The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-12-04
FACTS ABOUT WASHINGTON.

Vienna is 4,llj miles from Washington.
From Washington to Batavia is II us
miles,
Cairo is 5,S4S miles southeast Of Wash
ington.
1t is 1,S25 miles from Washington 10
Gibraltar is $3.50 miles southeast OF
Washington.
Manila is 1850 miles from our National
Capital
Honolulu is 451S miles west of Wash
ingtOn City.
Montreal is only AL miles northwest Of
Washington.
The Washington Monument is the loft
lest structure in the world being 5J5.5 feet
high.
1t took 100 years and s14, coo to COM
plete the United States Capitol as you see
ii now.
Polk was the first president to employ
an official private secretary, paid by the
government
Jefferson Davis was son-in-law Of
President Taylor, and visited him at the
White House.
The first special building for an inaug-
ural ball was erected in honor Of Gen.
Zachary Taylor.
Two wives of Presidents-AIrs. Tyler
and Mrs. Benjamin HarrisOn--have died
in the White House.
The first death in the White House was
that Of President William Henry Harri-
son, on April 4, 1Sil.
james Madison Randolph, grandson Of
President jefferson, was the first baby
| born in the White House.
The Washington Monument weighs over
$1,000 tons, and is called the finest piece Of
| masonry in the world.
| The oldest slnctuary in Washington is
| Christ Episcopal church, near the navy
| yard, which was erected in 1886
The first New Years reception was
| held in the White House on January /,
| 1901, and the custom has survived since.
Daniel Webster declined the vice presi-
dency under w. II. Harrison and Zachary
| Taylor, both OF whom died in office.
The Lafayette Square upera house
stands on the site Of the famous ola red
| brick mansion where Jan es q. Blaine
died.
The first marriage in the White House
| was that of Maria Monroe to Mr.. Samuel
l.. Gouverneur, the bride being only sew
| onteCn years Old.
The Prince of Wales was entertained
in Washington by President Buchanan IN
1860 and visited WashngtOn's tomb at
| Mount Vernon.
"Old Hickory" Jackson used to play
mumblepeg with his grandchildren in
Lafayette Square.
| Pennsylvania avenue was once a NOR.
ass bristling with alder bushes, and per.
icdically inundated by Tibcr Creek, which
is now a trunk sewer,
President and Mrs. John Adams travel
ed i'm a carriage all the way from Bati
more to Washington, and got lost in IN,
woods for two hours.
James Hoban, an Irish architect, mod
clcd the White House after the Duke o
Leinster's palace in Dublin, which il I,
said to closely resemble.
Gen. Grant was the youngest man eve
: elected president of The United States
He was not fCrty-seVen until scVorI
weeks after his inauguration.
1t was originally proposed to build tn
Capitol of brick, but on second though
the commissioners chose sandstone. Re
cent additions are of marble.
The Statue of Freedom on the Unite
States Capitol lifts her head just two am
one-hah feet higher than Bdrtholdi's Lib
! eTty in New York harbor.
The Library of Congress ranks nnI
among the great libraries of the world
1t was started in 1902, and now contain
: over half million volumes
The White House had Just been com
pleted during Madsons administration q
? | n cost of S333,3O7. 1t took S3Ol, 1886 - to 70
store it after the British burned it 1
1874.
There are 800 steps in the Washingto
| Monument, and il takes a good man
climb them in twenty minutes. The elt
: vatOr Is slow but 1t asCends in scyc
minutes.
. The White House got It's name from IN
I fact that the soft porous sandstone {
u which II is built has TO be heavily coatr
= with white paint annually, to prevent II
! crumblng. Wa shinRtnn Post