The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1858-06-16
NATIONAL HOTEL, WAsHIyGroN, June 2,


Dear Times IL wrote you on Monday last
giving very hurried, and fear, embarrassing
account Of my departure from McGrcgor, the
trip, and my safe arrival at the Capital Of Uncle
Sans dominions. did not refer to any thing
pertaining to Washington, and now propose
to write briefly of my experience since the
Omnibus deposited our delegation at the
National. Your readers will remember that
this is the Hotel whose COMPOUNDED stinks and
corruption caused such terrible alarm ard
many deaths about the time of Buchanan's in
auguration. The whole establishment has been
cleaned from cellar to garnet, and it is now
among the most popular institutions Of the city.
Its register numbers crowds of congressman,
lobby members, travellers, visitors and gentle-
men at large like ourselves. 1t is not a we'll
planned Hotel and have come to the conclu.
sion that Washington cannot boast of an article
of that kind. Wizards Hotel, which has a
reputation abroad. is nothing but collection
Of old dwelling houses with handsome front
ditto. Browns. The New Hall At Milwaukee
is better than a Congressman ever dreamed Of
at this place.
Washington is great village. 1t would re-
quire about seventy five columns of the Times
TO give any thing like description of one wing
only of the Patent Office, and hence your rea-
ders will see the impossibility of giving in
letter any ideas Of it in detail. l have passed
oil over it, and have glanced hurriedly at its
singularities and its wonders. The building
(when inished) occupies one whole square and
it is to built almost exclusively Of Vermont
marble. 1t will have four fronts of architectural
magnifcenee, unlivalled on the continent. 1t
contains specimens Of all manufactures, models
of all machinery, notices and patterns of all in
ventious. fac SMILES (n wax) Of all fruits,
skeletons Of all animals from an ant to MAN,
specimens Of all ores, representations (stuffed)
Of all objects of natural history, implements,
warlike and peaceful of all nations and tribes
yet discovered, trophies Of all battles, Amer-
can and European, shells and marine curiosities
from all oceans, fish from all seas, well. to
sum it up in line, it is the visible Encyclope-
dia of Every thing! 1t would require three
months time to examine it critically, and as ]
cannot stay away from McGregor SO long as
that, am obliged to omit minute descrip.
tons.
Iexamined the P. o. Building, most splcn.
did and massive structure (not yet finished thu
Treasury Building-both to be completed il
the style of the Patent Office-lhe Smithsonian
Institute. / travelled round the Presidenti
House, wandered through the richly ornament
ed parks in its vicinity, saw. this afternoon, no
less than ten thousand of the dressed.up o
Washington residents and visitors, old anG
young, male and female, white, black and In
dian, promenading the White House Park in
front Of the Mansion, to the enhancing music
of the Marine Band-walked into Lafayette
Square. took long and reverential look at thu
Btass Equestrian Statue of Jackson, strolleC
down towards the bay 10 see the Washington
Monument, now some 200 feet up, wondered
how long it would be before the remaining SOC
feet would be completed, got almost worn out
in tramping over the pave. jumped into a bus
and came TO "mine inn
You may be sure did not remain long il
the city before visiting the Capitol to witness
the proceedings Of that body which reores en- 4