The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1908-09-09

from prophesying growth or ut
things for It, he sometimes goes cat
of his way to contradict such prop. p
cies when made by others. His tote'
east about Washington, for instan >
clashes directly with the then curre0
cxpectations, and after acknowled&l
it's quality as a city of 'magnihcehi ii
teutions' he winds mp sorry desc
ton of it as it was in 1872 with W.
words, Such as it Is, 1t is llKeiN ~
remain. The blindness, which IN td.5
instance seems so particularly Grass
pervades as matter of fact all MS
notes nor was 1t peculiar to lfeRehs
among travellers of that time, and the
turbulent spreadeagleism' which used
to startle them so must surely have
been to some extent reaction against
such foreign lack of foresight-~a pro
test on behalf Of national creed
which had been called in question.
Dickens dubs Washington mon
ument raised to a deceased project
with not even a legihle description to
record its departed greatness. Notu-
ing impresscs one more to-day than
tho vitality Of he project, renewed
and modified, of course the aims OF
which seem almost more real than me
results already achieved. As orc
looks out over the beautiful prospect
from the terrace Of the capitol one can
really feel The plan emerging Rfael
aUy through the existing material, ana
the last idea likely TO occur to ono
about the latter even now would be;
Such as II is. it is likely to remain
III is notable in this view that the
obolisk. despite its giant height, docs
NOT appear dis~ordaut AS the kh'l
tower. for instance does at Paris, but
quite In harmony with the emerginS
r1an. Ii is countcrbalauced by tue
ample proportions Of Pennsylvania
avenue. and these two features iogeth'
cr with the capitol itself set the scale
10 which all the rest is cnniormlng
Such huge structure as the ne"
union station again rears its whit
arches against the sky without appear
ing al all too large or salient since
If observes the proportions OF the
scheme: while the treasury. on the
other hand, though no mean building
falls below the Keynote and is made
1uate for its place in the fugue OF
the avenue. Size is in the air NJ
Washington and when the project Is
complete a city of monumental pal
aces will exist
"The hordos Of tourists from all
over the country thronging the streets
and BUILDINGS. guidebooks in hand are
to themselves pledges enough OF tho
future accomplishment. The whole
nation evidently cntCrtains lively
pride ambition and solicitudc for the
rrorress of the city. making fond pill
orimagcs To see how 1t is getting on
and noting every step. Given the
wealth and enterprise Of these inter
asted parties. the result is a toregone
conclusion and some day Washington
IS quite likely TO 'stagger humanity.
one is tempted to think of the view
from the terrace Of great scheme
realizing itself in material still partly
crude and unsightly, as symbolical OF
the state of the country.
The capital is fortunate In its nat
u~al situation. with its yariously
curved river front and picturesque
frame Of wooded hills. resembling
vaguely the site of Paris on the right
bank Of the Seine. with the ridges of
Ncudou and 81 Cloud brought in clos
or and the quarter on the left bank
turned into fields.
The great square on the far side of
the capitol. surrounded by its farfung
facade. by the library of congress and
the new white buildings 10 the right
and left and with others doubtless rs
noble about to rise, promises TO be.
come the handsomest in the world. Its
only rivals. think. will be the Place
dc la Concorde in Paris and the Pi-
szza of ST Peters in Rome.