The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1898-08-06

dlsarranged the plans of family OCCUPYING
two seats, was most rudely attacked by the
fellow and driven off as if she had been steal
ing private property. Why man cannot be
gentleman while travelling as well as in
drawingroom is, perhaps, puzzle with only
one solution. He who is anywhere not a
gentleman perhaps has little claim ever to be
classed as such.
At last, after what seemed an age, with
every seat occupied and the thermometer at
hundred, we were once more in motion.
Some two miles out, beautifully situated on
the south of the road, stands the imposing
buildings of the Catholic University. The
site has been we'll chosen. The grounds are
ample, almost a park. The buildings are
massive and at the same time have an impress
slve Individuality Students enjoy at once the
quletness of the country and all the advantages
of the capital city of the greatest nation on
earth.
On the Metropolitan branch the lost time
should have been made up, instead of that
several delays were added and at Washington
junction we were half an hour late. Here we
struck the Potomac river and the historic
Chesapeake & Ohio Canal. From here to
Harper's Ferry, distance of eleven miles,
the railroad and the canal seem still TO con-
tinue the struggle for right of way begun by
the rival companies away back in the TWEEN
ties. In several places the space between the
river and the cliffs is scarcely sufficient to add
nit both works even after walling the canal
on the river side and pushing the railroad, at
great expense, deep into the cliffs. Yet these
few miles with narrow spaces killed the canal
finally and DELAYED the railroad ten years.
But for politics in great public interests of
a commercial character the canal would have
been finished before the railroad was dreamed
of. But for inordinate greed and a total dis
regard for the simple matters of justice be-
tween man and man the railroad would have
reached the Ohio ten years earlier. From
Harper's Ferry to Cumberland the run was
without incident The car windows must be
kept open to prevent suffocation, and the
blinds have to be drawn sufficiently to permit
glimpses of the ever varying river and noun
tain landscape. For these luxuries one must
pay by having the eyes beaten sore and the
face blackened almost beyond recognition by
the cinders which darken the air and beat like
fine hail through the smallest opening.
Just west of Green Spring wnile pulling a
heavy grade at respectable speed there was
sharp, metallic clank that startled every
body Just as we were starting across bridge.
Brakes were put hard down and i'll little more
than a single train length we were at stand
STILL Of course there was a rush of the curl
Gus ones 10 see WHdG Ildu Inv
coupling at the rear of the fourth car had
given way and the rear cars were holding on
by the safety chain. "Was the coupling
broken?' "Non Then what caused the
trouble ?'' was on everybody's tongue. The
question was not satisfactorily answered but
several passengers connected the accident
with the scampering of number of rowdy-
respectable boys from that point as soon as
the noise was heard.
With every mile now the Potomac grows
narrower and the hills sharper. Cumberland
was passed forty minutes late and on we ran
for Piedmont, where begins the ascent of the
Justly famous seventeen mile grade. From
Piedmont (mountain FOOT to AltamOnt
(mountain top two engines are used and yet
twenty miles an hour or fifty minutes for
seventeen miles is the best that can be done.
Until recently this has enjoyed the distinction
of being the heaviest grade in America.
Mounting from Piedmont along the side of a
deep ravine we climb steadily higher and
higher till we look far down into the tops OF
tall trees growing by the little brook. Sew
eral tunnels are passed and we energy high
up on the sleeper side of another ravine.
Now we look down perpendicular cliff a
hundred feet high; now high bank shuts us
in for moment and a sllvery waterfall
splashss the faces of eager gazers.
GEO. WASHINGTON.