The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1894-07-28

Dear New DoMINIoS -
/ spent eleven days con the fcad'' in
my Mercury-like journey on spokes from
Harper's Ferry to the Hub. About four
hundred miles of the space which spans
these two places, where sterling history
was once made, ] went over five roads
amid the greatest diversity Of scenes and
scenery, including vast solitary stretches,
scattered hamlets, compact villages,
stately towns and metropolitan cities
over and around mountains, alongside
of and across rivers, and, to use Homer's
phrase, along the shores OF the loud
sounding sea. l was delighted with the
mountain-glory OF the Shenandoah Val
ley charmed with the cultivated beauty
OF the Oranges of New Jersey and the
Newton's OF Massachusetts fascinated
with the Hudson whose surface vexed
by thousand keels | viewed as | rode
rapidly over smooth road upon the
crest of the Palisades and famed into
comfort as whirled along splendid roads
of easy grade by the shores OF Long Is
land Sound, watching the ships that pass
in the highland in the day. And this
tanning was becoming a necessity; for
the limestone of the Shenandoah, and
the concrete OF Washington, and the mac
adam OF New Jersey reflected heat
sufficient to scorch saamander The
day wheeled across the upper end Of
New York City learned from the N. Y.
Herald that no cool wave need be looked
| for that day. This being the Herald's
prediction and not news turned out cor
rect. But by that evening | was well
along the Connecticut coast and from
this time on Old Sol lost his power to
moisten and burn, and gained in speed
as we'll as comfort as / steered directly
north up the Connecticut River.
This brought me through Meriden,
where | called upon Rev. John Riley
Thompson one of my illustriofs prede-
cessors in the Morgantown pulpit and
qpondam president OF the University.
He had hundred questions to ask, as
had also Mrs. Thompson, of Morgantown
| friends, progress &c &c. They have not
lost their affection and interest in the
friends and home of former years. DR..
Thompson is pleasantly located in re-
markedly fine, city with large church
and elegant parsonage, and is in his fifth
year as pastor.
Just before turning east for the final
stretch to Boston, visited at Hartford,
Conn, the factory OF the Pope Manufac-
turing Co., where the world.famous Col
umbia Bicycles are made. A letter of
Introduction from the President OF the
Company who resides in Boston was the
open sesame to every department of this
stupendous institution This was the
first regular firm to make bicycles in the
United States and they have been at IL
for seventeen years. When Col. Albert
A. Pope first told his friends that he in
tended to go into the manufacture of BIZ
cycles they thought him visionary and
daft. Acres of buildings, fifteen hundred
men in his employ, two millions of dol
| lars OF applied capital, and a capacity,
often necessary, of two hundred ma
chimes day show that brains, energy,
| business integrity, joined with highest
science and most skilled art, indicate
that this man of visions has attained
largest success.
During my wheel trip was constant
| " asked: Where did You come IRON
Where are you going2 How far can you
ride day? The American thinks al
ways OF speed. Sidney Smith said OF
Daniel Webster that he was a steam en-
CINE in trousers. Leisure is not one OF
| the gods in the American pantheon.
Many people seemed to think it in
comprehensive that should be alone.
These we're always puzzled when | ask
ed them How they expected other peo
pie to share their society since they
could not endure their own.
At the present writing Mrs. Day and
myself are resting with uEmixed pleas
ure in Wianno which is far out at sea,
the nearest land Ton the southeast) be-
ing the coast OF Spain. Here we are ira
versing fast>howing seas, and visiting in
day-dreams distant lands
s. III. DAY.
Wianno, Midsummer 1894