The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-26

A great many citizens of the District of Columbia favor the idea of erecting district building on the worlds fair grounds and installing therein a distinct i've exhibit. There are many things in Washington that would be instructive and interesting factors in such an exhib- it. The nations capitol is full of historic objects that have never yet been shown at an exposition. In fact the greater part of the history of the United States has been made in the space included in the ten miles square known as the District of Columbia. The exposition authorities made a new departure when they sug- gested the feasibility of the great cities of the world making municipal exhibits. At the Paris exposition the municipal ex- hibit of that great capital was one of the finest on the exposition grounds. It was thronged with visitors at all hours of the day The building was an exact reproduction of the Hotel de Ville In it were artistically installed souvenirs of the city of Paris dating back hundreds Of years. There were relics of the great King St. Louis of the reign of the Bour- bons, of the Reign of Terror, of the em- pire under Napoleon Bonaparte, minia- ture bastile and many similar objects that attracted universal attention.
 The national capitol cannot boast of an Hotel de Vile, but the old city hall in the midst of the park known as Judiciary Square, is classic in design and a mnia- ture reproduction of 1t would produce a fine effect among the state buildings clustered around it. This old building has been the scene of many events close ly connected with the nations history. Washington could show in It's municipal exhibit many objects of international ln- terest that are not suited for the gov- ernment exhibit In the government build ing For instance the house in which President Lincoln died is full of souve- nirs of that lamented chief executive. The Halls of the Ancients, founded by that patriotic citizen, Franklin Webster Smith, is in itself an Invaluable museum. Mr. Smith Is cordially pledged to the support of the district building and dis trict exhibit and is ready to contribute largely of the valuable material III the Halls of the Ancients to the exhibit. MT. Smith says his models of all the ia nous courts of ancient times including the finest specimens of architecture of the Assyrians, Egyptians, Greeks, Ro- mans, Moors, etc, could be easily shipped to St. Louis. There are also other superb models which form part of MT. Smiths plan for the improvement of Washing ton and are already in shape to be ex- hibited. A splendid design, which MT Smith calls the "Agora of the States" has just been completed by him and stands in the entrance hall of the Halls of the Ancients ready to be packed and shipped to St. Louis. Judged solely from an economical viewpoint it would pay to appropriate money for this Agora LOT !t provides, among other things, a hal iI which inauguration balls and great con- ventions could be held. Every four years the pension office Is used for the inaugu- ration ball. Clerks stop work for several weeks and a big appropriation is c9n- sumed in moving out desks, cleaning up and in decorating the temporary ball room. Add the loss of time by hundreds of clerks who, of course, draw their sal aries during their enforced vacation to the amount appropriated every four years for this national Junction. and the result will show the economy of the Agora MT. Smith proposes to build in Washington.
 MT. Smith, a distinguished Bostonian. has studied and traveled extensively for fifty years, making twenty trips into the old world and America Is the richer as a result of his intelligence and labor.
 The Agora is the last and greatest of Mir. Smiths excellent conceptions for the aggrandizement of our nations capital city It was partly suggested by the ''Tabuarium" (offce) of Julius Caesar, entrance to which was gained after six unsuccessful efforts made on different visits to Rome. It is after the style of the Greek Agora (but on a grander scale) described by Pausanias and Vitruvius.
 In the proposed Agora for America will be a vast inaugural court with a rostrum in the center surrounded by halls. col onnades, porches, terraced porticos, and arcades, Sixteenth street running through the center and spanned at one entrance by an arched gateway of classic beauty and dignity. Over the opposite entrance will stand on a four-arched solid base beautiful tower, TOO feet high. modelled after the famous Campanile or bell tower of Giotto (said by Ruslxin to be the most beautiful in the world) in Flor ence, Italy. This great national structure will look straight down the street to the White House only four blocks away. and overlook the United States treasury, and state, war and navy buildings in the immediate neighborhood
 This proposed Agora is to take the place of rows of dilapidated shanties and mean buildings, rotting and unsanitary, standing in the very heart of the city.