Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1891-06-25
IN THE NATIONAL MUSEUM.

Portraits. Papers and Relics That Have
Played a Part In the History They
Record.
Perhaps nowhere in the United States
are we brought so closely to the begin
nings of our country as in Washington.
The city abounds in portraits, papers,
relics, that have played their part in the
history they record. II would be inn
possible even in long series of articles
TO describe all the interesting things to
be seen in Washington, and tell where
they are to be found
do not believe that the most care
ess boy or girl could stand in the Ma
tional museum before the cases contain
ing the Washington .relics and not be
impressed with sense Of what Wash
ington and his followers endured to
make this nation possible Most Of us are
familiar with the picture of Washington
resigning his commission. We remem-
Der the buff wastcoat and breeches the
blue coat trimmed with buff. and with
large brass buttons. But when we
stand before the case containing that
suit we realize that the picture repre-
We may read of his life at Mount Yer
non, but when we see the dishes that
were used there, the char in which he
sat just before he died, his shaving case,
Martha Washington's gauntlets the cur
tains She made, the chairs She used we
feel that there really was life in this
country before we became n part of it.
We may read of the revolution. but it
never becomes SO real as when we stand
before the tent, the camp chest, the
cooking utensils used in camp during
that war by Washington
Then we see there was another side
10 life than war even at this time; we
see the original draft Of the circular
letter signed by John Hancock. July 5.
1870, with copy OF the Declaration of
ndependence-the original copy of
which is deposited in the state depart
ment; we know that the law, the viii
Of the people, had become one of the
forces in forming that republic that
was hardly recognized as having life,
though to-day il ranks among the first
of the earth. Lnnd-grants to people
whose faith in the nation's future made
them want homes within its borders are
here, signed by names sacred and honor
able in the memory OF this people.
Perhaps we realize little the growth
Of the country politically when we see
that in 1907 the secretary of the treasury
wrote his own official letters on plain
paper, without any distinguishing head;
for we see the original letter of the
secretary Of that year acknowledging
the receipt of the accounts Of light
house keeper. Now magnificent build
ing, an army of clerks, the formality
almost of court, surround the secre-
tary of the treasury.
Relics Of men prominent in the mill
tary and political history from the days
of the revolution 20 the close of the last
war are here, and give a vivid sense Of
the beginnings of this country.
The donation of the Grant collection
is too recent TO need special mention,
but standing as it does in close proN-
unity to the relics Of that first war; we
are forced to see how different our po-
sition of those early days was from that
of to-day Ia the Grant collection are
ElIIs from every ClNillGti power, btdu-
tiful in all that gold, silver and jewels
combined with skill can make rich and
rare.
AS we pass down the hall we see the
original life-cast of the face Of Ahra-
ham Lincoln, in both plaster and
bronze, on which Mr. K. W. Glider has
written that beautiful sonnet which
every boy and girl should commit to
memory The casts in plaster and bronze
of the hands of Lincoln are also here.
The cast was taken the sunday sue
ceeding Mr. l.incoln's nomination for
the presidency, and. you will appreci
ate more keenly what the men who
knew him saw in him If you will read
and commit TO memory Mr.. Edmund c
Stedman's poem on THE Hands OF Lin
eoln. /" The manuscript of this poem is
in the same case.
You win have seen the military ant
political history of the country in brie
when you have reached the rotunda o
the National museum. and yet you
have looked only in the cases ON one
side of the North hall = Christian