Evening journal., 1895-08-30
Back From ni-torIo Iands

'ae taoo, aOiE
Back From Historic Lands.
United States District Attorney Lewis
C. Vandegrift, one OF Uncle Sans
ablest and most genial servants. was IA
his Office this morning when an EvENIn0
JOURNAL reporter called ia the course OF
bis round through the lRwy ers' offices
Having just returned from mcsi en-
JoyAble and instructive ride of
over 200 miles on his wheel It was
but natural that his face and hands
ehould be brorzed, the Effects Of the
exposure TO the suns rays being more
noticeable by reason of the light tow
cloth suit be hsd on aud which by the
way, was the frat suit Of the kind ever
worn In WILMINGTON When ssked
about his trip down the Shen
andosh valley and Incidentally into Mary
land and southern Pennsylvania, he said !:
~ left my family ia Montgomery
county, MI, took my wheel and went to
Natural Bridge, thinRing that IL wanted
TO See the Shena ldoah valley on bicycle,
had better follow the trend Of the river
From Natural Bridge came north, ard
st Lexington, about fifteen miles from
my starting plaoe.I fell In with number
of men, one OF whom, Mr.. Abraham
T. Nelson, engaged In the carriage aud
leather commission business in Cinein
natl, but originally from Frederick, Nd
proposed, after looking at Natural
Bridge, to 60 over the same route that
had mapped out for myself So waited
for him there for 3 few hours, in the
meantime comforting with the Cours
House officials Ia that old town
aud looking AZ the places where
General Stonewsll jackson and General
Robert e Lee are buried Then we came
on TO Staunton. passing the Washington
and Lee University buildings at Lexing
ton, and on up to HarrisoRburg, where
we spent the first night.
From there we made an early start
about 30 or 5 o'clock in the morning
and came on down through the valley.
passing Fort jackson and Strasburg,
reaching Newmarket, where we
laid our wheels aside and birsd
team TO take US across the
mountains about fourteen miles to the
Lnray Caverns. After we got back we
started out next morning at
the usual early hour and
made Winchester that night
after an easy Iup, G distance Of about
forty five miles. From there we took tbs
nike across to Martinsburg, West
Virginia, and thence to Hagerstown,
where game Of baseball between the
local team and the Cincinnati club
entertained us for the afternoon.
Next morning We went to Gettysburg,
passing By the valley of the Cumberland,
where there Is g crest crop OF most
delicious peaches. Indeed. the whole
Shenandoah and Cumberland val
leys looked thriving and all
fruits and grains seemed TO be
in abundance. The water supply Of
the Shenandoah valley must always be
plentiful, judging by the fact that
road which was a splendid mRcadamlzed
pike all the way from Lexington
20 Hagerstown, distance OF some 200
miles. The water comes through lime
stone and is very palatsble.
The people were always hospitabe
and willing TO oblige us in any way they
could. We generally ran for two or
three hours before breakfast and would
frequently find It necessary TO 60 to
farmhouses on the road and request
the housewives to prepare breakfast for
us, which they always did for moderate
compensation.
I'VE hhel team and guide at
Gettysburg snd were driven over the
great battlefield, which the government
has taken ia hand ana Is now
putting in proper shape. The
monuments marking the positions Of the
several bodies Of troops are distributed
all over the twenty five square miles Of
battlefield, and the Delaware regiment
apparently occupied 2 conspicuous
place in the battle, Judging
by the place where its monument
~A-
very artistic, especially those of the
Massachusetts regiments. No one
can 90 over the Geld and
vie0 Round Top, the peach
orchard and wheat field, without being
much Impressed with the magnitude Of
the conflict which took place there
At one place near the Bloody Triangle"
it is stated that the Union forces poured
grape and canister IN the memorable
charge made by Prickett and his men,
into the Confederates at a distance OF
ten yards
I'VE left Gettysburg on our bicycles
and went down the Emmetsburg pike.
intending to reach Frederick, as our
final destination, but, my com
panion's wheel becoming disabled
on the very bad road which this pike
turned out to be, We took the train
at Emmetsburg and made the
last twenty miles by train hav
ing covered something over 200 miles
and passed through, not only a very
beautiful country, but one which was
the scene Of many battles during the
late civil war
"Peoplo who pass on the main
lines CT the railroads which go through
Maryland have no adequate idea
OF the rich agricultural districts of that
state. They form very poor impression
compared with what they would
have II they traversed Montgomery,
Washington, Frederick and some Other
Western Shore counties
America Good Enough for Him.
General r R Kenney and son, Caleb
Of Dover, are home from Europs wher'
they have been for several months
spending most of the tins in Germany
They reached New York on Wednesday
and passed through this city on their
way home. The general says that Ameriei
is good enough for him Referring to tbs
IL 4 I ~