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A TRIP TO WASHINGTON,
VIA NORFOLK, VA.
With buoyant hearts filled with
the ecstatic expectations of youth,
we boarded section 2 of the ex
cursion special that left the At
lanta Terminal on August 13,
bound for Washington, D. C., via
Norfolk, Va., and were soon
speeding along the green fields
and charming meadows that
spread themselves before our ad
miring gaze.
As we climbed the hills of
northern Georgia, we had a fine
view of the foot hills of the north
west, with a long range of the
Blue Ridge in the back ground.
These high hills presented many
beautiful landscapes, with beauti
ful orchards growing on their
steep sides.
Crossing over into South Caro
lina, we were surprised to find so
little change in the country. We
expected the rolling, red hills to
give way to a more level and fer
tile region.
As we drew near the line of
North Carolina, darkness closed
in upon the scene. After supper
we soon made acquaintance with
those nearest to us and passed
the time most pleasantly.
Many amusing incidents oc
curred and some of us learned to
ask the price of such things as
coffee and coca-cola before par
taking too freely of them.
At Danville we changed cars
and turned our faces in the direc
tion of Norfolk.
Daylight dawned shortly after
crossing the Roanoke and, be
hold! the scene had changed from
cotton and corn to tobacco, pea
nuts, and corn. Of course there
was plenty of tobacco in North
Carolina, but we hadn’t seen it.
As we sailed along down the
line of Virginia and North Caro
lina from the Piedmont region to
the coastal plains, we found this
region so much like that of south
ern Georgia and South Carolina
that we could almost recognize
some of the scenes along the way
as those seen on former trips to
Charleston and Jacksonville.
At Portsmouth we took ship
and soon were sailing across the
Elizabeth river. The river is
wide at this place and the trip
across it revived our weary spir
its wonderfully.
Just over this river we found
Norfolk, a fine old city, teeming
with historical events. Around
its borders have occurred some
of the pivotal biittles of the two
greatest American wars'.
It being Sunday, the streets
were almost abandoned. And as
we could not leave till 6 o’clock,
p. m., we were soon on our way
to Ocean Beach. Out there you
couldn’t find the slightest semb
lance to Sunday. Hundreds were
fishing, rowing, and bathing,
while all the attractions of a
Ponce DeLeon were in full blast.
Long before time for the de
parture of our good ship for
Washington, we were on hand
waiting impatiently for the time
to start. Unlike trains, ships
start on time, and at exactly six
we moved out down the river.
It is only a little way to where
the Elizabeth and James unite to
form Hampton Roads, so famous
in the history of the Civil War.
On the far side we saw New
port-News in the distance and
we stopped at Fortress Monroe
for passengers and freight.
There is a fine hotel at this
place, but it is needless to say we
did not put up there as lodging
alone, we were told, cost $25.00
per day. Hence, with a parting
glance at its frowning parapets,
we moved on, concluding it would
likely ever be a very undesirable
place to reside.
As we rounded Old Point Com
fort darkness again closed in on
our view. There were dark and
gloomy looking clouds in almost
every direction which tended to
dampen the ardor of some of our
boys who had never been out at
sea. Yet, the others considered it
the most delightful trips they had
ever taken.
Morning found us away up the
Potomac river, the scenes along
whose shores we enjoyed very
much. Imagine, if you can, how
our hearts leaped with joy at the
first glimpse of Mt. Vernon, the
old home of the most distinguish
ed American that ever lived.
Shortly after passing Mt. Ver
non, our boat stopped at Alexan
dria, this being the second stop on
a trip of over two hundred miles.
Leaving this port we were soon
entering the great capital of our
country.
Words are utterly inadequate
to express our feelings, as we
realized that we were about to set
foot on the soil of that city, whose
attractions, for us, have ever been
by far greater than those of any
other American city.
In spite of our flurry of excite
ment we soon found our way to
Pennsylvania Avenue, the White
hall of that splendid city. The
street is very wide, yet the travel
is so great crossing it is extremely
dangerous. Almost every vehicle
has for its motor power gasolene
or electricity and no law seems to
obtain regarding speed limit.
'When we begun this article we
intended to try to tell enough
about Washington to make our
readers feel more interest in our
government than heretofore, but
this is already growing too long
and I will have to content myself
with telling you but little about
the places we visited.
Tearing away from one who
sought to be our guide “to the
tune of $5.00 per day,” we were
soon making rapid strides towards
that piece of masonic structure
that far excel? anything of its kind
in this world.
