it
was a very good record for thirty years ago.
but would not entitle him to rank in our class;
that we had made the forty-two miles from
Washington in little less than half day and
had not yet struck our gait on account Of the
kid. ALI showed himself polished artist and
sustained the reputation Of the party by knock
ing out the country champion with little exer-
ton and no strain on his conscience.
From Monocacy to Point of Rocks is six
mil ht,fr pnfvv hx,o Il