Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1889-10-12
A TRIP TO WASHINGTON.
What There is to be Aeen at the Capt.
tai OF the United States.
WAUKEsHA. Wis, Sept. 20, 1850.

partments are all open to visitors from 9 A..
NJ. to P. NJ, but most OF the other public
buildings are exceptions to this rule, they
being open from 9 A. M. until P. M. The
first building that visited was the War,
State and Navy departments. l stated in
my last epistle, believe, that the different
departments and other public buildings are
in separate localities-scattered about the
city This is true Of all except the ones just
mentioned; those three are all in one build.
ing. In my opinion it is the finest, and !
believe, the largest, in Washington, except
the Capitol. 1t is $50 feet square and 1913
feet high. On going in, the first thing Of
interest that is shown you, is the Diplomatic
Room, where all the affairs OF State are dis
cussed between the Secretary of State and
the foreign diplomats. 1t is beautiful
room, with sofas, chairs and tables especial.
ly arranged to suit the occasion On the
walls hang the portraits Of the different Sec
retaries Of State since Washington's time.
On. the next floor is the library, where,
among other things, the visitor is shown the
original draft of the Declaration Of indie
pendence. 1t is very much faded now, not
even John Hancock's bold handwriting can
be made out, and it takes person with
good eye.sight to make out much of the
body of the manuscript. But it is grand
old document. and think every American
ought to consider it his duty to doff his hat
while standing before it. Among the other
interesting objects on exhibition here are
Washington's sword, Franklin's gold headed
cane and Jefferson's writing desk, but wheth.
er the one he used to write his immortal
declaration on, the visitor is not informed.
There are few other historical relics, all
kept in glass cases.
Passing from this room the guide shows
you the Navy department library, more no.
ted, it seems to me, for its artistic finish
than its supply Of books. Here you see all
kinds Of models for ships, while a printed
card tells you that the easement above the
door is made Of porphyry taken from the
ruins of Pompeii.
There being nothing more Of especial in
terest to see here, went with party Of
other sight. seers to the Washington Monu.
ment. OF course everybody who visits
Washington considers it his duty to take a
trip up this mighty shaft. think it is safe
to say that the Monument is better patron.
lied than any other institution in the city
by tourists. 1t stands near the bank of the
Potomac, about ten squares south Of the
White House. A gang Of men is still EN-
ployed in preparing the ground around the
monument to be seeded down, planting trees
and laying out flower gardens, and when all
this is finished I suppose it will be about
the finest Of the many beautiful parks jim the
city. The building itself is certainly mas.
sive structure, its base covering an area Of
over 10000 square feet, the walls being
from IL 10 "a feet thick and the shaft rising
TO height Of SSH feet. But it is very
plain. As you look up one Of its sides
nothing but smooth, white surface meets
your eye TO the very top. There are two
ways by which you can 60 up the shaft, one
by the elevator and the other by climbing
the stairway. Almost every one chooses to
ascend by the elevator, but by that route
you are unable to get good look at the
memorial stones found all along the inside
Of the building to within 400 feet Of the top.
As was anxious to see them concluded to
compromise the matter by taking the eleva.
tor up and walking down. The building is
we'll lit up by electricity, and as we slowly
| assembled a very fair view of the interior
walls could be obtained. For the conven.
fence Of passengers the number of feet from
the basement below is marked on wooden
cross beams every twenty feet until you
reach the 5qo.foot station. Thisis as high as
the passengers are carried, and stepping out
Of the cage in which you have been locked
for ten minutes, the time it takes to 60 up,
you obtain magnificent view Of the city
and the surrounding country. To the north
and east lies the Capital, a pretty sight to
see, as you get perfect bird's.eye view; to
the west lies the National Cemetery Of Ar
lington, where Lees old yellow mansion
was pointed out to me, while to the south
is the broau Potomac. dotted with many
sailing vessles of every description. The
stairway leading to the top is not a continu
Gus one. Blu, every IS or 20 feet the head Of
one stairway is connected with the foot Of
the next one by a broad iron platform run.
ming the entire length Of one side OF the
building. This not only gives you chance
to rest. but also an opportunity to see the
memorial stones at your leisure. Going
down the first 400 feet you see nothing Of
them. but from that point they are neatly
arranged along the walls all the way down.
Almost the first one you come to is one from
C;.rn Ev;nr ~ To-, Choo