Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-08-03
John Quill Discovers the
National Capital.
Gives Catalogue and Guide Book
Of Its Attractions.
Finds Maine After All the Best
Spot on the Map. :

AS l stood on the pier at Old POINT
Comfort, Va, few Sundays ago,
where the special train from Rich
mond had deposited me with my be-
longings, that old familiar tune, Way
Down South in Dixie came floating
on the breeze across the parade
ground from the regimental band sta
toned Mt Fortress Monroe, just across
the little peninsula, while over the rip
pling waters of the roadway came the
sharp, crisp notes of two bells struck
simultaneously by the warships RID
ing al anchor in the narbor, announc-
ing that nautically it was nine O'clock.
l fingered just long enough to admire
the gay scene and then followed my
guide, the porter, who was elpoWih5
his way down through double me
of epaulcts, gold lace ard summer girls
to the Norfolk and washington
steamer that was to take me up Inc
Potomac to the national capltai a.
WaShi.,gtnn. As we rounded tne
hcalland cut into tho open water y,
Oh, sapcaEe Pay the sun was JUS
breaking q pathway through tile
clouds. tintng the white caps WITH
bronze and gold. That passage III
Cart. John Smiths History OF VIZ
pinia came to me quite forclply.
smith said that "there is but one en-
trance INTO this country and that Is at
the mouth of goodly bay IS or 20 mics
broad the cape on the south is called
Cane Henry. in honor of our most
called Cane Charles in honor of the
Duke of York. The Islands before
are called Smiths Isles for the name
of the discoverer Within Is Il couh-
try that may nave the prerogatlVc over
the most pleasant places known, 1or
earth and Heaven never agreed better
to frame a place fer mans habltation.
The mildnesS of the air. the fertility
of the soil and the situation of the
river are 50 propitious to the use of
man as no place is more convenient for
pleasure. profit and means Of Subsls-
tencc under any latitude or climate.
Had Smith lived in the present day
he might have gone still farther and
said for the prosperity that has come
to the state by reason of its natural
which they have been utilized and i'm
proved have not swept away the old
time courtesy and genial spirit. The
same hospitality which characterized
the Virginia of tho colonial days is APP
parent in the goth century Virginia.
Trade and traffic have not been pushed
at the expense of good breeding and
business has not been allowed to break
up or even diminish the social life OF
this land of the middle South. From
Norfolk to Washington in round
numbers is about 1917 miles. practically
Sabbath days journey or at least /
found it so. a few miles up the bay
is Yorktown at the mouth of the York
river wncrc history commenced in 1871
and repeated itself in 1862. 1t can
plainly he seen from the steamer
deck. 1t is the waterway to the West
point and King William country and
the mountainous country beyond. Far
Their on is Windmill Point and the en-
trance to the Rapahannock river
whose waters furnished the stage set
tiag for many naval engagement
during the late unplcasantness.
At Point Lookout we part company
with the bay and sail up The water :
of the historic old Potomac. W ~
Wakefield WaShington's birthplace
to his last resting place at Mt. Ecr-
non. The Washington home COM
mands n perfect view of the PutomH,
and it's broad porch and its simple dig
nifty are cmblcnatic OF an earlier day
when welcome and good cheer were
xyhn a.
it's hospitable threshold. Later on
while in the national capital visited
this beautiful spot, place forever
vcncrated as the home OF Washington
where the tomb of the great general
statesman, and President, overloOks
the beautiful river that he loved s.
well. From Mt. Vernon Fort Wash
inston and Alexander are a matter OF
Il few miles. Here the river narrows
and soon the water front of Washing
ton was in sight, her avenues am
streets electric lighted. stretching be
You'd Tic hills. here wisdom shops were
history is made, her docks and barges
all in a blaze of electric light. were be
fore us. At 1.30 the hawser wa
passed over the bow. the gang planl
was lowered and our journey by waite
was over. Congenial company throuS!
historic scenes that have made tn
old Potomac famous made our triI
one long to be remembered and W
passed up Washington's streets an
avenues to the music of church bells
to meet on the morrow to do Wash
ington.
Monday morning we started brigh
and early armed with letters fror
Congressman Burleigh and in chars
of Congressman Ashbrook, the newt
elect from the Buckeye state, and III
vaded the capitol. Now the scribble
| who undertakes to infinitely descrlh
the national capitol has got a .fetim
| Job before him and when complete
| his manuscript would make a boo
| larger than Webster's Dictionary III
| abridged, So will stroll with m
readers through various rooms super
ficialIy touching here and there II
many bright things that l saw, leavir
data and figures to the history al
guide book man. The capitol buildlI
is one of the many show places
| w, sbiputno II IL tho center nice