Sunday Washington globe., 1902-06-08

A lady in this city has had her sympa-
tines much aroused on the question of
homeless and abandoned dogs. She invites
membership in a benevolent organization to
care for these forlOrn cauines.
II is true that the dog is the most friendly
and faithful Of created beings, not except
ing man himself, aud it is a pity that his
ability to serve man is not equal to his en-
thusiastic willingness and anxiety to be of
service On the whole, however, we are
forced to confess the belief that the number
of dogs than eau be of use to themselves or
anybody else is limited. If dog has no
home and can fud none except one ex-
pressly maintained for CANNES, the most
proper and merciful action in the premises
is to send that dog to the cage
It would seem to be a queer abnormal
sort of philanthropy that can see neglected,
half starved half clad children without hav-
ing a spark Of sympathy aroused, but i'm
mediately goes into Mysteries at the sight
of a homeless dog. We think the lady is a
victim of a case of msdirected benevolence.
It reminds US of how hard some people
work to keep the grass aud flowers growing
luxuriantly on the graves of dead soldiers.
Yesterday when these war-woru veterans
were walking the streets asking for moth
ing but a chance to earn their daily bread,
some benevolent memorial day decorators
were deaf to these reasonable requests aud
often actually conspired to defeat the vet
eran's efforts to obtain employment Be
uevoleuce is a good thing if it is the genuine
article and not the base imitation that wants
rewards offered without earning them.
Often it is top heavy az the wrong end.
When the building of the White House
and Capitol was begun in the early part of
the nineteenth century, the only readily ac-
cessible building stone then known to the
projectors Of Washington city, was the
sandstone at the mouth of Aqua Greek,
forty miles below Washington. It could be
readily Quarried and shipped up the Poto-
mac IN barges.
This material is so rough. coarse. and
dirty looking in its natural state that 1t was
found necessary to keep it painted white,
and it was from this circumstance the White
House got its name.
The central, which is the oldest part of
the Capitol Building, is of the same mate
rial, as is also the central part OF the Trea-
sury Building. In order to form an idea as
to the forbidding appearance of this stone
in its natural unpaiuted state, all that is
necessary Is 10 examine II WuEAN AAN PAM I
happens to be rubbed off
Had there been adequate knowledge of
the building stone resources of the country
in those early days, granite from the coast
of Massachusetts, could have been shipped
to Washington in barges at a reasonable ex-
pense; or better yet, the granite on the
James River, near Richmond, could have
been obtained in a like manner These
4 80 80 afrr
public buildings since then, notably in the
State, War, and Navy Building, the new
POst-ofice and the Library of Congress.
The nation, like the individual, must buy
most Of its information at the price Of dear
experience.
By the time the Smithsonian Institution
building was begun, the red Seneca sand
stone, twenty miles up the Potomac, was
discovered. This proved to be very dur
able material, as exemplifed by its use il
that structure. In recent decades the rail
roads have enabled Washington to avai
itself Of the supplies of beautiful marbles
of Vermont, Massachusetts, Cockeysville
Maryland and other places. The two wing
of the Capitol the Patent Office, and thu
old Post-ofice Building are Of marble, an,
therefore need no paint as that material
most attractive in its natural state.
Much of the interior decorations Of tn
Library of Congress, the Treasury, Post
Office, State, War, and Navy, and othe
buildings are of marbles from Tennessee
Vermont, Italy and other distant parts o
the world fine example of such interiO
marble decoration may be seen in the casl
room of the United States Treasury a
Washington