Indeed it is so high that one
cannot gaze at its top but a mo
ment at a time from its base. It
is situated on the top of a little
knoll that slants away in every
direction and is surrounded by a
stone walk about one hundred
feet wide. The monument itself
is 55 feet square at the base and
34 feet square at the top and is
555 1-2 feet high. An elevator
running np and dowm every few
minutes is taxed to its utmost to
accommodate the people who seek
to get a view from its dizzy height.
From its eight windows the city
with all its magnificent buildings
and the surrounding country is
spread out before your eyes as
plain as a child toy-house.
We next visited the Smithsonian
Institute and National Art Museum.
The grove in which these 5 or 6
buildings are situated is, by far,
the most beautiful we have ever
seen, and the buildings themselves
are packed to the utmost with
every interesting thing that can
be found in all the world. From
the mammoth whale 72 feel in
length to the smallest polyps that
inhabit the sea, from the largest
specie of ostrich to the smallest
warbler that sings in our forest,
from the most distant tribe of the
Fiji Islands to the most enlight
ened race, everything could be
seen. The mountains and forest,
the rivers and seas have given up
their treasures for the enlight
ment, instruction and edification
of mankind. All the achievements
discoveries and iuventions of man
are there displayed; even the mul
titude of diseases that he is heir
to are there displayed in all their
hideousness, and every nook and
corner of the human being itself
is revealed to your gaze.
It would take a large book to
tell about all the things seen in
these buildings.
We next visited the National
Zoo, w’here we saw the fow's of
the air, the reptiles of land and
sea, and almost all the animals
known to man, jupt as found in
their dens, lairs and other places
of habitation.
At night we visited the Capitol
grounds and found them more
beautiful than those seen in the
morning. Next we entered the i
Congressional Library, the pride
of the United States, a building
whose dome is completely cov
ered with gold and whose floors,
walls and stately columns are all
made of the finest Parian mar
ble. Indeed it is the most beauti
ful and costly of all the buildings
of our country and, so far as I
could see, the least needed,.
Tuesday morning we began
with the Army and Navy Bureau,
a building replete with many relics
of the past. Such things as the
uniform Washington wore at his
first inauguration and the old flag
that inspired that national anthem,
“The Star Spangle Banner,” were
seen in this building, with models
of our warships, guns, etc.
We also passed through the U.
S. Treasury building, seeing vaults
and safes that contain our nation’s
wealth. One of them contained
over $400,000,000 in silver, while
another contained over $800,000,-
000 dollars in gold. We learned
also that in another vault there
were 1,000,000,000 dollars in
bonds, held to prevent the recur
rence of another panic like that of
1907. These vaults are so encir
cled with electric wires that an
attempt to rob them would be
known at once by every officer in
Washington.
Next we gave the President a
call, though not at home; we were
allowed to go in and look around.
We found some very costly furni
ture in there, including an upright
piano, said to be made of solid
gold. The window and door fac
ings of this (the East) room
seemed also to be of gold. The
three chandeliers used for lighting
this room would no doubt make
the stais grow with envy if they
could only see them. There were
also many golden ornaments in
this room.
The other rooms also looked
fairly well and had we not been
self invited guests at a time when
the president was not in, I am sure
we would have felt very much
elated.
So far as we could see, Mr. Taft
has no right to complain about his
puarters.
Leaving many places of interest
unseen (and there were others
that space will not allow me to
mention) we took a car for Mt.
Vernon.
It is situated about sixteen miles
from Washington on a high hill
overlooking the Potomac. The
buildings seemed to be in good
repair, notwithstanding their age.
The dwelling is partly surrounded
by large elms. There are many
oaks and other forest trees around
the yard. The lawn which sur
rounds the house is very neatly
kept.
The w r eatherboarding of the
house was matched and painted
to give it the appearance of a
stone building.
Inside of the house we saw
many of the things which Wash
ington used just as he left them.
There was the old clock, the cen
ter table, the chairs, the books,
the gun, the swords, old traveling
trunk, bedstead, upon which he
died, and many other things too
numerous to mention. Many of
; them were gifts from distant
| friends. The house, including the
upper story, has many small and
strangely arranged rooms.
The front yard is so steep that
a loaded team could hardly pass
j over it.-
The Potomac river is the only
highway that passes by the house
; and I was told by one of the keep
i ers that the public road was about
three-quarters mile away. The
1 only field we could see is now be
ing used for pasture. Some deer
were seen near the house in a
wood lot.
The remains of Washington
have been taken from the old
tomb and placed in a new one,
where the marble caskets of him
self and wife may be seen by the
people.
