Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1893-08-01
Letter From warrenton.



instant. My first objective point was
Washington City, whero 1 tarried
several days with relative. 1t was
hot. As to sight seeing I vas not in
for it. 1 courled and kept the shady
side all the time. My friend Grover
was away at Gray Cables, so / was
prevented paying my respects to the
burly Chief of the nation. His cabi--
net, with one or two exceptions, was
away too, for vacation. Nevertheless
national affairs move right along. On
Sunday worshiped at the big Met
ropolitan NJ. Z. Church, it being
nearest to my domicile. 1t is a
SPLENDID structure in architecture
and size. The pastor, Rev. MIR.
johnson, is 4 Canadian of pleasing
address. The sermon was moderate,
the congregation small. the singing
by the choir superb. 1t was in this
church that Gen. Grant worshipped
when he was president. So celebra-
ted parsonage drew immense con-
gregations, if the preacher did not.
Washington, with its magnificent
buildings, public and private; its
beautiful and well kept parks its ia
cilities of travel all over its bounda-
ries, especially by cable power; its
superabuLdant provision of shade
trees along its whole circuit OF
streets its monuments in public
places 10 commemorate the country s
heroes its houses of charity and
good works for the needy, the suf-
fering, the afflicted; its prospective
universities for higher learning; its
teeming, ever-increasing population
its clean, smooth, asphalt paved
streets and aYenues-all these help
TO place it among the great cities OF
the world. Well may the nation be
proud of its magnificent capital. My
first visit to it was when / was boy,
(and the city was only in its teens,
to witness the Inauguration of Mr..
Var Buren, who succeeded Gen.
Jackson in 1886. During my late
stay 1 accidentally met with Mr.. t.
r. Baker, formerly connected will
the Carter House. He is now serv-
ing the Howard House, near the
Pennsylvania r. r. depot. He is
the same genial, pleasant gentleman
as of yore.
From Washington | went TO Ma
nassas, Prince William county, Va
The Sunday School convention of the
Baltimore Conference, NJ. E. Churcl
South. held its annual session there
continuing three days-12th, 1911
and 18th. The attendance of dele.
gates was small, owing doubtless tc
hot weather and scarcity of money
yet the proceedings were interesting
and profitable. The Hon. Lanck
Walton, of Woodstock, member OF
the Virginia Senate and a possible
successor in Congress to the Hon
Chas. L. O'FerreIl should he be NOM
mated for governor. was president OF
the convention. The convention
meets ut Harrisonburg next year.
Manassas has been chosen by a vote
of the people as the county seat, in.
stead of Brentsyille, which has been
the seat of justice for seventy-ffve
years. 1t is q pretty town, on the
line of the Virginia Midland r. r.
thirty-fve miles from Washington.
The Manassas branch; leading tc
Strasburg in the valley, forms {
Junction there. Its population is
about eight hundred. 1t has six
handsome. commodious churches, af-
fording ample sitting room for all
its peoplc-a thing which no city and
very few towns can do. There is
| being built new courthouse, at &
cost of Sl5, 900. The town has re.
ceiVed a fresh impetus to trade,
building and increase of population.
1t has good pavements, good water
and a profession of shade trees.
met there Mr.. T. o. Taylor, late OF
Charles Town, who with his family
live there. He had just returned
from st. Louis, where he was sum.
moned to attend his brother in his
last fatal illness. He informed me
that his brother died possessed of an
estate valued ut $500, 600. BY the
will he was appointed trustee, tic
commission on which will yield him a
very handsome sum of money. Mr..
I. is very clever gentleman and ]
am glad to learn of his good fortune.
am now on my native heath,
where l was born and spent the years
of childhood. How strangely and
variedlY man feels when lie comes
back and lives over the scenes of his
early life. Gay and lively as he
tramps around the town, looks upon
tue old play ground, calls up the
bouts of those days with his play
mates, traces the scenes and frolicks
of that halcyon tiiue-when no. care
pressed the young heart-no trouble
gloomed the spirit-no anxious
thought of tomorrow rankle ed within.
Sad and lonely, as he asks and looks
for the older persons who walked
these streets-for the young of that
way-back period. his boon compan-
ions In the games and roIlfcksome
plays-the old and middle aged all
gone and but two or three of his fell
lows left. Such is life. l preached
on Sunday morning in the NJ. T..
Church South. 1t was a great pleas
ure to do so again at my birthplace.
Warrenton is handsome town. 1t
is great summer resort, but rs vet
comparatively few have come To
breathe its sweet air and drink its
pure mountain water. The court
house, rebuilt since its destruction
by fire few years ago, is of Grecian
style and beautiful in its finish. Its
churches are good, but no tably the
two Baptist churches, white and COL
al,