Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1913-08-27
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
MIR. Wright Writes Of His Re-
cent Sojourn of Several
Days in Historic City
of Washington.
Editor of The Advertiser:


stopped over for four days in Wash
ington (Called The Beautiful City
of Distance) spent one day look
ing at the grounds, beautiful trees,
fine walks green grass an3 lovely
gardens of the Capitol, where the
roses never fade and where the
flowers never cease to bloom. The
city is 80 beautiful, 80 grand and
clean; and | shall always be glad
that I stopped where there are SO
many wonderfully interesting things
to see and admire, and at Mt. Yer
non, the home of the father of this
wonderful country of ours. And
Arlington the home of our mighty
chieftain, Gen. Robt. E. Lee, per-
haps their spirits hover there still.
And as I wondered here and there
looking at the many things that met
my gaze my guide asked me if this
was my first trip to the capital
city, yes, said, but don't you tell
that to anybody.
The Washington monument is 55
feet at its base and reaches almost
to the clouds sos feet high, it takes
twelve minutes to reach the top iu
an elevator, as reached the pipacle
and looked out over this great city
and the grand old Potomac flowing
hard by, l could only say, My
country tits Of thee | sing" / was
told by my guide that on the inside
wall of this monument there is
stone from every civilized na-
tion in the world.
The War, State, Navy buildings,
the agriculture department, and the
:bnreau of;engrszing Worth VI e,
Y, H. = =
ment there are hundreds oi hands
making green backs, like shslling,
corn, which was a wonder to fell
low like me who had never seen the
like, and as l looked at the stacks
of bills piled up of all denomina-
tions, like the fox with the grapes,
I didn't want them nohoV.
l was somewhat disappointed
when / got to the White House, it
was not as magnificent as l expect
ed to see, though the grounds are
simply grand.
The national museum is some
shing that every boy and girl should
see. Everything that ever lived al
most, can be seen there and looks
as perfect and life.like as they did
when they walked and crawled
through the jungle or flew through
the forest, but there is no life in
them. Four miles from the city is
located the Geological park where
you may see every animal, fish.
fowl, and reptile that you looked at
in the museum, but all live and
move and have their being that you
see at the Geological park.
At the treasury department my
guide showed me the money vaults.
Silver vault No. /, is 50 feet long,
81 feet wide and y feet high, it
contains Sill, 10000 standard sill
yer dollars.
Gold and silver vault No. 2, con-
tainS s3,OOo,O00 in gold. and $751;
600, 600 in silver.The money in both
v.ults weighs over 5000 tons, and
would take l25 freight cars TO hold
it. From this room there is paid
out on an average of S3,0o0,O00 a
day. Last year over 81 900, 200, 900
was paid out. The bonded bank
vault contains 1858, 100000 worth
OF bonds to secure bank note circu-
lation. The largest bank is the Ma
tional Bank of Commerce in New
York, worth over 100000 in Gil
culation. The gold and silver is
soon to be counted. That is done BY
weight, the scales being 80 very acu-
rate that you may put sheet of pl-
per on the scales and it will tell
how much it weighs, then write
your name on the same sheet and
you will know how much your name
weighs, 50 says my guide. Now he is
paid by the government, guess he
is good authority. There are $1,000
souls employed by the government
in the city of Washington.
The Congressional Library is the
most wonderful building that !
have ever looked at. 1t cost S.. 000,-
900 to build it and was eight
years in building, and it occupies
three and one-half acres of ground,
which cost $35o,O0o. This bui1din"
stands at distance of 1870 fee,