Times-promoter. (Hernando, DeSoto County, Miss.) 1898-1970, 1908-09-18
LETTER FROM WASHINGTON
Maj. DOcksry Tell, Of Interesting Objects
at Nations Capital.
Washington City, Aug. 26, 100


something of Washington in my next
Well, / have seen that city of mag
nifcent distances, but I can't de.
scribe it. 1t is magnificent not only
in distances but in every thing else.
The central depot is the finest as
well as the largest and most substan.
tial depot have ever seen. 1t will
easily hold ten thousand or more
men, women and children, and is
most conveniently arranged for the
comfort of travellers who have to stop
for short time. A car runs con-
stantly from the depot to the street
car lines free to everybody about half
mile. The hacks and the porters
don't like it, but it saves many a dol
lar to the travellers.
After locating myself at a hotel
and taking turkish bath, was very
tired and knew that good rubbing
or bathing in warm water is soothing
and exhilarating, (did you ever take
turkish bath? If you did not, when
you go to Memphis hunt up one and
if it is properly done, you will come
out feeling and capering like a two
year old colt.) Let me explain it:
You go in and deposit your valuables
with the clerk, and you are taken in
charge by strong man, stripped to
his waist, and you are disrobed and
put in an oven or room hot enough to
cook an egg or bake a potatoe it
seemed to me. The door was shut
and you are alone In darkness. The
perspiration begins to flow and in a
few moments you are in profuse
sweat, your man asks you through
the keyhole if you can stand it longer.
When you say no, he takes you into
the vapor room where the steam is
almost scalding hot You dance in
there a minute OF SO, then the fellow
opens the door, takes you into another
room, lays you on a table and begins
the real work. With hair gloves on
he begins with your neck, one hand
going up and the other going down,
with all his might till the body from
the top of the head to the sole of the
feet is gone over. You squirm and
twist. but it does no good, you are in
the hands of one who knows his bus
mess and there is no let up. When
he gets through with you if there is
any cuticle (I believe that is what
the outer or transparent covering of
the skin is called) left it will be hard
to find. Then he takes you into the
shower room and turns several jets
of tepid water on you for few min
utes, then you go into pool of clear
cold water twelve feet square and
five feet deep. You founder in there
as long as you see proper and come
out. You are rubbed dry and laid on
a couch, covered head and foot, you
stay there as long as you like, then
dress. and if you feel like l did you
will be a new man.
Well, the bath over, I started out
to see the sights. / first went to the
Capitol, and what shall I say of it.
Ii Hung Chang, the great Chinese
statesman, said it was the finest
building on earth, and he would not
be satisfied till China had one like it.
don't know it's comparative splen-
1or, but | do know travelled in it,
over it, on it, and under it, about
lalf day and saw something new
ind admirable every where. The
sreat bronze doors give a history of
he country from the discovery to a
ew years back in sculpture and cost
great deal of money. The portraits
ind statues of our great statesmen
re works of fine art. The frescoes .
n the rotunda give a history of the
march of civilization from the land
ng of the Pilgrims to our Civil War
nd is beautiful in design and color
ng. Every part of the immense cap
bol is built of stone and for durability
nd at the same time is artistic, and
hould be typical of our government
strong, great, and beautiful. I went
hen to supper and then to the most
lagnifcent building on the conti-
ent, if not in the world. / am not
n art critic and can't begin to give
n idea of the splendor of the national J
brary. 1t is builtof white marble.
he central dome is covered with
ure gold and shines like the sun on
bright day. Tt covers a whole