The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1901-07-18
RUIN WASHINGTON MONUMENT
stroy Delicate Carvings in
WaEto4 Fashion.

The Washington monument is bad
- Scared by the depredations of
the souvenir fiends. Inside the me-
mortal slabs presented by the states
in the union at the time of the monu-
ments erection and by various So
cieties have suffered most. There
are more than $50 of these, and
many of them are in sad condition
of mutilation. Missing heads, arms,
legs and darpery bear eloquent wit
ness to the manners of visitors. Just
exactly what value, real or senti-
mental, the left ear lobe of the God
dess of Prosperity, for instance, can
have for any person is hard for a
sane man to understand. Somebody
got it, however, says the New York
Sun.
Most of the slabs presented by the
states bear simply names and dates
in large, bold letters that defy UNI
brellas and the like, and these re-
main untouched, save by pencils that
mark their owners names. But of
the delicate carving there is little
left. The handsomest slab, though
one of the smallest, measuring 3X5
feet, is that presented by the Amer
lean Medical association, represent
ing group Of the fathers of med
icine. 1t is about midway ND the
monument, about where climbers
rest, and about four feet from the
floor, a convenient reach. Hence the
condition of the figures, two head
less and three armless.
TWO landings above is a slab rem
resenting a locomotive. The Iocomo-
tive looks as if it had got the worst
OF collision. The souvenir hunters
did 1t. Not far away is a large slab
occupying the center of one wall for
helght OF SIX feet. In its present
condition it would do for a puzzle
picture. Before the enthusiastic
tourists got at it with their umbrel-
las and canes it represented a fire
engine of the old type. A volunteer
flre department of some city present.
ed it. Probably the name of the city
is in some old record. 1t isn't on the
slab. Once it was, but the souvenir
sharks got it.
One thing they haven't got is the
line carving of pelican, the symbol
OF the state of Louisiana. The rea-
son is that instead of being a lois
relief the pelican is carved in the
stone intaglio fashion, and no preda-
tory umbrella can dig that out.
When most of the vandalism in the
monument occurred no one knows.
but 1T probably took place before the
checking system was there, compell-
ing visitors to leave all implements
OF destruction before going up the
monument.
AT Mount Vernon there is a small
army of guards on the lookout for
the worker of souvenir iniquity. In
Washington's old home there is one
thing that strikes the eye by its con-
trast to the prevailing simplicity. 1t
is the carved mantel piece of Car
rara marble in the dining-room.
Even with watchers in every room
some individual managed to get in
ms work and knock off the head of
galloping deer in the center of the
group. The animal remained head
less for months. Then one day back
came the head in little box, post
marked Paris. The culprit had real
lied the evil of his ways. Said the
accompanying note:
1T did not occur to me in nv own
country, where everything is so per-
fectly preserved. the outrage that it
is to mutilate historic places for
relics. Here is nothing is preserved;
everything is Clipped and married
and broken by travellers like myself.
L return herewith, ETC." Signed-not
at all.
The head was stuck on, the glue
stained the marble and the milk
white deer has a yellow streak
around his neck.