The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1903-05-09
Correspondence Baltimore County Union.
LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.
A Visit to the zoo-Large and Interesting
Collection of Animals and Birds-The
Fish Exhibit-The Place Where the
Money Is Printed-The Great
Pension Building-The Met
rOpolitan N. r.. Church.
wAsHINaroN. D. q. Nav 6th- 1aOa


WASHINGTON, D. c.. May 5th 1903
MeSSTS. Editors during my former visits to
this city l availed myself of the opportunity to
visit the various places of interest and gave
| through the columns of THE UNION my impress
| sions of what / saw. During my recent visit
| have only mentioned few things of the MANY
! one can daily see. In company with friend
| visited the Zoo. 1t is an immense affair." cover
ing many acres of ground. 1t takes whole day
to get view of its varied attractions. There
are animals and birds from all the countries of
the world. The elephant, buffalo, camels, lions,
panthers. leopards, hyenas, wolves, bears of diff
1erent kinds, tapirs, beavers, offers, alligators
crocodiles the two-toed soth. Guinea pigs the
sacred COW from India, worshiped by the people
OF that country; porcupines and many hundreds
or animals that would take too much space to
describe The algators-ten in number-le
dormant as though dead. When one moves they
all move and make a terrible roar, sounding like
the lion. An animal called the Tazmarrian Devil,
from New South Wales, is about the size of a pug
dog. black as tar, yet does not look as vicious as
its name would indicate. An animal about the
size of mink and the color of our gray squirrel,
called Mongoose, from India, destroys poul-
try, birds of all kinds, &c. Its importation to
this country is prohibited. An animal called the
ella Monster is to be seen. Its very breath is
poisonous. The monkeys attracted much atten-
ton by their antics They look so human.
IN the bird house are parrots of different va
rieties with brilliant plumage, ostrich, bald and
golden eagles, etc. One-the happy eagle-look-
ed like an old woman with cap and feathers
white dress and dark shawl, so natural that one
could not realize it was bird. The Aigrette,
from which the feathers by that name are pluck
ed while the bird is sitting on her eggs causing
the death of the bird, which, no doubt, many
ladies would refuse to wear if they knew it, is
on exhibition. They are innocent looking birds.
One stork-like bird, pure white, was as graceful
danced up and down so lightly on its feet as to
cause many to say. How beautiful and graceful
are her movements" This is kept up for some
time.
l think the most beautiful thing in the Zoo is
the fish exhibit. The tanks are fitted up like
Rrotteoes, with many colored pebbles, while the
the great delight of the various kinds of fish in
different shapes and color that can be seen
gracefully swimming about in the clear water.
There is one thing needed-a public conveyance
to run through the grounds of the Zoo.
The Bureau of Engraving and Printing is well
worth visit. With a guide to direct us we
visited each room and were shown the process
of making the bank note, from its pure sheet of
white with fbres of silk to the last stamping. 1t
passes through fifty-two hands before compile
ton. The largest note made for circulation is
$4,000. Gold certificates of the denomination
of $4,000 each are made to be used for business
transactions in banks, &c, They print all the
ty-seven thousand postofices are supplied. They
send out l5,0O00 600 daily At the time of our visit
$4S8 QOO, O0O were in the vaults. Uncle Sam has
provements in his great domain He is lavish
with it here. All the public improvements are
being beautified in the most artistic manner.
The Pension Building near where l write is
the largest brick building in the world II, 600
brick being used in its construction. 1t covers
nearly two acres of ground. Its length is 1898
feet, width 1913 feet and highest point of inside
measurement l46 feet: It has an army of en-
wars are distributed from here. They have
model of the Eattleship Maine, which de-
stroyed by the Spaniards in Cuban waters; also
ing the different positions of the boat when in
action.
tan n. E. Church, Rev. DR.. Frank Bristol. pas
tor. This is the place where the late President
Grant and the lamented President Mckinley
worshiped. Tablets have been erected to the
memory of the late Bishop Newman, former
pastor, and Gen. Grant. Mr.. Mckinley and Mr..
M. G. Emery, last mayor of Washington. He
was liberal contributor to this church at the
time of erection, besides buying the parsonage
and leaving in his will large donation to it.
Senators and other prominent men have pewsin
this church. In connection with the church is
a Chinese Sunday school of 45 members. They
meet every Sunday afternoon to receive instruc-
ton and seem very anxious to learn. The first
ladies of the church are earnestly trying to teach
them. A lady who has been in China forty years
takes great interest in them and translates the
English into Chinese language. She says she
loves China and would go back but for her chill
dren. In China the people are compelled to
send their children ten years to school,
They have in this city an anti-spitting law
which should be carried into effect, for the gen.
eral health of the public demands it.
The street car conductors are not as attentive
to passengers as those in Baltimore in helping
ladies on and of the cars A cartoon recently
in the Star shows them off in that respect.
Many persons insist that abolishing the army
canteen has been disadvantage and increased
drunkenness among the soldiers. The Secretary
of the Treasury has just made public the report
of Lieut.. Gen. Miles, dated February 10th, 1903
addressed to the Secretary in regard to the
diton in the Philippines with comments there
on. He says: "As the result of my observation
it is my Judgment that the discOntinuance of the
LIQUOR feature of the canteen has been beneficial
to the army. Now that the temptation has been
removed from the immediate presence of the
young men of the army, they are less likely to
indulge in the use of liquor. At present the can
teens, recreation rooms libraries are quiet,
rast ions to aff9rd aus
situattons. OCCASIONAL