Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1909-04-08

sloe COMBS were dropping into the aisles
and anxious inquiries were made as to q
place for boots. "Put 'em under vour
pillow" Was the wise advice received.
Tousled heads were thrust through the
curtains and jokes and banter snapped
lengthwise. sidewise and cornerwise Of the
cars. The porter suggested quiet and
slumber. "Sleep on this pantry shelf 20
was the amazed rejoinder and the gig
Cling and whispering went on with una
beted vigor. Finally, long after a. m.
there was possibly ten minutes of peace
punctured by shores which made the
rumble of the train inaudible. At 8 q.
m. Philadelphia was reached, and the lar
OF stopping so loosened tongues and
laughter again that when the porter
soothingly announced the cars would
now stand still and the party could sleep
until Z, he was informed that no human
power would keep those people shelved
another instant.
After breakfast at the Windsor House
in Philadelphia, which had souvenir
cards and booklets ready for the Vermont
delegation, q beeline was taken for the
United States mint, and the process OF
punching copper cents by the thousand
out OF bars Of metal and printing fve- and
wv OAAA1 MhH NhACuN4 kOKRlt-
eyed wonder. Contrary to secretly cher
ished hopes, no coin or sheets OF bills
were handed out for souvenirs by pa
ternal-minded government, but few old
coppers were allowed to be changed for
new ones. Independence hall was also
visited, its rooms, pictures and relics duly
observed and the Liberty bell reverentIy
touched.
After dinner, the last lap Of the journey
was covered and Washington had Satur-
day night, so its papers stated, 1900 Wis
itors from New England within its gates.
The first night at the hotel, one of the
boys contributed to the gaiety OF friends
and strangers by blowing out the gas.
but fortunately it was just before be went
out for the evening instead of just before
retiring 50 that asphyxiation was escaped.
He had to stand a good deal of bantering,
OF course, and the excuse that he "knew
better but didn't think'' was not accept
ed at par.
Three days and most OF four nights
were spent in sightseeing. An auto
popularity called ga rubber-neck wagon
carried the party around Monday
morning, a guide bawling through a
megaphone the names of the streets, the
houses and monuments passed, with the
exact cost of each; though none of the
party had any intention of buying eques-
trian statuary, government buildings OF
private residences. One could hardly
help wondering if the owners OF the
stately mansions had their windows open
and were catching the interesting inform.
alton about themselves and their property
which ran in steady stream through the
megaphone. Fancy "a rubber-neck
wagon" In Bethel or Randolph and John
T Jones and John Smith overhearing a
megaphouie description of their careers.
their families and their houses roared into
the ears of crowd OF gaping rustics.
At the new Union station, the guide in
formed the wagon load that the granite
came from Vermont, and the Bethelites
were not slow to let him know the precise
spot in Vermont where such granite
+ grows. At the Pension building, he
+ scared into the realms OF patriotic oratory
and was cheered for his effort.
4 Monday afternoon the trip down the
J Potomac to Mount Vernon was taken,
and on the way back by trolley there was
a short stop at Alexandria, Va, to see
Christ church, in which Washington
used to worship and which is almost the
exact counterpart OF the Old Christ church
between Bethel and Randolph. At Mt
Vernon, the tomb of George and Marthr
Washington was seen, but it was difficult
to call up just the right emotion at tins