Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1906-09-27
A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR.


| promised to write letter for publ.
cation provided l didn't get seaslck
and become disguised with this world
Well, the danger is now over, life
seems worth living. AID SO our read
ers shall know something about what
has proven so far to be very enjoy
able trip.
Last Thursday when l got on the
B. & o. express at Shenandoah juno
ton l had ticket that showed I was
entitled to travel from that place to
Baltimore by rail, thence to Norfolk
by boat, spend day in the Norfolk
neighborhood. thence on to Boston by
steamship; returning by rail from
Boston to Albany, thence down the
lordly Hudson river by day line of
steamers to New York, then back home
by way of Philadelphia. Baltimore and
Washington.
We reached Baltimore about 2
o'clock III the afternoon, and after
having luncheon and spending cou-
pie of hours with friends, we hurried
to the wharf to take the steamer of
the Merchants and Miners Trans.
portation Company, due to sail at 6
p. m. There was no need of hurry,
however. The Kershaw, the steam.
er we were to take, was lying at her
wharf all night, but word was passed
around that she would Lot have her
cargo aboard before nine o'clock. We
were assigned to our state-room, which
was not so very satisfactory, being too
noisy for sleepy man, 30 we inter.
viewed the passenger agent at the Of
fee near the wharf. This was such
lordly creature, man who 80 percep-
IDLY carried the world on his shout
ders, that we soon discovered that no
satisfaction could be secured from him.
He was such a great man, and his
head was so unusually large, that we
wanted to know his name. 1t was
Tbrockmortop, they said. His first
name must be Atlas.
For hours and hours scores of lusty
negro stevedores worked as hard as
they could transferring freight from
the wharf and from barges to the cav
ernous hold of the steamer. Tons
upon tons of goods of various sorts
were stored away, and it seemed that
the ship must be overlooking, espec-
tally with canned tomatoes-some
1000 cases of these being put aboard.
Finally about II o'clock-fve hours
late-we moved out into the harbor
and down the Chesapeake Bay.
Next morning the sun was shining
hot and warm when we woke up, and
after we had come out on deck we en-
ioyed the fresh breeze as we steadily
forged through the green waters of
the bay. About 10 o'clock we enter.
ed the historic waters of Hampton
Roads-the scene of the famous fight
between the Monitor and the Merri-
mac during the Civil War, and passed
Old Point Comfort and Fortress Mon.
roe. The ship made its first stop at
Newport News, where it was to spend
some hours loading and discharging
cargo. Newport News is a thriving
young Virginia City, busy and i'm
portant as the eastern terminus of the
Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad and
seaport having an enormous shipping
trade. 1t also has very large ship.
building plant.
We did not care to stay about this
place very long as it was insuferably
hot, so took side-trip by way of
trolley and steam ferryboats. Passing
through Hampton and Phoebus, we
came to Old Point Comfort. Here is
Fortress Monroe, one of the strongest
Notifications in the United States. 1t
commands the entrance to the Chesa-
peake Bay, and is one of the grim dogs
of war that is designed to protect Bal
timore, Washington, Norfolk and 9th.
err points, along our inland waters
from foreign invasion. The fort is
surrounded by deep moat and on its
massive walls of stone and earth are
mounted many great guns some of
them throwing enormous shells as far
as fourteen miles. Think of shooting
at an enemy fourteen miles away He
would probably have to telegram back
whether or not you had hit him. But
the occupants of the fort have nothing
to do except to practice in long. dist
ance firing. and even this seems in.
congruous when one looks out over the
placid waters of the beautiful bay.
We were shown gloomy, iron. barred
dungeon in the wall of the fort where
Jefferson Davis was confined after his
capture, and where the frail old gen.
tleman was brutally shackled by his
savage enemies.
The Hotel Chamberlain-one of the
most elegant hotels in this country
is located on point of land that puts
out into Hampton Roads, the water
tapping its foundations. As we sat
in the beautiful dining.room, enjoying
a delicious lunch, with sweet music
from an orchestra nearby. fresh salt
air coming in through the open win
dows, and the ripping waters spark
ling and dancing in the sunlight
well, it was just all right. At Old
Point Comfort you can be happy-if
you don't forget to bring your pocket.
book with you.
From Old Point we took a little