The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-12-08
THE MONUMENT.
how the Idea Originated and How the Work
Was Conducted.

Was Conducted.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 6-Soon after the death
of Washington Congress recognized the proprie
ty of erecting monument to his memory and
passed resolutions to that effect but no funds
were appropriated, and for years no further
movement was made. At last in September
1885, paragraph appeared in the National In
telligencer calling for meeting of the citizens
of Washington to take the matter in hand In
response to this invitation a meeting was held
on Sept 26 in that year, at the City Hail. at which
were present Daniel Brent, William Cranch
who was later chief justice of the Circuit Court
of the District of Columbia; George Watterson,
and other prominent residents of Washington.
This resulted in the formation of the National
Washington Monument Society of which the
venerable Chief Justice John Marshall was the
first president and Judge Cranch the first vice
president. George Watterson, the originator of
the enterprise was the secretary, and was sue
ceeded at his death by John Carroll Brent who
was followed by DR.. j. B. Blake and then by
Hon. Horatio King the present incumbent
Upon the death OF President Madison, in 1886
the constitution of the society was so amended
that the President of the United States should
be ex ofieie president of the organization. An
drew Jackson was the first offieio president,
and he was followed by the Presidents as they
have been respectively elected to the chief
magistfaey of the Nation. The mayors Of
Washington were made eX 0ftcio viee-presidents
Of the society. The plan adopted by its found
ers was TO secure the assistance and to unite the
efforts of the people of the country to erect d
monument to President Washington At first
contributions were limited to II annually from
any one person, contributors to become members
of the society. The contributions amounted in
1886 to the sum of SOS, 900, which was placed at
interest and during this year advertisements
were published inviting designs from American
artists, the cost of the monument being esti
mated at $1,000 600. Many plans were sub
mitted and the award was finally given to Rob
ert Mills, the architect Of the Interior Depart
ment
The cornerstone was laid in 1913, the now
venerable, and then and always elegant and elo
duent Robert c. Winthrop delivering the ora
ton to some 1000 people who gathered at the
base. In six years the money collected by the
Monument Association ran out, and work
stopped. The pile was LII feet high and $780,
300 had been spent. There it stood through the
exciting years that followed, when Washington
was filled with marching regiments and the sur
rounding hills were white with tented armies.
The broad meadow from which the monument
rises was devoted to cattle-pens for the use of
the army Thousands of cattle were driven in
there daily and slaughtered. The four mule
teams of the Commissary Department thronged
in there every night, wallowing through the
mud hub deep, to take out supplies of meat to
the soldiers in and around the city The monu
ment itself was used as a slaughterng-pla
and many carcass has cooled up in the inside
of the shaft where the butchers pulled them to
keep through hot July day.
1t was not until 1873 that steps were taken
for continuing the work. In 1876 the govern
ment undertook the work, $780, 600 being aprro-
priated' The management of the construction
Of the monument was then turned over to q.
monument commission Of five members, con
kisting of the President of the United States,
the chief of engineers, the first vice president of
the monument society, the architect of the Cap
to and the supervising architect of the treas
ury At the instance of the commission, the
President, in June, 1878, detailed Col Casey and
Capt George w. Davis of the engineer corps as
mgineer and assistant engineer, respectively,