Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1900-12-15

skirts or washington, Wnere ne QleQ.
The dome alone Of the Capitol cost
81, ,25O,O 900. The Crawford bronze door
at the senate wing, weighs 14.OOt
pounds and cost nearly $4,000.
The hall of the house Of representa-
tives is the largest assembly room in
the world.
The columns Of the eastern portico OF
the Capitol are solid blocks Of sand
stone, each 80 feet high.
The congress Of the United States
has met annually in Washington since
November, 1900.
The Rogers bronze doors at the main
entrance to the Capitol tell the story
Of Columbus, and cost $4,000.
The Capitol rotunda Is 95 feet inch
es in diameter, and from floor to can
opy is 1873 feet inches.
Washington started in business with
capital Of nearly $5,00O,000 derived
from the sale of real estate exclusive
Of that decided to the government fol
government purposes.
More than half the area of Washing
ton is now devoted to the public use
The Capitol grounds and the Mall con-
stitute magnificent and finely kept
public park.
The Long Bridge across the Potomac
to Virginia, was built in 1886. 1t is
soon to be replaced by the magnificent
stone memorial bridge to commemo-
rate the new union between the North
and the South.
Alexandria, Va, where Washington
attended church, was founded in 174s
and was once prosperous port.
Pennsylvania avenue. connecting the
White House with the Capitol, Is said
to be the broadest and finest thorough.
fare in the world. 1t was first paved ir
1880, but cheaply and poorly with wood
en- blocks.
President Johnson laid out Pennsyl.
vania avenue and had 1t lined with
trees on both sides. Then a double row
of lindens was planted down the centre
dividing it into two streets and cen.
tre driveway. These trees have now
been cut down, though few new ones
have been planted on the sides. The
avenue is now a broad, smoothly paved
boulevard. 1t Is 160 feet wide.
| With a population Of $4,000 in 1860
Washington was still a sprawling, un-
kempt unpaved and dirty city. A ca
nal ran past the foot Of the Capitol
building, but it has been covered.
! 1t was not until 1874. under Cover
nor Alexander B. Shepherd, that Wash
ington began to be a beautiful city. In
ten years $25,000, 900 had been spent to
make Washington clean and beautiful.
In the city proper, not counting su-
burban extensions, there are 1O7 streets
aggregating 279 miles in length, and q
avenues named after different states.
The suburban extensions, now being
rapidly populated, contain more than
500 miles Of roadway.
North, East and South Capitol streets
and the Mall divide the city into four
sections, known as northeast, south
east, northwest and southwest. House
numbers are given accordingly. There
are four houses in Washington which
may bear the same street and number
address, but the distinguishing IN.
w." or whatever section is indicated
completes the address.
In Washington the numbered streets
run north and south, the lettered
streets east and west, and the system
of house numbering is the simplest and
most complete in the country.
General Lafayette visited Washing
ton in 1924 and was entertained for two
weeks.
Browns Indian Queen Hotel, now the
Metropolitan, was one Of the most no
ted hostelries in early Washington.
In the early days the president re-
ceived a salary Of $25,O0O. The vice
president received 900. Now the presi-
dent gets $50,OOO, and the vice resident
IS, 900.
It costs about 100000 a year to run
the White House, exclusive Of the pres
idents salary.
On August rs, 1885, the Washington
branch Of the Baltimore and Ohio rail-
road was opened.
Stage coaches continued to run west
ward from Washington as late as 1851
The National Intelligencer was the
first newspaper of Importance to be es'
tablished in Washington.
The battle of Bladensburg, August
21. 1914, was the first fought In defense
of Washington, and the only one In
vain.
When the civil war began Washing
ton was without defences. Two years
later it was surrounded by chain OF
70 forts.
The close of the war was celebrated
On the night of April 13, 1865, by
grand illumination Of washington,
which exceeded any demonstration seen
in Washington previously.
On Friday night. April IA, 1865, Pres
ident Lincoln was assassinated at
Frod's theatre, by John Wilkes Booth.
The building stands on Tenth street.
between E and F, and nearly opposite
is the house in which Lincoln died.
General Early came within few
miles of Washington in 1854, but was
driven back by the Sixth Army corps,
which engagement was witnessed by
President Lincoln at Fort Stevens, on
the Seventh street road, five miles
north of the capital.
The northwest quarter Of Washing
ton, though built upon what was once
swamp pasture, Is the most popular
part of the city today.
1t is 116 miles from Washington to
the mouth of the Potomac, in Chesa-
peake bay, and 1S4 miles by water to
the Atlantic ocean.
The bureau of engraving and print
ing was begun in 1880, and completed
at a cost of $367,OOO 1t costs about a
million dollars a year to run it.
The state, war and navy departments
are consolidated in one immense build
ing, which was begun in 1871. 1t cost