The Republican journal., 1900-05-24
A VISIT TO THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.

this season was to leave Boston for Wash
ington on Friday night, April 10Th, and
kimmie, the chaperon of the Maine con-
tingem, had his party corralled in one of
the waiting compartments of the new South
Station in Boston - twenty-five. all told.
Thomaston, Rockland Bath, Portland, Au-
gu>ta, Fairfield and Belfast were the towns
represented. lntroductions had been given
between the strangers of the party, and
mental diagnoses We're taken during the
few minutes that remained! to us before the
departure of the train for Stonington, where
We We're t. take the steamer New Hamp-
Shire for New York, instead of going by the
Fall River line on the Puritan, as had been
planned. Our trip to Stonington was I'M
eventful, and very quiet, as the frigidity
with which Mantle encrcles himself on
leaving home does not more easily Succumb
to melting influences than does the ice in
his native State. At ten O'Clock that night
We were safely on board the steamer New
Hampshire, a fine, commodious boat, and at
so next morning we We're out on deck to
get our first glimpse of New York harbor
The islands in the harbor wereup before us,
however and had put on their finest tailor
made suits, all Of green, and We're looking
their very best, all in honor of our coming
| have no doubt The statue of Liberty in
the distance waved her 'kercheif and babe
US welcome to New York Brooklyn bridge,
. silver thread at first view. came down to
meet us as We advanced, and as we passed
lnder the great arch did actually seem to
reach down to catch the flag that tioated
from the steamers mast head. | watched,
shlpiderins. to see the tiag torn OFF, but just
then the light changed, and | saw that
another mast perhaps on the tip Of the one
above might have passed under unharlVed.
Dating from this moment our interest in
bridges had its birth. and we Went on view
Ing these grand structures wherever they
We're IL be seen. The ARCHITECTURAL beauty
which is finding expression in bridge build
iIlg is making itself very prominent in the
later work. At 80 Saturday morning We
breakfasted on the steamer at O'Clock We
Nere landed in New York and after thirty
minutes ride on the horst -eurs-only think Of
horse-oars IN New York city-We took the
fplly ro The jersey shore to continue on our
way to- Philadelphia At the landing we
calne up with the whole excursion party,
numbering five hundred Eight passenger
coaches were standing OH the track, and on
the ,ltte OF each one was to be seen the fol
lowing placard:
ROYAL Blue Line excursion party,
simmons. conductor, ~ II.
Private Car,
Royal Blue Line excursion party,
(joogn> on. GuGglnsvillt.
Private tar.
N> uur car wa, the first we had to thread
our way along the whole line. At last it
wa, reached. and ''AIane Excursion Party,
KiulaaIl Conducto., Special Car met the
eye. and This Was the home Of the twenty
five l-ntil we reached Washington. Here,
penu-d IN this ear with no possibility OF e&-
cape from each other. the company went in
tn the thawing process, and before we had
reached Philadelphia We were acquaintances
of a lifetime, and had begun to select and
reject and to make up little knots for travel
cling and Sightseeing We had five hours
i'm Philadelphia and visited many places of
Interest. including Independence Hall, the
National Mint, City Hall and Wanamaker's
great department store. Does it debar one
from being reckoned patriotic, | WONDER to
assert that the City Hall was. to me, the
most interesting place visited in Philadel-
pha. feel that | am expected to say In
dependence Hall; but here am among
She shades of the cherry tree and the hatchet'
and dare not tell lie City Hall fills just
one square, and the architecture of the
" hole is magnificent Every side, corner
aud angle present entirely new subjects.
After We had walked around the building
We explored the interior. The great vesti-
!,up with its noble columns so strongly
capped by immense carvings, the allegori
ca panels in the walls, the hollow square or
plaza around which the whole building is
fashioned, are pleasing in the extreme. |
found "a panel beautifully carved-just an
Owl and beaver knowledge and Indus
try and | said 1T is the key of the
Whale When next come to Philadelphia
it will he days, rather than hours, that |
Shall pass within these walls" lndepen-
deure Hall is a place of great national
pride and respect, and justly. too. 1t is a
place 10 be seen, to be appreciated, and it is
useless for a weak pen to attempt to follow
The great historical descriptions, Indepen-
,ience Hall has received.
our next stopping place was in Washing
ton. where We arrived at six in the after
noon. tired and dusty, but ready for the
good cheer that awaited us at the oxford
House at the corner of 18th street and New
York avenue This hotel is admirably To-
Gated for excurSiohsts, as it is an easy mat
tel to reach any portion of the city from
this point by the eectrcs, thirty Of which
pass here every six minutes. The Maine
party alone had their headquarters at the
oxford. sunday was with us a sort of go
Miere-y ou-please day, Several attended the
coored church, anxious to hear the famous
cuiored choir. Others went on trolley rides,
while d few visited the National 100, in its
Hne, large park outside the city | was of
Thu, party, and much enjoyed making the
acquaintance Of the fine animals with which
the park is we'll stocked The article in the
May Century gives but remote idea of the
park rs it is, and of its inhabitants. The
specimens Of the animals and birds are very
fine They are so different from those which
one sees in the menageries that it is difficult
far ana a ina ne them : balancing to the