The Oskaloosa herald., 1914-12-10
FROM WASHINGTOND.C.
Russell 5. Henry Writes An Enter
tanning Letter.

to Washington, D. c., the first of last
July TO accept appointment as clerk
in one of the many Offices of the Ma.
Wy Department In that city, writes
an interesting letter home dated No
vember 29th, and which Is published
in part as follows, as many friends,
o. II. S. chums, acquaintance and
associates have inquired about him.
In his letter he mentions Mr.. and
Mrs. Tom Beach, of this city, who
are ON an extended tour of several
months in the East. and who are at
this time spending several weeks in
Washington, ID. c.: 49,
Washington, d. c., Niv. 29.-Dear
Ones at Home: This is Sunday eve
and must not delay longer in writ
ing home for no doubt you have been
looking for letter for some little
time.
/ suppose you want to know what
/ have been doing during my few
days leave. First let me tell you
what we did today. AS usual / at.
tended Sunday school in the morning,
but as soon as that was over | jump
ed on a car, where ! happened to
meet Mr.. and Mrs. Beach. We had
planned for a week or more to at
tend church with President Wilson,
and today was the day. They didn't
go to Sunay school, but / happened
to get on the same car they were
on. We Proceeded on oat to one Of
the suburbs of the city (Mt. Pleas
anti and got to the church just as
Wilson drove up in his car. We
stood still and watched him get out
with his two daughters and 60 in.
They took him- down on one of the
front rows. while We sat about In the
middle. He looks like. fine man
for sure, and just like his picture.
This was the first time l had ever
seen him, and was also the first
time for Beaches. His hair IS iron
gray and bald on top. The church
is not bit bigger than the Chris
plain. 1t is a new building and has
only been built about a couple Of
years. / am enclosing q program
which / received at the church, and
since the address Is given you can
find just where the building Is To-
Gated down near the capital but they
built this new one just before Wilson
became president. The preacher de-
livered a good sermon. The church
has a pipe organ as does nearly
every church in Washington. When
the sermon was over Wilson came
out first and walked right past Rus
sell and could have reached out my
hand and touched him. Beaches en-.
joyed the trip fully as much as I
did, but Mrs. Beach wants to shake
hands with him before she leaves.
Whether she will have this opportun.
ity remains to be seen. As | per-
Aaps told you in my last letter, we
attended Bryan's church last Sunday
evening, but don't suppose Bryan
was there. However, | have seen
him couple of times on the street,
and it doesn't matter much whether
] get to go TO church with him or
not also told you that | met ex-
President Taft on the street one day
not very long ago, so I have seen
about all the big bugs but Roose.
welt. | also told you | saw and heard
Secretary of the Navy Daniels. He
made a speech one evening at Bry-
ans church.
Wednesday, Nov. 25th / spent sight
seeing by myself as there were sew
eral places l had never been to that
Beachs had already seen. In the
morning of that day went first to
the Bureau of Printing and Engrav
ing, where ! saw the paper money
and all the stamps made. They turn
out several millions of dollars every
day there in paper money, and also
about tae same amount Of stamps.
As you perhaps know there is no
mint in Washington, and all the gold
and silver money is made in Philadel-
phia and several other cities over the
country. From this building l went
a couple of blocks over to the agri-
cultural buildings and hunted up
Green and saw where he works.
Then went to the Medical Museum,
which Is very near the Smithsonian
Institute, where | saw all kinds of
skeletons, bones and different parts
of the human body. In here they
SHOW how a bone looks after 1t has
been broken and knitted together,
and what some Of the organs of the
body look like when a person has
died of some disease. From this
building | went over to the fish COM
mission building, where the govern
ment has all kinds of fish. From
this building they distribute fish to
all the lakes over the country. From
here | went to the Lincoln Museum,
which is located in the building
where Lincoln died. Across the
street is the famous Ford Theatre. !
where Lincoln was shot while watch !
ing a play The building Is now
used by the government as an, Office !
building and visitors are not allow. |
ed. When Lincoln was shot he was |
Immediately taken across to the /
nearest dwelling house and placed I
on the bed of one of the roomers.
Here he died the next morning about |
z o'clock. | was in the very room /
and saw the very corner where he
laid and breathed his last. The
same floor and wall paper is still
there. The museum is not owned
by the government, but the building
is. The collection Is one gathered
by an old friend OF Lincoln. and Csc
is charged to go through, but is GER
tainly worth IT, I enjoyed reading
some of the newspaper accounts
which were published the following
dow offor tha kt,,,s s,,,.a 1aa4t l.