The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1904-03-18
LOCAL AFFAIRS.
e. l.. JOHNSON

LOCAL AFFAIRS.
e. l.. JOHNSON
WRITES INTERESTINGLY OF HIS TRIP
ACROSS THE CONTINENT.
| Redlands, CAL,
| March 3, 1904.
Mr. Editor: We left Washington,
D. c., as our last letter indicated we
might do, Friday, February 10, on our
long journey across the continent.
Our last day in Washington was a dis
appointment 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
| a trip across this great country of ours,
than to make it from the Capital of
the United States, and as an intro
ductory to the trip to spend at least
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 1 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
ed, the star was removed, and now it
is marked by 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
ing for the spot had their attention
>called to it by ourselves, who were
posted in advance. And just here, it
saves 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 car. and the number of our section,
which was to be our abiding place for
the next few days. 1t was to be my
first experience of living on a railroad
train. Waiting for a 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 a bearing upon
our nations history. But, while man
proposes, railroad men dispose, and we
we're scheduled to 60 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 I 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 little 1 fell asleep, and though
the experience was so new to me, yet
it was restful night. 1t was very
fortunate that I 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 a 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 Ell Paso,
| Texas. The section in front of ours
was occupied by young man from
| Worcester, Mass, who had taken a
civil service examination, and was on
his way to Manila, P. l., to fill gov
ernment position as stenographer. He
was very pleasant young man, and
very companionable. 1t was lhis first
going from home, and the mother love
that hovered over him was very much
in evidence. Another young man whom
| interviewed told me he was on his
way to San Francisco in the govern
ment employ, and had but recently
left the Ordnance department at
Bridgeport, Conn. An elderly gentle
| j l,:c e. III