Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1897-11-20
WASHINGTON MONUMENT.
How the Big Shaft Was Taken Up and
Pushed to Completion.

How the Big Shaft Was Taken Up and
Pushed to Completion.
Mot many know it. but the Dis
trict militia are entitled to the credit
of having the Washington monu-
ment completed" remarked an ole
oAicial at the capitol to reporter,
"As every one knows or should
know, the monument was an unfin-
ished shaft for nearly 80 years.
There was feeling that the whole
thing was mistake, and no one
seemed to take the lead in having
the work resumed. Indeed IL feel
ing had grown up that, after all, the
monument was not exactly the
thing it should be. Many prominent
persons thought that an arch would
be better work, and some urged
that the unfinished structure should
be turned into one leg of IN arch
and another erected Others were
strongly opposed to the location,
and it was very seriously urged that
the site should be changed. Some
thought it should go to Meridian hill
and others that the muiUmeut
should be moved to the circle on
Fourteenth street and its juncture
with Massachusetts avenue where
the Thomas statue now stands. Sen
ator Morrill, led the movement for
the arch idea, and in it he had the
support of many who thought they
were really artistically inclined and
who thought the day for shafts had
passed away. In 1876, the centen.
NAL year tho Di.t.;~t ."ilitio WIS
stronger than it was ever before or
since AT that time the idea of sol
diery was parades, brass bands and
the like The modern idea of organ.
izing soldier companies to spend
their leisure time shooting rifles at
u mark in the rifle ranges had not
been dreamed of, and target firing
was more of u good natured frolic
than anything else. There were
hundreds of young men who made
elegant and proud looking soldiers
who We're by no means successes rs
marksmcn and who had no ambi-
ton in that direction. On the 22d
of February, 1875, there MS " hat
was general then, Il l,alade of :he
soldiers, Il practice winch, regret
to notice, has dropped out of late
years
1.-The parade that day was Il partic-
ularly good one, and AN u result
there wa. enthusiasm all along
Pennsylvania avenue. Congress WAS
in session and IA month previous had
been to Philadelphia and dedicated
the grounds tor the Centennial eX-
position AS senators and representa-
tives were on their way 10 the CAPT.
tol that morning they could not es
cape the enthusiasm caused by tile
militia parade. Samuel S Cox of
New YOrk-'Sunset, as he was ia
miliarly called-and General b. F.
Butler were members of the house
of representatives., and it WIS often
said of them that if they were joined
in favor Of any measure, which was
seldom for it was General Butler
who christenel Cox Shoe Fly,
they could carry it through regard
less Of whether the house wanted to
pass it or not. Soon after Ill irving
at the capitol Mr.. Cox, who had
witnessed the parade and joyfully-
for he took special delight ill pa
triOtic purades-- was asked in a gen
era1 CONFORMATION if he did not think
it WAS time that there should he
some movement looking toward
completing the Washington monu-
ment He replied, Yes, and l think
it should lie done today In less
than tell minutes he had drafted a
resolution directing that the work
should lie resumed and making tie
necessary appropriation tor secur-
ing better foundation. General
Butler had his eals opened when
MIR Cox sent the resolution to the
speaker s. desk to be read, and ON
hearing it indicated to his personal
followers that it was right and
proper This was sufficient. and in
less than half an hour it was passed.
THE senate soon concurred, and
the won K Logan very shortly. though
it took seine years to complete it
1t was the Washington birthday pa
rade OF the District militia that did
the business, and Mir. Cox told sew
eral among them, myself included,
that he had no thought of the mon.
um ent until he had seen the parade
and was entlused by it's influence :"
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