Nevada County picayune., 1891-06-25


 The Statn, War anal Navy depart. ments are in one building and that a mag iIicent structure. It has COG rooms and miles of corridors. In the State department is the original Declaration of independence. The library, embracing the most com pictc and valuable W rkS on diploma. ~ il America, is also in this de- Pariment
 he Postollice department is in a massive building The dcad letter office is on the north side. Twenty thousand misdirccted aud uncallcd for letters are received daily. These are opened and classified, read and finally returned to the writer. In the relic room are seen a remarkable collection of "uumailable' articles detected Tn the mails and for winch owners were never found. Postmas- ters are liable to make mistakes in sending in reports and remittanccs. When they do they are notified by the department. The person charged with this duty has been named "the postotIice scold," " and notwithstand- ing the appellation it proved to be woman, aged about 90, with as amia- ble and pleasant a disposition as one would wish to see.
 The Patent Office covers two squares and is never failing inter- est. Models of almost every con- ceivabIe thing from the toy top to 2 flying machine are on exhibition The first sewing machine is rare l curiosity. In number and variety of models on exhibition churns and washing machines easily take the lead.
 The Washington monument is a white marble obclisk, situated on a bluff overlooking the Potomac river It is on the spot where General Washington indicated his choice for the erection of the statue which the Continental Congress had voted in honor of his services. The shaft rises from rotunda to the height of 55j feet. Ascension is made by ele- vator or stairway. From the obser- yatory is seen a panaroma of en- trancing beauty reaching miles and miles away. The interior of the monument contains a plain marble slab on which is engraved the namc "ArkansaS. This is not the only one there, but it is by far the least pretentious. Some of them being magnificent indeed.
 The Corcoran Art Gallery building is the gift of W. W. Corcoran, re- tired wealthy banker and philanthro- pist of Washington to the United States. With it was also given his own private art collection and an ca- dowment fund of 5000 ,000, the iD- terest of which is to be expended to increase the value of the collection. Many rare and costly paintings adorn the walls. and marble statuary abounds.
 Mount Vernon the home and tomb of Washington, is 1G miles down the Potomac, Boats run daily to the hallowed spot, allowing ample time to explore house and grounds The scenery between Washington aud Mt. Vernon is not only bcauti- ful but replete with interesting na- tional associations. The mansion fronts the river. The centre was built by Lawrence Washington brother of the President, from whom he inherited the eatate. The more modern portions were added by the General. The Mount Vernon La dies Association own the mansion and contiguous grounds. Their en- deavor is to restore them, as nearly as possible, to the condition they were in during the life of their great owner. The boat lands al little wharf reaching far out in the river belonging to the estate. A walk from this wharf leads to the tomb. The front of the vault is open, pro- teCted by an open iron gateway through which the sarcophagus con tainiug the remains of Washington can be plainly seen. There is also another sarcophagus, containing the remains of Martha, the consort oi Washington. A number of family graves surround the tomb. In the mansion i> seen the room and he'd ir winch the General cXpircd
 In Philadelphia, the City of Broth