The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1885-05-28
FROMAHIGH STANDPOINT
The UnequaIIed Vie w to be Had from
the Top of the Washington
Monument.

The view from the floor, 500 feet
high, is every Americans share Of the
million dollars this monument cost.
The shaft may commemorate the viz
tues of Washington, but it will GER
tainly please the sightseeing appetite
of tie American people. Already
there are from one to two hundred
visitors daily to the base of the
shaft, craning their necks upward
and longing to go to the top. When
the elevator is placed at the service of
the whole country at large it will be
kept busy. AS L said, the view is
something to see. Arlington rises to
the southwest, and to the right of ii
the flags of Fort Niger are seen. The
spires of Alexandria may be seen to the
-Cuth far over the shimmering silver
Potomac. Right below the dredging
boat-engaged in filing the falls
putting and running out into the
river, may be seen the wing
bikes which have been built and be-
tween which the boats are dumping
their loads constantly. At the base.
of the monument STANDS coach.
| The horses look like mice. With ths ir
| feet under their bodies they seem to
creep along over the ground. Men
look Xix insects. The little village of
sheds in which the stones were cut
| look decidedly respectable. Ofer to
| the north is the White House. and the
| huge state, war and navy battling
that looks not unlike "a child's block
house that he builds till it just top
| pies but does not fall.
The Ionic front of the Treasury is
| pleasing, as it looms up to the right
| of the White House Then begins the
| city. You have seen birds-eye views
of New York, London and Paris.
This is the scene. We are up so high
the whole city comes into perspective
and is "ensma1led." Wide streets and
avenue> branching off to every point
of the compass; business blocks of red
brick plunging up sky-ward, the no
tel, white and staring, with innumer-
able windows, the multiform appear
ances of residence architecture, show
ing up over the tree tops, and the busy
pavements, rafting with street cars
| and wagons, all looking like SO many
active bugs-it is grand prospect.
/ The CARTEL looks small, as well as
everything else. You see it looking
over the Smithsonian, and that ex-
| vi aIO1ALONoohoA ANhONy1 oAAO
National Museum. The Smithsonian,
which was designed by the scholars OF
the country, and was intended to re-
produce the Norman castle, with the
chapel at one end and the 6anqueting
hall and armory at the other, looks
simply like an old barn with a few
brown stone bandboxes and nightcaps
stuck on it. The espitol's weakness
is the main part first built. The
whole building reveals at once its
composite structure. The centre is
too small for the wings, and the en-
largement of the centre would
spoil the splendid dome The whole
thing may be seen at once from the
monument, il ten thousand cities had
never remarked the same thing TWEEN
| ty thousand times from the ground
Looking down the liver. headland af-
ter headland sweeps into sight, and as
Col. Casey says, ave can almost see
Mount Vernon; headland shuts it
out of sight" To the north Towards
Univer sity, and farther out the SOL
dier's home, can be seen.