The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1894-06-22
POOR OLD WASHINGTON.
The Heat In the National Capital
Makes Life q Burden
The only Relief les People Have In =
Rfda on tho Potomac-Sight Excur-
nlnns Seem TO Ba the Only
Means OF Escapa.


rspelssi washington letter.
Green walled by the hills Of Mary
land and Virginia, the placid Potomac
IN the summer moonlight is beautiful
beyond description IN the olden time
before the yawls and shallops Of John
Smith and his companions found the
head waters OF this beautiful stream,
the aboriginal inhabitants In their
birch bark canoes enjoyed themselves
rowing and sailing upon its peaceful
bosom To-day the greatest enjoyment
Of civilized man and woman IN this
vicinity Is derived from excursions upon
the Potomac These excursions are big
or little, brief or extended, according
70 the numbers and desires Of the par
ties interested. Regular steamers make
two daily trips 10 Mount Vernon, the
tomb Of Washington. and to Marshall
hall, en- famous pleasure resort across
the river from Mount Vernon. There
are 50 many strangers visiting the ma
tional capital constantly that they
usually occupy these regular excursion
steamers to the almost total exclusion
Of the people Of Washington But on
Saturday nights and Sundays our peo-
pie 60 by thousands to these popular
resorts There are other excursion
steamers which take seekers after pleas
ure and rest down the river to Point
Lookout, a place just at the widest
point In the Potomac river before it
enters Chesapeake bay. Large iron
steamers, for a very small sum, carry
excursionists from this city TO Fortress
Monroe and Norfolk; a trip which occu-
L
greater portion Of the day, however,
can be spent In Norfolk and vicinity.
Narrow gauge railroad lines convey ex-
cursionists from the old Virginia city
TO pleasure resorts upon the Atlantic
coast.
A number Of steam launches owned
by private individuals carry select
parties down the Potomac to Indian
Head, Fort Foote and other popular
resting places, or else they steam up
and down the river without landing
anywherc, merely for the purpose Of
having an outing.
When the days are hot and the nights
unendurable here thousands Of our
people spend half the night upon
steamers which ply the Potomac solely
for the purpose of furnishing fresh air
md artificial breezes to the excursion
lists The ferryboats which run regu-
larly between this city and Alexandria
are also extensively patronized for the
same purpose. 1t takes half an hour
70 20 from city to suburb on these
ferries, and during the entire summer
they are crowded from early morn till
dewy eve, from dewy eve till morn.
Quite a number Of children in care Of
their nurses spend half days upon the
ferries and have very jolly times in
deed, while the heat In the city is we'll
nigh uncomfortable.
Everybody knows everybody on these
cosmopolitan excursion boats except q
/ few young couples who know nobody
but themselves. The summer girl and
her summer beau. like birds OF a
feather, flock together, by focking off
all alone in secluded corners of cabin,
deck or hurricane roof. Down at
1 Marshall hall, while the pavilion is
crowded with dancers, these happy
young noodles occupy tables In the out
skirts Of the crowd and eat ice cream
until they can eat no more, and then
I they disappear in the gloom of the
! lovers lanes extending all along the
river front When the shrill whistle
of the steamer announces that 1t Is
about time for the return trip these
happy spooners gradually gather again
in groups upon the boat, each and all
of them praying that midnight may
never come.
Solitary, selfish men enjoy these ex-
cursiOns. To see them Cumming,
smoking and chatting, occasionally
shouting or guffawing when some
good story Is told, you might rea-
sonably presume that they are bach
elors; all of them single gentlemen
leading lonely lives. happen to know,
however, that there are wives and
children Of these men sweltering I'm the
city, because their husbands and IA
theirs cannot afford the expense of
summer night excursions for their fam
lilies. The dog in the Manager was an
exceedingly selfish animal, but, after
all, he was only a dog and knew no
better would not Intentionally cast
any reflections upon that particular
dog; nor would it be entirely proper to
make any comparisons at this time
But, while gazing at the groups of
men unaccompanied by their families,
the thought Of the dog generated itself
spontaneously.
It IS a very democratic gathering
which engages the attention of the
ticlzet-seller on the wharf. Boys of
tender ages and tough consciences,
smoking cigarettes, carrying willowy
canes, with which their trousers ought