The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-11-20
JEFF DAVIS PORTRAIT.
A Northern Paper Charges that South
ern Editor is Afflicted With Bad Eye
sight,

The following is taken from the Gin.
cinnati Times Star in reply to the state
ment made by the Coweta (Ga. Aduer-
tiser that Secretary Robert Lincoln had
removed from the list of portraits OF the
secretaries of war that of Jefferson
Davis:
A paragraph is floating about in the
newspapers, just now, 10 the effect that
some Georgia editor, who visited the war
department recently, went away very
indignant because the portrait of jeff
Davis was not to be found among those
of the secretaries of war.which adorn the
department. Certainly he must have
been afflicted with very bad eyesight for
the portrait of Mr.. Davis haugs in its
proper place among these, Charge as life
and twice as natural" It hangs in the
room of the private secretary of war, in
its regular order, the portraits in the
gallery being arranged with reference to
the date of service of the secretaries
whom they represent.
The war department prides itself on
having, with one exception, tie only full
line of portraits of the various secreta-
ries who have presided over it from the
beginning down to the present time. So
the portrait of Mr.. Davis is there. II
the Georgia editor had had occasion,
however, to ride up the Potomac a few
miles above Washington he would have
found something genuine to excite his
regard. "Cabin John Bridge" is said to
be the largest stone arch in the world.
It was constructed by the war depart.
ment in Pierce's administration for the
purpose of carrying across deep chasm
the large nine.foot water-pipe which
runs from Great falls, fifteen miles above
Washington, to the reservoir.
The bridge, which is 420 feet long, is q
stone arch. 1t was considered so impor.
tant feat that it was thought proper to
cut in it the name of the president, sec.
retary of war, engineer. and others under
whom it was. constructed. Mr.. Davis
being then secretary of war, his name
was cut in the brown sandstone of which
the arch is made. 1t is not there now,
however, but opposite the words "Secre,
tary of War" is deep blark, showing
that the name has been cut out. The
name, it is stated, was cut out by order Of
the secretary of war, Mr.. Staunton, who
was the head of the department during
the years in which JEFF Davis name was
so unpopular North of Mason and Dix
on's line. The deep incision made in
the stone just where the letters of the
name originally were, and beside the
words secretary of war;" makes it
Conspicuous by its absence" ;" and this
feature of this wonderful structure is
subject of remark by many visiting it.
The portrait gallery in the war depart.
ment, regarding which the complaint
above alluded to was made, is the crea-
tion of William K. Belkpap, secretary of
war under Grant from October 25, 1869,
to March 2, 1876. The propriety of
adorning the walls of the department
with the portraits of the secretaries of
war occurred to Mr.. Belknap during the
term Of his period in Office. He imme-
diately sci 10 work to gather these por.
traits. 1t required q deal of effort, how.
ever, in the earlier days, but by persist.
ent effort he succeeded in collecting all
but two, one of which was Roger Girls.
void, who was secretary under John
Adams, and the other gentleman who
was secretary for brief period, and
whose name has not been learned.