Jasper County Democrat, Volume 14, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 July 1911 — HOME AGAIN, SAFE AND SOUND [ARTICLE]

HOME AGAIN, SAFE AND SOUND

The Democrat's Party Reaches Rensselaer Monday Night ENJOYED A SPLENDID TRIP And Everything Went Smooth as Clockwork. —'Did Not Miss a Rail or Boat Connection on Long Trip and Probably Suffered No More From the Heat Than They Would Have Done at Home.

The Democrat’s eastern trip party returned home Monday evening all safe and sound and, traveling by such easy stages, all were feeling fine and in good spirits on reaching Rensselaer. It. was a splendid trip all the way through and no one was worn out with long travel as is generally the case with, a trip of this magnitude where it usually takes a week for them to get rested up. Everybody enjoyed the trip immensely, and while some hot weather was found, no serious ill effects were experienced and we perhaps suffered no more nor as much than we would had we remained at home. Drinking too much ice water put a few of the party temporarily on the indisposed list and. two or three got a touch of seasickness, as the water was quite rough on the trip down to. Norfolk, but no one got seriously ill and all were in fine mettle most of the time. With the stop-overs at Niagara Falls, a few hours in_. Buffalo and Albany; the boat trip down the Hudson; two days in New York, several hours of which time was spent on the water in boat trips, where it is always cool and refreshing; The ocean trip of 328 miles to Norfolk, Va., where one day was spent; the trip up Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac River to Washington, where we spent one day; thence by rail to Cincinnati where a stop was made over night ; then to Indianapohs where a 3J4 hours stop-over was had, thence on home, made the most delightful traveling without any of the fatigue usually felt on long trips with few or no stopovers.

Ocean Beach, twelve miles from Norfolk, was visited and part of our party donned bathing suits and took a dip of an hour in the ocean. Mr. Ott of Remington is as much at home in the water as a fish. Eight of the fourteen people in our party took a dip in the: salt water while the others contented themselves with sitting in the shade on the beach, and watching their antics and leveling kodaks at them. (There were three kodaks in the party and a fine lot of views were taken along the route.) We met with the'most cordial and courteous treatment all along the line and so nicely were arrangements made that there was not a balk anywhere and the expenses of the trip were no more than calculated upon in our estimate. Owing to our party becoming temporarily divided in New York shortly before boat leaving time a hurry-up trip was made in taxicabs to the boat, and the nearly three miles from the hotel was covered in a little better than six minutes. We caught the boat all right, however, and rather enjoyed the experience. Another time, at 6:30 p. m., we were caught at a little town called Phebus, a mile or a mile and a. half from Old Point Comfort, with the current off the trolley and all cars the track. Our boat left at seven o’clock, and we had plenty of time to have gotten back bad everything gone well. Hurried negotiations were made with three colored gentlemen with carriages and with twenty minutes to reach* the boat we started for Old Point. Just after we drove up on the landing v the first cars for an hour pulled in, but we did not regret the price

paid the cabmen. We made the boat with a few moments to spare and had a most delightful trip to Washington, where we visited many points of interest-and were shown over the capital and the new senate office building by Senator John W. Kern’s private secretary. Mr. Kern himself was out of the city and we did not meet him. President Taft was also out of the city. The White House, Congressional Library, Treasury building, Washington Monument, etc., were visited here. A side trip to Mt. Vernon, Washington’s old home and burial place, was also taken, and a stop off returning from Mt. Vernon at Alexandria, an historic old Virginia town surveyed by Washington himself in an early day, and saw the old church there where the daddy of his country worshipped.

It is dry every place, and the lawns about the government buildings in Washington look as bad as our court house lawn in Rensselaer. A big rain and windstorm struck Washington Friday night and we had a very comfortable day indeed there Saturday. * ■ In all the territory traversed we found no section of country that equalled Indiana, and it looked good when we again reached Hoosierdom with its splendid farms and generally prosperous appearance. The country and Washington is mighty poor and only partially under cultivation, and the city itself is not in keeping with the fine public buildings, arid is disappointing to most people who visit it for the first time. W e read in The Democrat Wednesday morning in New York City of the death of George Fate and Patrick Hallagan, and in Cincinnati Sunday night of the death of Everett Kinney. All other home njws was eagerly devoured.

A postcard famine was felt after we passed through the country, and we believe 2,500 to 3,000 postcards is a conservative estimate of the number of cards mailed at various points by the members of our party. It was a jolly, good-natured and well behaved party, and we had numerous amusing experiences. The memory of the delightful trip will never be forgotten by any of us. A detailed account of the trip is promised us by members of the party, so we will refrain from further mention at this time.