The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1906-05-03
WASHINGTON LETTER
G. A. Wood Writes Interesting Des.
Cription of the Capitol Building
at Washington, D. C..

L
Wood, who holds government position
at Washington, and as his former letters
from that city were read with great
| interest by REPORTER readers, we have
secured it for publication.
Washington, ID. c., April II, 1906.
DEAR KID: Anne has told me several
times that you are somewhat interested
I in the Capitol and has asked me to write
you something about it. Therefore |
shall set aside, for the present, all per-
sonalities, discussions of the weather or
the price of rabbits, and get down to
the subject in hand with the hope that
may at least make the story as inter-
esting, if not as long, as that beautiful
serial who Pays the Taxes recently
run" in THE REPORTER.
If DR.. Waight has that overwhelming
desire to see this letter in print | have
but one wish to express and that is that
it be published in the first number of
the new paper at Decatur.
To begin with there is a difference,
you know, between "Capital' and
Capitol. The capital of a country or
state is the city or town where the gen
eral government is carried on, while the
Capitol is the building in which the
congress or Legislature meets to form
laws for the country or state. Thus the
Capital of Iowa is Dcs Moines itself,
while the Capitol is the big building
where Senator Stookey and Representa-
tive Sankey put on the mask Of wisdom
and try to earn the salaries paid them
by the people of Decatur county.
The Capital Of the United States is
the city Of Washington, the location of
which was chosen by President Wash
ington and, of course, bears his name.
1t is the only city in the world designed
for capital and built in the wilderness
in accordance with pre-arranged plans
The District of Columbia, in which
Washington is located, was originally
ten miles square, that much land on
both sides of the Potomac river having
been ceded to the government by the
states of Maryland and Virginia. In
1916 however the land granted on the
Virginia side of the river was re-ceded
to that state, so that now the District is
entirely within the limits of Maryland.
The corner stone of the Capitol build
ing was laid Sept. 1S, 1793-113 years
ago-by. President Washington, with
impressive Masonic ceremonies, and in
1900 the records, archives and furniture
of the young government were. removed
from Philadelphia.
In those days the now great city
wouldn't have made decent suburb to
Leon. Representative John Cotton
Smith at that time reported that penn
sylvania avenue leading. as laid down
on paper, from the Capitol to the Prcsi-
dents mansion was, nearly the whole
distance, deep morass covered with
alder bushes" Gouverneur Morris
wrote about the same time, I'VE want
nothing here but houses, cellars, Kitchens
well informed men, amiable women, and
other trifles Of this kind to make our
city perfect" Now he didn't want very
much did he? 1t would certainly give
the old gentleman a great shock if he
could come back now and see the Penn
sylvania avenue of to-day, as shown in
the pictures we have sent you.
About every so often it seems to be-
come necessary to complete the happi-
ness of certain brands of hare-brained
idiots in various parts of the country
incited by petty jealousy of the time
honored location of the Capital, and
actuated, incidentally (?) by an inordi-
, nate desire to "show" themselves) for
them to rise up and declare that the
seat of government ought to be changed.
! Twenty years ago the howl came from
Centeropolis, Kas., a town long since
forgotten, but which was then "the
center of the township, the center of
) the county, the center of the state, the
center of the country, the center of the
world and the center of the universe
To-Day the "holler' is from Aurora
Missouri, place hitherto hidden from
fame behind the Ozark mountains. 1t is
safe to say, however, that the change
, will not be made to-day, nor tomorrow
nor next week; but that the govern
ment will be at Washington long after
.. Aurora has gone back to the sleep from
which the capital itch awakened her.
August 24th, 1914, some very, very
bad cousins of yours came over from
England under Admiral Cockburn and
destroyed the Capitol with fire. OF
: course this was very unladylike in your
relatives, but in view of the kinship
, shall refrain from expressing my private
opinion of the affair. Any way the
damage was soon repaired; and it will
be some days before another party o.
Britishers have the fun of making bon
:, fire out of our Capitol.
Up to 1927, history says, the cost O
the building had been S2,433,S44.13.
!: can't say what that extra thirteen cents
: "do AO1 AAOI dUlC W Sdy WudU. luS
total cost of the building down to this
! day has been; but you may be sure tina,
any danger of bad luck on account o.
. that odd thirteen cents has long since
: been averted by additions to the figures
3 iof 1927.
The corner stone of the extensions
was laid July 4th, 1851, Daniel Webster
! acting as orator of the day. You know
in those days old Dan was much in de
mand, even as Mr.. McGinnis is to-day
2 and it was thought impossible to lay
! corner stone or hold Fourth of July
l celebration without his help. The wall.
}. of the extensions are built of white
g marble, and the old building, which wa.
constructed of yellow stone, has beer
painted white to match the new parts
, The house of Representative met fol
) the first time in their new hall in thu
. fall of 1857, and the Senate in theirs il
4 the early part of 1858.