The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-08-19
FIGURED BY NATURE.
PORTRAITS IN THE WALL OF
 THE FAMOUS
Marble Room-A Slab of Stone in the Treasury Department That shows a Perfect Profile of Queen Victoria and Other Interesting Pictures.

&FeaAuAy DePHFsHA AhaA SHOWS
 n Perfect Profile of Qussn Victoria and Other Interesting Pictures.
 The often repeated statement that
 Uncle Sam is without sentiment is il-
 lustrated in q measure in the treasury
 department. The famous marble room. which cost the government $3O0,0O0 although still place of beauty. is no
 longer an ornamental chamber only.
 The room around which tradition has woven many a curious tale, the room ,in which General Grant received the
 guests who attended his first inaugural ball, is now used as cash room.
 Long years ago, when the architect who planned the interior of the room
 saw his dream realized, when the painters and decorators had complet- ed their labors and visitors were al-
 lowed to gaze upon it's magnificence, it was declared to be the finest room in the country. Men and women of na- tional and international fame have danced upon the marble floors where to-day stand prosaic counters and
 desks. The pretty gallery in which sat the famously beautiful women of those
 days, where society gossiped and belles
 and beaus carried on f1irtations, Is still retained. But it is empty, and no one
 unless it be the spirits of those who
 once adorned the room, looks down up-
 on the small army of employees who handle s262, 100000 each year before
 it is distributed throughout the United
 States.
 This famous room of the treasury de- partment has been used for this pur- pose for number of years. The grow ing demands of the department made
 this necessary, but the place has not
 lost reputation even if it has become one of the governments worshops.
 The marble room of the treasury de- partment is known far and wide and is a feature of interest to visitors on a tour of inspection of the building. The interior is constructed of marble
 brought from sunny Italy, from France and from Vermont.
 F. F. Spinner was treasurer when
 the room was built. w. H. West was
 chief clerk, and A. B. Mullett was the
 supervising architect. Hugh McCul
 loch was secretary of the treasury and his assistants were W. E. Chandler and J. r. Hartly. This information is
 proclaimed by two marble slabs placed above the doors. All the marble is without doubt the most magnificent that could be obtained. One of the squares, however, is particularly re- markable. It is beautiful specimen of black Vermont marble. A crack
 runs through the middle of this square the most remarsable<o one in the whole room. On 1t, as though drawn by an
 artist, is picture of Queen Victoria, q full life sized figure of an old Quaker
 ess and the head and shoulders of a
 French soldier, with his little round cap set jauntily on the side of his
 head, fastened with cord that runs
 down the side of the face and under the chin.
 The discovery of the faces and fig-
 ures on the marble was made by Mes
 senger W. R. Elliott. One day. while
 seated in front of the square, he was startled by the lines of alternate black and white forming the figure of the old Ouakeress. A full side view of the old
 woman is shown. The traditional poke bonnet is pictured, a shawl covers the slightly dropped shoulders, and the
 hands are folded complacently in front
 of the body. It needs no steady gaze to bring out the picture. It is as per
 feet as though drawn by a master
 hand.
 The face of Queen Victoria is also
 remarkably true to life. It requires
 no effort of imagination to draw out the contour of her face. Only the pro- file and small portion of the shoul-
 ders are displayed. The face of Queen Victoria on the marble has given the officials no end of amusement. Several years ago. while number of young
 English women who had visited this
 country for the purpose of attending a Christian Endeavor convention were
 being taken through the treasury de- partment, they were shown the face of their beloved queen. They were great ly amazed at the likeness, and many
 exclamations of love and veneration were expressed. While admiring the
 queer designing of nature one of the young women declared that the Eng fish government should purchase the marble square.
 The picture of the French soldier is
 shown in the lower right hand corner
 of the square. The figure is half life
 size and is in profile, like the other two.
 The shoulders are thrown back just as
 they are drawn by famous French military artists. Nothing could be
 more truly drawn than the round cap which is set half over the left ear.
 There are other faces and figures to be
 found on the square. Dogs, birds and
 countless grotesque figures can easily
 be traced by following the lines.- Washington Post.