The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1883-01-25
a TRIP TO wAsH1Nar IN.

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| EDnoRsJOURNAL In my recent trip to
| Washington city, / promised to give a few
items relating thereto.
The government buildings are al interesting
and a visit 10 them well repay the visitor.
The Post Office building has a large room
devoted to the reception Of dead letters. This
is known 90 the Dead Letter Office Here are
detained all misdirected letters, also all packa
ages which have not sufficient postage to pay
for uanspoI tation.
in this room Is received daily 5000 let
tprs Eight men are kept constantly employ
ed opening them to see if they contain vaua
b es. Last year ,hese yauables amounted to
100000.
After the letters are opened they are passed
to another set OF employees who endeavor to
find the name aud address of the writer of each
letter IT they succeed in doing this the letter
and valuables are at once returned to the par
ty who forwarded them
Many peculiar articles are sent through the
nails aud are stopped because the sender has
not complied with the requirements Of the law.
We were shown a letter neatly written on a
pine plank which was about Is by IL inches
in extent and was about half an inch thick
Some western man had eudeavored to send the
document through TO q friend. but | am incin-
ed to think his friend will never receive ii.
We were told that occasionally they find
iron gate posts and venomous snakes done up
in neat packages aud directed to some distant
part Of the country
Frequent sales are made of valuable packa-
ges which accumulate in the office. An official
told US that the proceeds from recent sale
amounted to 5000.
The Treasury Building with its vaults of bull
lion was closed to visitors during the holidays.
1t is true one was At liberty TO enter its long
halls but all the apartments were Inaccessible.
The patent office contains models OF $50 06O
patented articles These models are systemat-
cally arranged into 1900 separate divisions.
We were told that $1,000 patients per year are
obtained, While here we are deeply impress
I'd with the wonderful ingenuity of man. The
While House is near The Treasury Building
II has been undergoing repairs during the
past hree or f0ar months and the President
has BEEN living at the Soldiers Home which is
about three miles from the city. During his
absence visitors have been allowed access to
The premises.
We visited the grounds on the afternoon on
the day before the President moved back into
the city
Passing near the tone steps we noticed q
handsome carriage close at hand The driver
Informed Us that il was the property Of the
President and thet lie would be out in few
moments
Having o. curiosity to see the chief mag
istrate - niled States we luitered near
by unit out aud obtained first rate
view of must confess we We're not pre-
possessed M@his favor. His couutenanos is
very far from deuoting that intellectual ability
which should characterize the statesman. He
may be suitable for doing the dirty work of a
a wire working politician in great city, but
in his present position he is completely out of
his sphere.
BY remaining Washington until Monday we
could ave attended the Presidents new years
reception and there would have been afforded
US an opportunity OF shaking hands with him,
but as we We're not in sympathy with the adj
ministration and We're not admiTers of Arthur's
intellectual or moral qualities. we concluded
not to act the hypociite and speak honeyei
words OF lla'terr when the sentiments Of our
hearts prompted otherw se,
Leaving Washington early in the morning. a
pleasant little ride OF TWO hours length brought
lis to Baltimore. We remained here until IN
the Afternoon and during this time went 'o
Druid Hill Park.
This large c osu,e contains about coo aces
filled with magnificent trees The rr-ey5i.
which supplies the city with water is located
b re. A fine view OF the city Is obtained from
Going still farther northward we stopped at
Philadelphia
Be- sons who have visited this city TOR
number Of years say it presents very much the
same appearance that it did twenty or thirty
years ago, very few radical changes having
been made.
These cannot deny, hoWsyer, the maguiti
cence cf the City Hall which is being bull.
This structure was comm. need several years
ago Already millions Of dollars have been
expended upon it aud il is not near completed
II is made Of white marble The building GOV
ers a space OF four and a half acres and con
taus 525 rooms Il is thought &c be The larg
eat building on the continent. The principa
tower will reach a height OF 535 feet and viii
be the tallest i'll The world
Paramount PARK contains 200 c'es and is
the largest in the United States. IN it are the
Paramount water works
We visited Independent Hall and were
struck with its aatiquated appearance The
building was erected in 1874 1t presents
quite a contrast, to the houses around it, as all
know it was here that the immortal d clara
ton of Independence was passed on the 4th OF
1916 These preserved quite number OF me-
mentoes which are on exhibition in the rooms
below Many of The shares belonging to the
signeis of the Declaration of Independence are
sill o be seen.
We observed an old oaSen frame above
which was the following description:
Frame and Yoke wherein hung the old
Liberty Bell when on Monday the 9Th Of July
ZIG u o'clock al noon it was rung obedient to
its motto
Proclaim Liberty throughout all the land un
to all the inhabitants thereof"
The Bell Itself has suffered much from the
hands Of relic hInters They have from time
to time Clipped OFF small portions OF it until it
has been seriously defaced To avoid a con
tinuation of this the authorities have suspended
il by huge chain from the ceiling overhead at
a point near the stairway which leads to the
upper story Of the building,
r. n. HOLLAND.
AIAwYRR 0I1rWI1TED. An an