Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-06-29

amateur musical concert Bill Sterrett
and his crowd embrace every opportunity
TO go up the Potomac, and Bill seldom fails
to return with ono or more four pound fish
and delightful story of the five pound
fellow that was hooked, but got away"
A Mixed Crowd.
Being u new man, as 1t wer*,, I followed
the usual rulo of taking the famous places
in turn, and first of all Mount Vernon, of
course The trip can be made very quick
ly by tho cars, but on Saturday afternoon
almost everybody goes by the elegant boat,
which makes the trip in something over
an hour each way. The new iron and steel
steamer Charles Manchester was built ex-
prcssly for the Mount Vernon Ladies' as
ISOLATION, and by sort Of unwritten law
its early afternoon load Is made up Of
rather the most mixed set of people to be
found in America, while tho elite or the
select, as you may choose to call them, go
on the evening trip. OF course l took the
early boat, and the crowd was we'll worth
seeing. There was every color from lily
white to glistening ebony and every rank
from senator to peanut vcnder. A few
congressman made the trip with constitu-
ents who were visiting Washington, which
is the only influence that takes them down
there after their first visit. There We're
three Cinnamon Of high rank and perfect
" dazzling magnificenoe of dress. There
were Americans from many states and
about 100 school children, including three
young Indians, students of Carlisle or
Hampton probably and dressed in conven-
tiOn0l suits Of most horrible discomfort
There were hard handed laborers off for u
half holiday, solid looking business men,
several Foreigners of very distinguished
appearance and ut least ono French noble
mnn-1t least he nnin1nI n = Snch
As everybody knows, the Potomac Is q
clear and swiftly flowing highland stream
till it reaches Georgetown, after which it
widCns rapidly and becomes II mere arm
of the sea. AS the steamer moves out on
its broad and placid bosom the view from
the promenade deck is beautiful indeed.
All the hills surrounding the city can be
taken in at once, and ono realizes never
before what n pity it was that the city
was built In the wrong direction. 1t was
tho intention, of course that the magnih-
cent residences should extend eastward
from the capitol, and that all the flat west
ward should be given up to military and
naval establishments AS far northward rs
the White House, which was to be the
center of another capital, so TO speak, tho
public buildings and residences Of officials
and ambassadors extending from 1t over
the rise to the highlands of the north.
Everybody knows what is to be seen on
tho way, SO it is only necessary to men
ton them in their order. First, TO the left,
is the United States arsenal, which was
destroyed by the British in 1914. And
any schoolboy can remember the satisfac-
ton he felt in reading that spark from
the burning buildings fell into II dry we'll
whore the Americans had concealed their
powder, causing an explosion which killed
several Of the lnarauders. In 1864 another
explosion killed 21 women who werc en-
ploycd there. Just across the eastern
branch is the government insane asylum
and beyond it the naval powder magazine.
First to excite interest on the other side is
the famous old Alexandria, about which all
the time worn jokes are repeated as mat
ter of course and occasionally some I'M
usually bright fellow gets up a new one.
1t is of peculiar interest, they say as the
only finished city in the United States
and is laid out beautifully, also thorough
ly. 1t is honored as tho place where
Washington had his chief social and reli-
gious associations, especially his Masonic
relations. And visitors from the enter
priSing west add that while it is not quite
SO dead as George Washington, it's good
second. To me it has historic interest
also as being so thoroughly old English
1t is one Of those places which would in
EASItll( DS CttlltNt al CSitlSOTul lO"l -
that is, an old time center which has been
missed by the railroads and remains I'M
changed through many generations.
Points of Interest.
Not far below is the once noted Jones
point and on tho Maryland side Fort
Footc Last, before reaching Mount Yer
non, is Fort Washington. Tho river there
is two miles wide, and we get our first
view of WaShington's home, the Mansion
House, standing about 200 feet above the
water. 1t Is evident at the first view that
this would be u great place Of resort oven
II 1t had no historic association, for the
native timber is everywhere we'll preserv
ed, the hills rise in magnificent swelts,
and tho outlook over tho POTOMAC in both
directions is fine indeed. Tho plain brick
tomb In which lie the two sarcophagi con-
tanning the remains of George and Martha
Washington looks exactly like the pictures
to be seen In almost every patriotic house
hold, but just now n temporary interest IL
added by q birds nest built on the little
cornice at tho back of the tonb-the moth.
er bird now Matching there undisturbed
by the visitors She Is o sparrow and
English" at that. This cornice surrounds
the door opening into the vault at tho
rear, wherc lie the remains of 80 members
of tho Washington, Blackburn, Corbin,
Bushrod. Lewis and Custis families. Tho
proposal to remove tho remains of George
and Martha Washington TO the crypt
Of the capitol, which was brought up
from time to time for 40 years, was long
ago abandoned, and Mount Vernon will
henceforth remain our national Mecca,
preserved as nearly as possible just as
Washington left 1t.
The house Is q roomy and inconvcnient
pile, with the kitchen far detached, and
it is interesting to take look at the old |
Virginia fireplace and to hear once more
that Washington was not ut all " 49,"