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AT WASHINGTON — EAST FRO: 
 
A SOUVENIR OF THE AMERICAN CAPITAL, 
 
 Picturesque 
 
 WASH INGTON: 
 
 Pen and Pencil Sketches 
 
 Of its Scenery, History, Traditions, Public and Social Life, with Graphic 
 Descriptions of the Capitol and Congress, the White 
 House and the Government Departments, 
 
 Together with Artistic Views at Mount Vernon, a Map of the City of 
 Washington, and Diagrams of the Halls of Congress. 
 
 By Joseph West Moore. 
 
 Providence ; J. A. & R. A. Reid, Publishers. 
 
 1887. 
 
 Copyright by J. A. 8 c R. A. Reid. 
 
MRS. GROVER CLEVELAND, 
 
 Present Mistress of the White House. 
 
ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 BY THE FOLLOWING ARTISTS : 
 
 S. S. Kilburn, 
 Frank Myrick, 
 Schell & Hogan, 
 A. B. Shute, 
 
 F. B. Schell, 
 R. Sayer, 
 
 A. C. Warren, 
 A. L. Bodwell- 
 
 Engraved by S. S. Kilburn, Boston. 
 
<1I7.S3 
 
 D\ 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 
 
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 In the following pages the author has endeavored to narrate 
 clearly and accurately the interesting story of the capital of the 
 American Nation — how it has grown in the less than one hundred 
 years of its existence from an unpromising settlement to be a bright, 
 delightful, and prosperous city ; a capital worthy of the Nation that 
 has become in about the same length of time one of the grandest 
 and most powerful in the world. 
 
 With the story of the development and present appearance of the 
 city, it has been the purpose to give the fullest and most authentic 
 particulars of all the institutions of the government within its borders, 
 how they were established, how they are now conducted, and numer- 
 ous details of national affairs, which it is believed will be of interest 
 and importance to every American. The aim has been to present in 
 simple, attractive form the information that readers would be most 
 likely to desire concerning the city of Washington and the great 
 departments of the government ; to make the volume one of thor- 
 ough, competent reference, as well as of pleasant reading. 
 
 Picturesque Washington is therefore offered to the public with 
 the hope that it will prove acceptable to those who know and admire 
 
8 
 
 picturesque WASHINGTON. 
 
 the National City, and also to those who are desirous of becoming 
 acquainted with it and its many objects of interest. The illustrations 
 comprise the prominent features of the city and environs, and the 
 government edifices. They have been carefully executed, from 
 special drawings, by a number of the most skillful engravers in the 
 country. 
 
 In preparing this work the best authorities have been consulted, 
 the writer has visited and thoroughly inspected every place described, 
 and bas also received most valuable assistance in gathering informa- 
 tion from many high officials of the government. 
 
 More than fifty years ago an eloquent writer penned these lines : 
 “The Nation has founded a city that bears and will transmit to pos- 
 terity the name of Washington and his renown. It is a living, in- 
 telligent monument of glory, and will reflect, as it grows in wealth 
 and splendor, the inestimable consequences resulting to the country 
 from his martial qualities and patriotic virtues.” 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER I . 
 
 THE WASHINGTON OF TO-DAY A BEAUTIFUL CITY OF PARKS AND 
 
 PALACES ITS LOCATION ON THE POTOMAC RIVER THE DISTRICT 
 
 OF COLUMBIA EARLY TRADITIONS AND HISTORICAL STATEMENTS 
 
 SELECTION OF THE FEDERAL TERRITORY A REMARKABLE 
 
 PIECE OF POLITICAL HISTORY, PaGES I7-25 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 FOUNDING THE NATIONAL CAPITAL l’eNFANT’s PLAN OF WASHING- 
 TON THE ORIGINAL PROPRIETORS OF THE LAND A LOVELY 
 
 HEIRESS, AND HER WOOERS REMOVAL OF THE SEAT OF GOVERN- 
 MENT TO THE CAPITAL CITY HISTORICAL SKETCHES THE 
 
 BRITISH INVASION PECULIAR MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF THE 
 
 EARLY DAYS GRADUAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE CITY THE CIVIL 
 
 WAR, . . ■ Pages 27-47 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 GROWTH OF WASHINGTON SINCE 187O THE IMPROVEMENTS OF THE 
 
 BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS — A WONDERFUL TRANSFORMATION, 
 CAUSED BY THE EXPENDITURE OF TWENTY MILLIONS CHARAC- 
 TERISTICS OF THE QUEENLY POTOMAC CITY ITS GOVERNMENT, 
 
 POPULATION, AND BUSINESS THE SPACIOUS STREETS AND AVE- 
 NUES, FINE PARKS AND SQUARES STATUES TO WAR HEROES 
 
 LONG BRIDGE THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT, . . . PaGES 49-67 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THE CAPITOL ADOPTION OF THE PLAN LAYING OF THE CORNER- 
 STONE BY PRESIDENT WASHINGTON THE ARCHITECTS PARTIAL 
 
 DESTRUCTION OF THE EDIFICE BY BRITISH TROOPS THE OLD 
 
 CAPITOL THE PRESENT MAJESTIC EDIFICE ITS GREAT DOME, 
 
 STATUE OF FREEDOM, BRONZE DOOR, AND STATUARY THE EAST- 
 ERN AND WESTERN PARKS NAVAL MONUMENT THE BOTANICAL 
 
 GARDEN VIEW FROM THE CAPITOL DOME, .... PaGES 69-87 
 
lO PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 CHAPTER V . 
 
 INTERIOR OF TIIE CAPITOL THE ROTUNDA ITS HISTORICAL PAINT- 
 INGS AND CANOPY THE NATIONAL STATUARY HALL STATUES 
 
 CONTRIBUTED BY THE STATES THE SUPREME COURT OF THE 
 
 UNITED STATES THE COURT CHAMBER FAMOUS JUSTICES AND 
 
 INTERESTING COURT CUSTOMS THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
 DETAILS OF THE VAST NATIONAL COLLECTION OF BOOKS, PaGES 89-IO5 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES ITS FIRST SESSION IN THE 
 
 CAPITAL CITY THE OLD HALLS OF LEGISLATION QUAINT CUS- 
 
 TOMS OF BY-GONE DAYS — GREAT STATESMEN AND THEIR CHARAC- 
 TERISTICS ANECDOTES AND PERSONALITIES THE PRESENT 
 
 HOUSES OF CONGRESS SENATE AND HOUSE EXTENSIONS OF THE 
 
 CAPITOL, Pages 107-121 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 CONGRESS CONTINUED — MANNER OF LEGISLATION IN BOTH HOUSES 
 
 THE ENORMOUS COST OF A SESSION HOW MILLIONS ARE SPENT 
 
 SENATORIAL SKETCHES A GLANCE AT THE HOUSE OF REPRE- 
 SENTATIVES CLAIMANTS AND LOBBYISTS THE CONGRESSIONAL 
 
 RECORD THE DISTRIBUTION OF PUBLIC DOCUMENTS, PaGES I23-135 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 THE WHITE HOUSE HISTORICAL SKETCH DESCRIPTION OF THE 
 
 BUILDING AND GROUNDS THE MAGNIFICENT STATE APARTMENTS 
 
 LIFE IN THE PRESIDENTIAL MANSION THE PRESIDENT AND HIS 
 
 OFFICIALS STATE DINNERS, FETES, AND RECEPTIONS FORMER 
 
 PRESIDENTS AND THEIR WIVES — SKETCHES AND ANECDOTES, 
 
 Pages 137-150 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 THE WHITE HOUSE CONTINUED SKETCHES OF THE PRESIDENTS AND 
 
 THEIR MANNER OF LIVING THE BRILLIANT SOCIAL EVENTS DIS- 
 
 TINGUISHED WOMEN WHO HAVE PRESIDED OVER THE HOUSEHOLD 
 
 SCENES AND INCIDENTS FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE CENTURY 
 
 TO THE PRESENT TIME, PaGES 151-166 
 
 CHAPTPIR X. 
 
 THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND THE 
 
 OFFICIALS VARIOUS DIVISIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT STATE, 
 
CONTENTS, 
 
 II 
 
 WAR, AND NAVY BUIDDING ANCIENT RECORDS THE DIPLOMATIC 
 
 AND CONSULAR SERVICE FOREIGN LEGATIONS AT THE CAPITAL 
 
 THE ORIENTAL AMBASSADORS DIPLOMATIC FETES, PaGES 167-I74 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT THE IMMENSE STOREHOUSE OF THE 
 
 GOVERNMENT FUNDS PRINCIPAL SUB-DIVISIONS - — ■ SECRETARY OF 
 
 THE TREASURY AND HIS WORK THE TREASURY “ AUTOCRAT ” 
 
 THE MASSIVE MONEY- VAULTS COUNTING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS — 
 
 SINGULAR FACTS OF THE REDEMPTION DIVISION MANUFACTURING 
 
 THE NATIONAL CURRENCY THE SECRET SERVICE TREASURY 
 
 TRANSACTIONS, PaGES 175-1S8 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 WAR AND NAVY DEPARTMENTS THE VARIOUS DIVISIONS HEAD- 
 
 qUARTERS OF THE ARMY THE MILITARY FORCE ARMY MEDICAL 
 
 MUSEUM THE WEATHER BUREAU AND ITS MODE OF OPERATION 
 
 THE soldiers’ HOME NAVAL AFFAIRS THE NAVY YARD 
 
 THE NATIONAL OBSERVATORY, PaGES 1 89-303 
 
 CHAPTER XIII . 
 
 THE POST-OFFICE DEPARTMENT ORGANIZATION OF THE POSTAL SER- 
 VICE THE CONTRACT DIVISION BIDDING FOR THE “ STAR ” 
 
 ROUTES THE DEAD-LETTER OFFICE ITS PECULIAR WORK AND 
 
 ITS WORKERS MONEY-ORDER OFFICE POSTAL FACTS AND 
 
 FIGURES, Pages 205-2 1 1 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR THE PATENT-OFFICE AND MUSEUM OF 
 
 MODELS THE PENSION-OFFICE ITS ENORMOUS EXPENDITURE 
 
 AND BUSINESS GENERAL LAND OFFICE HOW THE PUBLIC LANDS 
 
 ARE DISPOSED OF BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS BUREAU OF 
 
 EDUCATION, Pages 213-224, 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE UNITED STATES COURTS DEPARTMENT OF 
 
 AGRICULTURE THE MUSEUM AND PLANT-HOUSES THE GROWING 
 
 AND DISTRIBUTION OF SEEDS EXPERIMENTS IN AGRICULTURE 
 
 THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION AND ITS WORK NATIONAL MU- 
 SEUM THE GREAT COLLECTIONS OF NATURAL AND INDUSTRIAL 
 
 PRODUCTS GOVERNMENT PRINTING-OFFICE, . . PaGES 225-237 
 
12 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 SKETCHES OF CITY LIFE THE FASHIONABLE QUARTER PALATIAL 
 
 MANSIONS THE ROUND OF SOCIAL FESTIVITY OFFICIAL AND 
 
 SOCIETY ETIQITETTE THE GOVERNMENT CLERKS CUSTOMS OF 
 
 THE PUBLIC SERVICE THE NEGRO POPULATION ODD CHARAC- 
 TERS AND WAYS OF LIVING, PaGES 239-250 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 CITY INSTITUTIONS CORCORAN GALLERY OF ART THE LOUISE HOME 
 
 PROMINENT CHURCHES AND SCHOOLS CONVENT OF THE VISI- 
 TATION THE PUBLIC MARKETS PI.ACES OF AMUSEMENT, HOTELS, 
 
 BENEVOLENT INSTITUTIONS, ETC. MASONIC TEMPLE ODD FEL- 
 LOWS’ BUILDING THE CEMETERIES GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF 
 
 CITY AFFAIRS, PaGES 251-266 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 THE ENVIRONS HOWARD UNIVERSITY COLUMBIAN UNIVERSITY 
 
 WAYLAND SEMINARY NATIONAL DEAF-MUTE COLLEGE GOVERN- 
 MENT HOSPITAL FOR THE INSANE GEORGETOWN THE COLLEGE 
 
 OF THE JESUITS GREAT FALLS OF THE POTOMAC CHESAPEAKE 
 
 AND OHIO CANAL ARLINGTON THE GREAT NATIONAL MILITARY 
 
 CEMETERY ALEXANDRIA, PaGES 267-277 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 MOUNT VERNON PRESENT APPEARANCE OF THE VENERATED HOME OF 
 
 GEORGE WASHINGTON THE GROUNDS AND MANSION- — WASHING- 
 TON’S TOMB THE CHAMBER IN WHICH HE DIED APARTMENTS 
 
 OF THE MANSION THE FIRST PRESIDENT’S LIFE ON HIS VIRGINIA 
 
 PLANTATION HOW THE .MOUNT VERNON ASSOCIATION ACQUIRED 
 
 THE HLSTORIC PROPERTY, PaGES 279-295 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 HINTS AND SUGGESTIONS TO VISITORS TO THE NATIONAL CAPITAL A 
 
 GOOD WAY TO SEE AND ENJOY THE PRINCIPAL OBJECTS OF IN- 
 TEREST IN A SHORT TIME THE HOURS TO VISIT THE CAPITOL, 
 
 THE WHITE HOUSE, AND THE DEPARTMENTS GENERAL INFORMA- 
 
 TION RELATING TO THE CITY AND ITS CUSTOMS, . . PaGES 296-302 
 
 Index, ...... 305 
 
ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 PAGE- 
 
 A Few Moments of Leisure, ....... 67 
 
 All Souls’ Unitarian Church, ....... 263 
 
 Along the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, ..... 166 
 
 Along the Wharves at Georgetown, ...... 273 
 
 Anthony Pollok Mansion, ....... 245 
 
 Arlington House, (formerly Residence of Gen. R. E. Lee), . . 269 
 
 Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Depot, . . . . -57 
 
 Bartholdi Fountain, in the Botanical Garden, . . . .41 
 
 Blaine, James G., Mansion, ....... 241 
 
 Bureau of Engraving and Printing, ...... 179 
 
 Capitol — 
 
 Chamber of the Supreme Court of the United States, . . 97 
 
 East Front, ......... 2 
 
 Hall of the House of Representatives, . . . . . . 122 
 
 Main Entrance, ......... 73 
 
 Marble Group on the Portico of the, . . . . .41 
 
 National Library — 
 
 Left Division, ........ loi 
 
 Main Division, ........ ioi 
 
 Right Division, ........ loi 
 
 President’s Room, . . . . . . . .119 
 
 Retiring-Room of the House, . . . . . .131 
 
 Rogers Bronze Door, ........ 79 
 
 Rotunda, . . . . . . . . .111 
 
 Senate Chamber, ........ 106 
 
 Senate Reception Room, . . . . . . .115 
 
 Statuary Hall, ......... 85 
 
 West Front, ......... 93 
 
 Center Market, ......... 48 
 
 Group of Hucksters, ........ 48 
 
 Chapel at Oak Hill Cemetery, ....... 266 
 
 College of the Jesuits at Georgetown, ..... 275 
 
 Corcoran Gallery of Art, ....... 253 
 
 Davie Burns Cottage, . . . . . . . .21 
 
 Department of Agriculture Building, ..... 229 
 
 Department of Justice Building, ...... 227 
 
 District Court House, ........ 53 
 
 Don Cameron Mansion, ........ 249' 
 
