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

plan then was to deposit the remains
of Washington under a monument
to be erected in the Capitol. Mrs.
Washington consented TO this, say
ing that she was making a great sac
rifce Of individual feeling to public
duty. This sacrifice, however, was
not demanded Of her, and thirty
years later, when South Carolina
proposed erecting a monument and
removing to it the body of Washing
ton, Judge Bushrod Washington
very promptly and properly refused
to allow the remains of his illustrious
uncle to leave Mount Vernon for sny
place save the capital of the nation.
Finally the idea of erecting a tomb,
as it were, was abandoned, and in
1888 the citizens Of Washington, with
most Iaudable intentions and magnif-
cent generosity, decided to erect on
the site where, as a guide book | once
saw says. " Washington supposed he
was to be cOmmemorated, ;" an obelisk
which in proportion should eclipse all
previous efforts in that line. Statues
had been eschewed on account of
their destructibilitv. A mausoleum
would be inappropriate An obelisk
was selected therefore as being the
most durable of all structures save
the pyramid. Looking back on the
enthusiasm Of those days it is aston
ishing our forefathers resisted the
pyramid. Moreover an ohelisk was
supposed to portray the plainness,
simplicity and majesty Of George
Washington's character. To a Ger
tain extent the supposition holds
good. The monument is not majes-
tic, perhaps. but it is severely simple
and in plainness battles description.
The dimensions of the base are to
be 100 feet square; its height when
completed Will be 517A, S. feet high
er than the dome of St. Peters and
23O feet higher than the dome Of the
Capitol. It's present dimensions are
So feet square at the base and $50
feet high. Inside there is nothing
to be seen. The janitor. I suppose
we may call him, turns the rusty lock
Of an old worm-eateu door and we
step from the warm air outside into a
cold hollow shaft with chilly light
struggling through the loose boards
on top. We are glad to get out.
The most interesting thing con
nected with the monument are the
stones presented by different States
and societies to be placed in panels
along the spiral staircase leading
through the interior of the shaft to
the summit. As the first step Of
this staircase IS yet unquarried these
tablets, about eighty-two in number,
are collected in long room connect
ed with the janitor's house.
Pennsylvania is nobly represented.
There are no less than ten stones
from that State. The last contribu-
ton TO the collection IS large white
marble tablet, about feet BY :, pre-
sented by the corporation Of the city
OF Philadelphia. 1t bears the coat
Of arms Of the State Of Pennsylvania
surmounted by the eagle bearing a
scroll in his mouth with Declaration
of independence, Philadelphia, July
i. I776." The class Of '53-'54, Of
the Jefferson Medical College Of
Philadelphia, contribute a stone.
Another is from HonesdaIe, Wayne
County, Pa, 1853. By this is a very
large memorial from the "Subordi-
nate Lodges, 1. 0. 0. F., Of Philadel-
phia." \ very handsome stone with
a handsome carved relieve Of a loco
motive IS from the Employees Of R.
Norris and Sons Locomotive Works,
Philadelphia" Then one from the
Methodist Episcopal Sabbath School,
dated July +, 1858. The largest
stone or stones, for there are three
of them, are presented by the Fire
Department Of Philadelphia, 1854"
One coming from the Sons Of Tenn
perance, of Philadelphia, declares
that "The surest safeguard of the
liberties Of our country is total ab-
stinence from all that intoxicates."
This stone must have been quarried
in Maine.
We meet with New York seven
times, and she does herself honor in
the tablets Of beautiful black marble
from the State of New York" The
Athenian Lodge of |. 0. o. F., Troy,
\. Y, Is represented, and a hand
some contribution Is from the " Meth
odist Episcopal Sunday School of