The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1876-05-25
CENTENNIAL CORRESPONDENCE
The Centennial Cify-Ifs size-Number OF
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS New City
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Observation-Disclosures

The Centennial Cify-Ifs size-Number OF
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS New City
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. HaII-Revoitfonary
Memories.
The Centennial City, like Washington,
is a city of magnificent distances, its ex-
treme length being 231 miles, and its
average breadth 81 miles, with a super
fetal area of 1924 square miles, or about
$4,000 acres. By the census recently
taken it had 142, 900 occupied buildings,
of which 10000 were dwellings, and
many have been completed since.
THE POPULATION
S47, 900. The assessed value of tax
able property is 5000, 000, 900; it has
900 miles of paved streets, lighted by
10000 lamps, and 1,009 miles Of gas and
water mains.
1t is peculiarly a city of homes, q
greater number of residents owning the
houses they occupy than in any other
large city in the country. The houses
are builtin solid blocks with pressed brick
fronts, white shutters and marble steps,
presenting a very monotonous appear
ance to visitors. But they are very COM
fortably arranged, with water service,
the smaller one usually having three
rooms on the first foor-parlor, dining
room and kitchen; en- the second floor,
two chambers, a sitting-room and bath
room, and on the third floor two spare
rooms. The large ones have superior ar
engagements and a greater number of
rooms. Street-car lines thread all the
principal streets, rendering locomotion
to any part of the city convenient and
cheap. The public buildings are com
modious and elegant, and the charitable
institutions numerous and well en-
dowed.
THE NEW CITY HALL,
to cost over ten millions of dollars, is
now being erected at the intersection of
the two principal streets, Broad and
Market, and is 470x4863 feet, covering
an area offour and a half acres. 1t is
said to be larger than any single per-
manent building on this continent. 1t
completely blocks up the two principal
streets of the city, obstructing splendid
view up Broad street fourteen miles
long, overshadowing the Masonic Tenn
pie, and promises to be a lasting monu-
ment of the folly of intrusting the gov
eminent of a great city to jobbing and
corrupt politicians.
One of the chief objects of attraction,
especially to visitors to the great Expo.
sition, is
INDEPENDENCE HALL,
on Independence Square, bounded by
Walnut and Chestnut, and Fifth and
Sixth streets. The Eastern Chamber
where the Declaration of independence
was proposed, discussed, adopted, signed
and promulgated, is in a good state o.
preservation; the portraits of the sign
ers adorn the walls, the table on which
the document was signed stands on &
raised dais at the eastern end, and the
old chandelier used by the Continental
Congress still hangs from the ceiling
The original Declaration of Independ
ence has been transferred from the Pat
ent Office at Washington to this cham
Der. Time has erased most of tn,
signatures, SO that they are illegible
but the instrument itself is quite dis
tinct.
The Western Chamber contains a grea
many relics of the the Revolutionary ant
ante Revolutionary times. in thi
part Congress sat from 1892 to 1799-th,
House on the first floor, and the Senat
on the upper floor.
On the eastern wall of the building i
this inscription:
In this building met the
First Senate,
and the
First House of Representatives
OF the United States of America;
and herein George Washington was inaugurated
President, March 4, 1892,
and closed his official career;
when, herein also,
John Adams was inaugurated the
Second President of the United States,
March A, 1871.
Multitudes ofinterested strangers hay
visited this shrine of Liberty, and hav
gazed with deep interest at the memer
toes of the men who, at the peril of lf
and fortune, bequeathed to us so goodf
a heritage. And having so recent,
come from a new baptism of fire an
blood, on a question of the union Q
these States, it is meet that the East an
the West, the North and the South, fol
getting all past differences, and buryin
all past animosities, should meet aroun'
this common altar of our liberties, an
in this Centennial Year, in this City Q
Brotherly Love, renew those fraterns
ties which bound our fathers in a com
mon brotherhood in 1776.
S. M. BooTH.