 Duddington House, . . . . . . . . .31 
 
 Eighth and H Streets, northwest, showing Calvary Baptist Church, 261 
 English Legation Building, ....... 301 
 
 Entrance to Long Bridge, . . . . . . . i;i 
 
H 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 FaRRAGUT SqUARE, SHOWING THE RUSSIAN LEGATION BuiLDING, . . 238 
 
 Ford’s Old Theatre, in which President Lincoln was Shot, . . 37 
 
 Franklin School Building, ....... 302 
 
 French Legation Building, ....... 173 
 
 Garfield Memorial Church, (Christian Disciples), . . . 365 
 
 Garfield Memorial Tablet in the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad 
 
 Depot, .......... 61 
 
 General Post-Office, ........ 209 
 
 German Legation Building, ....... 173 
 
 Government Printing-Office, ....... 233 
 
 G Street, showing Foundry and Epiphany Churches, . . . 203 
 
 H AND Sixteenth Streets, showing St. John’s Church, . . -35 
 
 House in which President Lincoln Died, . . . . .45 
 
 Howard University, ........ 277 
 
 Landmark on B Street, northwest, ..... 235 
 
 Louise Home, .......... 259 
 
 Maso.nic Temple, ......... 183 
 
 Massachusetts Avenue, showing Church of the Ascension, . . 174 
 
 Metropolitan Methodist Episcopal Church, ..... 204 
 
 Mount Vernon — the Home of Washington, ..... 281 
 
 Eastern Portico, ........ 283 
 
 From the Potomac, ........ 278 
 
 Hall at, .......... 293 
 
 Martha Washington’s Bed-chamber, ..... 291 
 
 Old Tomb at, ......... 2S6 
 
 State Parlor, ......... 295 
 
 Tomb of Washington, ........ 287 
 
 Washington’s Bed-chamber, ....... 290 
 
 National Military Cemetery at Arlington, . . . . .271 
 
 National Museum, ......... 231 
 
 Naval Observatory, ........ 201 
 
 Navy Yard, from the Potomac, ....... 191 
 
 New Pension Building, ........ 212 
 
 Section of Frieze Ornamentation on, . . . . . 223 
 
 .Old Capitol, .......... 26 
 
 Patent Office, ......... 215 
 
 North Hall — Museum of Models, . . . . . .219 
 
 South Hall — Museum of Models, . . . . . .221 
 
 Pennsylvania Avenue at Vernon Row, . . . . .19 
 
 From the Treasury Building, ...... 68 
 
 Portrait of Grover Cleveland, President of the United States, . 4 
 
 Portrait of Mrs. Grover Cleveland, ...... 5 
 
 Scene in the Colored Quarter, ....... 39 
 
 Senator Bayard Mansion, ........ 297 
 
 Seventh Street, northwest, ....... 23 
 
 Signal Office of the Weather Bureau, ..... 195 
 
 Smithsonian Institution, ........ 299 
 
 Soldiers’ Home, ......... 197 
 
 State, War, and Navy Building, ....... 169 
 
 .St. Dominick’s Roman Catholic Church, ..... i.W 
 
ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 Statue of Admiral Fakragut, ....... 
 
 Civilization, ......... i6i 
 
 Emancipation, . . . . . . . . .145 
 
 Freedom, ........ Front Cover. 
 
 General Greene, . . . . . . . .41 
 
 General Jackson, by Mills, ....... 41 
 
 General McPherson, . . . . . . . .145 
 
 General Rawlins, ........ 14c 
 
 General Scott, at the Soldier’s Home, 
 
 General Scott, by Brown, ....... 161 
 
 Gener.al Thomas, ........ 14- 
 
 GENERAL Washington, by Greenough, . . . . .161 
 
 General Washington, by Mills, . . . . . .41 
 
 Naval Statue, or Monument of Peace, . . . . . i6i 
 
 Tenth and G Streets, northwest, showing First Congregational 
 
 Church, .......... 250 
 
 Treasury Building, ......... ijy 
 
 Van Ness Mansion, ......... 29 
 
 Washington, from the Smithsonian Grounds, . . . .16 
 
 Washington, from the State, War, and Navy Building, . . .16 
 
 Washington in 1810, 26 
 
 Washington Monument, ........ 63 
 
 White House, Conservatory of, ....... 
 
 Blue Room, ......... 1^3 
 
 East Room, . . . . . . . . .1:53 
 
 Green Room, ......... 133 
 
 From Pennsylvania Avenue, ....... 136 
 
 From the East, ......... 
 
 From the South, ........ 141 
 
 President’s Library, ........ 133 
 
 Rear View of, ......... 3 
 
 Red Room, . . . . . . . . • i ^3 
 
 State Dining-Room, . . . . . . , -153 
 
 Windom Mansion, ......... 237 
 
 Young Men’s Christian Association Building, .... 1S7 
 
 PLANS AND MAP. 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 MAP OF THE CITY OF WASHINGTON, ..... 303 
 
 PLAN OF THE ATTIC STORY OF THE CAPITOL, .... 13.}. 
 
 PLAN OF THE BASEMENT STORY OF THE CAPITOL, . . . lOJ 
 
 PLAN OF THE HALL OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, . . I27 
 
 PLAN OF THE PRINCIPAL STORY OF THE CAPITOL, . . .88 
 
 PLAN OF THE SENATE CHAMBER, . . . . . -117 
 
 
From the State, War, arrd Navy Buildmg 2 From the Smahsonian Grounds. 
 
CHAPTER I 
 
 THE WASHINGTON OF TO-DAY — A BEAUTIFUL CITY OF PARKS AND PALACES — 
 ITS LOCATION ON THE POTOMAC RIVER — THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA- 
 EARLY TRADITIONS AND HISTORICAL STATEMENTS — SELECTION OF THE 
 FEDERAL TERRITORY — A REMARKABLE PIECE OF POLITICAL HISTORY. 
 
 S TANDING upon the lofty, green-clad hills of Virginia which 
 constitute the historic Arlington estate, a magnificent panorama 
 is unfolded as the eye sweeps northward and eastward over 
 the picturesque region of the District of Columbia. Two hun- 
 dred feet below, the beautiful Potomac River, released from the moun- 
 tain ranges that have closely restrained its silvery stream for over a 
 hundred miles, quickly expands into a broad sheet of placid water 
 and glides onward to the main, bearing many a richly freighted craft. 
 From the circling heights of the northern part of the District to the 
 river banks on the south, as far as the eye can reach, are ponderous 
 domes and majestic spires, countless turrets and roof-tops, emerald- 
 tinted parks, massive monuments, and all the evidences of a great and 
 prosperous city. Everywhere palatial edifices, embodying the high- 
 est architectural genius of the age, meet the gaze, and, grandly tow- 
 ering over all. Freedom’s effigy can be seen resplendent on the huge 
 white dome of the Nation’s Capitol. This is the city of Washington 
 as it appears to-day — a charming city of parks and palaces, and the 
 grand seat of government of “ Time’s noblest offspring,” the United 
 States of America. 
 
 It is predicted that Washington is to be “ the future Queen City 
 of the world.” Its natural advantages give it a preeminence over 
 most American cities in picturesqueness. Its site is bordered by a 
 noble river and sheltered by a series of gradually sloping and thickly 
 
 2 
 
i8 
 
 picturesque WASHINGTON. 
 
 wooded hills. Constructed upon an ample plan, with capacity for a 
 million people, the home of a liberal government whose resources 
 are almost unlimited, a delightful, salubrious place of residence, both 
 winter and summer, now thoroughly imbued with a strong desire for 
 advancement, for rich adornment and luxurious surroundings, and 
 fast gathering into its fold the excellent and desirable in science, 
 art, and literature — the capital of the country, if it continues its Her- 
 culean strides on the path of progress for a few years longer, can 
 boldly challenge comparison with any other city in attractiveness 
 and brilliancy. The growth and development of Washington during 
 the past ten years have been wonderful. Nearly all the old land- 
 marks have disappeared, and out of a rude, unpaved, dilapidated 
 town has risen a stately city, with most of the resources, the pleas- 
 ures, the superiority of a metropolis. Once it was called in derision 
 “the only child of the Nation,” but now it has attained to a mag- 
 nificent manhood, and is entirely worthy of the pride and admiration 
 of its parents. 
 
 There is a tradition that George Washington, when a mere youth, 
 surveying the Virginia lands of the opulent Lord Fairfax, and little 
 dreaming of the remarkable career fate had in store for him, pre- 
 dicted that some day a great city would be located on the territory 
 now known as the District of Columbia, as the site was so admirably 
 adapted for the purpose. And in later years when, serving under the 
 ill-fated General Braddock, he encamped with the British troops on 
 the hill at present occupied by the National Observatory, it is related 
 that he often sat at the door of his tent and gazed at the undulating 
 plateau on which the city now rests, noted the broad river-front and 
 the environing hills, and with the eye of a practical surveyor and 
 sagacious man, traced out the future abode of thousands. It is not 
 singular, therefore, that when he had reached the summit of human 
 greatness, and had been proclaimed the Father of his Country, he 
 should have exercised his authority to have the National Capital 
 located on the spot he had been familiar with and admired from boy- 
 hood. 
 
 The District of Columbia, known as the Federal Territory, as 
 originally laid out by the first commissioners under the direction of 
 President Washington, embraced one hundred square miles, so located 
 as to include the thrifty towns of Georgetown in Maryland, and Alex- 
 andria in Virginia, together with the confluence of the Potomac 
 River and its Eastern Branch, and the adjacent heights. Maryland 
 
EARLY HISTORY AND TILADITIONS. 
 
 19 
 
 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE AT VERNON ROW. 
 
 and Virginia ceded to the United States the territory required. In 
 1846, all that portion of the District lying on the west bank of the 
 Potomac was retroceded by Congress to tbe State of Virginia, so 
 that the Federal Territory at the present time comprises sixty-four 
 square miles, and is bounded on three sides by tbe State of Mary- 
 land, having Montgomery County on its north. Prince George 
 County on its east and south, with the Potomac River on its west. 
 The city of Washington occupies all the lower portion of the Dis- 
 trict. Georgetown, now known as West Washington, Tennallytown, 
 and Uniontown are the only other places of any importance. Wash- 
 ington is situated on the eastern bank of the Potomac, ii6|- miles 
 above the mouth of the river, and miles from the sea. It is 14 
 
 miles in circumference, and covers a little less than 10 square miles. 
 From the southern part of the city, where the Potomac expands to 
 the width of a mile, extends backward an irregular plain having a 
 mean altitude of 40 feet above the river. This plain carries the city 
 up to the very borders of a chain of hills. The greatest length of 
 Washington is 4^- miles ; the greatest breadth, 3| miles. It stretches 
 along the Potomac a distance of 4 miles, and 3^ miles along the 
 Anacostia, or Eastern Branch of the Potomac. The romantic beauty 
 of the location, the heights surrounding the city, from which extended 
 views of the country and the windings of the river can be obtained, 
 
20 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 its attractive environs, all combine to render Washington one of the 
 most picturesque cities in the country. 
 
 When Captain John Smith sailed up the Potomac in 1608, he 
 found the country inhabited by numerous tribes of Indians, continu- 
 ally at war with each other, and savage and ferocious as wild beasts. 
 The Manahoacs were known as a powerful tribe, and their favorite 
 camping-ground was the region now occupied by the city of Wash- 
 ington. In the spring the tribe assembled at the Potomac to catch 
 the luscious shad and herring as they “run” in the river, and to 
 hold their yearly councils. Great feasts were made, and the return 
 of the vernal season was celebrated with joyous ceremonies. The 
 tribal councils were held very near the spot where, two centuries 
 afterward, the people of the free United States established their 
 council hall. The Manahoacs were constantly fighting with the 
 Powhatans of Virginia, and their sanguinary conflicts, disease, and 
 the introduction of spirituous liquors among them, rapidly diminished 
 their numbers, until at last they were forced to migrate westward and 
 ally themselves with the Tuscaroras. Where these Indians had their 
 camping-grounds, archaeological treasures in great abundance have 
 been recently found, such as pestles, clubs, stone axes and arrow- 
 heads, clay and soapstone pottery, and numerous articles of utility 
 and ornament. Many of the specimens of clay pottery and the orna- 
 mental work exhibit considerable skill and taste, and give evidence 
 that the aboriginals of the District had attained some degree of civ- 
 ilization. 
 
 In 1623-5 Henry Fleet, the hardy and adventurous English fur 
 trader, thoroughly explored the Potomac borders. He had many 
 exciting adventures with the wild tribes, and was often in deadly 
 peril. At one time he suffered a long captivity among the Indians, 
 but he fortunately escaped harm and succeeded in obtaining a large 
 amount of information concerning the new southern country. He 
 wrote of the tract around Washington : “ This place is without ques- 
 tion the most healthful and pleasant in all this country and most con- 
 venient for habitation ; the air temperate in summer and not violent 
 in winter. The river aboundeth in all manner of fish, and for deer, 
 buffaloes, bears and turkeys the woods do swarm with them, and the 
 soil is exceedingly fertile.” Fleet’s enthusiastic description of the 
 country watered by the Potomac was published in England, and may 
 have influenced many of the emigrants to America at that time to 
 direct their steps toward Maryland and Virginia. A company of 
 
EARLY HISTORY AND TILADITIONS. 
 
 21 
 
 Scotch and Irish people from the mother-country made a settlement, 
 about the close of the seventeenth century, within the limits of what 
 is now the District of Columbia. They obtained patents for a large 
 amount of land, divided it into a number of good plantations, and 
 designated their adopted home “New Scotland.” For nearly a 
 century this colony lived in rural solitude, enjoying the fruits of their 
 labor. Some of the descendants of these early settlers were among 
 the original proprietors of the land on which the city of Washington 
 was eventually built. 
 
 It is told of a member of this colony, by the name of Pope, that he 
 set up his lares and penates on the top of the hill where the Capitol 
 now stands. He called his plantation “Rome,” and a little stream 
 that meandered along the base of the hill, “the Tiber,” believing 
 that in the course of time a capital city greater than imperial Rome 
 would arise on the spacious plateau where he cultivated his crops. 
 To his friends and companions he was known as “Pope of Rome.” 
 This simple farmer was endowed with prophetic vision. Busy streets 
 
 THE DAVIE BURNS COTTAGE. 
 
22 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 now entirely cover the Tiber creek, and above its bank is the majes- 
 tic legislative building of a vast continental nation, looking down upon 
 a city that in the near future may be even greater than Rome in its 
 proudest days. 
 
