Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-09-11

Not many know it, but the District
militia are entitled to the credit Of having
the Washington monument completed, re-
marked an old official at the Capitol to a
Star reporter LAS every one knows, or
should know, the monument was an I'M
finished shaft for nearly thirty years.
There was feeling that the whole thing
was a mistake. and no one seemed to take
the lead in having the work resumed. In
deed, a feeling had grown up that after all
the monument was not exactly the thing 1t
should be. Many prominent persons
thought that an arch would De a better
work, and some urged that the unfinished
structure should be turned into one leg of
an arch and another erected Others were
strongly opposed to the location, and 1t was
very seriously urged that the site should
be changed. Some thought it should go to
Meridian Hill and others that the monu-
ment should be moved to the circle on nth
street and it's juncture with Massachusetts
avenue where the Thomas statue now
stands Senator Morrill, led the movement
for the arch idea, and in it he had the sup
pert of many who thought they were 1ftis-
tieally inclined. and who thought the day
for shafts had passed away. In 1876, the
centennial year, the District militia was
stronger than it was ever before or since.
At that time the idea of Soldiery was
parades, brass bands, and the like. The
modern idea of organizing soldier COM
panes to spend their leisure time shooting
rifles at a mark in the rifle ranges had not
been dreamed of, and target firing was
mere of a good-natureG frolic than any
thing else. There were hundreds of young
men who made elegant and proud-looking
soldiers who were by no means successes
as marksmen. and who had no ambition in
that direction. On the I'D of February,
1876, there was what was general then, a
parade Of the soldiers, a practice which, 1
regret to notice, has dropped out of late
years The parade that day was par
ticularly good one. and as result there
was enthusiasm all aloEg Pennsylvania
avenue Congress was in session and a
month previous had been to Philadelphia
and dedicated the grounds for the centen-
NAL exposition As senators and represent
tatives were on their way to the Capitol
that morning, they could not escape the
enthusiasm caused by the militia parade.
Samuel s Cox of New York, Sunset as he
was Familiarity called, and Gen. B. F. But
Ter, were members of the House of Repre-
sentatives, and it was often said of them
that if they were Joined in favor of any
measure, which was seldom, for it was
Gen. Butler who christened Cox Shoe Fly
that they could carry ii through, regardless
of whether the House wanted to pass it rr
not. Soon after arriving at the Capitol,
MIR. Cox, who had witnessed the parade,
and joyfully. for he took a special delight
in patriotic parades. was asked, in gen.
eral conversation, IL he did not think it
WIS time lndI there SnOulQ De some move
ment looking toward completing the WASH
iEston monument. He replied, Yes, and /
think it should be done today In less
than ten minutes he had drafted resolu-
tfon directing that the work should be re-
sumed and making the necessary appro-
.pr.atiop for securing better foundation.
Gen. Butler had his opened when Mr..
Cox sent the resolution to the Speakers
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 1T was passed The
Senate soon concurred, and the work began
very shortly. though it took some years TO
&C mplete it. 1t was the Washington birth
day parade of the District militia that did
the business, and Mr.. Cox told several
among them, myself included, that he had
no thought of the monument until he had
seen the parade and was enthused by its
irfluence."
X X x
Parents make a great mistake when
they insist on receiving all, OF nearly all,
the earnings of their children" remarked
leading colored man to a Star reporter.
Il am free to say. being colored man my
self. that many parents of the children of
my own race make this mistake. and 1
desire to call public attention to it, so as
to correct it. if possible. 1 know that the
parent is entitled in law and by custom to
the earnings of children. The law gives it
to them up to the day the children attain
their majority. 1t is proper that the earn
ings of the child should go to the parent
Besides. 1t is natural on the theory and the
fact. that the child until able to earn some
thing had been supported by the parent
But common sense should have some play
in the matter, and parents should be the
first to see this. The great mass of col
ored children who work in this city and in
other cities are what are known as house
servants, though with the males many are
employed as messengers, office boys por-
tiers. drivers and the like. The time has
not yet come, though it may come in years
when colored boys and girls can get en-
pioy in the stores clerks. Their
wages are necessarily small. Those who
are house servants. walters and the ike
have the best of it over the outside EN-
ployes. for the reason that they besides
receiving wages. get board and in a great
number of cases lodging. Now, take girls
from thirteen to seventeen, for an iIlustra-
ton. know of a great many cases. and
there are thousands of Others where the
parent draws every cent of the wages paid;
not cent Is left them to dress or spend
They are supposed to have clothing enough
given them in which to appear respectable
In many cases they receive little or moth
ing besides their wages. and IL they do it
Is IN cast-On clothing, which even the most
ingenious girl could not use to advantage
is II any wonder, therefore. that thew are
tempted to take things to which they have
iio fisHt III tne way OF ornament or wear
ing materials or money even when the on
portunity offers. This is the cause or at
least one of the many causes which brings
cur young people into the Police Court /
DO not advocate careless spending of
money. but do insist that parents wouId
allow their grown-up girls or boys some
part OF their wages. with which thew can
BUY things that they need, or fancy thew
do. -ieS
II would take terrible temptation from
their path L don't know that anythinp
ike proper share could be decided unon
but parents ought to be able to see what IL
actually necessary. and allow their chill
Hreh tnat amount out of their own earn
ings.' i
y - y y
ueysers, not springs and hot flowing
weiis. the source of which has been So
little understood. are mysteries no moro
to science" explained a scientific gentle
man to Star reporter though they are
as interesting study as ever. and new
Facts are constantly Icing discovered about
them A paper read before the National
Geographical Society here last winter nv
Capt Frank W. Crosby Of this civ. and
who is now in Norway. making further in
designations into the same subject has fur