Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-04
UNDER THE DOME
PRESIDENT MARSHALL had a

taste of Virginia hospitality and an eX-
perience along the Potomac River that
proved very interesting. He was invited to
address a camp meeting at Great Falls on
the Virginia side, thirteen miles above Wash
ngton The place may be reached by a
trolley line on the Virginia side or by
a good automobile road on the Maryland
side The latter route necessitates cross
ing the river at point where there is no
bridge.
"Do you prefer to go by trolley in a spe-
cial car or by MOTOR" the Vice President
was asked by the committee.
@By motor" replied Mr.. Marshall, who
likes to make use of the machine that a
generous government furnishes the Vice
President; although the motor he was then
using land still uses) was "a thing of shreds
and patches fit for the scrapheap, and it
had stood four years of wear and tear dur
ing the last administration
Had he chosen the trolley, the Vice Presi-
dent would have been taken directly to the
camp grounds; but he was not aware of this
until later He and the party accompany
ing him proceeded by motor to Great Falls.
Leaving the machine on the Maryland side,
they crossed the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal;
then traversed long, swinging bridge
which spans one of the gorges of this pic
turesque region. The bridge swayed and
trembled, bobbed up and down, and, though
assured of its entire safety, the distinguished
visitors could but remember that only a
short time previously the same bridge had
broken down, precipitating half dozen
persons into the raging water below, with
serious results.
Safely over the swinging bridge the Vice
President was conducted by narrow, wind
ing path across an island covered with un-
dergrowth, huge boulders, and driftwood, to
second branch of the river. Here the
party embarked in boats and were rowed
to another island. They walked across the
island, again took boats for longer trip on
the water, and were finally landed on the
Virginia side.
Near the bank of the river carriages
drawn by fine horses were awaiting them.
But those carriages were the first of their
kind that had ever been at the place. In
order to make it possible to reach the river
with them a road had been cut through the
forest along winding brooklet and over
the steep bluffs. 1t was a new corduroy
road, constructed on the lines we read
about in histories of the Civil War, and
had been built specially for Vice President
Marshall.
Gould hospitality go farther than that?'
asked Virginia lady. @That is the way
But, alas! the road only went part of the
way up the heights. There was long,
weary climb to reach the camp meeting
ground, and the Vice President is about the
poorest walker in public life. As if to en-
phasize their mistake, there stood trolley
car not fifty yards from their destination.
They groaned inwardly when they thought
of the return trip.
In justice to the good people who were
entertaining the Vice President it must be
said that they gave him a dinner that he
will long remember Famous in the annals
of 4Ole Virginia" cooking is the fried chick
en-, the 4co'n pone, the fritters, Eaters, and
other products of the soil. The Vice Presi-
dent almost forgot the vicissitudes of his
recent trip while at table; but was torn
away from the good things in order to make
the return voyage before darkness added to
its perils.
D ICHARD W. AUSTIN, Congressman
: from Tennessee, who was at one time
Consul at Glasgow, Scotland, relates an Incl
dent that shows the Scots thrifty charac-
teristics He and Mrs. Austin were on
pleasure trip with Scotsman and his wife,
when slight accident called for bit of
court plaster.
4And here it is, said the Scot, reaching
into a pocket Of his vest. Il got this in
co,,pfrx, Vo,, II SC an o5v