The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1906-05-10
TO the Nations Capital
A Brief Account of the Washington Tour,
enjoyed by the Class of 1906, Skow-
High Scuool and their Friends.

At the request OF the REPORTER a
member of the class of 1906 furnishes
the following excellent account of their
recent Journey to and from Washing
ton, D. c J., AMI of the many interesting
scenes and incidents of the trip:
Some two months ago. the Senior
| lass of the Skowhegan High school,
of which | am a member decided al
most unanimously to substitute trip
to Washington for the usual Commence
ment Exercises.
On Friday, April 9th, the Senior class
under the guidance of D. h. Perkins,
principal OF the High School, together
with about twenty-five others, left Show
hogan on the trip to Washington. We
arrived at Boston about 30 O'Clock and
had an hour and a half to see the city.
At @ O'Clock we started for Fall River
where We took the steamship Pilgrim
for New York 1t Was delightful
evening aud all the members of the
party enjoyed themselves immensely.
| At about six o'clock the next morning
we entered East River, wide but slug
gsh stream, the banks OF which are
| lined with wharves At that time In
the morning the harbor is full OF ship
ping and everything be okens great
commercial activity. II was magni-
! ficent sight. The first object OF interest
to come into view was the statue OF
| Liberty, by Bartholdi, an enormous
figure of beaten copper upon a frame
work off iron, now somewhat changed
in color by the action of the ele'
ments, but grandly IMPLYING the free
dom of our glorious republic. A little
above this are two sthpendously large
structures. the Williamsburg and Brook
lyn bridges which serve to illustrate the
greatness of mans ingenuity and power.
At half past eight we arrived at the
Fall River pier and from there crossed
on the Ferry to Jersey City Here we
ate breakfast and then boarded the train
for Philadelphia. Here we renamed
about six hours and while there visited
the U. ). Mint, Liberty Hall and Wana-
makers great department store.
Philadelphia is beautiful city, It's
straight streets reminding one strongly
of Boston's by the dissimiiiarltY. The
Mint is one of the most interesting
places we visited during our trip, for
there we saw gold and silver coins, in
all stages of manufacture from the strips
of bullion to the shining specie. Here
NAUTICAL collections in existence, com
prising coins of all centuries and
countries Rivaling the Mint in interest
ia the old Liberty Hall where the De
claration of Independence was signed.
Here we saw the famous liberty bell
which sounded the knell of tyranny and
proclaimed Liberty throughout the land,
more than century ago. There were
also many relics and memeutoes of OIL
onial times, all of which were extremely
interesting. Having gazed our fill at
these interesting sights we visited wan
amaker's depart ment store, one of the
largest in the world
We left Philadelphia about four
O'Clock and arrived in Washington three
hours later We went directly 10 the
National Hotel where we stayed during
the next four days. Washington is a
beautiful city and all OF us were delight
ed with it. The avenues are broad and
straight as are also the streets, making
it comparatively easy city with which
to become acquainted.
Sunday morning We etroled through
the principal thoroughfares thus obtain
ing a view of the most famous buildings.
and afterwards attended Pres. Roose-
yelt's church, but unfortunately Tor us
the President did not attend. After
lunch we went to the Corcoran Art
Gallery, a magnificent building full of
works of art. One of the most noted OF
the statues, 1.-THE Greek Slave Was
sculptured by New Highlander, Hiram
Powers of Vermont.
Monday morning We visited the tapi
tol through which we were conducted
by an experienced guide 1t is impos-
sible TO conceive the Sublimity, grandeur
and dignity of this huge building of
sandstone and marble, covering more
than three and one half acres. 1t faces
toward the north and is eightytive feet
above the level of the Potomac. The
grandest feature of this building is the
Dome which towers over three hundred
feet from the esplanade. On the Por-
ticoes are enormous statues of marble.
In the center of the Rotunda is round
disk of metal originally the centre OF
the city. The walls of the different
rooms in the Capitol are covered with
freseoes, mosaic mantels, sculptures and
paintings. The National Statuary Hall,
| formerly the Hall of Representatives, IL
filled with edltices of the chosen ones
of each state in marble or bronze. The
! Hall of Representatives is a legislative
chamber unsurpassed by any in the
world. The Senate Chamber is mag
nificent room as is also the supreme
curt Room. BY the kindness of Rep.
Burleigh, we gained admission to the
gallery of the House of Representatives
while that body was in session
In the afternoon we went TO the Con-
gressional Library. The grounds OF the
Library adjoin those of the Capitol and
serve as au excellent setting for the
magnificent structure of white granite
The dome of this building is of copper
with gold leaf The most striking fea-
ture of the library is its Grand stair
| Hall, perhaps the handsomest In the
world 1t is lined throughout with fine
Italian marble, highly polished. The
walls are covered with beautiful sculp
lures of Nympbs. Graces, Greek heroes,
and Demigods This library, called the
grandest in America, well deserves the
name. The mosaic mantel alone cost
thousands of dollars, while the cost OF
the building is something enormous.
After the visit to the Library we went
to see the " ashington Monument. 1t
is five hundred AID fifty feet in height
and can be assembled either on foot or
by the elevator Many of us walked up
lust for the sake of the exercise but
we were glad to reach the top. From
the eight portfolios a view can be had
of the whole city. to distance OF over
twenty-five miles
Through the kindness of Rep Bur