 The laying out of Georgetown was authorized by the Maryland 
 Assembly in 1751, and some time later this attractive suburb of 
 Washington began existence. It soon grew into a town of import- 
 ance. During the Revolutionary War it was one of the places of 
 deposit for military stores. The troops of both armies marched 
 through its streets and encamped on its steep hills. A small ferry 
 connected it with the Virginia shore. In Suter’s tavern, a favorite 
 resort in those days, the wealthy land-holders of the neighborhood 
 met on business and for merr}^-makings, and they made its rude 
 walls ring with their jovial songs and stories. Whenever Washing- 
 ton came up the river from his Mount Vernon estate he enjo}"ed the 
 good cheer of this ancient hostelry, and in Suter’s he held many of 
 his deliberations with the first commissioners engaged in the laying 
 out of the Federal city. Small settlements were started on the Mar}’- 
 land banks of the Potomac just below Georgetown, and several thriv- 
 ing plantations tilled by slaves dotted the site of the future capital. 
 
 In 1785 Washington made an extended and careful exploration of 
 the upper Potomac, in order to ascertain if the river could be navigated 
 above tide-water at Georgetown. A canoe or pirogue was expertly 
 hollowed out of a large poplar tree, hauled to the river bank and 
 launched, and Washington with several friends, among whom was 
 Governor Johnson, of Maryland, a gallant soldier of the Revolution, 
 started on the important survey. The party sailed for a number of 
 days in their humble bark amid the sublime scenery of the upper 
 Potomac, and made a complete exploration, the result of their work 
 being that a company was finally organized for the improvement of 
 the river, and nearly a million dollars expended in a series of years. 
 During this unique voyage the distinguished party would seek quar- 
 ters for the night at the houses of well-to-do planters who lived near 
 the river, and everywhere they were received as highly honored guests, 
 and a most generous hospitality was dispensed. One night they were 
 compelled to lodge at the house of a planter whose accommodations 
 were rather scanty, and Washington, Governor Johnson, and another 
 gentleman were given a room with two small beds. The great chief- 
 tain with a smile turned to his companions and said, “ Come, gentle- 
 men, who will be my bed-fellow?” They both declined the honor. 
 
EARLY HISTORY AND TRi\DITIONS 
 
 3 
 
 SEVENTH STREET, NORTHWEST. 
 
 however, and the Maryland governor, in relating the incident after- 
 ward, said, “ Greatly as I should have felt honored by such distinction, 
 yet the awe and reverence which I always felt in the presence of that 
 admirable man prevented me from approaching him so nearly " 
 
 There was a severe contest over the selection of the Federal Ter- 
 ritory. In the Congress of the Confederation the question of a per- 
 manent seat of government was broached, and propositions to estab- 
 lish a “ Federal town, a Federal house for Congress and for the Ex- 
 ecutive officers,” on the banks of the Delaware River near the Lower 
 Falls, and also at Georgetown on the Potomac, were entertained, but 
 did not receive special sanction. The matter was somewhat discussed 
 in the convention held in Philadelphia in 1787, to revise the Federal 
 system of government, but it was not until the second session of the 
 First Congress of the United States under the Constitution, held in 
 New York in the summer of 1790, that it was finally decided. The 
 discussion was long and earnest, and a strong sectional feeling was 
 developed. New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Trenton, Harris- 
 
24 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 burg, and many other places urged their claims upon Congress to be 
 made the capital city, and for a time it seemed as if it would be 
 impossible to make any selection. Maryland and Virginia had offered 
 the necessary territory for the Federal District, but the former state 
 strongly favored its location at the thriving “ Baltimore town.” Many 
 votes were taken, and finally an act was adopted by Congress which 
 received executive sanction in July, 1790, giving the sole power to 
 President Washington to select a Federal Territory “ not exceeding 
 ten miles square on the river Potomac at some space between the 
 mouths of the Eastern Branch and the Conogocheague for the per- 
 manent seat of the government of the United States.” ‘ The new ter- 
 ritory was to be ready for the use of the government in 1800, and in 
 the mean time the “ Federal town ” was to be Philadelphia. 
 
 The final adoption of the Potomac site for the national territory 
 was brought about by a stroke of policy contrived by Jefferson and 
 Hamilton. In an article upon Congress, Garfield speaks of the 
 matter as follows: “ It dampens not a little our enthusiasm for the 
 
 superior virtues of the fathers to learn that Hamilton’s monument of 
 statesmanship, the funding bill, which gave life to the public credit 
 and saved from dishonor the war debts of the states, was for a time 
 hopelessly defeated by the votes of one section of the Union, and was 
 carried at last by a legislative bargain which, in the mildest slang of 
 our day, would be called a ‘ log-rolling job.’ The bill fixing the per- 
 manent seat of the goveimment on the banks of the Potomac was the 
 argument which turned the scale and carried the funding bill. The 
 bargain carried them both through.” 
 
 Jefferson was appealed to by Hamilton to give his aid to the 
 scheme for the assumption by the general government of the debts 
 incurred by the states during the Revolutionary War, which amounted 
 to $20,000,000. The bill had been defeated in the House after an 
 obstinate struggle, and Hamilton was earnestly seeking to have it re- 
 considered, believing that the Eastern or creditor states would secede 
 from the Union if their claims were not allowed. Mr. Jefferson says 
 in his Ana: “I proposed to him (Hamilton) to dine with me the 
 
 next day, and I would invite another friend or two and bring them 
 into conference together, and I thought it impossible tliat reasonable 
 men consulting together coolly could fail, by some mutual sacrifices 
 of opinion, to form a compromise which was to save the Union. The 
 discussion took place. It was finally agreed that, wliatever import- 
 ance had been attached to the rejection of tlie proposition, the pres- 
 
A POLITICAL COMPROMISE. 
 
 25 
 
 ervation of the Union and of concord among the states was more 
 important, and that therefore it would be better that the vote of re- 
 jection should be rescinded, to effect which some members should 
 change their votes. But it was observed that this pill would be 
 peculiarly bitter to the Southern States, and that some concomitant 
 measure should be adopted to sweeten it a little to them. There had 
 been before, propositions to fix the seat of government either at Phil- 
 adelphia or at Georgetown on the Potomac ; and it was thought by 
 giving it to Philadelphia for ten years and to Georgetown perma- 
 nently afterwards, this might act as an anodyne, and calm in some 
 measure the ferment which might be excited by the other measure 
 alone. So two of the Potomac members agreed to change their votes, 
 and Hamilton undertook to carry the other point. In doing this the 
 influence he had established over the Eastern members effected his 
 side of the engagement, and so the Assumption was passed.” 
 
 Thus it was, that a good dinner and the sagacity of two able men 
 healed a serious breach in the affairs of the Nation, and placed the 
 capital city on the banks of the “River of Swans,” as the Indians 
 called the Potomac. 
 
 The selection of the permanent seat of the government of the 
 United States, so bitterly opposed at the time, particularly by the 
 members of Congress from New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jer- 
 sey, and so ardently favored by the members from the Southern 
 States, and by President Washington, has proved with the passage of 
 years a most judicious one. Originally the boundaries of the Fed- 
 eral Territory were “ located, defined, and limited ” as follows : “ Be- 
 ginning at Jones’ Point, being the upper cape of Hunting Creek, in 
 Virginia, and at an angle in the outset of forty-five degrees west of 
 the north, and running in a direct line ten miles for the first line ; then 
 beginning again at the same Jones’ Point, and running another direct 
 line at a right angle with the first, across the Potomac, ten miles for 
 the second line ; then from the termination of the said first and second 
 lines, running two other direct lines, of ten miles each, the one cross- 
 ing the Eastern Branch of the Potomac, and the other the Potomac, 
 and meeting each other in a point.” This territory was ten miles 
 square, or one hundred square miles, and comprised sixty-four thou- 
 sand acres of fertile lands situated between 38°, 48' and 38°, 59' north 
 latitude. 
 
WASHINGTON IN iSlO THE OLD CAPITOL, 
 
CHAPTER II 
 
 FOUNDING THE NATIONAL CAPITAL— L’ENFANT’S PLAN OF WASHINGTON— THE 
 ORIGINAL PROPRIETORS OF THE LAND— A LOVELY HEIRESS, AND HER WOO- 
 ERS— REMOVAL OF THE SEAT OF GOVERNMENT TO THE CAPITAL CITY — 
 HISTORICAL SKETCHES — THE BRITISH INVASION — PECULIAR MANNERS AND 
 CUSTOMS OF THE EARLY DAYS — GRADUAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE CITY — 
 THE CIVIL WAR. 
 
 W HEN President Washington returned from his tour of the 
 South in the summer of 1791, and the wheels of the 
 famous cream-colored chariot in which he had taken the 
 memorable ride of 1,900 miles rolled up to the western 
 door of the Mount Vernon mansion, he found a visitor awaiting his 
 •coming. The visitor was Maj. Pierre Charles L’Enfant, a skillful 
 French engineer, who had been chosen to draw the plan of “ the new 
 Federal town.” The site of the Federal District had been selected by 
 Washington in the January previous, after long and careful delibera- 
 tion, from the 105 miles of territory embraced in the boundary defined 
 by the act of Congress locating the permanent seat of government. 
 The act was amended by request of the President so as to include the 
 city of Alexandria and adjacent country. Three commissioners. Gov. 
 Thomas Johnson and the Hon. Daniel Carroll, of Maryland, and Dr. 
 David Stuart, of Virginia, were appointed to have entire charge of the 
 surveying and laying out of the district, and on April 15, 1791, they 
 had laid the first boundary stone at Jones’ Point on the Virginia side 
 of the Potomac, with impressive Masonic ceremony, in the presence 
 of a large assemblage. The commissioners had decided to call the 
 district the “Territory of Columbia,” which name it bore for some 
 years; and the new city to be established on the river bank, “the 
 •city of Washington,” in honor of him who was at that time, and who 
 
28 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 in all time shall be, the “first in the hearts of his countrymen.” 
 Satisfactory terms had been arranged with the proprietors of the land 
 lying within the bounds of the proposed city, and an agreement had 
 been signed by the commissioners and the land-holders. All the land 
 used for streets and squares was to be relinquished to the government 
 without cost, and all the land taken for public buildings was to be 
 paid for at the rate of £25 an acre. One-half of the proceeds of all 
 lots offered at public sale was also to go to the original owners, and 
 the remainder was to be expended in the erection of the government 
 edifices. 
 
 Major L’Enfant was cordially received by Washington, and re- 
 mained at Mount Vernon in consultation with him for nearly a week, 
 during which time the plan of the Federal city was thoroughly ma- 
 tured. L’Enfant, who was an educated soldier, had come to Amer- 
 ica in 1777 from Paris, and had commended himself to Washington 
 by his patriotic zeal while serving as major of engineers during the 
 Revolutionary War, and a warm friendship had sprung up between 
 them. He had designed the insignia of the Society of the Cin- 
 cinnati at Washington’s special request, and in various ways had 
 demonstrated the possession of marked ability. His plan of the city 
 was very elaborate and magnificent, and it was duly set forth on a 
 finely drawn map. It is believed he partially followed the work of 
 Le Notre in Versailles, the seat of the French government buildings. 
 Broad, transverse streets and avenues, numerous open squares, parks, 
 circles, and triangular reservations were marked on the plan, the 
 places fpr the public buildings were indicated, and everything was 
 designed upon a spacious scale. 
 
 Washington desired that “ the Capitol” should occupy the centre 
 of the city, and it was accordingly located on the broad plateau in 
 the eastern section, and the Executive Mansion and the other public 
 buildings were located in the western section, more than a mile dis- 
 tant. In one of his letters Washington says that this wide separa- 
 tion of Congress and the Executive departments was intended to 
 prevent members of Congress from too frequently visiting the vari- 
 ous departments. L’Enfant’s design meeting the full approval of 
 Washington, and also of Jefferson, then Secretary of State, of whom 
 it was said that “ he almost monopolized the artistic taste and knowl- 
 edge of the first administration,” it was formally adopted, and the 
 young Frenchman was engaged to superintend its execution. He 
 had as assistant, Andrew Ellicott, a bright Pennsylvanian, who with 
 
PLAN OF THE FEDERAL CITY. 
 
 29 
 
 THE VAN NESS MANSION. 
 
 his brother had established the town of Ellicott Mills, in Maryland. 
 Ellicott was a competent surveyor, and a young man of remarkable 
 intelligence. Later in life he became professor of mathematics at 
 West Point. The streets and squares of the city were chiefly laid out 
 by him, and under his direction the work progressed quite rapidly. 
 Before the erection of any building was allowed an exact survey was 
 made and properly recorded, and all subsequent building operations 
 had to conform to this survey. 
 
 The states of Maryland and Virginia were greatly interested in 
 the founding of the seat of the national government within their 
 borders, and generously voted a large sum of money as a gift to 
 the United States, to aid in the erection of the public edifices. After- 
 ward, when it was necessary to obtain more money to carry on the 
 work, and Congress was strangely dilatory in making an appropria- 
 tion, and European bankers had declined to advance funds to the 
 commissioners, the legislature of Maryland promptly authorized a 
 loan of $100,000 in response to the appeal of President Washington. 
 
 The most prominent proprietors of the land taken for the city 
 were Daniel Carroll, David Burns, Notley Young, and Samuel 
 
PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 30 
 
 Davidson. The Carroll estate very nearly covered all that part of 
 Washington known as Capitol Hill, and was called Duddington 
 manor. Daniel Carroll was a gentleman of culture and high social 
 standing in Maryland. He had been a delegate to the Philadelphia 
 Convention that framed the Federal Constitution, and a member of 
 the First Congress of the United States. He was a brother of the 
 Rt. Rev. John Carroll, the first Catholic bishop of Baltimore, who 
 founded the great college of the Jesuits, at Georgetown, and was a 
 cousin of Charles Carroll, of Carrollton, one of the signers of the 
 Declaration of Independence. As the Capitol was to be located 
 adjacent to his estate, he believed that section would become the 
 most desirable part of the city, and immediately demanded exorbitant 
 prices for building-lots. Speculators, possessed with the same idea, 
 bought a number of his acres, largely with “ promises to pay and 
 Stephen Girard, the richest man in Philadelphia in those days, even 
 offered Carroll $200,000 for a certain portion of his estate, but the 
 offer was refused, five times the sum being demanded. The high 
 prices for lots on Capitol Hill compelled many who wished land for 
 the erection of houses and stores to settle in the northern and western 
 parts of the city, and the tide of population rapidly turning that way, 
 forever decided the fate of the eastern quarter. The city developed 
 on its northwestern side, which to-day is the most populous and 
 fashionable section. 
 
