National Republican., 1888-02-13
A Mysterious and Beauteous Hole.

Before Jack Frost put his cold Injunction
on the laborious efforts OF Uncle Sans
wage workers and concreted the earth's sur
face with q patent which nobody can In
fringe, the curiosity Of visiting pilgrims was
excited by mysterious hole in the ground
east of the south wing OF the capitol. The
hole was no more tantalizing to investiga-
tors than were the occupants Of it, who re-
sembled swarm of pismires under an up
turned stone, rushing hither and thither
with no purpose but TO appear busy and to
be carrying about great eggs OF secrecy, as
II in perpetual executive session. Queries
were piled so persistently that finally these
pismres were instructed to inform the pill
grims that the hole was to contain the
foundation for congressional library.
Yankee curiosity, however, was not to be
so easily satisfied. Suspicion was aroused.
Some persons scientifically inclined sug.
gested that the alleged workmen were
digging for the ruins OF some sunken
Sodom or Gomorrah, and watched the
proceeding with glowing anticipations.
Others OF mercenary turn guessed that
Capt. Kidd's treasure was the incentive,
and they disinterestedly sat up nights to
see that none OF 1t should get away
upawares. The few who really believed
that library was in contemplation got
| discouraged long before Jack Frost got in
bis repressive work, and troubled the
| dwellers Of the hole only with passing
| growl. This was uuendurable to the
| friends Of the enterprise, and therefore the
hole was fenced In with matched boarjs
so that no treasure and no dIsss;iS6oweled
cities and no ssieDtiI.tse engaged in great
J0uld be spirited away by the relic
| hunters. 1t is reported that the hole has
also been tied down for fear some aeria,
contrivance might scale the fence and
carry the sacred cavity heavenward. And
there are rumors that torpedoes are con-
cealed beneath the fence so that no corps
OF sappers and miners can reach under
and pull out the valuable deposits.
So the mystery remains carefully
guarded; for nobody can even peep through
the well painted and elegant fence to
watch Its progress. The word "progress'
is used in cold blood and In no spirit o.
cavil or sarcasm. How could sacred and
solemn hole in the ground fail Of great
progress under the organized establishment
in charge Of It? First, a Cabinet office
directs its political development. He Il
assisted by two architects, who have EN-
bodied in the structure Of excavation
cross between the Queen Anne and the
Swiss architecture. A sculptor is employed
probably to reconstruct the works Of ar
whose resurrection is expected. Theme
| thnH HoA st -. Ill n,
grades down to the washwoman. 1t is be
lleved that the intellectual outfit OF thi
subterranean establishment is more com
plete than that Of any existing institution
for the promotion of science aud art.
And still the SHOWS gently sift upor
and the rains percolate through, and th
frosts entwine all about this sacred cavit
with the same dark mystery as has ever er
shrined 1t. One fact only has leaked ou
1t stole through a crack In that esthetl
fence cut by the iackknife OF an urchir
5 suspicious that flfty.cent base ball wa
the trouble within. That fact is that th'
is the most expensive hole in the universe
Sixty-seven thousand dollars have alread
been applied to its ornamentatiou, aud th
recognized account OF the sculptori
painters, kalsominers, engineers, muleteerI
musicians, poets, philosophers, end mer
and other thoroughbred artisans bring th
cost up 10 the handsome sum {
, $l0s,000, and yet the guardians OF tn
aching and avaricious void are not satisfied
= They are divided in opinion, but 1t is b.
;, lieved that they are ready to compose the
differences on further appropriations in Il
a the neighborhood Of half million dolla
y to round of the excavations In q mann
!, to tickle the eyes Of the most exacting pl
'. grim. That amount will enable the keepe
- - Of the secret to remove the injunction al
y inform gaping world whether nation
library or national deficiency is to
erected over this gorgeous and gilt-edg,
hnI