Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1895-09-06
WASHINGTON.

The White House j. situated on the govern
ment reservation called the president
Grounds" and fronts on Pennsylvania ave
nue., The grounds of twenty acres ar
adorned with beautiful fountains. brilian
flower beds, and a great variety of trees
that nearly hide the official mansion by thei
expansive foliage.
The building l. plain, massive structure
Of stone painted white. The main entrance
doors open into aspaciOus vestibule elegantly
frescoed. From the yestbule the East Room
Is reached. This part of the mansion being
always open to the public. we were permitted
TO pass through, but the magnificent chanda-
liers and furniture had received the annual
summer covering and were not at all attrac
tive. Everything within would indicate that
Grover was a great protect'onist, despite our
knowledge otherwise. Getting but little sat
! lStacton from limpSes within, we passed to
the paradise without. Across the way TO the
east stands the Washington monument
Around the base mound of earth has been
graded, bat it Is not terraced As was planned.
and as We have seen in the familiar cuts
The cost of this monument was about one
million two hundred thousand dollars The
site l. on the government reservation. and
was designated by an act of congress in lS4s.
We were most interested in the various
government departments, where we could
see the work OF our great nation being car
| ried out. The great State War and Navy
building, which cost our nation nearly SIP
100000, stands west of the " bite House on
"a ~ Of ~
the most magnificent of any of the depart
ment buildings. The War department occu-
pies the western and northern part of the
building, the Navy department the eastern.
On the second floor are the elegant suite of
rooms occupied by the secretary of state
and his assistants.
The diplomatic reception room, IN which |
the foreign ministers have audience with the |
secretary of state, is sumptuous in its apart
ments; the furniture and furnishing are of |
ebony and exquisite paintings adorn the |
walls. The Bureau of Indexes and Archives
i an interesting section 10 the public. Here
Is preserved the first draft of the Declare
ton of Independence and the Federal Con
stitution, also Washington's commission as
commander of the American army, the great
seal Of the United States and many other
historic documents.
During the session of the frat congress
under the constitution an act was passed to
establish the Treasury department. When
the government removed to Washington in
l'OO small wooden building was erected
which was burned by the British troops in
sli. Another building was built which was
also burned, then for some strange reason
he huge new structure was erected where il
low stands, breaking the continuity of
'ennsylyanla avenue, and obstructng the |
Jew OF the capitol from the executive man {
ion, Seemingly this immense storehouse c
# government funds would be large enough T
or any business the Treasury department \
lght have to do: but this Is not the case a
nd at present some of the treasury bureaus
ave to be Accommodated in adjacent build
lgs. The Treasury building contains nearly :
NO hundred rooms exclusive of the base y
tent and Is manned by an army Of officials h
he money vaults in which the government "
eeps Its reserve funds are located in the a
asement. We we're conducted to them by a q
aide. Vault number one the largest vault II
the world Is - feet long, 81 feet wide II
ld II feet high. I The money is put in cloth a.
AZ before storing in the vaults The
mounts deposited in the vaults at the time
our visit the 18th of July were as W
IlOW-.- 81