Evening journal., 1908-03-07
What | Know About
Delaware Politics and
Other Things
slxTIETH ARTICLE.
By Washington Hastings

/
gatherings and until after midnight II felt like
! il, end get to my business time the morning
without realizing that had been out late the night
before ked the game of politics got good deal
Of recreation that way seldom felt the slightest
Inconvenience fatigue from it. after this bout
at St Louis, did recuperate promptly and
decidedly "droopy" for week
Ny people accused Of being sick, which strenu-
ously i-naturedly denied only Of which
confirm and strengthen their opinon--and they
continued TO work me" until at last, by undue
pressure and taking unfair advantage Of when
he down. by a conspiracy embracing persuasion.
intimidation threats they succeeded in getting me
TO agree to take a small trip Europe. Without giving
me time 70 change my mind my big travelling bag was
packed my ticket bought and within three days
found myself standing the after promenade deck
of the Fronch Line La Gascogne watching
daughter waving farewell from the
wharf 1 watched them until could longer distin-
guish THIN; then stood there, feeling very lonesome
and homesck already. and watched the receding city
ana the statue of the Goddess Of Liberty and South
Brooklyn and the forts and Staten Island and all the
rest on it, until the light house Sandy Hook faded
from my view and at And then thought
that If l was sure / could swim to shore. would be
tempted TO jump overheard and to do itI was very
blue"
My across presume, like that Of every
body else, except that not seasick or otherwise
finconvenienced for minute some persons are 1
spent most OF the time sitting well forward on deck
deep blue sea (Which, by the way was not blue at all
but green) and surveying with curious eyes
odd oceans gray and melancholy wase;" all of which,
as ths was my hrst sea-going OF any consequence
was very interesting and of which never tired. The
vast expanse Of water with not thing in sight for days
at time but our own boat what an Insignificant little
thing seemed TO be and how immense the
stretching far and seeming to meet the sky
ON every soe. was oten reminded OF Proctor Knott
description of Duluth:-that Duluth the Of
the earth; because, standing elevation in the
middle Of the town. the horizon was the same distance
away on all hands.
inc time on the ship but never took them out until
got home. ten weeks later The ocean. the sea-guls
the exhausted little birds flying for rest into the rig
shs or ang dead upon the deck the occasional passing
OF vessel or an ice bergwhich latter quite
tent to view at long rangethe log" the and
mostly french and therefore entirely uninteresng as
converse uonaliss,-the French cooking with appe-
tte always present for duty rol-cal occasional
chat win that paragon or ship-master and obigng
courteous gentleman Captain Bourdeon the continuous
poker game in the smoking room. and frequent look
at the gracefund picturesque dancing and wlerd
Of the passengers in the steerage these and
hundred other novel and entertaining things fully
PIED my time every hour Of the day; and when night
and time TO turn In came lying in my berth listening
to the whstlng Of the wind just outside and swayng
in my bunk with the long rolling motion of the vessel
rocked in the cradle Of the Deep natures sweet
restorer gently bore my eyeds down and l slept as
sweetly ana as calmly infant.
Thus the days of the voyage passed Precisely
similar in general yet ever changing new in in
cident in the circumscribed environment OF a
ship at sea- until at last through the dlm hazy
the high head-lands and the lighthouse marlns the
entrance to the harbor of the French port of Havre
At first sight and from along tbe water front iot
is all OF IT, Havre impresses one as quaint old
city OF very ancient looking buildings narrow dirty
splendid solid granite masonry were unsurpassed by
any that ever saw, except perhaps the London
docks; and they only on account OF their ereaer t
and number Having about two hours on my hands
before the starting Of my train Paris 1 improved
them by taking stroll along the docks looking at the
shipping which appeared TO be very extensive for the
size Of the paceand observing how things were done
IN mat interesting part Of the world Everybody seemed
/ md lnfuf a..
OF tine II man wished TO smoke he
stopped and hled his pipe lighted it, and the rest
OF the gang he working with stopped and waited
Tor hn or lit their pipes and Joined him the little
nerve-queting refreshment No hurry buste very
south street or West street in New York or Delaware
avenue in Philadelphia
Upon the blowing Of the whistle of the locorootiva
which sounded for all the world like the little
tug-boats or the Brandywine blowing for the draw
bridge buried for my train but found that had plenty
between two cars that wouldn't couple up which tool,
twenty-five minutes by my watch The job appeared
TO be under tho superinendance large sized ana inn
portant looking individual with gray sack-coat busi-
ness suit topped out with black silk high hat and
pipe IN ms mouth 10 nave expected that man to hurry
would have been unreasonable; but thought If could
have seen one Of our train -despatchers the p B.
Its place and signal go ahead would have been better
uon.
AT last pulled Of the station and proceeded
slowly along the street by the water front-whch was
lined either side the by beggars Young and
Qla holding UP their filthy caps or grmey hands foI
| 'centimes'-unul reached the open country when
our speed increased rode in what they called palace
earmy ticket from New York to Paris calling for that
hhq on transpcflatlon-hut Il was about as much Ike
| our "Pllmans' the smoker" on a small branch
roao IS like the Of the Congressional Limited and
good impression of the railroad between Havre Paris
can be had when that the road-bed was nearly as
good and the riding almost smooth, the from
Haringten TO Lewes used 70 be before the 'Pennsy'
took it over You could manage stay in your seat Il
you would watch OUT and sit tight" but it was q
/ bargain
The train at what would be called snail's pac,
IN this country, but that suited as like natives
was IN nc hurry, and could the country better
Though Sunday observed people old and young
both men and women, working in the fields and vine.
yards also noticed that the land cultivated cos
up 10 the railroad rack-to within Of
with no fences or hedges. us. to keep liv,
stock OF the track, or the locomotive it;thus dem
onstratng tie proverbial French economy and thrift
MhAe the 'rain ran remarkably slow II stopped bu
ntt One interesting place at which it stopped abou