Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1921-02-18

the servant to remind him that it time to go
by leading up the horse and handing the bride
reins to him. The members of Washingtons
family, the local historian relates, always came
up in large coach drawn by four horses if the
roads were heavy. Not infrequenty neighbors
We're guests in the coach.
Another fayorite rendezvous in Alexandria for
sightseers is the room occupied by the Masonic
lodge named for Washington. This lodge still
fourishes There one may look upon the chair
in which Washington sat when he presided over
the lodge of which he was MASTER also the Ma
sonic apron he wore, his wedding gloves, a pair
of spurs he wore. a pruning knife he used on
the Mount Vernon plantation, and a penknife
which his mother gave him when he was boy.
And there is to be seen in the old lodge room the
last authentic painting of him, pastel from life
made by William Williams of Philadelphia.
Another old Washington landmark in Alexan-
dria is the Carlyle house. This structure was
there when Washington was young In
colonial days 1t was one Of the best-known hotels
in Virginia. The fine folks Of the Old Dominion
gathered there for balls and dinners and for good
times generally. and Washington, the local his
torians say, was present at any unusual event.
General Braddock had his headquarters in the
old hotel when he was proceeding against the
French and Indians. Making ones way back to
the capital city the Alexandria Arlington
road numerous landmarks may be seen. This
highway leads by Arlington the resting place of
the nations heroes, and to Georgetown.
AS this old highway brings the traveller around
the brow of a hill four miles southwest of the
national capital the Washington monument looms
up across the low land and the Potomac river.
From no point in the environs of the national
capital does the monument appear TO greater ad-
vantage-a magnificent reminder of the good
works of one typical American. This monument
is a fitting companion piece for the great me-
mortal to Abraham Lincoln soon to be dedicated
he of hn "
other of the saviour of the Republic.
Many projects were discussed before the Wash
ington monument conceived and work on it
begun. At the close of the Revolution the Con
tinental congress recommended the erection of an
equestrian statue to Washington. Immediately
after his death the congress- sitting in PLiIadel-
pha, voted to erect monument under which
he should be buried. Another project was to make
the Capitol building memorial to him. Tray-
eers may 10 this day have peep at a vauted
chamber directly under the rotunda of the Capitol
which was designed as a resting place for the
body of Washington
The Washington monument is the most con-
spicuous work of man at the national capital
The dome of the Capitol and dome of tie Con
gressonal library and the Lincoln memorial
stand out with holiness, but the monument over
tops them ON clear day the monument may
be seen fronS the crest of the Blue Ridge noun.
tains As miles away The memorial had its In.
ception i'm the minds of patriotic people who
formed the washington Memorial association. II
was proposed TO charge membership fee of 81
and the money thus contributed was to be used
In the erection of suitable monument to the
hero of the Revolution. The money came In
slowly and II looked at times If this project
too would have to be abandoned.
Finally in 1S4S congress voted a site. The
spot chosen had been marked by Washington
himself as a monument TO the Revolution which
be hoped would sometime be built. The work OF
erecting the monument proceeded slowly 1t had
reached height of lis feet when the Civil wal
came on 1t was rooted over and stood untouched
until 1876 whca congress again took hold and un
der the spur of congressional action was com
pleted in 1881.
The height Of the monument is $50 feet ana
inches From the lookout the top the view Of
the national capital and its environs fascinates
million persons year
OTHER unpreteatious memorials Of Washington
are 10 he seen III the national capital.