The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-13
STATE CAPITOL HUNT.
EXPERIENCE OF A MAN VINO WANT
ED TO GET PHOTOGRAPHS.

whats the matter with the Secretaries Of
State OF the various States and tho State pride
Of tho samei''i inquired a Washington newspaper
man at an uptown hotol last night.
whats the matter with your responded n
reporter who knew him well enough to DO fresh
with him.
Listen and I'll tell you. In December last
1 proposed to q newspaper in my town that 1t
would be q good idea as n compliment to tho
representatives of all tho States Of the Union
resident in Washington. and we have them
there from all over, to publish the pictures of
all the State Capitols in the paper ut the rate Of
one o week. The newspaper liked the sugges-
ton and told mo to no ahead with 1t, the princi-
pal part Of the emolumont to all concerned being
complimentary, State patriotism and that sort.
On the 9th and 2sth Of December 1 sent away
forty-hve letters, each to q Secretary Of State,
taking IL for granted that no was the proper
man to take care Of his State in such an exhi-
bition Of Capitols at the national capital.
M letter to each was short and to tho point,
stating that we wished to make an exhibition
of State Capitols for the pleasure Of tho States
people at the national capital and asking for o
photograph from which q half-tone picture could
be made and, In addition, q Short description,
or.data for one. I closed.by saying that 1t was
State pride business and we would have to take
It out In that material. So fur 30 good. The
first reply received camc from the Massachu-
setts Secretary, saying that my letter had been
referred to the Capitol Commission with q ro-
quest to look after It. Tho next, a postal card.
was from the Secretary of your own State of
New York. sayinE that my letter had been re-.
ferred TO tho custodian Of tho Capitol with re.
quest to furnish what was asked for. Then
came Ohio, n most noble state, I do assure you.
for her Secretary. Mr.. Charles Kinney, had
done just what / asked end sent a cabinet photo
graph with about 200 words of description.
That was all there was to 1t, and the State Cap
itol of Ohio was the first to appear in print. SO
much for q Secretary who saw what there was
to do and did 1t. Following came Vermont
with just what was asked'for, and she appeared
second In the paper. and then Maine In the
Same prompt and businesslike manner camo
third. Kentucky's Secretary wrote saying
there were not any photographs Of the Capitol
and no means Of securing ono, and I had begun
to wonder If the Republicans SO new in office
had used ND all the money, when behold along
came q photograph taken by an amateur and
with &c an interesting description In the Score
tary's own handwriting. Then all was for
given and Kentucky camo fourth in the list. not
1.Before this the replies had begun to come in
with every mail. but no photographs. Rhode
any photograph Of the Capitois as far as he had
seen., and he didn't know where one could DO
fbS oMsIer Ia aSd state tsu T's sb 10 6 6afs sS e neW y S Ssg Mfif:
ing to Mr.. Somebody who had it in charge.
Then I wrote to Mr.: Secretary. asking why he
and let It 20 at that. I don't Know what he did
but in time I received q pamphlet with a cut of
s sar Sent sent me- net = book Of tho c STabsI' with a wood.
cut picture from which to make a half.tone.
Know 'R MSs, T find f1 81 . fhn{Yftatns 1 MsT g g1i4f. .6%
sass; tho t1 %sil to s%scI fit so ap ahsss w sssts arc 9 p9er !
for II Hn an hAnrH Yfhar Nau- M pnD
has 50 far preserved a discreet silence. I Won
der If the Granite state has a Capitol. Do any
York in the mean time 1 Y wrote a fly postal, and
presently there came by, express, in elaborate.
as asA a door, door ' e was ss'a0 beauty aaeyof thoaeS aoS @nd T. Is G If
right though they are still shy on descriptive
matter, which T. promised. New Jersey Re.
custodian Of the Capitol would look out for me.
Which he did not until I wrote again. and then
osraphs in tho State. 1 guess. Pennsyivapnia
was 2 bit SLOW By rea,on Of changing plans for
there !" was California. You ought It t to see tho
photograph she sent. The furt6est away and
fa1 af to , to got aD t N sny R ssape. aea SO one far Of h bss
people In Washington tells me Il is either be.
.ause the State is ashamed Of tho kind of a Capt.
haye o photograph taken at his own expense.
and nobody has ever taken one, That's a funny
baked a couple Of times. but got there at last
with a handsome print;
ness was asking. for these things and not offer:
Ing pay. but as ~ could not cost more than half
Z, dollar or a dollar at the extreme, 1 hardly
liked to offer that amount to a distinguished
but I'll have to do 4, If It can't be done other.
plea from Iowa's Secretary, who promptly in.
formed me the Captain of the Capitol Police
the M9ui building heha no for s. RHc cents. Think Shd o Of III! BUT 4 I
rose to the occasion and told him to try and see
fi0n for tho amntnt hnf in tho meantime aanH
&c 1e. e Virginia. : TSo the PSI ga BE- Dom nj on n @en no fe yss
30 cents. I wrote that / had pride enough in
the Mother Of Presidents to blow a half on her
the Secretary. Congressman otey came to the
rescue. and | now have 2 photograph.
tho bill, North Carolina, had a hard time fnd.
ing q photograph. but held on and finally got
You think every State would have photographs
send me tho print on his letter head and give
me the name Of q department clerk in Wash.
rather odd. too. Isn't It. for a State o2iciais 1
finally got the photograph. and a nice big one.
TOO. from Editor Durham Of the Bfrmingham
George, the Cracker empire. never peeped,
And. after a moving appeal. Clark Howell Of
CLARK. but i wasn't 4 photograph. and the mil:
uOn-uOllhr ChpltOl tney nave Lncro won look
much like 1t in q h~alf.tone from that print.
South Carolina's Secretary facetiously reported
that Sherman's army HADN'T left much of her
Capitol, but what there was 1 was welcome to.
and sent q print Ind q fine platinum photo
graph. the true Southern hospitality style.
Florida is yet unable to help me out, and am
unable to make her officials understand what
T: want. Even the Times Union fails to catch
on, and editors as a rule are Up on this sort of
name and no inclination to have ono taken. for
me or for anybody else, Nebraska's Secretary
sends In a pretty print, and asks to give his
State q send-off. but he never says a word
whether his Capitol. is built out of Bryan blocks
or gold bricks.
Indiana came around after awhile with a
print, even two. bu, they were not equal TO one
photograph for my purpose. Michigan sent
me half q dozen prints, but didn't know Of any
photographs. All the photographers were probab-
1y busy taking photographs'o of Gov. Pingree mash.
ing potatoes, Wisconsin sent In a print and
fact, did a number of the Secretaries. who evi.
IDENTIFY confuse photograph with any kind OF
picture. Not having heard from Boston, /
wrote again TO the Secretary, who. by the way,
was once q newspaper man, and he wrote to
lay that having once called the attentinn-af the |