The Potter journal and news item. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1872-1874, 1873-06-13

what appears to be a mosaic OF a
house standing by palm tree. The
inscription is Z" Carthage, David Por-
ter Heap, 1855" Japan and China
are both represented by queer sage
green blocks covered with untrans-
lated characters. There is another
from China presented by "the citi-
zens Of the United States Of America
residing in Foo-Chow-Foo, China,
Feb. p, 1851"
Next to this is a block of strange
brown marble with gilt devices and
letters saying "Das Befreundate Bre-
men, Washington dem glossen guten
und grechten.n There is an exquisite
piece Of marble with a Grecian in
scription, to which my guide kindly
furnished the translation: ITO Geo.
Washington. the General, the ruler,
the patriot of the men and illustrious
liberty, the land of Solon, Themisto-
cles and Pericles, the mother Of an
cient liberty, sends this ancient stone
as a testimony Of honor and admira-
tion. From the Parthenon." The
American Medical Association is
represented by a slab with a relieve,
which to my meagre classical llnowl-
edge was unintelligible; the inscrip-
-tiOn is: "Vincent Amor Patria"
One stone bears the inscription: A
tribute Of respect from the ladies and
gentlemen Of the dramatic profession
of America. 1858. And another that
impressed me very much as a sincere
and unaffected offering was inscribed:
To Washington, an humble tribute
from two disciples of Daguerre.
There is block Of lava brought from
Eesuvius by William Terrell, Of
Georgia. On a tablet of brownish
marble is written in raised gilt let
ters, To the memory Of Washington.
The Free Swiss Confederation, 1852.
Near the door is a small slab from
the Temple Of Esculapius, Island Of
Paros: Presented by the officers Of
the United States steamer Saraaac.
August l3, 1858. And further along
we read on a white marble block,
Presented by the Governor and Com
mune Of the Islands Of Paros and
NaXos, Grecian Archipelago, Au-
gust I3, 1853. A white marble slab
with blue shield, inscribed in golden
Turkish characters, is presented by
the Sultan Of Turkey, to increase the
friendship between the United States
and his own country. Abdul Maid
Kahn desires to inscribe his name on
the monument to Washington. The
last and most valuable relic is an
Egyptian head wrought in dark stone.
1t is fastened to a white marble tab
let, on which we read: This head
was carved between two and three
thousand years ago, by the Egyp-
tians for the temple in honor Of Au-
gustus on the banks Of the Nile.
Brought from there By J. A. Leh-
man and presented to the Washing
ton Monument, 1850.
\ little box for contributions
stands in the ante-room, but it has a
lean, hungry look. The entire amount
subscribed since 1888 to the present
day is not over 5 S3,00O,OO0. if that
much. A Senator (Senator Corbett,
| think subscribed his back pay.
But the generosity Of this was ques-
tionable, for if he thought himself
unentitled to it, it was grim wrong
to offer to Washington the money
taken from the very people in whose
service Washington earned his right
to q monument. Besides it only
amounted to 80.
So the monument stands, the bro
ken fulfllment Of one Of the most
magnificent promises ever made.
And the sermon in those stones
might perhaps resolve itself into an
old maxim: The ingratitude of Re
publics IS provcrbial.