 Carroll’s dream of great wealth was never realized. At his death 
 he was in embarrassed circumstances, and his estate for a long time 
 after was encumbered with heavy obligations. Recently a portion 
 of the Carroll tract, upon which his descendants had paid $16,000 
 in taxes during the past eighty years, keeping its possession so long 
 in hope of an advantageous sale, was finally disposed of for $3,600. 
 The spacious “ Duddington House,” erected in the early days of 
 Washington for the residence of the Carroll family, still remains on 
 North Carolina Avenue southeast, in a good state of preservation. 
 
 An interesting story is told of this ancient brick mansion. 
 Shortly after the streets of the city were marked out strictly in ac- 
 cordance with L’Enfant’s plan, Daniel Carroll, who was one of the 
 commissioners, assumed the right to begin the erection of his house 
 in the middle of New Jersey Avenue, near the Capitol grounds. 
 I^’Enfant vigorously protested against its location, as it would close 
 the avenue and destroy the symmetry of the general plan of the city ; 
 but his protests not being heeded, he gave orders one morning to 
 
FIRST PROTRIETORS OF THE LAxND 
 
 31 
 
 his assistant to demolish the structure. Carroll hurried to a magis- 
 trate, obtained a warrant and stopped the demolition before it had 
 proceeded very far. That night, when L’Enfant returned to the city 
 from Acquia Creek, where he was working busily getting out sand- 
 stone for the new Capitol, he was much chagrined to find his orders 
 unfulfilled. He vowed the house should come down, and, organizing 
 a gang of laborers secretly, he took them quietly up the hill after 
 dark, and set them at work. By sunrise, not a brick of the obnox- 
 ious dwelling was left standing. Carroll was very indignant at this 
 arbitrary act, and made complaint to the President, who ordered the 
 reconstruction of “ Duddington House,” precisely as it was before, 
 but, very wisely, not in the middle of New Jersey Avenue. This 
 house was the first fine one erected in the city. It is surrounded by 
 a high brick wall, enclosing grounds full of majestic trees, and even 
 now, in its partially dilapidated condition, shows considerable of its 
 former elegance. 
 
 A very fortunate man was David Burns, another of the original 
 land-holders. His property was situated largely in what is now the 
 
 THE DUDDINGTON HOUSE, 
 
32 
 
 picturesque WASHINGTON. 
 
 fashionable northwest quarter of the city. Burns — “crusty Davie 
 Burns,” as he was called — was a very bigoted, choleric Scotchman, 
 tond of controversy, and never known to agree with any one in the 
 slightest particular. He lived in a rude cottage near the river, and 
 cultivated a large plantation extending over the spot where the White 
 House now stands. The demand for his land made him very wealthy, 
 and his only child, Marcia Burns, was known in all the country 
 around as “the beautiful heiress of Washington.” For some time 
 Burns was opposed to the projected transfer of land to the govern- 
 ment, and the President and the commissioners had several confer- 
 ences with him in his cottage to explain the advantages of the plan. 
 On one of these occasions, so the tradition runs, the testy old planter 
 answered one of Washington’s arguments by this outburst: “ I sup- 
 pose, Mr. Washington, you think people are going to take every grist 
 from you as pure grain ; but what would you have been if you hadn’t 
 married the rich widow Custis !” The usually sedate Washington at 
 this audacious remark is said to have actually lost his temper, and 
 left the house in indignation. He afterward spoke of the imperti- 
 nent Scotchman as “that obstinate Mr. Burns,” and would never 
 meet him again. 
 
 Miss Burns was placed by her father in a cultivated Baltimore 
 family, where she received an excellent social and literary training. 
 When she returned to Washington after several years’ schooling she 
 became the belle of the embryo city, and attracted many admirers. 
 She was lovely in person, and gracious and winning in her manners. 
 Her father could not be induced to leave his old house — a small, 
 rudely-fashioned structure, with only two rooms on the ground floor, 
 and but little better than the cabins of the slaves who tilled his plan- 
 tation — and, with all his great wealth, would not change his plain 
 way of living. The girl uttered no complaint, but came from the 
 refined Baltimore home at her father’s bidding, and resumed her for- 
 mer life with the lonely man. Her mother had died when she was a 
 child, and for years she had been her father’s sole intimate companion. 
 
 Troops of gallants began to seek the favor of the beautiful heir- 
 ess. The wooers were generally treated to cutting remarks from 
 Burns, and promptly shown the door. Dashing young members of 
 Congress — gay fortune-seekers who saw in Marcia a splendid prize 
 — picked their way across the marsh to Burns’ hut on fine evenings, 
 craftily allowed the old Scotchman to win their gold at cards, and 
 .awakened good feeling by generous gifts of mellow usquebaugh. 
 
THE VAN NESS MANSION. 
 
 33 
 
 for which he had a notorious fondness. Gen. John P. Van Ness, a 
 young, well-born, jovial New Yorker, was a frequent visitor. Of an 
 ancient Dutch family prominent in politics and society, a congress- 
 man of some brilliancy, with a very handsome face and agreeable 
 deportment, ever full of song and story, he soon succeeded in win- 
 ning Marcia’s affection and her father’s sanction, and they were mar- 
 ried. Van Ness became a resident of Washington, living at first 
 with his bride in the old cottage, and afterward in a costly mansion 
 erected on the Burns estate. He became mayor of the city, and was 
 eminent in business and social affairs. Gilbert Stuart painted his 
 portrait, and it was said of him that he was “well fed, well bred, and 
 well read.” When David Burns died he left his daughter the sole 
 owner of a great estate, yearly rising in value.. On his death-bed 
 he said to her, “Marcia, you have been a good daughter ; you’ll now 
 be the richest girl in America.” 
 
 The Van Ness mansion was constructed by the celebrated La- 
 trobe, one of the architects of the Capitol, and he expended many 
 thousands of dollars in trying to make it the finest private residence 
 in the country. The grounds were enclosed with a brick wall, trees 
 and flowers planted, and fountains and statuary added adornment. 
 Close to the great house, in the same enclosure, stood the old cottage 
 of David Burns, and Mrs. Van Ness would never permit her father’s 
 humble home to be taken down. For a number of years the Van Ness 
 mansion was the resort of the distinguished people of Washington, 
 and presidents and eminent statesmen were entertained within its 
 walls. The last acre of the Burns property passed out of the pos- 
 session of the heirs fifteen years ago, and now all that remain to tell 
 the story of the Burns and Van Ness families are a great monumental 
 tomb at Oak Hill Cemetery, and the two houses by the river — father’s 
 and daughter’s — decaying, neglected ruins. The tomb was erected 
 by Van Ness at a cost of over $30,000, and is constructed in imita- 
 tion of the temple of Vesta. The legend is, that on each anniversary 
 of the death of Van Ness his favorite “troop of six white horses” 
 make a ghostly midnight gallop around the old mansion, and that 
 supernatural sounds are heard within its deserted halls. 
 
 The third largest land-holder was Notley Young, who held nearly 
 all the land in the centre of the city and on the river front between 
 Seventh and Eleventh streets. Carroll owned the land to the east 
 and Burns to the west of him. He, too, acquired wealth from sales 
 and leases of his property, and erected a substantial residence on 
 
34 
 
 picturesque WASHINGTON. 
 
 G Street south, overlooking the Potomac. The house was taken 
 down thirty years ago to give room for the extension of the street. 
 Of Samuel Davidson, the fourth largest proprietor, scarcely anything 
 is known. 
 
 When the time approached for the first public sale of lots by the 
 commissioners, a difficulty arose between them and Major L’Enfant. 
 After the demolition of Carroll’s house by L’Enfant, he was not in 
 good favor, and as he refused to allow his maps of Washington to be 
 published as a guide to the purchasers of lots, he was dismissed from 
 the service of the government. L’Enfant claimed that, if his maps 
 were published, speculators would know all about his plan, and 
 would build unsightly edifices on the finest streets. He continued to 
 live in the city, and in his old age became a claimant for compen- 
 sation for his services as the original designer of Washington — 
 constantly haunting the committee-rooms of Congress, a poor but 
 rather courtly, feeble old man, attired in a long blue coat closely but- 
 toned high on his breast. His claim was never considered, and it 
 was quite the fashion in those days to laugh and sneer at what was 
 called “ L’Enfant’s extravagant plan.” He died in 1825, and was 
 buried by charitable hands on the Digges farm, a short distance from 
 the city. No stone marks his grave. L’Enfant’s design has been 
 fully vindicated by time, and to-day the beautiful capital city owes 
 much of its beauty and fascination to the broad streets, the great 
 squares, the parks, the wide, straight avenues, the location of the 
 public buildings, for which he contended with the sublime energy of 
 a liberal, far-sighted man, in an age of restricted views and small 
 things. 
 
 The first public sale of lots was held by the commissioners at 
 Georgetown, Oct. 17, 1791J and was mainly attended by speculators 
 from the large cities, who were eager to obtain what they considered 
 the best lots, in the belief that Washington was to become the great 
 city of the country. At that time tliere were less than 60,000 people 
 in New York ; and predictions were freely made that in ten }'ears 
 after Congress begun its sessions in Washington, the national city 
 would have a population of at least 150,000. Even a rumor, indus- 
 triously circulated at the sale by enemies of the new capital, that 
 Congress never would remove from Philadelphia, made no impres- 
 sion on the confident purchasers of the land. The- commissioners 
 executed a number of contracts for the sale of lots in parcels on easy 
 terms, on condition that the buyers should erect “ brick houses, two 
 
TRANSFER OF THE GOVERNMENT. 
 
 35 
 
 H AND SIXTEENTH STREETS, SHOWING ST. JOHN’S CHURCH. 
 
 stories high,” on the property within a certain time. These contracts, 
 entered into with enthusiasm, were mostly repudiated afterward, and 
 the brick houses were not built. Many lots were sold, and at good 
 prices, but prior to the removal of the government to the city the 
 actual residents were few, and the “new national settlement” was 
 very insignificant. 
 
 The formal transfer of the government from Philadelphia to Wash- 
 ington took place in October, 1800. That it was indeed the day of 
 small things, is evident when we read that “ a single ‘ packet’ sloop 
 brought all the office furniture of the departments, besides seven 
 large boxes and five small ones, containing tlie ‘ archives ’ of the 
 government.” The officials numbered fifty-four persons, including 
 President Adams, the secretaries, and the various clerks. They 
 came to the city by different conveyances, and as they had left 
 pleasant, comfortable quarters in Philadelphia, the crudeness and 
 discomfort of Washington produced a feeling of disgust. Mrs. 
 Adams spoke of Washington as “this wilderness city”; and Secre- 
 tary Wolcott in a letter to his wife said, “There are but few houses 
 in any place, and most of them are small, miserable huts, which pre- 
 
36 
 
 PrCTURESC^UE WASHINGTON. 
 
 sent an awful contrast to the public buildings. The people are poor, 
 and, as far as I can judge, live like fishes, by eating each other.” 
 The best description extant of the city, as it appeared at the time 
 the government took possession, is found in a letter written by Hon. 
 John Cotton Smith, then a member of Congress from Connecticut. 
 He says : “ Our approach to the city was accompanied with sensa- 
 tions not easily described. One wing of the Capitol only had been 
 erected, which, with the President’s house, a mile distant from it, 
 both constructed with white sandstone, were shining objects in dismal 
 contrast with the scene around them. Instead of recognizing the 
 avenues and streets portrayed on the plan of the city, not one was 
 visible, unless we except a road, with two buildings on each side of 
 it, called the New Jersey Avenue. The Pennsylvania Avenue, lead- 
 ing, as laid down on paper, from the Capitol to the Presidential man- 
 sion, was nearly the whole distance a deep morass covered with 
 elder bushes, which were cut through to the President’s house; and 
 near Georgetown a block of houses had been erected which bore 
 the name of the ‘six buildings.’ There were also two other blocks 
 consisting of two or three dwelling-houses in different directions, and 
 now and then an insulated wooden habitation ; the intervening spaces, 
 and, indeed, the surface of the city generally, being covered witli 
 scrub oak bushes on the higher grounds, and on the marshy soil 
 either trees or some sort of shrubbery. The desolate aspect of the 
 place was not a little augmented by a number of unfinished edifices 
 at Greenleaf’s Point, and on an eminence a short distance from it, 
 commenced by an individual whose name they bore, but the state of 
 whose funds compelled him to abandon them. There appeared to 
 be but two really comfortable habitations in all respects, within the 
 bounds of the city, one of which belonged to Dudley Carroll and the 
 other to Notley Young. The roads in every direction were muddy 
 and unimproved. A sidewalk was attempted in one instance by a 
 covering formed of the chips hewed for the Capitol. It extended 
 but a little way and was of little value ; for in dry weatlier the sharp 
 fragments cut our shoes, and in wet weather covered them with white 
 mortar. In short, it was a new settlement.” 
 
 Such was the capital city in which President John Adams, Secre- 
 tary of State John Marshall, Secretary of the Treasmy Oliver Wol- 
 cott, Jr., Secretary of War Samuel Dexter, Secretary of the Navy 
 Benjamin Stoddart, and the other officials of the government took up 
 their abode in the fall of 1800, twenty-four years after the Declaration 
 
OPPOSITION TO THE CAPITAL 
 
 37 
 
 of Independence. Congress began its session a few weeks later, and 
 many and loud were the complaints of the new capital uttered by 'all 
 the assembled statesmen. 
 
 Newspapers in New York, Philadelphia, and New England, and 
 satirists everywhere, cracked many amusing jokes at the expense 
 of the infant city. The Capitol was called “the palace in the wil- 
 derness,” and Pennsylvania Avenue “the great Serbonian Bog.” 
 Georgetown was declared “a city of houses without streets ; Wash- 
 ington, a city of streets without houses.” Only one favorable thing 
 seems to have been said, and that was, “ Washington is the happiest 
 region of flowers, and a garden here might he made to yield some- 
 thing for the basket of Flora for nearly three-quarters of the year.” 
 
 ford’s olu theatkk, in which president Lincoln was shot. 
 {Navi the Army Metikal Mtisnim.) 
 
38 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 Thomas Moore, just coming into prominence as a poet, visited the 
 city in 1804, and was hospitably entertained. He afterward used 
 his splendid talent to compose this satire of Washington : 
 
 “ In fancy now beneath the twilight gloom, 
 
 Come, let me lead thee o’er this modern Rome, 
 
 Where tribunes rule, where dusky Davi bow, 
 
 And what was Goose Creek is Tiber now. 
 
 This fam’d metropolis, where fancy sees 
 Squares in morasses, obelisks in trees; 
 
 Which traveling fools and gazetteers adorn 
 With shrines unbuilt, and heroes yet unborn.” 
 
 The Abbe Correa de Serra, the witty Minister from Portugal, bestowed 
 upon Washington the famous title of “the city of magnificent dis- 
 tances,” referring to the great spaces between the scattered houses. 
 There was considerable talk of removing the capital, and a motion 
 to that effect in Congress was lost by only two votes. A clever 
 Scotch artist made a good deal of fun by drawing a caricature repre- 
 senting the congressman who had made the motion of removal, with 
 the Capitol strapped on his back, all ready to start as soon as he should 
 know w’hich way it was to go. But some wanted it to go north, othei'S 
 west, and others south. 
 
