The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1902-10-23
.ON TO WASHINGTON.
Trials Of Ten Tramp Veterans at
the Encampment.

/ homes to take inH the g. A r. en-
campment here. After many lies,
bIunders, and fakes Of z. Rs. We
struck the city of shows at p. m,
/ Monday s, and at once looked for
lodgings, inquire within" We
found some but few blocks from
capitol. Our gang from Oskaloosa
was as follows: Capt. kirkpatrick,
NJ. d. Burket, Ellis Prime, Chas.
McFaII, Samuel Smith, r. ID. Reid,
Harvey Zane, VIII Zane, Abe dodgers
and Frank McGlumphy. Then we
had Henry Wetherell, w. II. Shaw,
Fred Butler, B. 8. Harbour and wife,
j. G. MastelIer, Robert Kent, John
Moore, Robert Dye and others, until
we landed" But for sights and
sorrows, the gang was as stated.
First six named FROSTED" in same
room on sd" st. ". w. Everything
is ". w, in Washington. We.had one
bed, one towel, same piece of soap,
first many of Us had seen for years
The house was large, old and very
stylish" Bedstead and linen for
that matter showed ample evidence
of having been used by Webster, pos
sibly Washington, though Prime
doubted this, because he said that he
and "Zollekoffer" (McFaIl) had seen
everything on earth ever used by
Washington down at Mt. Vernon,
Zane saw same at the National
Museum. Capt. Kirk said that he
had seen the whole outfit over in the
Halls Of the Ancients" on New York
avenue about 219 street, N. W. No
matter the lsndlady told Burket that
she had lived there so years, but
afterwards whispered to Prime that
she was but fl years.old. Having thus
assured ourselves that we were in
the first family in d. @. we at once
looked up fun and fortune. We began
on Pennsylvania avenue first night,
this greatest sight seeing street in
America, right up to White House.
We had supposed that TEDDY" and
John Sims were looking for us, but
somehow "Corty," his secretary, had
overlooked US, hence there was no
one about the "shack" except his
"coon" footman. Burket said to him
sis the boss about?" "No sab" said
Sam, "The house is clearing"
"What has been the matter with it?"
Said Smith $@*#.
Then we went over to Lafayette
square, first north of white house,
and saw the beautiful bronze statues
OF Generals Lafayette and Washing
ton. Further In 10 the bronze
equestrian statues of Gen. Jackson.
But just why this sculptor should
have put poor "old hickory" upon a
gay charger, paving the wind and
Jackson sitting up straight as poker
raising his hat, like some fool militia
colonel on dress parade, when every
body knows that Jackson was an old
surly cuss, growing and bowling at
every one, and If all historians don't
lie-never raised his hat to any man
on earth. 9 Zane said the horse, while
he might have suited jackson, wasn't
as good horse as Bob Mitchell drove
to town the day after the Bunco fell
lows struck him.
This reminded US that we were NOR
tai, and we at once left the park and
took Pennsylvania avenue car for
the capitol, where we saw the grand
est sight in Washington, ARMED
Liberty" on the 300.ft. dome of the
capitol. The statue is bronze, 20 feet
high, and at nights seen light as day
by strong search lights passing across
the statue. The figure shows Liberty
standing firmly with her right hand
resting on the hilt of sheathed sword I,
left hand holding wreath in fingers,
palm resting on Greek shield. This
sight is worth the long trip to Wash
ington, for, as Will Zane says, there
is not a thing like it in Oskaloosa.
The sculptor, Tom Crawford, made it..
Then we drew near the east central
portico of the capitol. There high on
the steps.we saw the most striking"
piece of sculpture work in the city,
also by Mr.. Crawford, called "The
Rescue" showing the strong arm of
civilization holding back the hand of
an Indian about to tomahawk wom-
an with a baby in her arms. Reid
said this was the best job Crawford
ever made. Eyes," said Capt. Kirk,
"and l bet he got $50 for the job!"
Ut cost 5,OO0.) While the boys
looked at it and fully got the hang of
the situation, 1t. made Prime so mad
to see that dirty Indian about to scalp
the woman that he actually hunted
around, saying that If he could find a
club about like Gashum Shannon used
to carry, he would knock the head off
the son of a buck right there!
Then we wandered farther north to
the senate wing and ,gazed on the fine
/ proun inatha frieza or HIGH wall. This