Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1895-08-16

We see but little OF Baltimore As we
pass under ground here. Soon we hear
a murmur OF voices and rustling Of
passengers and, catching the meaning
we look through the haze of hot sum
mer day and, tar away in the distance.
we discern one lone landmark. |, Is
1.-THE worlds greatest cenotaph", the
| Washington monument.
As we start out and begin the tour
of the capital of our great Yankee ma
ton my friend asks What will be our
starting point: What do you wish
most 10 seq Intuitiyely | answer,
''the capitol and a. east an inqulr-
| ing glance he, says mo better starting
point; nine-tenths Of of the people who
visit Washington begin with the capi-
tol; not only because it i first in inter
est, but because it is the "cap il all
place for tourists 10 get an idea of the
plan OF the city.
SO we commenced our upward Jour-
ney TO the dome. which is reached by a
flight of three hundred and seyenty-siX
steps. The distance from the ground
to the summit of the dome.is three hun
dred and ninety feet, from the main
floor 10 the floor Of the whispering GAL
lery beneath the dome one hundred and
eighty feet. The dome j. of iron, the
roof of copper, surrounding all is the
statue of freedom eighteen feet high.
A we step out from under the dome
the city stretches out before US like a
map, and. like everything else in Wash
ington, the plan seems perfect.
The location of the seat of govern
ment was decided on in 1890, and it
was established in 1900. There being
no impediments to clear away. the plan
of great city was Land before the
building was commenced. The streets
cross each other at right angles, the
capital being taken as a center, thus
there is North Capital street, South
Capital street. and East and West ditto.
The streets running north and south
are numbered, those running east and
west are lettered The avenues radi-
ate from the capital and bear the names
Of the different states; thus Pennsylya-
MIA avenue runs from the capital to the
white house. The intersection of the
streets with the avenues leave many
little triangles and spaces which are
converted into little parks and filled
with flowers and statuary. Among the
most beautiful statues are the Thomas.
the Scott, and the Lincoln statues.
These are done in bronze upon granite
OF. marble pedestais. Some are beau
tful equestrian pieces. but the Lincoln
or emancipation statue ImpresSes us
more deeply As we gaze upon the kind
". sympathetic face of the figure that
is holding the emancipation proclama-
ton in one hand and loOsening the
shackles of the slave at his feet with
the other. The first five dollars given
for the erection of this statue was
contributed by poor slave woman
who wished TO erect monument TO
the memory of the deliverer of slaves.
The streets IN Washington are very
wide, and the avenues are still wider,
varying from ninety 10 one hundred
feet with sidewalks from ten to twenty
feet in width. The streets are princi-
ptllN pdNtu WIFI tslllldll Wnllt the Sue
walks are of artificial stone. These
avenues and walks are kept perfectly
clean being swept every day.
The public parks, the grounds around
the government buildings. and the
wide streets and avenues, make Wash
ington delightfully."- open and airy. 1t
is estimated that ifty-four per cent. of
the grounds occupied by the city is
given up to streets.
But to r turn to the capitol. | shall
not try TO describe this building. of
which you have always read so mut h.
bnt will tell you of what is being done
during the short interval between this
and the next congress. As we move
about the great building we see advan-
tage is being taken of the recess 10 re-
form and renovate High up on the
walls are cages where men are clean
ing the frescoes. From the sub-celar
to the sky-light everything is being
gone over. The Washington Star says:
About eight thousand volumes of of
iicial documents have been removed
from the vaulted rooms of the sub base.
ment Books that have never been
read and have been inhaled by our
statesmen and the infection seems only