 When we consider the jealousy and opposition displayed toward 
 the city, it is small wonder that it required the fostering hand of 
 several kindly administrations before it appeared likely that Wash- 
 ington would remain the permanent seat of the government. During 
 the administrations of Adams, Jefferson, and Madison, the city im- 
 proved considerably. Jefferson secured money from Congress for 
 the public buildings, planted poplar trees on Pennsylvania Avenue, 
 and did what he could to make that “ Appian Way of the Republic” 
 something better than a “ slough of despond.” He applied his artistic 
 skill and taste to the work of beautifying the capital. Population 
 increased at the rate of about eight hundred a year ; and when, after 
 the invasion by the British in 1814, the vexed question of removing 
 the capital was settled by Congress appropriating liberal sums to re- 
 store the public buildings damaged during the invasion, the city had 
 nothing to hinder its steady growth. 
 
 The invasion of Washington by the British troops under General 
 Ross, Aug. 24, 1814, was a severe blow to the weak and slowly 
 growing city. It had been apprehended for some weeks that the city 
 would be attacked, and President Madison had taken various pre- 
 
THE BRITISH INVASION. 
 
 39 
 
 A SCENE IN THE COLORED qUARTER. 
 
 ventive measures, which, however, proved futile. The British fleet, 
 under command of Admiral Cockburn, sailed up Chesapeake Bay, and 
 4,500 men were landed on the left bank of the Patuxent River on the 
 2ist of August, with orders to march on Washington. The resi- 
 dents of the city were warned of the approach of the British, and 
 many of them hastily left their homes and found refuge in Virginia. 
 The invaders marched across Maryland to Bladensburg, five miles 
 from the capital, without hinderance ; but at this place their advance 
 was stopped by a body of raw, militia, organized from residents of 
 Maryland and the District, under command of General Winder, and 
 a few hundred seamen with field-pieces under Capt. Joshua Barney, 
 the celebrated privateersman. The American troops numbered about 
 seven thousand, but they were so badly handled that almost at the 
 first fire from the British the militia broke in disorder and could not 
 be rallied again. Barney’s sailors stood their ground and fought 
 desperately for nearly three hours, but at last were compelled, from 
 sheer lack of numbers, to abandon their position on the Bladensburg 
 turnpike, and fall back to Georgetown Heights. President Madison 
 and other prominent officials of the government had sought safety at 
 Montgomery Court House, in Mar}dand. 
 
 The way to Washington now being open, the British continued 
 their march, and on the evening of August 24, they halted in front 
 of the unfinished Capitol. Orders were given to burn all the public 
 edifices, and in a short time the Capitol, the White House, and the 
 Executive buildings were in flames. The troops dispersed throughout 
 the city, burning and destroying a large amount of private as well as 
 public property. They visited the arsenal on Greenleaf’s Point and 
 
40 
 
 picturesque WASHINGTON. 
 
 attempted to destroy several large cannon left by the garrison in 
 the haste of their departure, by discharging one against the others. 
 When the piece was fired, some of the wadding fell into a well in 
 which a large quantity of powder was secreted, and a tremendous 
 explosion ensued, killing a number of the British. The records of 
 the War, Treasury, and Navy Departments were nearly all burned, 
 and the records of the State Department were only saved by the 
 energy of several clerks, who packed them into bags and transported 
 them to a secure place in the country. 
 
 While the public buildings were burning a severe storm began, 
 and the drenching rain fortunately extinguished the fires at the Cap- 
 itol and White House, and saved them from total destruction. The 
 enemy left the city late that night, fearing an attack under cover of 
 the darkness, and in a few days the British fleet, which had come as 
 far as Alexandria, sailed down the Potomac. The amount of dam- 
 age done by the invasion was estimated at $1,000,000. About sev- 
 enty-five Americans were killed and wounded, and the British suf- 
 fered a loss of several hundred men. 
 
 At this period nearly all the field and domestic labor in and around 
 Washington was performed by slaves. The rich planters employed 
 hundreds of negroes to cultivate their fertile acres, and the relations 
 between the slaves and their masters were very different from what 
 they were in the regions farther south. The slaves were usually 
 treated with kindness, well clothed and fed, and were apparently as 
 happy and contented as human beings could be in bondage. They 
 were very civil and well behaved, and took great pride in ornament- 
 ing their little cabins, and many of them had very neat and com- 
 fortable homes. They were allowed, on many plantations, good pay 
 for extra labor, and often saved money enough by industry to pur- 
 chase their freedom. The culture of tobacco made many of the 
 planters very wealthy, some of them raising one hundred hogsheads 
 yearly of the “ Indian weed that from the devil doth proceed,” as the 
 quaint old poem has it. The tobacco was largely shipped to Europe. 
 It was brought to the place of shipment in this way : A hole was bored 
 in the heads of the hogshead, and an axle placed in it from end to 
 end. A shaft was attached to the axle like the shaft ol a cart, and 
 horses and mules hitched to it. The tobacco was then drawn along 
 the streets, up and down the hills, rolling and bumping over the stones. 
 
 An ancient register has the following estimate of the yearly ex- 
 penses of a slave : “ Ilis price about $500, which at 6 per cent., the 
 
FAMOUS STATUES. 
 
 I . The Bartholdi Fountain in the Botanical Garden. 4. Marble Group on the Porttco of the CapIto^ 
 
 2 Statue of General Scott at the Soldiers' Home. 5. Statue of General Greene. 
 
 3. Mills’ Statue of General Washington. 6. Mills' Statue of General Jackson. 
 
42 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 lawful interest, is $30 ; for risk or accident, $30 ; for a peck of Indian 
 meal per week or 13 bushels per year at 50 cents, $6.50 ; two pounds 
 of salt meat per week, $7*50 5 ^ barrel of fish per annum, $4 ; fowls, 
 vegetables and milk per annum, $5 ; for clothing, $15 — total for the 
 year, $98 ; or daily expense of 27 cents.” The slaves assumed the 
 names of their masters, and many of these old family names are con- 
 tinued to-day among the negro population of the city. In April, 1862, 
 slavery was abolished in the District of Columbia. 
 
 It is interesting to learn the rates of free labor in those days. A 
 shoemaker who could make one good pair of shoes daily was paid 
 $1.50, and in the other trades wages varied from 75 cents to $1.25 a 
 day. Laborers obtained 50 cents a day. A seamstress received 
 $4.50 a month and board; female servants, from $2.00 to $4.00 a 
 month, with the exception of cooks, who were paid from $15 to $20. 
 Coachmen who could handle two and four horses expertly, demanded 
 $10 a month and board. Food was cheap, land easy to obtain, and 
 houses could be built for little money of brick made from the finest 
 clay, abundantly found in the city. Gray and blue granite, the brec- 
 cia marble, or “ pudding stone,” as it was commonly called, and sand- 
 stone were also to be had at comparatively little cost for public build- 
 ings. The so-called “luxuries of life” were not very plenty, with 
 the exception of “ ice and pineapples.” Ice could be readily obtained 
 in summer for fifty cents a bushel, and pineapples from the West In- 
 dies were sold for twenty-five cents apiece. 
 
 An English writer in 1816 gave the following quaint description of 
 the state of female society in Washington : “ The women have been 
 accused of sacrificing too much to the empire of fashion, but as we have 
 not been able to verify the truth of this charge, it would be dangerous 
 to decide on so delicate a subject. They are certainly superior women, 
 generally highly gifted in mental as they are adorned with personal 
 endowments. They have hitherto withstood the lamentable ravages 
 which art and luxury have in the great cities produced upon their 
 sex. There is an evil, however, which is deeply lamented. It is 
 natural to love those who are made to love ; and no sooner do the 
 young ladies of Washington arrive at the nubile state than they give 
 their hand to some wooing stranger, or member of Congress, who 
 carries them off in triumph to his distant home. The young citizens 
 who have been daily contemplating the regular advances of these 
 shoots into perfection, disappointed in their ardent intentions, sigh and 
 exclaim (not without reason) against the corruption of the times. 
 
PECULIAR MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 
 
 43 
 
 against family interests and an unnatural and disheartening prefer- 
 ence to foreigners. Washington thus resembles a nursery, whose fine 
 plants are annually transported to a foreign and less congenial soil.” 
 
 The same author says: “In the Territory of Columbia women 
 have no reason to complain of the degradation to which they are ex- 
 posed by the tyrant, man. They go where they please, both before 
 and after marriage, and have no need to have recourse to dissimula- 
 tion and cunning for their own repose and that of their husbands. 
 Any particular attention to a lady is readily construed into an inten- 
 tion of marriage. At dinner and tea parties the ladies sit together, 
 and seldom mix with the gentlemen, whose conversation naturally 
 turns upon political subjects. Gentlemen wear their hats in a car- 
 riage with a lady, as in England. In almost all houses toddy is of- 
 fered to guests a few minutes before dinner. In summer, invitations 
 to tea-parties are made verbally, by a servant, the same day the party 
 is given. In winter the invitation is more ceremonious. The parties 
 at the house of the President of the United States unite simplicity with 
 the greatest refinement of manner. The inhabitants are social and 
 hospitable, and respectable strangers, after the slightest introduction, 
 are invited to dinner, tea, balls, and evening parties. Tea-parties 
 have become very expensive, as not only tea, but coffee, negus, cakes, 
 sweetmeats, iced creams, wines and liquors are often presented ; and, 
 in a sultry summer evening, are found too palatable to be refused. In 
 winter there is a succession of family balls, where all this species ol 
 luxury is exhibited.” 
 
 This intelligent Englishman, in speaking of some of the peculiar 
 customs prevailing in Washington at the time of his visit in i8i6, 
 says : “ Both sexes, whether on horseback or on foot, wear an um- 
 brella in all seasons : in summer, to keep ofl' the sunbeams ; in win- 
 ter, as a shelter from the rain and snow ; in spring and autumn, to 
 intercept the dews of the evening. Persons of all ranks canter their 
 horses, which movement fatigues the animal, and has an ungraceful 
 appearance. The barber arrives on horseback to perform the opera- 
 tion of shaving, and here, as in Europe, he is the organ of all news 
 and scandal. Boarders in boarding-houses, or in taverns, sometimes 
 throw off the coat during the heat of summer; and in winter, the 
 shoes, for the purpose of warming the feet at the fire — customs 
 which the climate only can excuse.” 
 
 During the administration of Monroe extensive improvements 
 were made in all parts of the city, and large sums of money expended 
 
44 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 for public works. Several fine residences were erected bv high offi- 
 cials of the government and wealthy citizens. The sales of gov- 
 ernment lots realized nearly $500,000. Public spirit began to be 
 manifested. In a statistical record bearing date of 1821 is this entry : 
 “ Eighty-eight buildings were commenced up to June ; a nevvbridge 
 built, the Center Market enlarged, much progress made in the City 
 Hall, an addition made to the Infirmary, the new theatre finished and 
 the old one rebuilt for assembly rooms ; Unitarian Church erected 
 and a Presbyterian Church completed ; and a fountain of water opened 
 that yields sixty gallons a minute.” In 1822 the city contained nearly 
 fifteen thousand people, and taxes were assessed upon property valued 
 at $6,668,726. There were 2,229 dwellings, numerous churches, 
 hotels, and stores, and several large public buildings. 
 
 In the fall of 1822 a race between two celebrated Virginia horses, 
 “Sir Charles” and “Eclipse,” was the leading topic of conversation 
 in Washington for weeks, and ten thousand people assembled at the 
 trotting park to witness the contest. President Monroe, and the lead- 
 ing government officials, were among the spectators. It is said that 
 more than a million dollars were wagered. Planters staked their 
 slaves, and in one case eight hundred negroes changed owners after 
 the race. People of high and of low degree were intensely excited, 
 and a great amount of money was lost by men “ who were unable to 
 pay their honest debts to mechanics, grocers, and even washer- 
 women.” “Eclipse” easily distanced “ Sir Charles,” and its owner 
 received the stake of $5,000, and in addition made a considerable 
 fortune from his wagers. 
 
 Another odd scrap of history is worthy of mention. In March, 
 1823, a great excitement was created in the city by the abscondingof 
 the manager of the “ Grand National Lottery,” after refusing to pay 
 the principal prize of $100,000, and several smaller ones. The city 
 corporation, under whose auspices the lottery was carried on, claimed 
 not to be responsible for the default, and those who held the tickets 
 for the prizes had to go without their money. An article in the AU- 
 tional Intelligencer about the affair was headed in large letters : “So 
 We Go ! ” 
 
 During the administration of John Quincy Adams, from 1825 to 
 1829, Washington had a population of nearly twenty thousand, but it 
 was a slow-going, uninteresting city, with very few signs of promise. 
 Its social life, however, was very agreeable. Society at that time 
 was said to have “all the hues of many colored life from the highest 
 
GROWTH OF THE CITY 
 
 45 
 
 THE HOUSE IN WHICH PRESIDENT LINCOLN DIED. 
 
 polish of polite France to the rude dignity of untutored nature. Par- 
 ties were numerous in the winter months, and were well attended by 
 all who were or wished to be thought fashionable.” The popular hotel 
 was the “Indian Qiieen,” on Pennsylvania Avenue, and its great 
 swinging sign, with a highly-colored picture of Pocahontas, was a 
 conspicuous object. The hotel was noted for its good living, and 
 
46 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 many members of Congress resided in it. A large part of the city 
 was occupied by market gardens and brick kilns, plentifully inter- 
 spersed with ponds and marshes. There were no public schools ; 
 what were known as “ Gadsby’s Row” and the “ Seven Buildings” 
 were the “ architectural palaces,” and stray cows and pigs the stat- 
 uary that adorned the squares and parks. In the sandstone Capitol 
 with a wooden dome, great statesmen were invoking the Goddess of 
 Liberty ; and at the slave-pen in the centre of the city, unfeeling auc- 
 tioneers were selling men, women, and children to the highest bidder. 
 
 Even in 1840, M. de Bacourt, the French Minister wrote ; “ As for 
 Washington, it is neither a city, nor a village, nor the country : it is 
 a building-}mrd placed in a desolate spot, wherein living is unbear- 
 able.” About this time there was a general renewal of the public 
 buildings, and after 1850 the city began to wear a somewhat brighter, 
 more enterprising appearance. Population increased about two thou- 
 sand a year ; many substantial business blocks and private residences 
 were constructed ; more energy was displayed by the residents ; and, 
 although it was still a “ city of magnificent distances,” many of the 
 unsightly spaces were filled, and the former barren, desolate aspect 
 had changed to something better. When the Civil War began, in 
 1861, Washington had 62,000 people, and was described as “ a big, 
 sprawling city, magnificent in some parts, dilapidated and dirty in 
 others.” 
 
