The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1884-08-23
Washington Letter.


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| ngton furnish lis greatest attraction 10 the
permanent resident during the heated sum.
mcr season. The transient visitor may
afford 10 Swelter in the public buildings for
a day, while he is seeing the sights of this
city; but for a steady thing this season
give us the parks. During the past fiscal
year eighty thousand dollars have been eN
pended in the improvement of the parks,
but this is a mere bagatellc in comparison
with their cost in previous years Numer
Gus trees and shrubs have been planted in
the park between the White House and
the Washington Monument, which is di-
rectly in the rear Of the Executive Man
sion Thousands Of ornamental plants
have been propogated in the Monument
grounds and different parks were adorned
by the addition of new pavements, and by
the planting of many towering bulbs.
Several statues have also been placed dur
ing the year. Most of the parks do not eN
coed one or two squares in size, but few
are quite extensive. Of the latter class
Soldiers Home is the most striking exam
Pile Just beyond the northern boundary
of the city is a long avenue of trees through
which the visitor reaches large gate, hos
pitably thrown open Within is verita-
bic Arcadia, with modern improvements,
placid lakes with water lilies and the
graceful forms of snowy swans reflected in
their clear water; weeping willows with
their ever dropping boughs, and many
trees of various kinds are clustered on the
one of the lakelets, different roads lead off
to different parts of the grounds, or double
with confusing iteration on their own
tracks Let us choose this one which
seems coolest and most pleasant The way
winds through green meadows; passes be
meath the overhanging branches of trees
in what seems to be almost the forest
primeval," 50 old, gnarled and light-eX-
Guiding are the trees; through light and
shade; through deep valleys, with brooks
babbling along, and with violets growing
on the messy banks, and over gentle hills.
From one of these eminences Washington
can be seen far away. The city is more
beautiful at this distance than it would be
on IA nearer view. The methodical streets,
the rows of business houses, all disappear
The Capitol, Monument. and some of the
larger edifces are alone distinguishable
from the mass of buildings. The whistle
of locomotive train or steamboat comes
family to the ear,
Ascending long hill we come apon the
two main editices of Soldiers Home One
is used as an eating and lodging house, !
and the other as a hospital. AT any place
in the grounds old soldiers, clad in blue |
uniforms, may be met, but here they are
swarming. Those who are able are EN-
ployed in various light kinds of garden,
farm and dairy work. for which they re !
ceive nominal wages Others roam about
with no apparent object, or lie beneath the
trees in groups, dreaming most likely of |
anything but war, and deploring the infe
ror quality of tobacco and the high price
Of beer; others sit on the piazzas, smoking |
and reading the newspapers
Not far from these houses several rather |
handsome editices are seen. They are the |
residences of officers, and are Surmounted !
by the stars and stripes. Among them is
the Presidents summer house, a large cot
tage, but in no way remarkable. Here is
a small stone chapel, overgrown with ivy,
and just behind it is marble monument
erected in honor of a shoemaker, a senator
and II vice president OF the United States
1t bears the words 40 Henry Wilson, the
soldiers friend
Winding around over the many roads, in
which one unfamiliar with the place would
certainly be lost, we come upon bronze
statue of Winfield Scott A life size statue
would be large, since the person il repre-
sents was six and half feet in height, but
rs the statue is intended To he heroic in
size, il is really colossal, and stands looking
down from the highest point in Soldiers
Home over the grounds which he, more
than any other, was instrumental in setting
apart and beautifying for the veterans of
the United States armies.