Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1902-10-22

hotel, we boarded trolley car and
took ride about the city, passing up
the famous Pennsylvania Avenue, a
wide street leading from the Capitol
to the White House, past the Capitol,
Library of Congress, many beautiful
parks, the Treasury, the State, Army
and Navy Departments, the White
House; out to Georgetown, a histori-
cal suburb of Washington past the
noted Washington Monument the
Bureau of Engraving and Printing,
the department of Agriculture, Smith
sonian Institute, etc. There are so
many large and handsome structures
in Washington that a minute descrip-
tion of each would fill columns.
In the evening we attended sacred
concert at the Star theatre, where we
enjoyed listening to the U. S. Marine
band of SO pieces, under the able
direction of w. Fl. Santelmann :;
Sophie Burnham, the notable soprano !;
Della Fox, the we'll known comic
opera star Edith Helene, who sings
the highest note woman has ever
sung, and Marie Dressler, the famous
New York commedienne.
Monday morning we started out for
more thorough inspection of some of
ths principal points of interest. Of
course the U. S. Capitol first attracted
our attention. So many people have
read descriptions and seen pictures of
this handome structure that we will
not stop to give details 1t stands on
an eminence overlooking the city from
the west at the head of Pennsylvania
Avenue, is massive in size and style
of architecture, surrounded by hand
some grounds, with shaded walks and
majestic statuary. While going up
the front steps we had the good for
tune to meet MI. P. L. Kittlesby, of
Calmar, member of the capitol
police force, who very courteously
conducted us through the building.
Entering the main corridor we came
to the rotunda, which is surmounted
by large magniflcently painted
tfSnie. ABOUT the sides are some of
the most famous paintings in the
world, masterpieces perpetuating for
coming ages the signal periods in our
nations history. Passing into Statuary
Hall we saw about it's circular walls
life size statues of the great men of
the nation, each state having the
priv ilege of placing two statues in
this hall. The House of Representa-
tives, Senate chamber, committee
rooms, the marble room, the Presid-
ent's room and the Supreme Court
room, each in turn were visited,
which gave us in short time splen-
did idea of the building.
Across the street west from the cap
itol grounds is the new Library of Con-
gress, ,unquestionably the most magni-
ficent public building in the United
States, if not in the entire world.
Words fail to depict its gorgeous
beauty both in architecture and in
terror finish. A palatial structure of
marble and mosaic, it will stand for
centuries. a memorial to the arts and
sciences, a monument the great men
of every age and country, representa-
tive of the composite of all that is
noblest and purest and best-the true
American. The cost of the building
was nearly $1,000, 900, it covers three
and one-half acres, is three stories
high, with handsome dome covered
with copper and gold leaf. In the
center is the public reading room,
about which are extensive halls, cor
ridors and rooms for antiques, files,
etc. The finish of the building is rich
and costly. The walls are covered
with masterpieces in mosaics and
paintings, the floors are laid with
the finest tile, while the hundreds of
pillars of marble of variegated colors,
the many statues and reliefs in all
parts of the building, and the extrava-
CANT magnificence everywhere display
ed combine in structure that cannot
fail TO elicit expressions of surprise
from the visitor to its many depart
ments.
After spending an hour about the
capitol grounds, inspecting the beau
tiful walks and drives, the many
handsome pieces of statuary and foun-
tains, the extensive botanical gardens,
etc. we boarded car for Mt. Vernon
the home of the immortal Washington.
The trip along the beautiful Vir-
ginia shores of the Potomac river is
a most enjoyable and interesting one.
We passed across the famous Long
Bridge to Fort Runyon, the base of
the first picketing and skirmishing of
the Civil war; the old Chesapeake
and Ohio canal, ground for which
was broken by John Quincy Adams,
July A. 1928; and Arlington, the
colonial home where Nellie Custis,
adopted daughter of George Washing
ton, was born. After much delay