The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-06-16
VILLAINIES OF THE vANDAL
HE OvERRUNs NOTED PLACES WITH
DESTRUCTIVE UMBRELLA AND
CANE.

Inside the Washington Monument
the Souvenir Seekers Have Clipped
Many of the Fine Carvings to Such
an Extent That They Are Unrec-
oRnizabIe-somebOd Knocked on
the Head of a Marble Deer at Nit.
Vernon as a Keepsake, but was
Afterward Conscience Stricken
and Returned It-Pub1ic Places Are
Now Carefully Guarded.
washington, June H.-Nearly every
tourist who visits Washington wants TO
take away a souvenir. Souvenir stores
in the national capital are as plenty as
saloons, but your true souvenir hunter
wants something that he has culled him
self. BY preference he will hammer, hew
or slice It off from some monument or
landmark. That is why it costs Uncle
Sam a young fortune to guard his treas
ures of history, wonder and beauty.
Whatever public building you enter your
cane umbrella, or whatever you may
have that would make good hammer Is
taken from you and checked; and at the
Congressional Library and Corcoran Art
Gallery YOU are watched very closely lest
Won might get an opportunity to use your
heels These two places are particularly
.nticing to the vandal, with all their stat
nary and carved marble
Unfortunately, the Washington monu-
rnent has not been so well guarded con-
seouently II is badly Scared by the nep-
rotations of the souvenir fiends. Inside
A. Is very dim in spots, the light being
u,npued by an occasional incandescent
lanp along the stairway 1t is in this
aarnosphere that vandalism hourishes.
Like white squares amid the blacks OF
huge checked board stand the memorial
slabs presented by the states In the union
at the time of the monuments eleciloh,
and by the societies and ORGANIZATIONS OF
me country wishing their names 10 pe
immortalized at the national Capitol
There are more than $50 of these, and
many of them are In distressful conol-
ton OF mutiiation. Missing heads, arms
legs and drapery, from the statuary pear
eloquent witness to the appreciation OF
visitors who were so faVorably impressed
with the monument that they couldn't
tear themselves away without taxing
something with them 10 remember 1t by.
Just exactly what value, real or sentl-
mental. the left ear lobe of the Goddess
OF Prosperity, for instance, can have Tor
any person is hard for a sane man to
understand. Somebody got II, however
Most of the slabs presented by the
states bear simply names and dates In
large bold letters that defy umbrellas
and the like and these remain untouch-
ed. save by pencils that mark their own
ers' names only TO have their traces
washed off on the next cleaning day. But
OF the delicate carving there is little left
The handsomest slab though one OF the
smallest. measuring 3x5 feet, is that pre-
scented by the American Medical Associa'
ton, representing a group OF the faith
ers OF medicine. II Is about midway "
the monument. about where climbers rest
and about four feet from the hoor-a con
venlent reach. Hence the condition OF TN
hgures, two headless and three ARMIES
Two landings above is a slab representing
locomotive. The locomotive looks as !
n had got tho worst OF a collision. tn
souvenir hunters did Il. Not far away !
large slab occupying the center Of on
wall for a hight Of six feet In its pres
ont condition n would DO for q puzzl
picture Before the enthusiastic tourist
SO "a n NTH their umbrellas ana cane