Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1900-05-10
A TEN DAYS OUTING.
INCIDENTS AND IMPRESSIONS OF
TRIP TO WASHINGTON.
The Beautiful Congressional Library.
--NationaI Museum and Smithson-
ian Institute. --Interesting Day in
Congress. --HOme Again.
lContinued from last week. J

e We were told that evening was the
best time TO see the world-famed Con
gressional Library building. Illumi.
mated by myriads of electric lights,
its beauties are more dazzling than by
day, if the thing were possible. Ac-
: cordingly, on Tuesday evening we
l visited the Library, which lies east OF
, the Capitol, facing it across the wide,
green plaza.
, Do faint memories from childhood.
the impressions resulting from some
lof those wonderful fairy tales, where
the Prince Beautiful found the slum-
boring Princess in the Enchanted
Palace sometimes float down to you I?
If not, visit the Congressional Library
and you will see it all again. Vision
of splendor and magnificence Dream
of marble and crystal and gold, shim-
mering ia the radiance cast upon it
by electric rays Its beauty charms
one, yet one is awed by it, as though
it were not of this earth.
| shall attempt no description OF il.
| cannot. 1t is as much beyond the
power of pen TO set forth as are the
Alps, the Yosemite or any Of the
great works of nature. The library
itself seems TO be merely incidental to
the grand whole, yet the extent and
variety of reading here available are
almost without limit. The reading
room is a great circular ampitheatre
to which only Congressman or those
especially favored by the powers that
be are privileged to enter Even a
Congressman ought to be resigned to
his fate when such liberties as these |
are his. No wonder that they seldom |
die and never resign. Death hath no
brighter promise than this Library |
for most of them certainly, not to |
hint at what worse might befall them.
In the Library, aside from the
reading room, to the galleries Of
which visitors are permitted to enter
noiselessly and peer down from a
dizzy height on the fortunate ones be-
low, are chambers containing many |
priceless manuscripts having connec-
ton with different epochs in our
country's history. Here are charters
bearing the great seal of England and
the signatures Of monarchs conveying
grants OF land to early American set
tiers; treaties with the Indians, signed 1,
in their peculiar characters by the red
men; revolutionary documents with
ont number from the hand Of all
those great men of the time. One
could spend a day most profitably
here. If you ever go to Washington, {
you will not need to be told, "Dont
miss the Congressional Library
Wednesday morning, we bent our
course toward the National Museum.
fhe most interesting, perhaps, Of all {
he thousands Of exhibits were the I
Dewey souvenirs which the admiral C
lad sent to the Museum to be adj '
nired. They comprised all the gifts j
hat have been showered on him by
lis grateful countrymen for his
Manila victory. OF loving cups, a
Medals, embossed gold plates, watches,
diamonds, swords, etc, there were v
many thousands of dollars worth.
really, if the Admiral fails of secur- .
n the presidency, he ought not, in II
lew Of all that has already come to =
im, to feel badly sighted. If re- al
ublics are ungratefdl, there is no
ign of it here. r
Dewey's Manila battle-pennaut and W
lany other relics that came from the =,
as well as hundreds from 81
'uba and Porto Rico, form a recent
HAPPIER in the story begun by George &
full uniform and con .
nued down through the civil war. 81
ielics of every important event are NJ
ere. A two-foot oak cut down by
ullets at the battle of Spottsylvania e. q,
lowed what a hot old time it was ~
lere. Hundreds of Grant relics and be
ne Lincoln death-mask are here. tn
In the Museum are departments de-
oted TO natural history, to mineral ps
gy, to the products of other lands -
IAN ours, to ship models and much -,
Sc that cannot even mention or re- he
al until the things are brought to
lind by independent reference. f.
The Smithsonian Institute is near Ks
Y. 1t is devoted to a most wonder =,
II collection of natures products, wi
nimal, vegetable and mineral. One
IN see almost everything that's found To-
4 or in any part of the earth, as well Nj
fossils innumerable of the hay
lst. ~
We put in the afternoon visiting
ongress. At the Senate door | saw tn
Ionic Emery, until lately of Bethel Of
I'd Randolph. He greeted us warmly
quired about the sugar crop at home, co
e Grange, etc. Alonzo doubtless cn
'efers to be a door-keeper in the ,
)use of Congress than to dwell long H..
in the tents of Bethel and do the a g
lrd labor of the farm, but as he was wa
good farmer so he is a good door -
.eper and looks out especially for his for
lends from Vermont. apl
We got good seats in the Senate. isl
nsiness was duh. The clerk was 80
'oning away on a long District of del
bill. Many of the Senators bu
ere absent and those in their seats est
amed as little interested i'm the bin :