The Savannah morning news., 1901-06-30
SOME WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
SUMMER VACATION PLANS Of
PROMINENT PEOPLE.

Quarters of the Town-Governme nt
Employees WIZ Try to Get Away
i'm August-rhe House Boat and Its
Difficulties Bicycling as an
Amusement Has Gone Ont of
Fashion-The Places in which
some Prominent OmciaIs VIII
spend the summer-Other Matters
of General Interest.
Washington, D. c.. June 2S.-"Any
where except in District of Columbia dur
ing July and August" is a well developed
sentiment which is carried out by every
body whose circumstances will permit,
So in these days the shutters are nearly
all up in the fashionable quarter OF town,
and outgoing trains are filled 10 the lin
1t. Hereabouts there is no better baron
eter OF the season than the railway sta
tons; nor a more accurate gauge of the
social and political activity OF the Capital.
At this time of year the line in front OF
the ticket windows and the crowd >hur-
rying through the gates are clad In sum-
mer gear. carrying caddy bags and ten
mis- rackets. fishing rods and guns-clear-
ly indicating that the object of the exc
dus is pleasure and not business. few
months later the depot throngs will wear
a very different aspect made up mostly
of portly gentlemen, in silk hats and
frock coats, and seedy individuals of
whom Macbeth's remark Thou hast no
speculation in those eyes which thou
dost glare with" would be far amlss.
They mark the vanguard of the politi-
clans and lobbyists, who gain the field
early in order to be well started for the
fierce campaign which opens when Con-
gress convenes again.
So far, the exodusters are mostly of the
wealthy class, WHO have summer homes
elsewhere and expect to stay in them I'M
til autumn. They always go as soon as
the asphalt begins to feel spongy under
the feet and the sun chases the mercury
up the little glass tube toward the nine
ties. This year they were much later
about it than usual, on account OF an.
unprecidently backward spring; but when
summer finally came ii was with an
undigniied bounce, from April weather to
the heat of Hades. Government employ
es, who comprise at least one-third of
our population, have not thought of go
ing yet awhile. Most of them have been
long enough in the service to learn wis
dom. They know that August is the most
trying month in this locality and they
take their vacation then, If possible. or
course the whole force cannot be spared
at once, and that makes vexation of spir-
it both for employers and employed.
Wsest of all are the few who say moth
ing about going until October. They stay
quietly at work all summer; favored by
shorter hours, electric fans and many in
dulgences which could not be granted
the year around, wearing shirt waists, old
shoes. anything comfortable, and taking
nightly rides on the electric. to cool
or" at Glen Echo. or some other subur-
ban resort. And then when the crisp
cool days of autumn, arrives, they are off
on vacation that can "beat all hollow
the sweltering time at the crowded sea-
son.
Many Washingtonians of the middle
class take their outings in the form of
short steamboat trips down the river or
to New York Boston and other Northern
points, using the lines from Baltimore and
Norfolk A plan which a select few have
tried with what they say has been delight
full results, is to leave Washington on
one OF the four-masted sailing schooners,
which ply between the Capital and New
England ports. with cargoes OF ice. How
cool it soundsl 1t takes from ten days
to two weeks to make the trip The
rates are nominate there may be fishing II
one likes, or lolling all day in hammocks
on the shady side of the deck, novel;
reading, and dolce far niente galore. The
schooners, though they are coasters do
not hug the shore very closely, but bear
wen out on the broad Atlantic. Danger?
Not bit more than those unseen" en-
countered every day at home. Seasiex-
ness? Probably; but that is the best
Spring medicine" one can take after
winter Of over-eating.
Another solution of the vacation prob
lem often turned to at this time of year
with satisfactory results Is the house
boat. But there are difficulties. The
lower Potomac Is not the coolest place
on the Western Hemisphere during the
summer months; and the upper Potomac
is inaccessible, even to paddles, above a
certain nearby point. Nevertheless,
every sort of local craft was rented TO
house parties long In advance OF the sea-
son--even the dingy old canal boats that
have been tied up above Georgetown these
many years. To most of us, such sum
mering would mean nothing but blistered
skins, heat, mosquitoes, ennui and I'M
bearable discomfort, but there are others
who find pleasure and a prodigious APP
petite for tho minnows they catch, along
with their tan and the country feed
bought of the darkeys along shore.
And then there are the So-called noun
tains' in the vicinity, meaning the mole
hills beside the Rockies the Andes and
real mountains), of the Blue Ridge of
Virginia. Where dozens of Washingto-
nians used to visit them In summer time,
thousands now go up to the resorts above
Leesburg, Bluemount, Smokers Gap and
Harpers Ferry. A good many citizens of
ID. c. have built summer homes up on
those gentle swels miscalled mountains
Mr. Frank @. Carpenter. the well-known
newspaper man, has set up a peach farm
of 1900 trees, and built a commodious
house in the midst of them, where he
lives in peace and paJamas five months
out of the twelve, with his agreeable
wife and two half-grown children. The
genial Frank is one Of the few journalists
who makes a lot OF money by the work
And then the peach farm is bound to be-
come source OF revenue in the near flu
ture. In the same section OF the Blue
Ridge, Prof. Kasper has summer resi-
dence, with stone fences, lawn OF natural
blue grass" (why called blue / do not
know, when IL is green as the greenest
emorald), picturesque walks and magnif-
icent trees. Farther on is the imposing
stone house OF a well-known Washington