The Penn's Grove record., 1885-02-28
WASHINGTON letter.


, last saturday vas a memorable da.
for the people of Washington, aud fol
tie thousands OF strangers within he
yates. Thenaticpal Monument, erected
, to the memory Of George Washington
was dedicated with becoming Pomp ant
ceremony. The massive memorial ha'
been slowly growing toward its ape,
for thirty-six years. Prayers were of.
fcred for it, satriatic music was dis
caursed about it. flowers Of rhetoric
were strewn over il and wreatAej
aramdit. and it was formally ur5nounc.
ed a finished work. It IS the modest
monument ever reared by man t. HaH.
1t exceeds the pyramids in height, as
well as ali monuments Of ancient OF
modern times. and it lranscCnds them all
in The moral grandeur of the sentiment
that reared it, and in the character it
commentaries. When the cornerstone
Was laid in l~4s. the orator Of the 0c-
I casion. Hon. Robert Winthrop, said il
his address: Build it to the skies, you
! cannot outreach the holiness of his
principles; found it upon eternal rock,
yen cannot make it more enduring than
his fame: construct it of the peerless
Parian marble, you cannot make it
parer than his life; exhaust upon it the
principles Of ancient and modern ar,
YOU cannot make it more proportiouate
than his character
\ grand stand decorated with flags,
streamers, and bunting Lad been erect
cd at The base of the Monument. On
this the President, Congress, and inyit-
ed guests. distinguished and otherwise,
10 the number of about fifteen hundred,
assembled to hear the speeches. At
their conclusion. the immense process
sion which had been arranged for hours
TO fall properly i'll line, proceeded
to march TO the Capitol, marshalled by
General sherman. Members OF Con
gress rode in carriages, and all the aids
representing states and territories. were
on horseback. Brass bands were scat
tered along in the line at intervals;
there were various battalions of mill
tary, many civic organizations and
companies oil secret orders, notably of
the Freemasons. All these bodies,
With their bright uniforms, floating
banners, and gorgeous regalia, march
ing to the strains of patriotic airs, pre-
scented a stiking spectacle.
Nearly every grand lodge in the
United States was represented in the
parade. During the progress of the
march to the Capitol, batteries of artil-
lery, stationed respectively at Fort
Myer, the Navy Yard and i'll the White
Lot near the Monument, fired, stimuli
t%aneously, a salute of one hundred MN
ute guns. AT the Capitol the ceremo-
mes assumed a more exclusive charact-
er. OF course the whole world could
not get intOthe Hall of Representatives.
Its caracity was adequate for only
about two thousand people. So Con-
gress, and its families and guests and
friends, including tie Diplomatic CORPS.
the justices Of the Supreme Court, ex-
Senators, Cabinet officers, ex-cabinet
officers, the President, and last but not
least the surviving kith and kin of the
Father of his country, entered, and the
\ doors Of the Capitol were cloSedto those
who had no tickets. 'enere are thirteen
| descendants re"Ang the name Of Wash
! ington~ Having been assigned to pla-
ce-, on the floor of the Hall, they came
IN a body, and sat together in a row.
1t Is a little remarkable that the num-
Der should correspond with the tbir-
teen original colonies. The favored
two thousand people heard an Grafton
read, which had been sent by Mr.. VIM
throp, the orator of the having of the
corner stone, being still too feeble to
appear in person. They then heard an
oral Grafton by Hon. John W. Daniels.
Congressman-elect from Virginia
There was music by the Marine band
composed expressly for the occasion
There was first an opening PRAYER. last
ly henediction, and the distinguished
assembly dispersed. At night, in the
monument grounds the display of fire.
works was very elaborate. 1t included
fifty numbers, embracing bomb shells
bouquets Of rockets, flights of metoric
balloons, and fountains Of ire. AMONG
the set pieces was a dolphin fountain
composed Of two golden dolphins sup-
porting a basin in diamond lace work
From thisa life size figure issued. hold
ing an urn, from which issued a stream
of silver fire and spray. There WAS n
representation OF Niagra Falls, seventy
feet in length and fifty feet high, anotb-
or Of the Goddess of liberty, and AN
equestrian statue OF George Washing.
ton above which lowered the American
eagle.
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