Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-12-10
our WASHINGTON LErrER.
\ rnr foF oT wAsnNoToN MONUMENT.

pofuenL III fancy mas MS million readers
sanding by his side looking out through
Ais eyes froin this dizzy height, upon the
Capital OF the fairest land upon which the
sun OF heaven ever shone. On every hand
b the clatter Of hammers and chisels, the
dull thud Of heavy mallets, the swinging
Of massive derrioks. aud the rumble Of
olling wheels on iron rails. Below Us
we see the smoke OF the engine which
carries tie great elevator back and forth
through the yawning throat Of the Monu-
nent. We felt little fearful as we were
lifted heavenward seated beside huge
block OF granite. tons in weight, but all
fear was dissipated when we learned that
the carrying power OF the elevator was 1870
tons. Great heavy derrieks high above
cur heads with creaking chains lift these
massive granite blocks into the places for
which they were prepared with as much
Apparent ease as we did our blocks in max
ng play-houses, in childhood's sunny
years. The wOrkmen feel as much at home
we notice Ms il on terra frmA, for com
pletely around the top OF the Monument
network OF iron and rope is suspended
shaped like an upturned umbrella strong
enough to hold fifty men, should gust Of
wind carry them iuto il. Let US for a mo-
ment read the inscriptions upon few Of
these blocks OF granite and marble that
have already been built into the Monu-
ment. Here is one from Virginia's lof
ti5st peak to crown monument TO Vir-
ginias noblest SON." Here is another:
The memory OF the Just is blessed.
Prov. x: 2. Presented by the Children Of
che Sunday School OF the N. Il. Church
at New York Citv, Feb %, 1855"
Eighty-seven Of these blocks many Of
ehem large and elegantly wrought are
built into the walls on the inner side
while in the lapidarium over one hundred
and seventy-tVe Others ARE waitingA place
an the great shaft. Let US note a few of
these Inscriptions: IA stone from the
Temple Of Esculapiodus, Island OF Paros.
1856" Another. "This head was carved
5000 years ago by the ancient Egyptians
tor the temple erected in honor OF Au-
gnstus, on the banks Of the Nile, brought
from there and presented to tie Monu-
ment Society IN 1853" Another; al
Block OF stone from the original Chapel
built 10 William Tell in 1888 on Lake Lu-
eerne, Switzerland, on the spot where Tell
escaped from Gesler." But let us look
cut from of this up-growing shaft over
bhls beautiful city, and its surrounding
highlands, See that puff of smoke and
hear the clank and roar Of the iron wheels
en- the long bridge spanning the Potomac,
Is the fast mail train which left New York
city this morning bids good bye to the
capital at 1890 aud punges ON thnnder-
mg, screaming and screechlng into the re-
aesses Of Southland, to bid good morning
to New Orleans, now but u few hours dis
liant from Yew York. The old postman's
horn tang out over this now beautiful city
m the days when he lived, whose name
this monument bears. See this vast net
work of avenues and streets, linked to
parks and reservations, beautiful as
airing Of pearls decorated with dwellings,
Business houses and massive public build.
ings, while just yonder rises the stately
dome Of the Capital surmounted by the
Goddess Of Liberty with smile on her sto-
lid face, patiently waiting for the good
time coming.
When South as North each man shall be
In truth man with liberty.
See the CLASSY Potomac, over whose
waters are gliding lazy vessels, with sails
begging for puffing breeze, follow ii up
beyond Georgetown till it is hidden away
m the highlands surrounding the city and,
turning, look southward, and its surface
is smiling in the sunshine, MS it sweeps on
toward the ocean past the city Of Alexan-
dria-s city that is fenced in and finished,
with harbor equal TO any in the world,
simply because they have been fighting
Ihe inevitable ever since the surrender,
and, like Assyria Of old, the cormorants
and bitterns now lodge IN the upper lntels
0f it aud sing in their windows, and desc
latinn iS Oh their thresholds.
But what shall we shy OF ;his $50. 600
souls, VIM, from the high altitude seem
insignificant ~ anrs, Ms they thread these
avenues, or ride behnd miniature steeds
with gay lrappings, in their tinny ooupes
and carriages These are all the worlds
aosmOpOitans. They sleep, eat and drink,
many of them own lands and pay taxes in
the Nations Capital, yet that Nation, with
its magnificent government, through its
Congress, DECLARES, that the residents of
this Paris OF America, with their eyes ever
on the Figure of Liberty surmounting its
ark Of the covenant, shall not vote. Suf-
frage is well enough for Massachusetts
and South Caroilm, or even within the
sweep of our vision, just over to the east
ward in Maryland, or across the Potomac,
at Arlington, where sleep 10000 Of our
heroic dead, the right to yoto may be ex-
srcised there, if the Bourbons think fit to
allow IT, o, liberty, what jewel thon
artl But let us now for q moment turn
forward the hand on the great dial-pate
OF time to the year 1900, and take AN out
look from the top OF this finished monn-
ment $50 feet high. What picture This
Capital, with its population of 500, 600 has
become the centre Of art, culture and re-
hnement, attracting to it the, most en-
hghtened students and the classic nOta-
Sles of the Old and the New World. Here
live in great numbers the representatives
Of every land under the sun. The gayety
fashion and wealth Of our own land here
dwell in a winter climate equal to that
found in Florida or the sunny lands Of the
Old World. A broader sweep of vision
shows rs land washed by two oceans,
bounced by the Gulf on the south, but not
by Canada on the north, divided into so
States, with 10000, COO OF people, with un-
counted wealth being dug from her gold
and silver-Fihbed mountains, with all her
millions Of acres pouring into the hands
Of the husbandmen the unstinted return
Of patient husbandry; with railroads
threading like spiders webs all this vast
domain; with air-ships bearing their pre-
sious freightage TO and fro across the con
tinent; with electricity harnessed and
brained to answer mans behest as n pro-
pelling power for loeomotion on land, and
ia steamers on ocean, with vapor engines
snpplanting steam as q cheap and more
powerful agent; with the ten thousand