Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1916-10-25
y '3' .l' Il IL Il !. + !. !. J. !. .l
THE y
NATIONAL CAPITAL. -

Editor Keowee Courier: want to
| tell the readers Of The Courier Of nv
sojourn Of several days in the historic
city Of Washington (called the City
of Magnificent Distances.)
| | spent one day looking at the
grounds, beautiful trees, fine walks,
green grass and lovely gardens,
where the roses never fade and
where the flowers never cease to
bloom. The city is so beautiful, so
grand and so clean! So many won
derful things to see and admire! And
at Mount Vernon, the home Of the
father of this wonderful country Of
ours, and Arlington, the home Of our
mighty chieftain, Gen. Robert E.
Lee-perhaps their spirits hover
there still. And as / wandered 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" l said, ''but
don't you tell that to anybody"
The Washington monument is SIS
feet at its base and reaches almost
to the clouds-555 feet high. 1t
takes twelve minutes to reach the
top In an elevator. AS I reached the
pinnacle and looked out over this
| SiSA' VIZ anu thS 81 anu olu IOIOlnac
moving hard by, I could only eX-
claim. "My country, it's of thee
sing On the inside wall OF this
monument there is a stone from
every civilized nation in the world.
The War, State and Navy build
ings, the Agriculture Department
and the Bureau Of Engraving, are
worth while seeing. In the Engrav-
ing Department there are hundreds
OF men and women making green
backs almost as fast as shelling corn.
which was wonder to fellow who
had never seen the like; and rs I
looked at the stacks Of bills piled
up, OF all denominations, like the
fox that saw the grapes high up on
the vines, II didn't want them no
how"
was somewhat disappointed
when I got to the White House; it
was not as magnificent as expected
to see, though the grounds are sim
ply grand.
The National Museum is something
that every American boy and girl
should see. Everything that ever
lived, almost, can be seen there, and
they look as perfect and life-like as
they did when they walked and
prowled 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 one may
see every animal, fish, fowl and rep
tile that you see in the museum, but
all "live and move and have their be-
ing"
AT the Treasury Department my
guide showed me the money vaults
Silver vault No. is 80 feet long, 81
feet wide and 10 feet high: it con-
tains $11 100000 standard silver
dollars. Gold and silver vault No. 2
contains $3,000,000 in gold and $751;
00O,O0 In silver. The money in
both vaults weighs over 5000 tons,
and would take 125 freight cars to
hold 1t. From this room there Is
paid out on an average Of $3,000,-
600 day. The bonded bank vault
bonds to secure bank note circula-
ton. The largest Is the National
Bank Of Commerce, in New York,
worth over s9,O00,0 900 in circulation.
When the gold and silver is counted
1t Is done by weight. the scales being
81 very accurate that you may put n
sheet OF paper on the scales and It
WI III how much 1T weighs; then
write your name on the same sheet
and you will know how much your
name weighs.
So says my guide. He Is paid by
the government, and | guess no Is
good authority. Senator Tillman
handed him over to me, and said,
Write what You please; he will
give you the facts
There are $4,000 souls employed
by tine government in the city Of
! Washington.
j. Russell Wright.
| Seneca, S. G..