The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon. (Canon City, Colo.) 1911-192?, 1919-07-17
A Rare Day in Virginia
BY Congressman Guy U. Hardy.

were introduced. He proved to be
the collector of the port That is to
say he collects the customs due Uncle
Sam. With that fine courtesy often
found in the South and some times in
the West, he soon persuaded us that
we hadn't seen Norfolk yet-and he
proceeded to show us. He got out
has car and took us for sort of
Cooks personally,conducted tours
over the city and back to the Hamp-
ton Roads naval base Here we
met Admiral Fechteler, who was as
clever as big man could well be. and
wanted to show us the whole works
Offering us boat. or an automobile,
or an aeroplane or "a submarine But
we were in hurry. so we took d
commander as guide and drove ALI
over the premises.
This is the naval base for all this
large naval district covering several
states and many important points.
1t is on the site OF the Jamestown
exposition of 1907. About $4,000. 900
has been spent in making 1t won
derful establishment. Many Of the
old exposition buildings are being
used. Here are great depots for
supplies of every kind used in the.
navy. hospitals and training schools
for the navy. ships. boats. submarines,
aircraft OF all sorts. and equipment
and enterprises of all sorts pertaining
to the navy.
The admiral told us of a recent trip
he had made to Washington in a
plane. He said he left one morning
at 10:40, arrived in Washington at ~
o'clock, noon, had four hours Of con-
ference with Washington officia's and
ner. The trip by boat is IA hours
each way.
When we got back to the custom
house after four hours of interesting
sightseeing our genial host told us
that he had arranged for little din
ner party out at Virginia Beach, 20
miles away. and that we could leave
Norfolk in the morning If we wished.
Virginia Beach is charming little
beach resort on the Atlantic ocean.
There are no big hotels there. but a
number OF attractive cottages where
pt ople are taken care of comfortably.
entertainingly and Hospitality. We
found homelike chicken dinner wait
ing for us, which we were in n posi-
ton to enjoy unusually well owing to
our long fast and many miles of
travel. We made new friends. we
walked on the sands of the sea shore
and felt the spray OF the pounding
surf. There was a dancing party
which the young enjoyed and there
were more eats and drinks-ginger
ales, lemonades. Bevos and whatnots
for Virginia is dry, you know. There
was visiting and storytelling and
singing and merrymaking. My friend
Vale is always on hand with the good
old Yale College songs when occasion
suggests.
And as the night wore on all too
rapidly our versatile host said: well.
boys, I have arranged for quarters to
stay all night. We will drive In in
the early morning and deliver you at
your boat in time for its o'clock
start
And he did. We got up in time to
see the red sun rise out of the misty
ocean and enjoyed the cool ride in to
town, arriving in time for a hearty
breakfast before the steamer left.
Can you beat that for Southern hos
pitality?
l have told the story, not because
of the importance of my personal con-
nection with it, but to show how a
little courtesy will operate on the hui
man mind. Day before yesterday Nor
folk was in the minds Of two travel
ers at least, but black spot on an
uncertain part OF the great map. while
today and forever after 1t stands out
in pleasant memory as fine city of
great promise-a place OF happy mem
cries and good friends.
Mine host, and newly-added friend
is Norman r. Hamilton, collector OF
United States Customs at the port of
Norfolk, and former newspaper man.
at present one of the publishers of
the Portsmouth Star. and he has no
favors to ask of anybody except the
good opinion of his home town.
Richmond. Va. July 4. 1919.