Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-20

| humor laughed some of them out of
consideration, yet the very newness of
the country with it's unbounded free
dom must have had it's influence in
the designing Of serious plans. Some
were certainly monstrosities, yet seri-
ously proposed. The Nations lack of
a cultural past, such as Europe pos
sessed. undoubtedly had much to do
with it.
The editor Of the National Intelli-
gencer Of February IL, 1886, went con-
siderably into detail as to his sugges-
ton. There would be "a base of
granite from 20 to 80 feet in elevation,
upon which should be erected sue
cession of temples, narrowing to the
apex and Surmounted by an obelisk
The temples would be circular and
built of American marble, commencing
with the Tuscan order and terminating
with the composite or natural. The
top of the base and each temple
should be surrounded by a balustrade
of marble and the temples by a
colonnade Of 10 pillars. Each temple
should contain inches for the recep-
ton of the statues of the distinguished
men Of the different States and built
in part, of the stone brought from the
States, so that each State may have
the honor of contributing to this
great monument in materials as well
as in funds"
1t was a strange affair that this
editor had in mind. 1t was apparent
that not only was the monument to
be high, but a temple of fame as we'll,
deeply symbolical. For he continued
with his suggestion:
The caps of the columns of the
Corinthian and Composite orders to
be Ornamented with tobacco, cotton
and wheat plants and the tassel and
ear of the Indian corn to give it the
character Of nationality. and the body
Of the temples with the devices Of the
respective States. A solid shaft to be
erected in the center of the monument,
from the foundations to the top of the
highest temple, narrowing like a
pyramid and supporting the obelisk.
The space between the shaft and the
exterior walls of the temples to be
divided into apartments and appropri-
ated to such purposes as the board
of managers shall designate. The
staircase to be connected with the
shaft at the foundation Of which
should be cast an iron sarcophagus
for the remains of Washington, and
at the entrance a statue of him in
marble or bronze. The whole eleva-
ton to be upward of 500 feet. The
design would cost in it's execution
about s1,000,000 and would be the
highest edifice in the world, and the
most stupendous and magnificent
monument ever erected to man."
The latter part of his editorial was
expressive of the temper of the Ma
ton. Whatever the form of the mon
ument. all agreed that it was to be
the most magnificent and the most
StupendOuS ever erected"
Another suggestion, published on
January l, 1884, described that which
a large group of people would wish
to see erected" 1t was to be a tomb
over Washington's grave, triangular
shaped, $50 feet high. $50 feet at the
base and built of the most durable
materials, so that 1t would stand for a
thousand ages"
1t was the purpose of another writer
that the Capital City itself should be
the monument, Ito be adorned at suit
able places. in different sections; the
first to Columbus, the second to honor
and perpetuate the memory of the
aborigines, to be called the Indian, on
which statue of one of the most
celebrated chiefs known to their his
tory to be placed in his native cos
tune. - The third to be in the
memory of Franklin and the fourth
to the memory of Lafayette"
If this individual, representing some
group, could see the present city of
Washington, he would certainly find
monuments at suitable places, in diff
ferent sections"
X X X
THUS the battle continued to rage
with group challenging group as
to whether the monument to Wash
ington was to be a pyramid, or
great mausoleum, or a mound of
earth, or a great cavern. In 1900 a