Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1907-05-09
WASHINGTON LETTER
Especial Correspondence.1

Ing. The word "restorayion" exactly
fits the case. as Superintendent Elliott
Woods and his capable assistant, Mr
Lynn. working under authority Of an
appropriation made by congress- at TIE
last session, are endeavoring to re
store the building to the state. even as
to details, originally intended. Every
veStige of the paint now on the walls
of Statuary hall in imitation of Italian
marble will he scraped off. and they
will he left in their natural sandstone
finish. More than this, two of the old
stairways which run from Stdtu&YT
hall which until 1859 was the hall Of
the house of rcpr2scntatVcs-to Whist
were formerly the mems galcry and the
women's gallery have been rcdiscov9r-
ed and opened, and the mems gallery
will be restored to its original cOndi-
ton.
Restoring the Capitol.
One reason why this work has been
undertaken was that the restoring OF
the walls of the rotul,da to their nat
ural sandstone finish seems to have
met with universal approval from sou
atOrS. representatives and visitors to
the capitol building. 1t is agreed on all
sides that the rntllnda is Il very much
more beautiful and artistic place than
was the case when the rose tinted sand
stone WAS covered with half Il dozen
layers of paint.
The plans for the restoration Of tHe
capitol also include tie removal Of TIE
paint from the crypt and the pllags
within it.
Purely Grecian In Design.
Statuary hail. when used as the cham
bcr of the house of representatives,
was generally conceded to be the most
beautiful legislative hall in the world.
It is purely Grecan IN its design and
decorations. the outline of the plan he
ing semcircle of nipctysiX feet chord
elongated in it's vertical diameter line
by Il parallelogram ~ feet long by -
feet wide. The hci"ht to the top of the
entablaturc blockiSt is thirty-iive feet
and to the apex Of the dome ceiling
hfty-scven feet. So far as can be Ge-
termincd by sounding and testing, the
entire wall space is of sandstone sim
liar to that in the rotunda.
Marble Polished by Slaves.
The circular colonnade is made up of
fourteen columns and two antes of the
richest COrinthinn proportions. The
shafts are composed of remarkably
beautiful species of vnriegated marble
called Hrcccia. in solid blocks, obtained
from The banks of the Potomac. Il hun
drcd miles or so above the city This
marble is of very remarkable forma-
ton, and the blocks, being of nature
which made it impossible to have them
turned on Il lathe, as is ordinarily the
case, were polished by hand by slave
labor. The capitals are of white ltaI-
ian marble, sculptured after Il speci-
men taken from the temple of Jupiter
Stator at Rome, the most admired
specimen of capitals of this delicate.
beautiful order. The entablature is
after the proportions of that in the
same temple. Ornamcntcd with dcntils
and mcdallions. enriched between and
underneath with leaves and roses. Over
the colonnndes springs the magnificent
painted paneled dome.
Unce Sans Printing Bill.
The government printing bill, witch
amounted to a little over SI.IO0,0OO
last year, will drop to about SJ,1OO,OO0
this year and this in spite of the fact
that Il number of new bureaus have
been established ana several new laws,
So, 10, ln,, tI,
pure food law and the railroad rate
law. which entailed an enormous
amount of printing. have come into
operation. The congressional printing
commission is working out plans for
still further reduction of the printing
bill This commission will sit here
from time to time during the summer
and fall and when congress meets
again will be prepared to recommend
additional reform legislation.
Public Buildings.
About S6,OO0OOO Is to be expended
within the District during the coming
fiscal year in the erection of public
buildings and the continuance of the
work on such structures now under
way Such is the amount of money
provided for those purposes by the ap-
preparation bill which will become eff
fcctive the 1st of July next.
1t is n striking Illustration of the de-
vclopmcnt of the city that this i'm
menSe sum of money to be spent in
brick and stone in order to provide al
ditional housing for the various activi-
ties Of the government is in large part
80 he u.ol in continuing the cOnstruc-
tiou of buildings already begun.
Some Great Structures.
In the list of the appropriations for
the coming year for buildings i'll this
city there are three instances Of
amounts nggregating about $1,0O0O00
each which are merely intended to
complete three structures which are
now in progress. This Is good deal
of money for such n purpose. and II
enables one to form some conception OF
the size and importance Of the build
ings referred to-the National museum.
the senate office building and the house
Office building.
The Agricultural Building.
Another extensive structure. the cost
OF which Is represented not by six fig
ures preceded by the mineral l, but
numerals Q and 2 Is the one that Is