The Greenville times., 1897-10-06
POTOMAC EXCURSIONS.
Neutrality-suspicious. Would swelter to
Death Without Them
Attractive scenery aud Cool DreeEes
blake suffering Humanity For
Goa the Torridity of
the Capital.


ed season fingers with us here, the
worst has passed. This capital city
never sweltered through such Septem-
ber as the one which has just gone
secthng and kissing into the torridity
Of temporal oblivion. The only relief
accorded the people from intense suf-
fering and possible prostratiou was in
| the cheap Potomac eNcursioOs.
The cool resorts along the upper Po-
tomac are numerous, and have never
| been fitly described. The travelling
center of the city is at the junction of
Seventh street and Pennsylvania av-
enue, where the car tracks cross each
other transfers are given and the
crowds are greatest. 1t is low ground,
and In the spring time has frequently
been covered with water a foot deep,
so that marketing at the great
'mash" market, near by, has been either
done i'm skitfs or has been entirely sus-
pended.
Into this low locality, on the burning
and yielding asphalt pavement the hot
and almost fainting people congregate,
hurrying and scurryiHg from car to car,
where they hang on by the strap, sit
in some fat mans lap, or else stand on
the platform and draw up their feet
The ride thence to the river landings
is a continual perspiration and swelter
The little pufrs of air are laden with
the heat above and reflected heat below,
and life is only endurable because of the
hopeful certainty of speedy delivery.
The arrival at the wharf brings the
cool-ar seekers into a density of still
furuace-like air, in which there is never
a breath ofmoyjng atmosphere, and the
rush for tickets is an awful nightmare.
Fortunately there are boats enough TO
prevent that crowding TO sutfocation
which used to be the bane of the river.
As soon as the steamers are com
fortably full the bells ring, the en-
gineers put the machinery to work, the
pilots whirl their wheels, the bands
commence their alleged music and the
motion Of the boat produces a breeze
which is at once reviyifying. Almost
Immediately we are brought alongside
the arsenal grounds. There, under q
shaded lawn, about mile in length, |
lying under the trees, at or near the |
edge of the stone wall which rises per-
pendicularly from the water are |
stretched hundreds of men, women and |
children. too poor even to take the ten
cent ride down the river. But they are |
cool and comfortable, so long as quiet.
There is always a breeze on the arsenal |
grounds, that is becoming one of the .
most popular resorts in the city for the
residents Of south Washington.
Unfortunately, the half-civilized col
ored people, the uneducated and per-
sstently ignorant and ill-bred class, are
crowding hard upon their more cleanly
and deserving fellow-citizens often ex-
libjting such rudeness as to almost
make it necessary for class discrimina-
ton by the officers of the Third artil-
ery, who are garrisoned in the grounds.
As we pass the barracks, the long line
If brick buildings used as the soldiers
quarters, the "sun-down gun" comes in
iight. This little piece of rifed artillery
las doomed forth an announcement of
he rising of the sun and of the goirg
Town of the same for many years. 1t
S situated almost exactly on the spot
where the gallows were erected upon
which were hanged the accessories to
he assassination of President Lincoln.
The breeze grows fresher and cooler
) we glide along towards the south
and. That little wharf extending out
utC the stream is all that remains Of the
immense landing places for Camp
,toneman, during the war. That great {