The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1896-11-05
HISTORIC WASHINGTON.
WHY THE CAPITAL CITY CAN
NEVER BE COMMONPLACE.
An Ohio Citizen Describes His I'm.
pression5 on "A Recent Visit.
Architecture and Famous Monu.
ments-An Incident of the
Veterans Parade.

To many persons the city of Washing
ton is as familiar as home. This NAV be
said, however: No matter how familiar
one may be, 1t can never appear com.
monplaco. The rush and roar and the
great buildings of Chicago may become
commonplace to thoce who live there
but to what man of patriotic soul can
Washington, with all it's historic inter
est, be commonplace. Never while the
oak-crowned hills of Arlington hold the
ashes of our dead. To the Union sol
dier and his friends, to all the sympa-
thizing loyal North, Arlington is never
commonplace. The veteran of the South
looks over at Arlington with dimmed
eyes, for there on the purple hill looms
up the great white mansion where once
his loved leader lived. How bright
grows the eye of the man in gray when
some Northern man speaks reverently
of their best loved dead, Robert E. Lee.
The monument Is not commonplace
There are many monuments in Wash.
ington, but, after all, "the monument"
is that towering pillar on the Potomac
fiat in memory and in honor of him who
was first in peace, first in war;" etc.
Thirty persons can be packed in the
big elevator that once every hour lifts
It's load of human freight upward 500
feet. There at your feet lies Washing
ton, Over the river Arlington, down
the Potomac Alexandria and Mt. Yer.
non. On little point jutting out into
the broad river one looks down among
the trees and sees, in fancy, the gallows
where Mrs. Surratt paid the penalty of
her awful plotting.
From that dizzy height you look down
upon the spot where was murdered the
most God-like human this world has
known. The plain, homely mortal, with
heart of infinite tenderness, it seemed
TO me, was yet alive, and was waiting
there in the White House with pardons
for poor, weary boys IN blue VINO had
fallen asleep on duty away down the
Potomac. What memories come back
to the soldier, who, looking toward the
south-looking into the blue haze where
the mountains loom up far away
hears in fancy the boom of cannon once
more.
One cannot begin to tell of the build
ings that lie below you. The White
House, the great white dome of the Cap
itol, the stately War and Navy build
ing, and the gilded dome of the new
Library building. This, by the way, is
one of the most beautiful structures
In the world. See everything else in
Washington first, then go to the new
library - congressional library - and
stand in open-eyed, open-mouthed won
derment at the hcaven-like beauty of
that place. 1t is a marble palace of
SURPRISING loveliness.
The Union Veteran Legion met at
Washington last week in national con-
yentiOn, and manV were curious to
know how our president, Mr.. Cleveland,
would receive the veterans. The line of
parade was such that the White House
was directly in the way, and under the
big front stoop veterans marched. The
Sixth United States cavaly led the
parade, accompu MED by their famous
mounted band. A battery of artillery
followed, and then came the men who
heard the thunders at the front when
wars grim brow was wrinkled. Mr..
Cleveland wore that look of proud in
difference so well known, but bent To
smile sometimes and salute the flag