The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1885-06-05
The EgiS & Intelligencer
Bel Air, Md, June 5, 1885.
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
The Capital in Summer Dress.


From our Regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, June !, 1885.
This morning thought would take a birds
eye view of Washington in her summer dress, and
instead of writing you political news letter, tell
you something about how the Capital t your
country looks on the first of June after Il week
of rain. | am writing from TIL top of the Wash
ington Monument, at an elevation OF 5OO rect.
The city is spread out below me like chess
board in which the church spires are bishops, the
equestrian statues knights, the huge department
buildings castles and the palaces of millionaire
Senators-but have stretched this poor smile
far enough. The prevailing color is green. La
tayette Park, Franklin and Judiciary Squares,
the extensive lawns of the White House, the
Smithsonian and Agricultural grounds have a
bright emerald freshness. The many thousands
of trees that now reach the house tops give the
appearance of city planted in young Forest
From this height one can get much better gen
era view OF the improvements that are in pro-
gress, than by driving over the city. The visible
public Improvements are confined mainly to the
Potomac flats, the Pension Office the new State
department and the Capitol. 1t has long been
an objection to the Capitol that il was squatty
stumpy in its architecture, and that the dome
was entirely too high and imposing for such
flat pile of buildings as are the House and Senate
wings. TO build the Capitol over again when 1t
had already cost about SIS, 900 was too extraV
agant an undertaking even for this country. 10
build the Senate and House wings higher was not
desirable, for taken by themselves they are ar
chitecturally perfect both in proportion and in
detail. So, instead of building the Capitol higher
it has been decided to increase its heighth by
building it lower. The west front of the Capitol
is surrounded by sodded terrace. This is 10 be
removed and white marble lower story is TO be
added to it. The work has been begun and its
effect may be judged now. twill add greatly to
the height of the Capitol, and thus decrease the
relative height Of the DOME taking away the
unpleasant appearance of dispropOrton.
The vast new park that has been made by
dredging the bottom of the Potomac and depos
iting mud on the bordering swamps may be seen
in outline from the monument. Two or three
years will elapse before the work can be COM
pleted, and it will add several hundred acres to
the public grounds of the Capital, which when
improved by the art of the landscape gardener
will increase no little the attractiveness of its
environs
The new pension building will soon be finished
and occupied by Pension Commissioner Gen.
Black and his army of clerks. 1t will be the most
commodious and most convenient OF the depart
ment buildings of Washington. The ventilation
will be perfect, for every room will have win
dows on opposite sides communicating with the
outside air.
Apropos of the public buildings and improve
ments of the national Capital, 1t has been said
that the Democratic party was not favorable to
them, and that the wonderful progress of the
city would now come to a stand still. 1t should
be remembered, however, that nearly all the solid
and accomplished under Democratic auspices,
and before the Republicans came into power
The Capital, the Postotiice Department, the
Patent Office and the u 5. Treasury were built
be fore the presidency of Abraham Lincoln. The
Republicans have, with great outlay of public
funds, made new streets and parks and erected
bronze equestrian statues to many generals of
the late war. But what they have done will not
compare in usefulness, solidity, endurance
with what the Democrats did before them
Those who are most interested lave faith in
Democratic patriotism and national spirit. Real
estate owners are asking and getting more for
their grounds than at any previous time in the
history of the city.