Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1886-09-18

September Is, 1886.

lea, that can bl .favorably compared
with Washington, in beauty and in
objects of interest to the visitor.
Yet this boosted supremacy, is with.
in the memory OF all. Twenty years
ago, Improvement was in its infacy.
There were, at that time, many prog
nosticators, who could so far read
the future, as to fortell with great
accuracy, the condition of the city
of to-day. Persons who came here,
after the war, and judiciously invest
ed in property, found in Washington
a genuine Ell Dorado. Incredible as
it may seem, land, which at that
time, sold for ten dollars an acre, is
now held at five dollars a square foot.
Although the city, originally intend
ed to extend eastward, it veered
about, and followed the apothegm-
Westward the course ofthe EN-
pire takes its way" Within the
past few years, many important
changes have taken place. The
Government has erected the State
Department, National Museum, Pen
sion Office, Department of Agricul-
tnre, Patent Office and many other
handsome edifces. Each Of these,
is worthy o description.
The State Department. was begun
nearly ten years ago and is not yet
completed. 1t is magnificent
structure, in the Italian Renaissance,
and cost somewhat over five millions
of dollars. It is built of granite, and
covers ten acres of ground. The
National Museum, is the most inter
esting place in the city. 1t is devot-
ed entirely to curiosities, and samples
of the life, customs and history of all
Nations. Among the many thous.
ands of curious relics, in the building,
is the celebrated Franklin printing
press. This so-called ''press" is q
clumsy old affair, built mostly of
wood, Compared with the modern
machines, it appears as primitive as
the weapons used by the ancient
Greeks. 1t is said, that DR. Frank
lin, while in England, visited the
printing Office of Mr.. Watts of Wild
street, Lincoln Inn Fields. and going
| up to this particular press, addressed
the men who we're working at it, as
follows: "Come my friends, we will
drink together. 1t is now forty years
since / worked like you at this press,
as a journeymen printer The doc
tor then sent for a gallon of porter
and drank with them success to
printing
The new Pension Office is by far
the largest building in the world, de
voted to the examination and settle
ment of claims for pensions. It is
built of red brick, ornamented with
tiles, and cost five hundred thousand
dollars 1t was in this building, that
President Cleveland's Inauguration
Ball was given.
The Agricultural Department is 10.
Gated South of the White House, and
is inclosed by the handsomest flower
garden in this country. The princi-
pal work of this department consists
in experimenting with different kinds
of seed, and endeavoring to asoer-
tain the most productive specimens
of the same. Anyone may procure
seeds from the department, by simp-
ly writing to the chief clerk. ls,s
The Patent Office is built in the
Doric style, of white marble and
granite Nearly one-fourth of the
immense building is occupied by the
model room, where many thousands
of ideas have been materialized, and
exhibit themselves to the gaze in
every stage of invention. 1t was
customary until late years, to receive
model of every new invention, but
these accumulated so rapidly, that
it was found impossible to accommo-
date only the most intricate. Near
ly 10000 patents are procured every
year, and the number is daily in
creasing. As this is nearly double
the number taken out in Great Bri-
tain or in any other foreign country
it would seem, that America is fore
most in the industrial arts. Apro-
pos, one of the most unique inven-
tons OF the age is one, recently in
vented by an Ohio man. 1t is "a
match machine. A child may feed
the machine. A block of wood is
put in one end of the machine, and
it comes out at the other box of
matches all ready for the market.
The wood is cut into "splits." These
splits are dipped in the igniting ma
terial at both ends, then dried and
cut the length of the match, then
boxed, and thrown out ready for use.
The process is continuous so that
the boxes drop out one after another
as fast as the blocks of wood are