 During the years of the Rebellion the city was an extensive mili- 
 tary encampment. Its streets resounded with the march of troops, 
 and all its available buildings were used for military purposes. Every- 
 where “ war’s stern alarums ” were heard. Over Long Bridge thou- 
 sands of brave men went to battle on the soil of Virginia. Formid- 
 able lines of defenses enclosed the capital, and apprehensions ot an 
 attack were constantly felt. In July, 1864, General Early made a 
 demonstration on Washington, hoping thereby to induce General 
 Grant to raise the siege of Richmond. He crossed the Potomac with 
 12,000 men, defeated General Wallace at Rockville, sixteen miles 
 from the city, and marched on Fort Stevens, on the Seventh Street 
 road. The guns of the fort checked his advance until the Sixth 
 Corps from Petersburg arrived, when he was driven back across the 
 Potomac. 
 
 On tlie evening of the loth of April, 1865, Washington was bril- 
 liantly illuminated in celebration of the close of the war, and there 
 was great rejoicing among its loyal people, hour nights after, the 
 
THE CIVIL WAR. 
 
 47 
 
 city heard with pallid cheek and bated breath that President Lincoln 
 had been stricken down at Ford’s Theatre, on Tenth Street, by the 
 bullet of a cowardly assassin. The rejoicings at the return of peace 
 were changed to bitter lamentations. The colored people were almost 
 wild with grief at the death of the great Emancipator. 
 
 President Lincoln was removed from the theatre to the Peterson 
 house, nearly opposite, where he died early on the morning of April 
 15. The theatre was purchased by the government in 1866, and 
 is at present used for the Army Medical Museum and the record 
 and pension division of the Surgeon General’s Department. The in- 
 terior was entirely reconstructed, and no trace now remains of the 
 scene of the assassination. On the Peterson house a marble tablet 
 has been placed, bearing the record of Lincoln’s death. The small 
 bed-room in which the President died suggests little now of the sad 
 scenes of that night. The original furniture has been removed, and 
 the pretty, flaxen-haired children of the present owner of the house 
 use the apartment for a play-room. It is proposed that the govern- 
 ment purchase the house and make it a museum for the exhibition 
 of articles belonging to President Lincoln. 
 
 In May, 1865, the troops under the command of Generals Grant 
 and Sherman marched in grand review through the streets of Wash- 
 ington, prior to their disbanding. Two days were taken for the re- 
 view, which was witnessed by many thousands of people from all 
 parts of the North and the West. During this final march of “ the 
 largest army of volunteers ever organized in the history of the world,” 
 the city was full of patriotic enthusiasm. As the various generals 
 with their divisions, all wearing the actual accoutrements of the war 
 — the boys in blue stained with the soil of Virginia and of Georgia, 
 and bearing proudly the tattered banners which had waved on many 
 hard-fought battle-fields — passed up Pennsylvania Avenue, they were 
 the recipients of long-continued and enthusiastic cheers, and were 
 literally covered with garlands. 
 
 For a few years after the war Washington continued to be a very 
 unattractive city. At this time an English tourist wrote of it : “ The 
 whole place looks run up in a night, like the cardboard cities Potem- 
 kin erected to gratify the eyes of his imperial mistress on her tour 
 through Russia ; and it is impossible to remove the impression that, 
 when Congress is over, the place is taken down and packed up till 
 wanted again.” 
 
THE CENTER MARKET — GROUP OF HUCKSTERS, 
 
CHAPTER III 
 
 GROWTH OF AVASHIXGTON SINCE 1S70— THE IMPROVEMENTS BY THE BOARD OF 
 public WORKS — a wonderful transformation caused by THE EXPEN- 
 DITURE OF TWENTY MILLIONS — CHARACTERISTICS OF THE QUEENLY POTO- 
 MAC CITY— ITS GOVERNMENT, POPULATION, AND BUSINESS — THE SPACIOUS 
 STREETS AND AVENUES, FINE PARKS AND SQUARES — STATUES TO WAR 
 HEROES— LONG BRIDGE — THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT. 
 
 I N the year 1870 Washington was suddenly aroused from its leth- 
 argy. After seventy years of existence it had not realized the 
 expectations of its friends, or greatly lessened the opposition of 
 its enemies. It was in a critical condition. Its use by the Fed- 
 eral soldiers in the Civil War had made thousands of intelligent North- 
 ern men familiar with its discomforts, its shiftlessness, and its entire 
 lack of the desirable qualities that the seat of government of the 
 American Nation should possess. There was nothing hopeful or 
 promising about it. Young cities in the West had grown important 
 and prosperous by their own exertions ; old cities in the East had 
 advanced steadily with the enterprise of the age ; but Washington, 
 with the strong aid of the government, and many years of life, had 
 failed to be a credit, much less an object of pride, to the American 
 people. 
 
 The project to remove the national capital to St. Louis, vigor- 
 ously started by a Western man of rare energy and persistency, gave 
 Washington at this time a great fright. The proposition of removal 
 received the hearty indorsement of the West, and a large delegation 
 in Congress was pledged to its advocacy. Prominent newspapers 
 in New York and elsewhere favored it, and the scheme began to grow 
 rapidly in public estimation. St. Louis was ready to expend millions 
 to obtain the splendid prize, and the other large Western cities came 
 
PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 SO 
 
 forward with offers of their influence and money, enthusiastic over 
 the plan to have the capital city located in “the great golden harvest 
 land,” as the West is glowingly described. 
 
 At this juncture a strong man came into leadership, and turned 
 aside the current that was flowing perilously against the city. He 
 thoroughly believed in Washington, and was determined to aggrandize 
 it, and at the same time that he improved and built up the city he , 
 proposed to enrich himself. This man was Alexander R. Shepherd, 
 well known afterward to the country by his sobriquet of “ Boss Shep- 
 herd.” General Grant was President, and his friendship for Shep- 
 herd was marked and enduring. Congress finally disposed of the 
 question of removing the capital by appropriating $500,000 to begin 
 the erection of the grand State, War, and Navy Building, which has 
 cost $12,000,000; and the city, through the efforts of Shepherd, 
 began at once to assume a better appearance. Shepherd at that 
 time was thirty-eight years old. He had realized a fortune of $100,- 
 000 from plumbing contracts, and was known as the leading plumber 
 of the District. He had a large political friendship, was an aider- 
 man of the old city government, and was noted for his immense 
 energy and invincible determination. 
 
 In describing Shepherd’s career a well-informed writer says : “ He 
 and his friends conceived the idea of making a great and beautiful 
 city out of the slovenly and comfortless Southern town which the cap- 
 ital of the country then was. They first abolished the old municipal 
 government, and ended once for all the conservative regime of the 
 past. In its place they put a territorial government with a legisla- 
 ture, which by means of the universal suffrage in the District, then 
 recently established, they were easily able to control. The territo- 
 rial government was merely a cover for the Board of Public Works, 
 and of this board Shepherd was the head. Eighty miles of the three 
 hundred miles of half-made streets and avenues were improved, and 
 nearly all the thickly-settled streets of the cit}^ were paved with wood 
 or concrete. A general and very costly system of sewers was begun. 
 The grades of many of the most populous streets were radically 
 changed. Scores of new parks were graded, fenced, and set with 
 trees and fountains. The old Tiber Canal was filled up, and the 
 greatest nuisance of Washington was thereby shut out of sight. 
 From $15,000,000 to $20,000,000 were swallowed up in this vast un- 
 dertaking. Congress appropriated at least $5,000,000 in cash, and 
 $2,000,000 more in cash were raised on improvement bonds, which 
 
IMPROVING THE CITY 
 
 51 
 
 were put on the market at a very large per cent. The remainder of 
 this great indebtedness took the shape of sewer bonds, floating loans, 
 and other securities. Nearly all of this money was disbursed by 
 Shepherd. It was he who determined to whom all these millions 
 should go. He had his circle of friends among the contractors, and 
 it was charged that he shared in the profits ; but of this charge there 
 was no evidence, and probably it was not true. Shepherd must be 
 credited with an ambition which was much more than a merely self- 
 ish one. It cannot be charged against him that he diverted the funds 
 of the District to improve his own property as distinguished from the 
 property of others. The street improvements were almost universal, 
 and his building operations extended to every part of the city. When 
 the Board of Public Works began operations and property rose in 
 value all over the city, his real estate and building enterprises (dating' 
 back to 1865) were largely augmented.” 
 
 During ten years Shepherd erected over one thousand buildings, 
 and was the first man to build blocks of dwellings in Washington, 
 after the plan common in Northern cities. His building operations 
 exceeded those of any other man in the United States, and comprised 
 total values of $10,000,000 ; and in land he handled other millions. 
 He secured large amounts of money from Northern capitalists, car- 
 ried heavy financial burdens, and exhibited wonderful capacity in ob- 
 
 ENTRANCE TO LONG BRIDGE. 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
 
52 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 taining the credit necessary for his innumerable enterprises. In 1873 
 he became governor of the District, and ruled its affairs with an im- 
 perious hand. He was, in truth, the “Boss” of Washington, and 
 forced the public improvements against all opposition, determined that 
 the city should no longer be a reproach to its people, and a disgrace 
 to the Nation. He was the latter-day L’Enfant, with more brains 
 and more power. In 1876 he became financially embarrassed, and 
 his audacious, extraordinary business and political career came to an 
 end. 
 
 The queenly Potomac City, secure now from fear of the removal 
 of the capital, owes its grand renovation largely to this man ; and to- 
 day in the city he beautified and raised to a prosperous, distinguished 
 position, thousands of hearts go out in gratitude and well wishes 
 toward the exile from home, as he labors in far-off Mexico to repair 
 his shattered fortune — grateful that he compelled them, even by ar- 
 bitrary acts and extravagant expenditures, to make Washington the 
 fit place for the seat of government. 
 
 In ten years from the time the Boaij^d of Public Works began 
 its improvements, the city was transformed. The streets were cov- 
 ered with an almost noiseless, smooth pavement. Fifty thousand 
 shade-trees had been planted ; the old rows of wooden, barrack-like 
 houses had given place to dwellings of graceful, ornate architecture; 
 blocks of fine business buildings lined Pennsylvania Avenue and the 
 other prominent thoroughfares ; blossoming gardens and luxuriant 
 parks were to be seen on all sides ; the squares and circles were 
 adorned with the statues of heroes, and bordered with costly and 
 palatial mansions ; splendid school-houses, churches, market build- 
 ings, newspaper offices had been erected. The water-works and 
 sewer system were unequaled in the country. Washington had 
 risen fresh and beautiful, like the Uranian Venus, from stagnation 
 and decay. 
 
 The population of the city in 1880 was 147,293, and with George- 
 town added, 159,885. It is believed that since the last government 
 census was taken there has been a large yearly increase in popula- 
 tion, and that the city now contains quite 240,000 permanent resi- 
 dents. There is also a floating population in the winter months esti- 
 mated at 50,000, which is composed in part of congressmen and 
 employes of Congress and their families, and people of wealth from 
 various portions of the United States, who spend the winter in the 
 city. There is a constant growth in enterprise and public spirit, and 
 year by year the capital increases in prosperity and importance. 
 
ELEMENTS OF PROSPERITY. 
 
 53 
 
 THE DISTRICT COURT HOUSE. 
 
 The government business in Washington necessitates the dis- 
 bursement of a vast amount of money yearly to the residents of the 
 city. All the great departments of the United States government 
 are located there, and the number of persons who perform service in 
 them is estimated at 20,000. The Treasury Department has on its 
 pay-rolls 3,504 persons who do work in Washington; the Interior 
 Department, 2,949; ^^e War Department, 1,686; the Post-Office 
 Department, 544, and the many other departments, divisions, sub- 
 divisions, and offices of the government employ from 100 to 2,500 
 persons each in transacting the immense business of the states and 
 territories included in the American Republic. Many millions of dol- 
 lars are annually paid as compensation to the government employes 
 in Washington, and, in good times or bad, these enormous disburse- 
 ments are made with the regularity of clock-work. The government 
 is generally a liberal paymaster, as it is obliged to employ the best 
 talent in all of its difficult and complicated business. Year by year, 
 as the country increases in population and wealth, the affairs of the 
 
54 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 government greatly increase, and additions to the employes in Wash- 
 ington have constantly to be made to keep up the work of the de- 
 partments. In some of the important departments, even with the 
 large force employed — with every room in a huge building crowded 
 with clerks attending to their duties with an energy and faithfulness 
 that the people of the country scarce give government employes 
 credit for — the business is often many months behind. 
 
 The wholesale and retail trade of the city is steady and flourish- 
 ing. The vast sums disbursed by the government flow easily and 
 regularly into the currents of trade, and in addition, Washington has 
 within a few years developed a very lucrative traffic with the rich 
 and populous country to the south and west of it, whose people here- 
 tofore were accustomed to go to Baltimore for goods. The ample 
 salaries of government employes, the majority of whom receive 
 larger compensation than the same class of workers in any other 
 city, enable them to live well, to purchase many articles of taste 
 and luxury, to enjoy public entertainments, and to gratify their de- 
 sires in literature and art. The rates of government pay tend also 
 to increase, by comparison, the wages of those engaged in private 
 business. The popular fallacy that when the session of Congress is 
 over each year, the city becomes dull and depressed, is entirely 
 groundless. Congress now merely adds so much to the continuous 
 busy life of Washington — accelerates trade and society in a certain 
 measure while it remains ; but when Congress is not in session the 
 streets are lively, trade flourishes, amusements are plentiful and 
 well supported, and social events are brilliant and numerous. The 
 old notion that because Washintxton is the seat of fjovernment com- 
 mercial interests are out of the question, is rapidly fading away, as 
 the city has advanced a long way in ten years toward that import- 
 ance to which it is entitled as the centre of a large and flourishing 
 territory, yearly increasing in population. 
 
 The city is also fortunate in the strong attraction it has for stran- 
 gers. Every day hundreds of tourists from all parts of the world 
 visit Washington, to enjoy its sights and objects of interest, which 
 are exceedingly numerous and of great fame ; and every day hun- 
 dreds of people from all sections of the United States arrive to trans- 
 act business with the various departments of the government. Thus 
 the city is constantly full of visitors who spend their money freely, 
 and consequently add in a large degree to the prosperity of its mer- 
 chants. 
 
ELEMENTS OF PROSPERITY. 
 
 55 
 
 The extensive libraries and scientific collections, open to every- 
 body, attract to the city many students and those engaged in special 
 researches. The Congressional Library, with 500,000 miscellaneous 
 books ; the complete Medical and Surgical Library, with 50,000 vol- 
 umes pertaining to medicine and surgery ; the great Law Library of 
 the government ; the valuable library of the Patent-Office, for the use 
 of inventors ; the libraries of the State, War, and Navy Departments, 
 rich in government records and historical works ; the vast collections 
 of natural history in the Smithsonian Institution and the National 
 Museum, — all present to scholars and professional men and women 
 superior facilities for the prosecution of their studies, and they are 
 largely used by persons from every part of the United States. 
 
