Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1895-08-09

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ney to the dome. which is reached by
flight OF three hundred and seventy-siN
steps. The distance from the ground
to the summit of the dome.is three hun
bred and ninety feet. from the main
lloor to the floor of the whispering gal
lery beneath the dome one hundred and
eighty feet The dome l. of iron, the
root of copper, surrounding all is the
statue Of freedom eighteen feet high.
A. we step out from under the dome
the city stretches ont before Us like
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 a 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
vest are lettered. The avenues radi-
ate from the capital and bear the names
II 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 brorz upon granite
or marble pedeStals. Some are beau
tiful 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 10
the memory of the deliverer of slaves.
The streets IN Washington are very
wide. and the avenues are still wider,
varying from ninety to one hundred
feet with sidewalks from ten to twenty
feet in width The streets are princi-
pally paved with asphalt while the side
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
i estimated that tifty-four per cent. of
the grounds occupied by the city is
given up to streets.
But to return to the capitol. shall
not try to describe this building, of
which you have always read so much.
but will tell you of what is beng done
during the short interval between this
and the next congress. A we move
about the great building we see advan-
tage is being taken OF the recess to re-
form and renovate. High up on the
walls are cages where men are clean
ing the frescoes. From the sub-cellar
to the sky-light everything is being
gone over. The Washington Star says:
About eight thousand volumes of Of
ticial 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
to have been more books. These have !
been removed and have been put into a
warehouse. in company with about a
million of their kind, which never
could never be got into the capitol, and !
are waiting to be received into the !
beautiful new congressional library |
Just across the way.
The senate chamber and many of the |
other rooms are stripped of carpet am |
most of the furnishings.
The senate reception room has come
out in new upholstery. 1t is in this /
lOpll litl more ~litiuH anu NdllluE i /
done than in any other in the country, |
so the upholstering is of red leather;
probably not because leather Is more !
elegant than other furniture covering, |
but because nothing else could be re-
lied on To stand through season, in a
room that holds the restless, tigity, |
American public in its arms.
The furniture of the famous marble !
room where senators receive those they I
particularly want to see will be uphol-
stored with deep dark olive leather
also selected for its durability a well
as elegance
The senate lobby is going to have a
new red carpet and the walls are to be
done in cream and gold A hand
some new grass-green carpet has been
made for the senate chamber proper,
and the walls are to be entirely rcdeco-
rated.
The chairs and desks that were i'm |