Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1905-03-29
My Trip to Washington.

10 say that my "trip TO washington
was enjoyable would be putting it il
a rather mild manner, as the journey
from start to finish was very pleasant
and beneficial to me.
| arrived in Washington about ter
O'Clock Thursday night; Mr.. Hanger
met me at the station and took me
over to the Capitol and into a session
of the House of Representatives, and
pointed out to me the most important
and prominent statesmen. The bill
before the House, was the establish.
ment of courts in New Mexico. and as
it had no special interest to us, we
started for our hotel. We learned the
next morning that the house did not
adjourn until along towards morning.
The next day was Friday, the day
before the inaugural ceremonies. Ii
the morning Messrs. Haugen and Kit.
tlesby and myself walked over to the
White Honse and went through mum.
Der of the rooms occupied by the Presi.
dent and his family. The East Room,
used for receptions, is a very fine
apartment. 1t is very large and fur.
nished in modern style, with all
trimmings and frescoing in gold.
The Blne Room. oval in shape, is
the Presidents reception room. Here
everything possible is done in blue.
On shelf is an old clock, presented
by Napoleon to Lafayette, and il
turn by him to Washington. There
are number of rooms equally a.
pretty and interesting as these two
are, but they appealed to my fancy
as the most striking. The genera
characteristics of the White House
are stately but simple.
We then went through the Patent
the State, War and Navy building
and then out to the navy yards. Here
in the workshops, you can see made
the large guns used in our Navy. ON
gun that they were working on wa
of thirteen inch calibre. 1t weighed
sixty-five tons, cost $3.50, 600, and tt
shoot it once cost the government $500
The shot used in this gun is stee
projectile weighing 100 pounds, OF
one end there is cap made of sOf
metal to keep the shell from glanc
ing off after it has struck a surface
Friday night there was an informl re
ception for the High School boys a
Franklin school, We received our in
structions from committee and haC
a chance to get acquainted with {
number of the boys.
The next day was Saturday, the da,
of the Inauguration and the parade, a
l have described this in the Higl
School room, will not go into detail
about it.
On Sunday we went over to the Con
gressional Library, the crowds here
viewing the library were about a.
large as could be found in Washington
In the afternoon we went out to Arl
ington, the national cemetery. Here
are buried sixteen thousand soldier
who lost their lives in the war will
England and in the Civil War. Every
visitor here registers his names in ,
large book.
On the walls of Arlington House ar,
a number of very interesting relics
chief of which is the original cop,
of Lincoln's Gettysburg address de
livered in 1868.
About as interesting sight a
there is in Washington is the Wash
ington Monument situated ON a sligh
elevation near the Potomac. 1t i
$50 feet high, 90 feet square at TIN
base and "a feet square at the top
From here person can see TO
miles in every direction. The monu
ment is the highest piece of masonry
in the world. The outside walls ar
made of white marble from Maryland
and the interior walls are made o
New England granite. On the inside
are different memorial stones from
different lodges, schools, Temperance
organizations, from every state il
the union and from almost every coun
try in the world.
The Engraving and Printing build
ing is branch of the Treasury Depart
ment. In this building the revenu,
and postage stamps, the paper none,
of the United States and many othe
state documents are printed. Every
morning at nine O'Clock million dol
lars is taken from this building in
steel wagon, guarded by an armed
force of men, over to the Treasury
When the money is received at tn,
Treasury it is given to the Division o
Issue, here the count is verified ant
it is then placed in vaults to remain
for a month or so. Whenever thi
money is put in the vault an equa
amount Of money, that has beef
stored here, is taken out and put il
circulation. Every day there is a mil
lion dollars worth of old money de