Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-31
MAY SEND STONES
Four States Have No Part in
Washington Monument.
ROOM TO BE GIVEN THEM
F. L. Harvey Explains Requisites
for Such Gifts.
ALASKA TO BE HEARD FROM
Oklahoma, Colorado, Washington
and Texas Not Yet Represented
in Great Shaft.
ROOM TO BE GIVEN Then
ALASKA TO BE HEARD FROl

the Union every one Of them is repre-
sented with a stone in the Washington
Monument, with the exception of Okla
homa. Colorado, Washington, Texas,
North and South Dakota" f. l.. Harvey,
secretary Of the Washington National
Monument Society, explains. "In the
case of the Dakotas the stone was placed
there before the division Of the old terri
tory, SO l presume it will stand for both
the present states. In the case of the
others there is no reason why they should
not have appropriate stones there as we'll
as the other states
In speaking Of the stones and tablets
donated to the Monument society, Mr..
Harvey stated, contributions of this char
acter would come in time from Alaska.
Hawaii, Porto Rico and the Philippines.
What was principally desired at the pres
ent time was the completion Of the state
representation within the bounds of the
Atlantic and Pacific and Mexico and
Canada. The two territories within these
limits, New Mexico and Arizona, he said,
were represented each with q fine piece
Of marble.
Expects States to Send Stones.
cit seems reasonable to expect in the
cases Of Oklahoma. Texas, Colorado and
will make an effort to be represented.
without unnecessary delay. especially in
view of the fact that foreign nations are
represented. some Of them for a number
of years past. 1t would seem that the
placing Of stones by the unrepresented
states should be a patriotic duty
The one essential in placing state stones
In the Monument Is that 1t must come as
q gift from the state itself and be paid
for from state funds. In the case of Col
orado. the secretary of the society said,
efforts had been made from time to time
by societies and organizations to place a
stone in the name of that state, but such
offers had been declined.
1.-The stone or tablet must in fact be a
donation of the state,'' he said. 1T Is
to carry out the idea of state sovereignty
and the formation Of the Union.''
Michigan's Copper Block.
All state stones are of uniform length
and width. with depth sufficient to place
them along the interior walls of the Mon
uinent without adding weight Or compro-
missing the original plans of the design
ing engineers. They may be of any va
riety Of stone with bas relief carvings or
plates of metal containing appropriate
inscriptions. The only exception is Mich
igan, which is represented by copper
block Of the regulation size. four by two
leCls Will ZIG SIdlc COdI VI anu
the motto in silver bas relief.
Practically all stones donated by states,
cities or foreign nations contain their
coats of arms and the mottos. either en-
or out of the stones. Many Of them
are artistic and add to the historic and
sentimental attractions OF the Monument.
Among the handsomest state stones in
the Monument at the present time are
| those presented by Nevada, of granite
with a raised coat Of arms and motto in
silver: New York. Of marble with the
coat of arms in bas relief; Massachusetts,
Pennsylvania. Maryland, Virginia, Ken
lucky and Illinois. Attractive stones
from cities are those Of Baltimore. Wash
ington, Boston, Newark. Philadelphia
and Richmond. Owing to pr0Dab ility that
in time every city of any size III the
Union would offer stone for the monu-
ment, and eventually number more than
the society could place satisfactorily. the
presentation by cities was discouraged a
number Of years ago.
Gifts of Foreign Countries.
Artistic stones and tablets presented by
foreign countries include those from
Japan, China, Greece, Wales, Germany
and Turkey. Among these is one from
Napoleon's tomb at st. Helena.
1t is a curious fact that few stones have
come from the Roman Catholic countries
OF southern dAu AOdIA LaiiiCA ia"
What may be called the cause OF this
failure is the fate Of what was known as
the 'pope's stone March 5. 1855. For
several years previous to this date there
had been a great deal of agitation by
anti Catholics known as the American
know nothing party" The agitation in
Washington reached its height shortly
after the "pope's stone" arrived and Gull
minated when d number of the partisans
broke into a shed where the stone was
stored and either stole or destroyed it.
The affair was regretted by the less
violent members of the party and the
citizens in general as rejecting on the
nation. Subsequent Investigations failed
to show who the guilty persons were or
what became of the stone. The inscrip-
ton on 1t was simply the word Rome"
and WAS intended not only to commemo-
rate the city as a seat OF the papacy.
but as memorial to achievements of the
ancient empire In the various arts and
sciences.