 From the census report devoted to the statistics of manufactures it 
 appears that in the District of Columbia there are at the present time 
 971 manufacturing establishments employing 7,145 persons, and 
 using an aggregate capital of $5,552,526. Of the employes, 5,495 
 are males above sixteen years, 1,389 females above fifteen years, 
 and 261 youths and children, who receive annually in wages $3,924,- 
 612. The value of material annually consumed is $5,365,400, and 
 the value of the annual product is $11,882,316. The manufacturing 
 establishments are mainly devoted to the production of various small 
 wares. There are, however, iron works, brick, marble and granite 
 companies, lithographic, book-binding, bank-note, and other estab- 
 lishments of considerable importance. 
 
 The real and personal property in the District of Columbia is 
 valued at $254,189,536, and is thus classed : Taxable real property, 
 
 $112,802,101; belonging to United States, $120,589,684 ; belonging 
 to District governrrwent, $2,258,872 ; churches, etc., exempt, $6,604,- 
 634; taxable personal property, $11,934,245. The yearly expenses 
 of the District government are about $4,800,000, of which the United 
 States pays one-half. Three commissioners, appointed by the Presi- 
 dent, consisting of two resident civilians and one army officer of the 
 Corps of Engineers, have charge under Congress of the District 
 affairs. They appoint the various officials, and serve three years. 
 Each commissioner receives $5,000 per year. The District had for- 
 merly a delegate in Congress, but at the present time has no voice in 
 legislation. It is governed principally by the old laws of Maryland. 
 
 The Constitution of the United States (Art. L, Sec. 8,) gives Con- 
 gress the authority “ to exercise exclusive legislation in all cases 
 
5 ^ 
 
 picturesque WASHINGTON. 
 
 whatsoever over such district (not exceeding ten miles square) as- 
 may by cession of particular states and the acceptance of Congress, 
 become the seat of the government of the United States.” The legal 
 jurisdiction of the District of Columbia was assumed by Congress 
 Feb. 27, 1801, and on May 3, 1802, the city of Washington was in- 
 corporated. At first a mayor was appointed yearly by the President, 
 and a city council was elected by the people. After some years the 
 mayor was chosen by the people. In 1871 the charter of the city 
 was repealed by Congress, and a territorial government established, 
 with a governor and legislature. The present permanent Com- 
 missioner’s government was established in 1878. From 1874 1878 
 
 there was a provisional government of three commissioners. 
 
 Washington, in its general plan, has been called a combination of 
 ancient Babylon and modern Philadelphia, with much of the grace 
 and beauty of Versailles. L’Enfanfs design has been closely fol- 
 lowed, and the result is a broad, spacious city, pleasing in all its parts. 
 Within its boundary are 6,1 ii acres, and of this amount 3,095 acres 
 are used for public purposes. There are more than one hundred 
 streets, and twenty-one avenues, the latter named after the states. 
 The avenues extend from one end of the city to the other, and those 
 that lead to principal points are from 130 to 160 feet wide, and have 
 sidewalks from 20 to 38 feet wide. The streets and avenues in 
 general are of greater width than those of any other city in the 
 world. They are mostly paved with concrete or asphalt, and are very 
 smooth and well kept. Carriage-riding through the centre of the 
 city and on the principal streets of residences is delightful, because 
 the smooth, elastic pavements prevent jolting. The heavy traffic is 
 confined as much as possible to certain streets which have stone 
 pavements, which prevents the concreted streets from being rapidly 
 worn out. 
 
 The streets are laid at right angles from the Capitol, which is 
 located in nearly the centre of the city ; the avenues cross the streets 
 diagonally. North Capitol, South Capitol, and East Capitol streets, 
 and the Mall, which extends from the Capitol grounds west to Fif- 
 teenth Street and takes the place of West Capitol Street, divide 
 Washington into four cardinal sections. The streets extending north 
 and south of the Capitol are designated by numerals, and are known 
 as First Street east. First Street west, etc. Those extending east 
 and west are lettered, and are known as A Street north, A Street 
 
THE PRINCIPAL AVENUES, 
 
 57 ’ 
 
 THE BALTIMORE AND POTOMAC RAILROAD DEPOT. 
 
 south, etc. The aggregate length of streets is 279 miles ; of ave- 
 nues, 65 miles. 
 
 The wide avenues, with their concrete pavement, the principal ones 
 extending in an almost straight line for several miles, are among the 
 prominent attractions of Washington. On pleasant days they are 
 full of gay equipages, and present a very brilliant appearance. They 
 command extensive prospects, and on many of them the view is un- 
 broken as far as the eye can reach. 
 
 Pennsylvania Avenue is one of the longest in the city, and the 
 most prominent. It is four and one-half miles in length, but its con- 
 tinuity is twice broken, once by the White House and Treasury, and 
 again by the Capitol. It begins at Rock Creek, which separates 
 Washington from Georgetown, passes the Washington Circle, the 
 State, War, and Navy Building, the Corcoran Gallery of Art, the 
 White House, Lafayette Park, and the Treasury. From Fifteenth 
 Street to the Capitol it extends a mile through the finest business- 
 
58 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 section. East of the Capitol it continues to the banks of the Ana- 
 costia River. From Rock Creek to the Treasury, at Fifteenth Street, 
 the avenue is 130 feet wide ; from Fifteenth Street to its terminus at 
 the Anacostia it is 160 feet. Many of the leading business establish- 
 ments, several prominent hotds, the Center Market, and the news- 
 paper offices are located on it, and the theatres are adjacent to it. It 
 is the fashionable thoroughfare, and during most hours of the day it 
 is bright and lively with thousands of pedestrians and carriages. A 
 number of parks are situated on “ the avenue,” and its broad walks 
 are lined with trees. 
 
 The longest unbroken avenue is Massachusetts Avenue, which is 
 four and one-half miles in length, and 160 feet wide throughout. On 
 its course through the northwest quarter of the city are many elegant 
 residences, and several squares and circles. It is finely concreted, 
 and is shaded by a variety of trees with expansive foliage. New 
 York, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Rhode Island 
 avenues also traverse the northwest quarter, and are 130 feet wide, 
 with the exception of New Hampshire Avenue, which is 120 feet. 
 They are of great length, and admirably laid out. Maryland Ave- 
 nue begins at Long Bridge and continues to the Baltimore turnpike ; 
 New Jersey and Delaware avenues intersect each other at the Capitol. 
 They are each 160 feet wide. 
 
 In addition to the fashionable avenues there are numerous streets 
 extensively built up with costly dwellings of brick and stone, and 
 comparing favorably in elegance with the avenues. Seventh, Ninth, 
 and F streets are thriving business sections, filled with fine buildings. 
 On both sides of Seventh Street, above Pennsylvania Avenue, are 
 continuous blocks of business establishments for over a mile, and 
 there is an enormous daily traffic in this quarter. During the past 
 ten years many thousands of shade-trees, comprising twenty differ- 
 ent sorts, selected for their handsome foliage and symmetry, have 
 been planted on the streets and avenues, and their growth will give 
 Washington in a few years a distinction as a sylvan city. 
 
 The “ parking system” is in common use. This system was in- 
 troduced to lessen the width of the sidewalks, many of which were 
 much too wide. By it the owner of a house is allowed to enclose, 
 but not to build upon, all the space in front of his house except twenty 
 or thirty feet of the sidewalk. On the majority of the streets the 
 houses stand from forty to fifty feet back from the curbstone, and b}'’ 
 the parking system each house has about twenty feet of garden in front 
 
THE SQUARES AND CIRCLES. 
 
 59 
 
 of it. As the system is almost universally taken advantage of, the 
 result is, that in the vernal season Washington is dotted by innumer- 
 able gardens filled with lovely southern flowers. 
 
 When the city was first laid out. President Washington selected 
 certain districts for public purposes. These government reservations 
 are used for the buildings of the United States, and for the squares 
 and circles. The small spaces at the intersection of streets are 
 termed triangular reservations, and most of them are planted with 
 trees and shrubs, and ornamented with fountains. 
 
 The squares and circles are numerous and exceedingly attractive. ’ 
 Directly opposite the White House, on Pennsylvania Avenue, is La- 
 fayette Square, a tract of seven acres laid out as a park, with choice 
 varieties of shade-trees and flowering plants. Here is Clark Mills’ 
 famous equestrian statue of Gen. Andrew Jackson, which was erected 
 in 1853 at a cost of $50,000. It was constructed of cannon captured 
 by the gallant soldier in his various battles. It stands on a white 
 marble pedestal, around which are field-pieces and piles of cannon- 
 balls. General Jackson is represented in complete military uniform, 
 mounted on a rearing horse, which is poised high in the air without 
 the aid of rods. 
 
 The space at the intersection of Massachusetts and Rhode Island 
 avenues, Sixteenth and N streets, is known as Scott Square. It is 
 about one acre in extent, and in its centre is an equestrian statue of 
 Lieut. -Gen. Winfield Scott, which was modeled by H. K. Brown, and 
 cast of cannon taken during the Mexican campaigns. The figure is 
 ten feet high, and the total height of the statue is twenty-nine feet. 
 Five enormous blocks of granite compose the pedestal. The statue 
 was ordered by Congress, and was erected in 1874. was 
 
 about $45,000. General Scott appears in the full uniform of his rank, 
 seated on his favorite war-horse. 
 
 Farragut Square is on Connecticut Avenue, between I, K, and 
 Seventeenth streets. It covers a little more than an acre, and con- 
 tains a small park in which is a colossal bronze statue of Admiral 
 David Glasgow Farragut, which was modeled by Mrs. Vinnie Ream 
 Hoxie, and cast at the Washington Navy Yard of metal taken from 
 Farragut’s flag-ship, the “ Hartford.” Congress appropriated $20,000 
 for the purpose. The flgure is ten feet high, and the granite pedestal 
 on which it stands is twenty feet, and has an ornamental base holding 
 several mortars. Farragut is portrayed in naval uniform, standing 
 
6o 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 with one foot resting on a block, telescope in hand, watching the 
 enemy’s movements. The statue was unveiled on April 25, 1881. 
 
 On Vermont Avenue is McPherson Square, which is adorned with 
 a pretty park, in which is an equestrian statue of Maj.-Gen. James B. 
 McPherson, modeled by James T. Robisso. It was erected at a cost 
 of $23,500, by the Society of the Army of the Tennessee, from cannon 
 allotted by Congress. The pedestal is composed of five massive 
 blocks of granite appropriately decorated, and cost $25,000. Con- 
 gress appropriated this amount. The figure is fourteen feet high, and 
 the horse twelve feet long. General McPherson is represented sur- 
 veying the field of battle. 
 
 On the south side of Pennsylvania Avenue, between Eighth and 
 Ninth streets, is a bronze statue of Brig. -Gen. John A. Rawlins, Sec- 
 retary of War in 1869, which was ordered by Congress, and cost 
 $10,000. It is in a small park containing choice plants, evergreens, 
 and trees. The figure was modeled by J. Bailey, is eight feet high, 
 and weighs 1,400 pounds. It stands on a granite pedestal, twelve 
 feet in height. General Rawlins is represented in uniform as chief- 
 of-stafF to General Grant. 
 
 A mile directly east of the Capitol is Lincoln Square, formed by 
 the intersection of East Capitol, Eleventh, Twelfth, and Thirteenth 
 streets and Massachusetts, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Tennes- 
 see avenues. It is a space of six acres, in the centre of which is a 
 bronze group called “ Emancipation,” which represents Abraham 
 Lincoln standing at a small pedestal, holding the Proclamation of 
 Emancipation in one hand, while the other is extended in a protect- 
 ing manner over the crouching form of a negro with his fetters broken 
 — a slave no longer. It is a notable work, and clearly expressive of 
 the momentous event in American history which it commemorates. 
 The group was designed by Thomas Ball, and cast in Munich. It is 
 twelve feet in height, and stands upon a granite base which rises ten 
 feet. The statue weighs 3,000 pounds, and cost $17,000. When it 
 was unveiled, on April 14, 1876, there were imposing ceremonies, and 
 the Hon. Frederick Douglass was tlie orator of the occasion. This 
 memorial was erected from contributions received from the freed peo- 
 ple of the South, the initial contribution, a five-dollar greenback, com- 
 ing from an aged colored woman of Virginia. 
 
 Northeast of the Capitol, at the intersection of Massachusetts and 
 Maryland avenues, is Greene Square. Here is an equestrian statue of 
 Maj.-Gen. Nathanael Greene, of the Continental Army. It stands in 
 
THE SQUAliES AND CIRCLES. 
 
 6i 
 
 GARFIELD MEMORIAL TABLET IN THE BALTIMORE & POTOMAC R. R. DEPOT. 
 
 the centre cf a plat of three and one-half acres, and is thirty-three 
 and one-half feet high. It was modeled by H. K. Brown, and 
 erected in 1877 by authority of Congress, and its cost, including the 
 granite pedestal, was $50,000. General Greene is represented as if 
 issuing orders on the battle-field. 
 
 Between Thirteenth and Fourteenth streets west, and I and K 
 streets north, is Franklin Square and Park, comprising four acres 
 planted with luxuriant trees and shrubs. The grounds are surrounded 
 by elegant dwellings, and are charming in their arrangement and 
 ornamentation. 
 
 The largest square in the city is Judiciary Square, which contains 
 nineteen acres. It is located between Louisiana Avenue and G Street 
 north, and Fourth and Fifth streets west. It contains the new Pen- 
 sion Building, and the District Court House. In front of the Court 
 
62 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 House is a plain marble column, crowned with a full-length statue of 
 Lincoln by Lot Flannery. 
 
 Washington Circle is at the intersection of Pennsylvania and New 
 Hampshire avenues. In this circle, within a spacious park, is Clark 
 Mills’ equestrian statue of Gen. George Washington, which was 
 unveiled in i860. It was ordered by Congress, and cost $50,000. 
 Washington is clad in continental uniform, and is represented as at 
 the battle of Princeton. 
 
 Thomas Circle is formed by the intersection of Massachusetts and 
 Vermont avenues and Fourteenth Street. Here, on the 19th of No- 
 vember, 1879, unveiled the equestrian statue of Maj.-Gen. George 
 H. Thomas, which was erected by the Society of the Army of the 
 Cumberland at a cost of $50,000. The statue is the work of J. Q. 
 A. Ward, and was cast from new material. It is sixteen feet high, 
 and the pedestal is also sixteen feet. Congress appropriated $25,000 
 for the pedestal, which is constructed of Virginia granite, handsomely 
 designed, and bears bronze tablets representing the badge of the So- 
 ciety of the Army of the Cumberland. Four bronze lamp-posts, 
 costing $4,000, surround the base. General Thomas is represented 
 in field dress, observing the tide of battle. 
 
 Dupont Circle is at the intersection of Massachusetts, Connecticut, 
 and New Hampshire avenues and P and Nineteenth streets. A statue 
 of Admiral Dupont is to be erected here. 
 
