The Newtown bee., 1904-03-18
LOCAL AFFAIRS.
E. L. JOHNSON
WRITES INTERESTINGLY OF HIS TRIP
 ACROSS THE CONTINENT.
Redlands, Cal,
 lnnA

| March 3, 1904.
 MT Editor: We left Washington, D. O., as our last letter indicated we might do, Friday, February 19, on our long journey across the continent. Our last day in Washington was a dis appintment in this respect: A heavy ice storm the night before, followed by a generous downfall of snow on Friday, made pedestrianism difficult and dan gerous and interfered materially with our sight seeing. But of one thing we are certain: No better starting point can be made by one who contemplateS trip across this great country of ours, than to make Ss from the Capital of the United States, and as an intro- ductory to the trip to spend at least a few days in contemplating the vast ness, beauty and grandeur of our gov- ernment buildings and the simplicity and effectiveness with which all gov ernmental branches are carried on. Our tickets called for transportation over the Southern railway to New Or leans, and from thence by Southern Pacific to Redlands, Cal. Owing to the immense quantity of ice in the harbor, the Colonial express from Boston was an hour or more late in reaching Washington, and our train was consequently held for it's arrival, thus making the time of our departure much delayed. A little time at the Pennsylvania station gave us opportu- nifty to look up the spot where our lamented President Garfield fell, when shot down by the assassin, Guiteau. When I was in the station 20 years ago the place was marked in the floor by a large brass star fixed therein. Owing to the fact that it's. conspicuousness caused such marked attention as to make the place uncomfortably crowd ed, the star was removed, and now it is marked by a red block in the tile, while all the others are white; so that unless one is knowing to that change it is difficult for stranger to find the exact place. While we were looking at the place, group of ladies search
  called to it by ourselves, who were posted in advance. And just here, it saves a lot of valuable time when one is sightseeing either for profit or pleasure, to study up beforehand as to what points of particular interest one wishes most to see in limited time. When the gates were at last opened, our porter kindly showed us our cal. land the number of our section, which was to be our abiding place for the next few days. It was to be my first experience of living on railroad train. Waiting for delayed train gave us ample time to adjust ourselves to the new condition of things that confronted us, and we were not slow | in doing so. When at last our train pulled out, we were tired and sleepy enough to go to bed. Could I have had my choice, I would have left Washington in the morning and gone through Virginia by daylight, for there would have been so much of in terest to see that had bearing upon our nations history. But, while man proposes, railroad men dispose, and we were scheduled to go through Virginia in the darkness. By our route the dis tance to travel from Washington to New Orleans was 1143 miles. It was with much reluctance I took to the berth that first night, but l thought of that beautiful question the little child put to her father when out in an ocean tempest: "Is not God upon the ocean just the same as on the land?'
 So tired Nature asserted herself, and after a little fell asleep, and thodgh the experience was so new to me, yet it was restful night. It was very fortunate that had the experience of my wife, who had taken the same trip four years before, to guide me, and when she proposed that we take a whole section to ourselves instead of half, it did not take many hours ex. perience to prove the good judgment in so doing. The morning found us in North Carolina and as the train was speeding on we, after breakfast, began to take an inventory of our surround ings. The section next us in the rear was occupied by young man, his wife and sweet babe Of four months. He, poor fellow, had been told that unless he got out of New York City he would not live through the month of March,
 and they were to get off at El Paso
 Texas. The section in front of ours was occupied by young man from Worcester, Mass, who had taken 2 civil service examination, and was or his way to Manila, P. l., to fill gov
 ernment position as stenographer. He was a very pleasant young man, ant going from home, and the mother love that lowered over him was very much in evidence. Another young man whom I interviewed told me he was on hi
 way to San Francisco in the govern ment employ, and had but recent. left the Ordnance department a
 Bridgeport, Conn. An elderly gentle
 man and his wife were taking a pleas ure trip to the city of Mexico ant they were to leave us at San Antonio
 A young woman almost opposite u
 was bound for San Jose, Cal. She in quired where we were from, and o1
 being told, she said her childhoo
 home was in Brookfeld. Mrs Johnson
 asked if she knew Rev MT Whitcom
 and she said she was a member of
 Paul's church. On being asked if sh