A visit to this old home does not
enlarge one’s estimation of Wash
ington’s social standing, but it
tends to brush away the cobwebs
from the misty past and bring our
nation’s hero close up before our
vision in his matchless greatness
and glory.
Standing in front of the world
renowned home, we allowed our
mental eyes to indelibly stamp its
hallowed appearance on memory’s
most sacred pages and our imagi
nation, aided by memory, to follow'
him from this humble abode to
the fields of battle with the wild
and treacherous Indians, and later
on pitting his haggard forces
against the mightiest armies on
the globe, with a skill, courage,
and determination that won the
admiration of the entire world.
And we saw him, with a feeling
unlike Caesar of old, brush the
crown aside, choosing his dation’s
good rather than his own glory.
Again we saw him standing in the
midst of the nation’s greatest men,
winning by his sagacity and the
wisdom of his counsels, that well
known plaudit: “First in war,
first in peace, and first in the
hearts of his countrymen.” Then
came his work as first President
of our nation, his retirement to
private life, his call to arms again,
to battle against France, his for
mer friend, and his final retire
ment from public life.
In the last glimpses of his life
we find him tottering about the
home setting out, cultivating, and
pruning his Ifeautiful flower gar- j
den. This garden is still kept up ;
and some of the flowers andj
shrubbery are said to have been
planted by Washington’s hand.
We stopped at Alexandria on J
our return and visited the old
church in which Washington wor
shipped. j
From this place we turned our
faces homeward, feeling well re
warded for the expenses of our
journey.
Notwithstanding, the general
idea “that the pleasures of a trip
end when the journey home be
gins,” we found that the anticipa
tions of getting back to home and
loved ones again, gave as much
joy as any other part of our tour.
We have concluded, not so much
from the use of a ■ well worn
phrase, but from actual observa
tions, that Henry county must be
the garden spot, at least, of the
eastern part of our country.
G. W. C.
to the AgecL
A''e brir"' 5 ' inffrr itirp, such 2S slug
gish bowels, weak kidneys and blaU-.
der anti TORPID LIVER.
I ilfi y) i !ils
have a specific effect on these organ ;,
stimulating tne bowels, causing them
to perform their natural functions u.s
in voutr ami
IMPARTING VIGOR —.
to the kidneys, bladder and LIVER
They arc adapted to old lid young.
BROWN & BROWN,
ATTC >RN EYB-AT-LA W,
McDonough, Ga.
Plaster yonr walls with “Ivory
Cement Plaster” sold by.
Planters Warehouse & Lumber Co,
McDonough, Ga.
DR. TflOS. J. HOLTON,
Physician ano Surgeon,
R. F. I). No. 1, Rkx, Ga.
T. A. UKSKY,
DbLNTIST
Ofkiuk Hours :
7.30 to 12a.m. 1 to ft P. m.
R. O. JACKSON,
Attorney-at-Law,
MCDONOUGH. GA.
Oltloe over Star Store.
D. A. BRO WN.
DENTIST
Office Hours :
7.30 to 12 A. M: to ft P. M.
OfHoe in Now Mnsoi to ltuiUling.
For Sale
‘lvory Cement Plaster” by
Planters Warehouse & Lumber Co
McDonough, Ga.
WHEN IN
ATLANTA
EAT AT
ELIOT’S QUICK LUNCH
55 PRYOR ST.
Quick, Clean Service.
Moderate Prices.
Good Coffee.
E. W. ROBERTS, MGR.
DR. HOAG'S
Blood and Liver
Restorative
f "
\ Liver Medicine and Blood Purifier
THE RELIABLE REMEDY
for Rheumatism, Pimples, Blood
and Skin Diseases
Strenghtens the nerves, makes new
rich blood, increases appetite.
More people owe their health and
strength to it than any other rem
edy. Don’t wait, buy a bottle today.
SOLD BY
Horton Drug Co.
McDonough. Ga.
The Dr. T. W. Redwine &Co.
Hampton, Ga.
Change of Work Days.
From this date I shall do work
at my shop only 3 days each
week, namely: on Tuesdays,
Thursdays, and Saturdays.
1 shall be glad to have all my
old friends continue their patron
age and for many new ones to
try me.
Yours respectfully,
R. O. JONES,
McDonough, Ga.,
9-9. R- F. D. No. 4.
Stoves and Ranges must be
used, Copeland-Turner {Mercantile
Co. buy these goods in large quant
ities and buy direct from the man
ufacturers, thereby being able to
give standard goods at better
' prices.
• A full supply of Legal Blanks of
J every kind on hand. They cun be
obtained at Hampton from Mr. G.
S. D. MaLaier.
