Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1873-08-05
Letter from Washington.
WASHINGTON, d. c., July 10th, 1877,

Editor Spectator:
In my letter of yesterday,
boasted of my successful escape from the mos
quito attack planned against me; but now I
have to put op record the verifcation of the
proverb, ''the first shall be last and the last
first, for last night the mosquitoes had it all
their own way, and they made good use of their
time. The proprietor, in the goodness of his
heart, changed my room, intending to give me
cooler one, and on retiring, told the servant
to bring me a mosquito bar. He said ''yes
sir" and left the room; I have not seen him
since, and l suspect he does not want to see me
again. 10 make long matter short, [ sat by
the window and fought bravely until o'clock
in the morning, slapping right and left, and &C.
casionally on top for you know [ somewhat re-
semble old Uncle Ned who had no hair on
the top of his head in the place where the hair
ought to grow" and when driven from my ears,
for which they seemed to have a special fond
ness, they would assail me from above, below
and all around. [ do not know how often /
said plague on" the mosquitoes, but l do
know that they were plague ON me all
night. And as there is but one sharper thing
than the business end of wasp and that is its
stinger; so there is but one smarter thing than
mosquitoe, and that is its bite.
After visiting the Navy Yard, where I saw
number of steam engines that measure eight
feet, four inches in diameter, large amount of
cannon, (some of them old Spanish guns can
non balls and other paraphernalia of war, also
large iron hull steamer, captured during the
late war; (it was an English blockade runner, J
and which is now undergoing a thorough re-
pairing in the dock; 1.-THE name of the vessel
was Lady Davis" but is now to be The Get
tysburg) | returned to the capitol. This
building is nearly 800 feet long, and is now
greatly changed from its former shape. 1t
stands on a hill 90 feet above the level of the
city, and it is 2S7 feet from the ground to the
top of the statue of Liberty, which is on top of
the dome. Visitors ascend by winding stairs,
almost to the top, and then walk around the
balustrade on the outside, from which they
have fine view of the city and it's avenues of
Alexandria and the river, dotted with numer-
Gus white sails, and an occasional steamer; Ar
lington, the home of Mrs. General Lee, now
desecrated, by being the last resting place of
those to whom Virginia verified her promise of
welcoming them with bloody hands to hospita-
BILE graves this beautiful place is immediate
ly across the river and nearly in front of the
city. The robbing Mrs. Lee Of this property,
given to her. and never belonging to Gen. Lee,
will be the Cams mark on the front of the u.
5. Government, so long as it has an existence.
1t is crying shame, at which anybody but
Yankee or renegade would blush every time
that his eyes turned in that direction. 1t is
we'll that the Goddess of Liberty looks not in
that direction she seems to turn away her head
and refuse to behold such vile usurpation, such
shameful robbery, such gross injustice, while
it is the boast that this rs the best government
the sGa ever shone upon, ,'-''the land of the
free and the home Of the brave" Away with
such twadde-''Tell it not in Gath" But
to return to the top of the CAPITOL, also
Georgetown and its heights. which now form
part OF the National city. Having learned all
that we can from an outside view, or having
tired OF the vastness Of the panoramic scene
spread out before u.s. We retrace our steps and
ture. The dome is constructed of cast and
York, brought here and set up. not without
the sound of axe, hammer or any other tool of
iron, as was Solomon's s magnificent Temple.
but with thousands of screw bolts 1t is per-
fectly astonishing how one mind could have
planned, with such architectural exactness, SO
vast fabric, even to the winding stairway,
which had to be varied In its shape to suit the
devious windipgs of its course. 1t is moLu-
ment to the skill aud ingenuity Of the mind
that contrlved. and the hand that made such a
wonderful structure. Having viewed its great
height, its vast size. its beautiful proportions
and its massive columns, we stand and gaze
with admiration and wonder, and are ready to
appreciate the ezultant feelings of that mighty
genius, who declared, that if he had only
place on which he could rest the fulcrum of his
lever, he could move the world. This massive
building is the pride of mighty nation. and is
intended as the Temple Of Liberty. More non.