The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-06-29
THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT.

The Appeal to the People OF the United
states for Funds 10 Complete the Obeiisk.
The Washington national monument
society has issued an appeal to the peo-
pie OF the United States to supply the
means to complete the obelisk which has
so long stood unfinished at Washington.
AS the prospects for raising the means to
complete the monument are good, q
brief account of what has already been
done will not be without interest.
The corner stone of the monument was
laid on the fourth day of July, 1848,
amidst great enthusiasm, and bringing
together great multitude of people
from all sections of the United States.
The foundation of the obelisk was laid
eighty one feet square, eight feet below
the surface of the ground, and contract
ed in its progress so as to be sixty-one
feet ten inches at the top, an elevation
of twenty five and one-half feet of solid
masonry. The monument commenced
at the height of seventeen and ope-half
feet above the ground, fifty-fve feet
square, cased with marble, with walls
fifteen feet thick, leaving a cavity of
twenty-five feet. In this cavity, and SO
arranged as to face the winding stair
way that they can be seen by visitors,
are to be placed the memorial blocks
which have already and which may be
presented. Each State and Territory
has presented block inscribed with its
coat .of-arms or some suitable device or
inscription and others from various so
cieties and institutions throughout the
land. Several foreign governments have
testified their desire to ounite il this great
work of humanity, intended to commem.
crate the virtues of its chief ornament
aud example. Switzerland, Rome,
Bremen, Turkey, Greece, China and
Japan have graciously united to pay
their homage to our Washington, and
have sent forward most beautiful blocks.
Dom Pedro, the emperor of Brazil, on
visiting the monument q few weeks
since made contribution in money,
aud assured the society that Brazil
would send block. Such tributes are
our highest trophies; the history OF
mankind offers no parallel to it,
The work on the monument pr ogress-
ed until it had reached height Of 174
, feet above the top of the foundation,
when, for want of funds, it was suspend
cd, and nothing has been done on it for
over twenty years. Many causes have
interfered with it, one of which has been
the want of some reliable and convenient
channel through which small contribu-
: tions could be made. During the past
two years the society has been making
an earnest effort through the associated
bodies and organizations of the country,
and their appeal has been heartily re-.
, spopded to from Maine to California and
: Oregon, the Lake and the Gulf States
I nobly sending in their subscriptions.
The society has selected a very appro-
pirate time and a reliable channel
: through which subscriptions can be
s made, and if all will now give something
9 the work can be resumed and 60 on to
t rapid completion. We have had re-
Q cent example of what can be done in
such an interest if all will lend helping
!. hand, even though their offerings may
a in each case be limited. Scarcely a year
8 since some public spirited citizens of
4 France, to manifest their respect of our
g country, to illustrate their kind regards,
r and to keep alive the traditionary friend
ship of the two nations, projected the
idea of presenting to America a great
e statue of Liberty, to be placed in New
g York harbor, and which was to be built
= by the voluntary contributions OF
1t Frenchmen. The project was received
!; with great sympathy throughout that
d country, meetings were held, and the
money subscribed. The castings have
a been commenced, and soon the work
# will be begun here.
n Did Poland owe larger debt to Kos
;. ciusko than America to Washington
O And will America manifest less patriot
a ism and veneration for her great and
v glorious son than Poland has shown tc
4 her illustrious chief2 The monument
a erected to this noble Pole is a mound
|. PIG feet in diameter and 800 feet high
and is said to be the largest ever formed
n by human hands.
10 At this mound old and young, sena
% tors and citizens, mobiles and peasants
q even the magistrates of the realm ant
3; the most delicate females labored will
7, their own hands. The expense was de
{, frayed by contributions, II only of the
g. most>considerable families, but also 0
At peasants, artizans, and private soldiers
g. Count Arthur Polocki alone gave tel
N thousand guilders. His example i!
worthy of imitation.
y. We have invited the representative
10 of foreign nations to visit our shores t.
N join in our centennial rejoicings. TIL
T. invitation has been accepted, and fron
a. all races and all climes they will come
at indeed, many of them have already al
o. rived. Can we evoke the admiration O
d our visitors by pointing to our progres
E. of a century unless work is at once re
+ sumed on this monumenta
n Let there be a revival of that old fash
ioned patriotism which once worshipe
at the shrine of the revolution, and lie
all sections of our country come togetL
TO er in this glad year of American jubilee
id fraternizing around the name of Wash
g ington, and all hearts and all hands b
III united in at once completing this gran
8, monument, which will not only tell
ID after ages that Washington was great
IN but that his countrymen were grateful.
er
10 II,o