The Ravalli Republican. [volume] (Stevensville, Mont.) 1894-1899, 1896-12-23
NOTHING is SACKED.
Vandalism Rampant Among the Visitors
to Washington.

Washington, D. c., Dec. 15.-Thc
question us to whether the Inaugural
tion ball shall or shall not be
held in the new Congressional
Library building is attracting much
especial interest and pride in the
magnificent new building are ma
turalIy opposed to it. They fear
the building will be damaged by the
enormous throny of people, many OF
whom will come from distance, and
while they will feel less restraint
and local pride in the structure, will
the more prize any relics and souven-
icrs of the occasion.
The very delicate carvings on the
balustrades and in various parts Of
the building would be a great temp
tation to this class OF pcuplc. Be-
sides, there would be danger of the
carvings and decorations being dam
aged in the putting in position of
flags and draperics with which all
national events of this kind are ac-
companied. In addition to this any
mislap among the throng Of people
mighr produce similar results.
Another point which is urged is
that, while the halls, when reached,
arc spacious and magnificent, the
passways reaching to them are in
sufficient in width to accommodate
the enormous throng Of people Nho
are expected to attend.
1T is in the matter of vandalism,
however, that the friends Of the
building fear most. In such throng
! individuality largely disappears, and
] it is the experience OF all those who
! have to do with the public structures
J in Washington that the average
! sightsccr is on the alert for souvenirs,
even though he may be a thoroughly
patriotic and self respecting citizen.
A New York lawyer once paid a
! fine for chipping a piece of marble
! from the shaft, and only a few weeks
! ago a visiting minister from New
I jersey fell in the hands Of the Off
: GERS. He was here or his wedding
] trip, and in court lie blamed his wife
for what he lad done. She wanted
: Il relic in the form Of piece Of mar
. bic, and the husband obligingly used
S his umbrella to dishgure the big
s shaft But he Jared no better than
! offenders who were supposed to be
less intelligent, for Judge klmball
i makes no exceptions in cases OF this
IL kind. and fined him $40. These are
only two of the many cases in which
we'll known people have figured as
vundals, and Judge kimball, as well
= as the police. can see no reason why
others should not follow in their foot:
steps. ...@.v.. -..
In other buildings, especially the
National Museum and the SmithsOn
ian, the men on guard are kept busy
at all times to prevent visitors from
breaking exhibits or carrying ava,
mcmcntos Of their visit to the na
capital. -....
Officers on duty at the White
House and at the Washington mon
Y umcnt, as we'll as at other public
d buildings where crowds congrcyatc
are almost unanimous in the opinion
that constant vigilance is the onl,
safeguard against vandalism. a
one veteran employed put it. 'Yol
have to watch everybody, and ever
IL then you can't always prevent then
T. from picking up some little thing a
a relic and walking off with it,"
The White House and mOnumcn
in particular have suffered from til
th0ughtlessness Of relic hunters
- The furniture and curtains in til
ts east room are being constantly tam
pcrcd with. Many pieces have bee
cut from the hangings, and it is
I'd common practice for visitors to tr
to unscrcW the ornamental knobs 0
the chairs and sofas.
The Washington monument la
= also suffered severely from vandalism
- in spite Of the efforts to prevent il
The majority OF the exquisite men
orial stones have been broken or othc
wise damaged. All the raised lcttcl
ION the Nevada tablet have bee
- taken away, and all but one OF tt
raised letters on the Swiss table
This damage Was repaired as we
as possible. Visitors are constant
clipping pieces from the monumel
outside and in notwithstanding d
the wutchmen can do to prevent it.
Whenever detected, these though
less people are arrested, but gcner;
ly escape upon the payment OF
<A small fine. In one case a man fro
Texas was seen to break a piece fro
-- the Shaft, and the piece was foul
in his pocket, but he was discEarg
by the police court judge from 'la
d Of evidence"
\ a remarkable sample Of this Xxi
EH OF work can be seen in the Sena
= 4 waiting-room which is perhaps,
gH decoration, the most beautiful apa
mcnt in any public building in Il
city, and perhaps not less bcautiI
~ than any in the world. On one
the thick French plate glass W
there are inscribed words with {
little meaning, with a thousa
1lourished, which cover the cnt
window. This vandalism is at
civ point more frcqucntcd by the pub
Wa than almost any in the building.
is lust where watchman would
VI likely to see the vandalism comm
ted, but no one did see it, and no {
knows who did it, except the yant
himself lie had gloricd in q
mond ring, and he took pleasure
~ digging deeply into the glass,