Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-03-17
Supplement- to
WOOD COUNTY REPORTER
Thursday, March II, 1910.
tHAN0VER" WRITES ALL
ABOUT WASHINGTON, D. C.
A. L. Fontaine, Editor, Reporter.

A. L.. Fontalne, Editor, Reporter.
Dear SIR wish I were GIFTED With
an abnormal gift of languages so that
l could give you faint idea on pa
per. as to the wonderful things to
. be seen in, this marvellous city. l
will do the best l can however, and
will try and give you a good account
of experiences during the short time
have been here.
The planning and laying out of
Washington was the conception Of
master mind and is one of the great
sest Of engineering feats. All the
streets run northeast and northwest
Those running north from the Capt.
toll are named after letters, such
as G, ST. n. W. and G, ST., n. E.,
and south from the Capitol S. e. and
s. w. The streets running parallel
30 the Capitol are numbered Second
st. N. w, Second st. N. E., ETC.,
and just the opposite on the other
side so you can see that it Is very
easy to find ones way here. L wish
our city engineer could take a look
at the city. know he would marvel
at the beautiful way it is laid out.
Pennsylvania Avenue the dividing
street between the two sides of the
city on the north is. one of the fin
est thoroughfares in the world. 1t
is about 200 feet wide, all asphalt
paved, and runs north from the Capt.
toll It presents a beautiful sight
when lit up at night with hundreds
of arc lamps.
One of the peculiar things I MOTTO
ed about this city is the entire alb
sence of elecrtic light and telephone
wires. One can walk along all the
big streets here without seeing a
wire Of any kind, not even a trolly
wire. In my opinion, this is a good
thing as it greatly enhances the beau
ty Of the city by doing away with
'unsightIy poles and wires, and also lie
sens the liability of possible injury
from live wires, etc.
ProportionaIly this city has a
larger cOlored population than any
city in the United States. The pop
ulatiOn is estimated at about $50, 900
Of whom 100000 or nearly one third
are negroes. They are, as a RUS
well dressed and courteous and quite
SnteIllgent, many of them holding
responsible positions, in the govern
nent service, and are without doubt
IN a more advanced state of ciyiliza-
lion than their more ignorant brethren
farther south,
l started in to work Saturday morn
ing as a stenographer in the Super
Visor's Correspondence Department
OF the Census office. The work is
easy and pleasant, the hours of Ia
Dor short and | find the company of |
my fellow workmen very congenial. |
There are about 1000 employees in |
the Census Office at present. con-
siderable part of whom are girls. In
fact, | am literally surrounded by
pretty maidens and the time does
mot hang very heavily on my hands.
There are quite number Of negroes
working in this office, some of them
holding very good positions, 1 saw
MIR, La Vigne and had pleasant
visit with him. He holds a very re-
sponsible position and is very popu-
lar with his fellow workmen.
The weather here has been ideal
for the past few days. the thermom-
eter sometimes registering over 20
degrees, which would be considered
June weather in Wisconsin. There
isn't particle of ice or snow any
where and the grass is fresh and
green in the parks. 1t seems funny
TO see men going about with heavy
winter overcoats on while l am per-
spring clad in the very lghtest of
raiment. but I suppose that is char
acteristic of the natives Of this sec
tion of our broad domain.
/ went up to the top of the Wash
ington Monument on Friday. This
great structure is $50 feet from the
ground so feet wide and Is feet thick
at the base and 95 feet wide and one
and ,one-half feet thick at the top.
A large elevator capable Of d accom-
modating 80 people makes the trip
to the top three or four times an hour
There are a couple of small openings
on each Of the four sides of the mon
ument from which wonderful view
of the city and the Potomac River ca
be had 1t is not often that one has
the opportunity of getting a compact
view of city Of this size from a
sheer height of over 500 feet and I
want to assure you that the panor-
anna unfolded is beautiful in the ex-
IRENE and I would advise anyone from
Grand Rapids, who is contemplating
making a trip to this city not to miss
going up in the Washington Mon
ument
great deal, (today being Sunday tax
ing in the sights, and as a conse-
uuen,e feel unite tired ont so will