Owyhee semi-weekly tidal wave. [volume] (Silver City, Owyhee County, Idaho Territory) 1868-1869, 1869-05-18
Letter from Joe.
APRIL 18th 1869


in and round the National Capitol.
George Washington predominates.
Every fool that can lift a cold-chisel.
a crow-bar or white-wash brush. or
the like in the United States, includ-
ing some of the petty German States,
tries his hand on George, and if the
result is not a success in any other
market, he takes it to Washington,
where back-woeds Congressman are
ever ready to pass a relief bill for
the benefit of the fine arts. Nearly
all the revolutionary personages
painted and stuck up round the Cap
ital, have an expression Of features
wonderfully similar to George, as
if he were the only man of that time
that amounted to anything, and to
represent anybody else so as to in
terest modern, he must bear some
resemblance to that man Washing
ton. have no doubt but the Father
of our country (whatever that is),
were he to be resurrected and set
down in the one-horse city that bears
his name, would get disguised with
his own shadow, and set about
smashing this secondhand erockery-
ware and unwashed bed-sheets. A
California friend of mine wanted to
secure one of these paintings for
drop-curtain for melodeon he in
tended to start at White Pine. Of
course, among SO much cbiseling and
daubing as there is around Washing
ton, there is more or less that is at
tractive and fine +; but one soon be-
comes aggravated at the mixture in
general, and abandons the search in
disgust. There are two or three
bronze doors crowded into the cor
ridors leading between the wings of
the Capitol building, that, in them
selves, are admirable but the
cramped, pinched condition in which
they are placed, makes their contem-
platoon as painful as the belly-ache.
If ever you go to Washington. that
feature of the Capitol will present
itself at once. The doors that lead
into it make you feel uncomfortable
before you get inside, and before
you get through from the Rotnnda
to either wing, you will be mad
enough to rebel against the Govern
ment that would build anything on
such a w-contracted scale. But
these doors in bronze are not to
blame for that, | suppose but the
skill Of the artist would show off
much better, were they unhinged
and leaned up against the outside of
the old building, where at least two
persons could get to look at them at
one time. There are a score OF IL
lustrious dead-heads, carved out OF
various materials, standing round
loose and labeled hands off F"
though the dust and dirt is so glazing
that the notices are unnecessary.
Just across the street, north OF the
White House, is an equestrian statue
of Gent jackson. The horse is
neither a mare or gelding, as the ar
fist has been at great pains TO make
us understand. He has the animal
standing on his hind feet, while the
rider is supposed to be saluting his
troops you only have to imagine
the troops. The horse and rider are
cast from cannon captured from the
British at New Orleans. The feet
are riyeted to the pedestal, but the
riyets are said to be unnecessary
"except in case of accident" as
:" the artist consulted nature, and
so got perfect balance, DC. 1t is
probable. A short distance farther
north, is another equestrian arrange
mont showing how Gent Washing