Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-11-07
Work on the Capit0I

The last Congress gave the sum OF 500 900 t.
grade the east front OF the Capitol, and orna
ment, in some substantial and permanent way.
the whole landscape Of Capitol Hill. This work
is, IN Its way, large undertaking; and it is nov
Gates the speedy meeting of Congress, aud a
semble.
This Capitol building is a tit model for one to
study all The history of his country. Its slON
tl0gress toward an eternal Incompetence
should be taken up by the patient political stu
dent as a type OF tue best human society. W.
are never done. 1t is always going on. We
walk round il, and select cOigns of ysntaSe L,
asssil; ii reforms all Its own defects, but stI
defects are ascribed 10 it, Oh which men tinker
A heIpIess and beautiful thing, il often rises t.
Its truest proportions, and feels the hand OF
enterprise most vigorously, in such eKtTe me
afictons as war, fire, and Capitol moving
And every day, looking TO its interest a thing
OF art and utility, the Capitol casts shadow o
censuIe upon some oversight OF the past o,
some uncertainty of the future.
me work now going on was ali provided 70
elehty years agO-loDger than mans three
Score and-ten. The fret architect, a sensible
but overriddeB Frenchman, showed tn AT the sit
Of the editce had two profles, ami that it wa
set on the ridge Of one Of them.
The Capitol was put up by civil commission
5Ts, sllmly informed on anything but patriotism:
and they generally despised artists around them
VINO could not get any votes. Dir. Hallet re-
"Gentlemen. you are making the front of nv
building face up hill. The ground will swal-
low IL up 10 tne approaches. move 10 over TO
this crest or putt between the two crests, and
grade both down"
They stole bis plans, like hereditary pOiiti-
clans, and discharged him.
But alter sixty years, the architects have dis
covered those plans. After waiting for a long
time for good chance, they make their point
Little by little they make it. First, they have
two squares of buildings, which encToached
upon the edlhce, and supplied gin and boarding
TO generations OF CCDgrossmen, removed. This
costs abont se0O,0OO Then, by driblets OF
$4,000 or $40, 900 year, the approaches to the
climber" profile, the back side, are terraeed.
Then, sdDonished by the terr8cing, the Sena-
tors ct al, advise some street grading. Sens
tors, you must know. generally direct the art
matters around the Capitol, even to the public
printing, which they only relinQuished two or
three years ago 10 the House. The streets were
graded and the old squares taken in, st a very
great cost. 1t was at this period, when every
thing that had been done seemed TO be real
improvement, that the thinking, tasteful folks
made their game on the false profile. 1t passed
right through Congress, in the haste OF the end
OF the session; and sad as the admission m1st
be, many OF these eleyenth-hOur votes are of
better inspiration than projects "nibbled to
death by pismires, as Bob SCbenck once said.
The eve of the great commander, whether IN
arms or art, espies and ayails himself Of the
immediate opportunity.
L he sum OF so, 900 has been expended cut-
Ting of the plain east OF the Capitol, 80 as to
Iiit the building out OF the ground In this
work, enough dirt has been obtained 10 grade
Oh many acres of Capitol Il i'll, towards the desc
late hats on the south. The best trees have
been bodily dug out and trsnsplapted.-sOm OF
them nfty years old. The remainder of the
money is spent conducting drives through this
park, lowering gas and water pipes: taking out
old springfield hsh pools, aud placing marble
seats around the edince, with flights OF steps
and bits OF terrace, like the work below the
mall In Central Park. Two fountains Of bronze
and evergreens Will cost SIS, 90 esch.-"Gath"
in Chicago TribHnc.