The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon. (Canon City, Colo.) 1911-192?, 1919-07-17
| have had a day off,

and deliver Fourth of July orations.
1t is too far for Colorado members
to go home-so two of US came down
into old Virginia to look over historic
ground.
One night Congressman Vale and
l took the boat for Old Point Com
fort The boat leaves Washington
every night at $50. going down the
Potomac river and through Chesa-
peake Bay, arriving at Old Point Com
fort at $50 o'clock the next morning.
Folks who live in the high, dry coun-
try like to get on the water now and
then. The only trouble with the boat
trip is you want to stay up most all
night watching the river and the
lights along the shore, and you have
TO get up early in the morning If you
get off the boat at Old Point We
did both.
These are historic waters. Capt.
John Smith and the good Chief Pow
hatan traded and bartered along the
shores and brave wooers OF the dusky
Princess Pocohontas traversed the
waters hereabouts.
Gen. George Washington was born
near the bank of the Potomac river,
grew up here. hunted and surveyed,
fought and farmed. lived most of his
life and died, in sight of the Potomac.
As YOU go down the river in the
evening you pass Alexandria. which
was the principal city in this section
during the life of the first President.
and on little further you see Mt
Vernon. his stately home. AS you en-
joy the beauty of the scenes along
the river in the neighborhood Of Gen.
Washington's home, you can not help
but hand it TO the wise old man for
his choice of home site.
Fort Monroe on Old Point Comfort
was doing business during the dark
days of the "war between the states"
as they call it down here. And as you
sit at breakfast at the famous old
fashioned. high-priced hotel at Old
Point. you can look out of the window
across the waters of Hampton Roads
where that spirited little naval duel
occurred between the Merrimac and
the Monitor-some duel for its day.
Fortress Monroe is easily visited in
an hour The old guns have been re-
moved from the old fort and new,
large, modern disappearing guns have
been set up outside the walls OF the
fort.
Inside the walls are barracks for
soldiers of an artillery training school.
and in the walls are cave-like rooms
which were used. and still are used,
as quarters of soldiers and for the
storage of supplies. In one of the
little rooms Jefferson Davis resided
as an involuntary guest Of the United
States for few months in 1865. It
was a safe place for Mr.. Davis. and he
came through all right. Mr.. Lincoln
had the freedom of the country and
he was shot.
A street car ride OF an hour will
take you to Newport News, a thriving
little city of laboring people, whose
chief industry is large shipbuilding
enterprise.
A steamer ride of an hour or so will
take you across the water to the
lively, modern. growing. getting-rich-
rapidly city of Norfolk This is a
idly, and with a substantial future
ahead of 1t.
We took them all in. in more or
less hurried manner. and by o'clock
in the afternoon felt that we were
through-at least tired out. and dis
appointed at not finding several peo-
pie we had spent hours trying to
find. we concluded to end our search
and take the first vehicle of transpor-
tation leaving. the city.
One person we had been looking for
was Rear Admiral Augustus F. Fech-
teller. commandant of the Fifth naval
district. to whom we carried letters
indited by the Hon. Josephus Daniels,
recommending US to the tender mer-
cies of the admiral as worthy citizens
and prominent men. We had ridden
on a hot old street car for an hour.
and to our disgust found that the ad.
miral had moved his headquarters
back to the very point at which we
had taken the street car.
Congressman Vale, who usually
carries around with him the sweetest
kind Of temper. made some radical
remarks along the line that the ad-
miral and other prominent persons
for whom we had been looking. could
go to thunder-or words to that Of
fect-and that he would take the FIRST
boat out of town-just as IL our un-
known friends could have had any
thing to do with being out of town on
ne day Of our unheralded visit, OF
for our blunders in going in the wrong
direction to find a man. And in o
moment Of temporary enthusiasm
said, Amen" and further that ]
wouldn't give nickel to spend an
| other hour in Norfolk