Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1892-06-22
Communicated.

Mr.. GdUQler. | lett Oh"iiNS
Monday, the 18th inst tarrled few days
in Washington City, but the weather was
so oppressive in temperature that l remain.
ed under cover most of the time and failed
to do up the capital Of the nation ID Tue
matter of sight. seeing. | saw enough tho
to convince me that the oft repeated state
ment that it is the handsomest city IN the
world. is true. It is no longer the city oil
magnificent distances" as said of old, but
the vacant places and lots of forty and tity
years ago are we'll illed with business
houses and residences, with great public
buildings standing out in bold relief here
and there, and what gives picturesqueness
to the whole city is the vast profusion OF
shade trees lining every avenue and cross
street-just now the foliage tinted with The
rich emerald of June 1t was indeed
weird scene to ride down the main avenue
at night-the electric lights flashing their
brilliant scintilations on the green foliage,
the crowd surging to and fro after the heat
of the day, the brightly Illuminated stores
with their attractive fronts. the cars rapidly
moving hither and thither with their living
freight was a sight not soon 10 he i"-
gotten did not get to look uron The "a
,cmplcd i-lom" "f the nation S"mr al
YOUR r al T., may Link hat "'isSed the
II I,,f | 1, fnlt
ia thr tact that one who had lo"' rd down
u;on thp-r who occupied sea III the iesls-
la,iye halls If the nation forty or fifty Yeas
ago when Webster, Clay, Calhoun, Preston,
Wright Benton, Crittenden were in the
Senate, and ]. Q. Adams, Prentis, Wise,
Cushing, Peyton and other great orators
were in the House. should have little to re-
greet. / am willing to rest on the memories
of the past, when those halls were the arena
of such grand forensic efforts. They have
never had their equal. The present are
pygmies in the scale.
I am now in Warrenton, my native town,
where first | drew the breath of life. The
memories of childhood, youth and young
manhood crowd upon me in thick success
siou not without strong tinge of sadness,
From where l write look upon the struc-
ture in which l played in childhood, at the
same old trees that shaded me and my sires,
but the boys, the associates, the kindred OF
that long ago time are gone, bringing to
my mind the poetic sentiment rs appro-
pirate:
81 feel as one who treads alone some banquet
hall deserted,
Whose lights are fled and garlands dead and
all but me departed
Warrenton is beautiful town. 1t has
many elegant and artistic residences, with
pretty lawns-beautiful with shrubbery and
ample shade It's location is high, environ
ed with striking scenes-surroundings OF
mountain, hill and dale. | notice with
much pleasure two important public i'm
provements the introduction into the town
of bountiful supply of pure mountain
water, and nice, smooth, brick pavements,
supplanting the old sandstone ones. These
have taken place since my last visit The
population is about fifteen hundred-show-
ing decrease instead of increase. The bus
mess of the town does not appear to be ag-
gressive and pushing-rather the contrary.
The failure of private banking house last
winter, involving much loss to depositors
and others, has had a depressing effect
This is the second failure of the kind in the
town. The wonder with me is that the
capital here and without does not establish
national bank-such being not likely to
fail.
Warrenton is q place of great resort fer
summer visitors, and as the season advan-
ces these denizens of the city contribute
largely to the gaity and liyliness of the
place. A meeting of much religious inte-
rest has been in progress in the Baptist
Church, conducted by the Rev. Mr.. Har-
rison, an evangelist of that denomination.
The boom mania which has struck so
many Virginia towns has not developed
here In this it may be that the town has
made a happy escape. The new Virginia
senator, Gen. Hunton, resides here. A JEFF
ferson boy, a native of Shepherdstown, Mr..
L. t. Hout, has for several years conducted
the jewelry business here end is doing well.
Yours, etc. j. w. TONGUE.
WARRENToN, June IS, 1892