 Iowa Circle is at the intersection of Vermont and Rhode Island 
 avenues and P and Thirteenth streets. 
 
 Washington is divided into four distinct sections or quarters. 
 The Northwest quarter has the largest population, and is the most 
 fashionable. In it are the President’s House, the Executive Depart- 
 ments of the government, the Foreign Legation buildings, the princi- 
 pal hotels, the theatres, the largest business establishments, and the 
 majority of the finest residences. 
 
 The Southwest quarter is extensive and populous, but it is mainly 
 occupied by small places of business and the residences of persons of 
 moderate means. Some of the streets are, however, being taken up 
 for very fine houses, particularly those in the vicinity of the National 
 Museum. The wharves of the river transportation lines are in this 
 quarter. 
 
 The Northeast quarter is sparsely settled, but it increases yearly 
 
THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT. 
 
64 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 in population. On some of the streets there are numerous blocks of 
 fine dwellings, those located near the Capitol being notable for ele- 
 gance. 
 
 The Southeast quarter, with a portion of the Northeast, is called 
 Capitol Hill, as the Capitol stands on the western brow of this exten- 
 sive plateau. Although not as fashionable as the Northwest quarter, 
 it yet has a numerous population of people of large means, and many 
 elegant residences, together with blocks of plain, neat houses and 
 places of business. Within a few years it has developed consider- 
 ably. 
 
 Long Bridge extends from the southwestern terminus of Mary- 
 land Avenue across the Potomac River to the Virginia shore, and is 
 a mile in length. It was completed in 1835 at a cost of $100,000, 
 and, singular as it may seem, only one-third of the money appropri- 
 ated by Congress to build it was expended. It is doubtful if there is 
 another case on record of a public work being constructed for less 
 than the original appropriation. President Jackson formally dedi- 
 cated the bridge in the spring of 1836, and, after nearly fifty years 
 of hard service, it is now in a substantial condition. It is an unsightly 
 wooden structure ; one side of it is used by the railroads running 
 south from Washington, and toward the Virginia end is an extensive 
 draw, to admit of the passage of vessels to Georgetown. Before many 
 years it will doubtless give way to the march of improvements, and a 
 bridge better adapted to the needs of the capital will take its place. 
 During the Civil War thousands of Northern soldiers tramped over 
 its dusty road, and a large part of the vast quantities of supplies for 
 the Federal army in the field was transported over it. At present it 
 is largely used by the farmers of Virginia who bring their produce to 
 the Washington markets, and daily hundreds of vehicles and several 
 thousand people cross the old structure. 
 
 Many years have passed since the corner-stone of the Washing- 
 ton Monument was laid with imposing ceremonies on an anniversary 
 of the Nation’s Independence Day. This grand memorial to him 
 who was called “ the pride of our land and the glory of our race,” 
 progressed in an exceedingly tardy manner, but was finished in 
 December, 1884, and dedicated February 22, 1885, the one hundred 
 and fifty-third anniversary of the birth of Washington. The cost of 
 
THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT. 65 
 
 the monument has been about one million, two hundred thousand 
 dollars. 
 
 This monument has been called “ the world’s greatest cenotaph.” 
 It is a plain obeliscal shaft, rising to the height of 555 feet from the 
 base of the shaft, and 572 feet above the natural surface of surround- 
 ing ground. Around the base a mound of earth has been graded, 
 sloping in all directions to meet the natural surface at distances of 
 350 to 450 feet from the shaft. The foundation of the shaft is 126 
 feet square and is thirty-seven feet below the base of the shaft. The 
 shaft, at the base, is fifty-five feet square, and at its top it is about thirty 
 feet square. The lower portion is constructed of blue gneiss, faced 
 with large crystal marble, and the upper portion is of similar marble, 
 with cut granite backing. In the interior lining are set numerous 
 blocks of stone, presented by the states and cities of the United States, 
 by foreign countries, and by various societies. They are properly 
 inscribed, and are arranged to be plainly seen in ascending the monu- 
 ment. 
 
 An elevator, and also a spiral staircase, is used for the ascent, 
 and the interior of the shaft is illuminated by electricity, as the only 
 openings, except the entrance doors, are small windows at the top. 
 
 This shaft is the loftiest artificial structure in the world. It rises 
 many feet above the Capitol, and above any of the cathedral spires 
 and monuments in Europe and the East. It is fifteen feet higher than 
 the main tower of the new city hall in Philadelphia, thirty feet higher 
 than the great cathedral at Cologne, and ninety-five feet higher than 
 St. Peter’s, at Rome. The prospect from the top is sublime beyond 
 conception. On the west the range of vision is bounded by the Alle- 
 ghany Mountains, and on the south it extends to the Chesapeake 
 Bay, and across it to the ocean. The prospect on the north and 
 east comprises the city of Washington, and far beyond over the Dis- 
 trict and Maryland Hills. 
 
 The site of the monument was designated by act of Congress in 
 1848, and is said to have been originally chosen by President Wash- 
 ington. It occupies the government reservation, bounded by Four- 
 teenth Street west, and the Potomac River. All of this tract is to 
 be included in the extensive harbor improvements in progress, and 
 it is believed will eventually be a portion of a beautiful park, with 
 drives extending a long distance on the river bank. 
 
 5 
 
66 
 
 picturp:sqite Washington. 
 
 The subject of a national memorial to the Father of His Country 
 was early discussed. The Continental Congress, in 1783, adopted a 
 resolution for the erection of a statue “ in honor of George Washing- 
 ton, the illustrious Commander-in-Chief of the United States Army 
 during the war which vindicated and secured their libert}% sover- 
 eignty and independence ” ; but the resolution was not carried into 
 effect, as it was understood that Washington did not desire a statue 
 while he was living. After his death one branch of Congress, in 
 1800, passed an act to erect to his memory “ a mausoleum of Ameri- 
 can granite and marble in a pyramidal form,” but it failed of passage 
 in the other branch. Some years afterward an attempt was made to 
 erect a national monument by private subscriptions after the plan of 
 the Timoleonton of Syracuse, but very little was done toward carrying 
 out this plan, and it was not until 1833 that the monument project as- 
 sumed definite form. In September of that year the citizens of 
 Washington had a meeting and formed the “ Washington National 
 Monument Societ}",” with Chief Justice John Marshall as president. 
 An appeal was made to the country for subscriptions, and $230,000 
 were obtained. The corner-stone of the monument was laid on the 
 4th of July, 1848, in accordance with Masonic rites, the Hon. Robert 
 C. Winthrop delivering an oration on the life and character of Wash- 
 ington. The society proceeded with the work of construction until 
 1854, when it was compelled to suspend operations on account of its 
 inability to obtain money. The monument was left but a little way 
 above its foundation walls until 1878, at which time the government 
 undertook its completion. The work was performed by Col. Thos. 
 Lincoln Casey, under the direction of the joint commission created 
 by Congress, with the Washington Monument Society in an advisorv 
 capacity. 
 
 The city of Washington has passed beyond the possibility of de- 
 cadence, and doubtless will have, before many years, a population of 
 half a million people. Sagacious men are of the opinion that event- 
 ually the vast and unequaled water-power of the upper Potomac will 
 be utilized for manufacturing purposes, and that the city will then 
 become the centre of a great industrial district, producing goods for 
 the southern and southwestern markets. From a city of malaria and 
 large death rate, it has become, by wise sanitary measures, a salubri- 
 ous place of residence, and its death rate, despite a large floating pop- 
 
HEALTH OF THE CITY. 
 
 67 
 
 ulation, is very low, averaging about 17.48 per 1,000. Its climate in 
 winter is usually mild and genial, the spring months are delightful, 
 and the heat in summer rarely exceeds that in the cities several hun- 
 dred miles to the northward. There is no reason to believe that it 
 will not always remain the national capital, and as the country in- 
 creases in greatness and opulence, this city, the seat of government, 
 is likely to fully share in the general prosperity. 
 
 A FEW MOMENTS OF LEISURE. 
 
PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, FROM TREASURY BUILDING. 
 
CHAPTER IV 
 
 THK CAPITOL — ADOPTION OF THE PLAN — LAYING OK THE CORNER-STONE BY 
 PRESIDENT WASHINGTON — THE ARCHITECTS — PARTI AL DESTRUCTION OF 
 THE EDIFICE BY BRITISH TROOPS — THE OLD CAPITOL — THE PRESENT MA- 
 JESTIC EDIFICE — ITS GREAT DOME, STATUE OF FREEDOM, BRONZE DOORS 
 AND STATUARY — THE EASTERN AND WESTERN PARKS — NAVAL MONU- 
 MENT— THE BOTANICAL GARDEN — VIEW FROM THE CAPITOL DOME. 
 
 T he commissioners appointed to lay out the capital city were 
 directed to “ procure suitable buildings for the accommoda- 
 tion of Congress, and of the President, and for the public 
 offices of the government of the United States ” ; and, shortly 
 after the city was surveyed, they entered upon this portion of their 
 duties. On L’Enfant’s design the “Federal House for Congress” 
 was designated as “the Capitol,” and this name, meeting with the 
 approval of President Washington, was adopted. It had been ascer- 
 tained that the hill in the eastern section was “ the central point ’ of 
 the city, and therefore it was decided to erect the Capitol there, with 
 its front toward the east, where a spacious level plateau extended for 
 two miles. It was believed that on this plateau the best houses would 
 be erected. To the westward were swamps and woods, hillocks and 
 creeks, and it was apparent that the eastern section was in every way 
 better adapted for the homes of the cultivated and wealthy people 
 who were expected to settle in the national city. But the city’s growth 
 was almost entirely toward the west ; and to-day the Capitol stands 
 with its back to the populous and fashionable part of Washington. 
 It has been humorously said that “ the Capitol is like the Irishman’s 
 shanty, which had the front door on the back side.” It is proposed 
 to reconstruct the western facade and make it similar to the eastern, 
 and doubtless this will be done before many years. 
 
70 
 
 picturesque WASHINGTON. 
 
 A premium of $500 and a building-lot was oftei'ed by the commis- 
 sioners for the best design of the Capitol, and in response to their 
 advertisement sixteen designs were submitted by architects in the prin- 
 cipal cities. These designs were carefully examined by Mr. Jeffer- 
 son, the Secretary of State, and promptly rejected by him, being 
 mostly beneath serious consideration. Mr. Jefferson had early ex- 
 pressed a preference for “ the adoption of some of the models of an- 
 tiquity, which have had the approbation of thousands of years.” In 
 July, 1792, a French architect residing in New York, named Stephen 
 L. Hallet, or Hallate, as it was sometimes v/ritten, sent a sketch of a 
 design to the commissioners which met with favor, and he was invited 
 to come to Washington and examine the locality chosen for the Cap- 
 itol, in order that he might fully perfect his design, which, in many 
 particulars, was satisfactory. About this time an amateur draughts- 
 man, named Dr. William Thornton, an Englishman who had come ta 
 the United States after residing for some ^^ears in the West Indies, 
 presented a highly colored and elaborated design to Washington and 
 Jefferson, which so greatly pleased them that the President sent a 
 communication to the commissioners requesting the adoption of 
 Thornton’s design in place of Hallet’s, but suggesting that they “ do 
 it with delicacy.” It was advised, however, that Hallet be engaged 
 as supervising architect, as Thornton had no practical knowledge of 
 architecture. 
 
 Hallet was informed of this request, doubtless “ with delicacy,” 
 and immediately began to develop and improve his design. Thorn- 
 ton also improved his, and for several weeks these aspirants for the 
 distinguished honor of designing the Capitol of the new and vigor- 
 ous American Nation, worked with intense rivalry and bitter feeling. 
 A charge was made by Hallet that Thornton had stolen the major 
 part of his design from his (Hallet’s) rough sketches, and had merely 
 drawn out in detail the plans he had thus obtained. This charge was 
 stoutly denied by Thornton, and his denial being satisfactory to the 
 commissioners, they finally accepted his design, and awarded the pre- 
 mium to him. Although Hallet demurred at this award, and was 
 greatly aggrieved by it, he was partially appeased by receiving the 
 appointment of supervising architect of the Capitol, with a salary of 
 £400 per year, and began work on the edifice. 
 
 On the l8th of September, 1793, the corner-stone was laid in the 
 soutlieast corner of what was to be the north wing of the Capitol. ■ 
 In an ancient account of this event it Is stated that “ a grand Masonic, 
 
LAVING THE CORNER-STONE. 
 
 71 
 
 military and civic procession was formed on the square in front of the 
 President’s grounds, from whence it proceeded to the Capitol with 
 martial music and flying colors, attended by an immense concourse 
 of spectators. The ceremony was grand and imposing, and large 
 numbers from various parts of the country attended.” On the corner- 
 stone was placed a large silver plate, which was inscribed as follows : 
 
 “This southeast corner-stone of the Capitol of the United States 
 of iVmerica in the City of Washington was laid on the i8th day of 
 September, 1793, in the 13th year of American Independence, in the 
 first year of the second term of the Presidency of George Washing- 
 ton, whose virtues in the civil administration of his country have been 
 as conspicuous and beneficial as his military valor and prudence have 
 been useful in establishing her liberties, and in the year of Masonry 
 5793, by the President of the United States in concert with the Grand 
 Lodge of Maryland, several Lodges under its jurisdiction, and Lodge 
 No. 22, from Alexandria, Virginia.” 
 
 President Washington delivered an oration, it is believed, although 
 no record of it can be found, and the Grand Master of the Maryland 
 Masons made an impressive address. After the ceremony “the as- 
 semblage retired to an extensive booth, where they enjoyed a barbe- 
 cue feast.” 
 
 A few months after the corner-stone had been laid, a serious quar- 
 rel began between Architect Hallet and Dr. Thornton, who had been 
 appointed one of the commissioners. Hallet was requested to fur- 
 nish the commissioners with his various drawings and designs, but he 
 peremptorily declined, and, in consequence, was dismissed from the 
 public service. George Hadfield, an Englishman, who came highly 
 recommended by Benjamin West, and also by James Hoban, the arch- 
 itect of the White House, was appointed in Hallet’s place, and re- 
 mained until he, too, had a quarrel with the commissioners, and was 
 forced to give up the position. Hoban continued the work, and fin- 
 ished the north wins in 1800. 
 
 O 
 
 In 1803 the construction of the south wing was placed in the hands 
 of Benjamin II. Latrobe, who had come from London, where he had 
 thoroughly studied architecture with Cockrell, one of the leading 
 architects of his day. He arrived in the United States in 1796, and 
 in Norfolk, Va., was introduced to Judge Bushrod Washington, a 
 nephew of the President, who took him to Mount Vernon to form the 
 acquaintance of Washington. Latrobe made a favorable impression 
 
72 
 
 picturesque WASHINGTON. 
 
 upjn the President, and was frequently consulted by him in regard to 
 the public buildings. When he was engaged as the architect of the 
 Capitol, the commissioners gave him full power to construct the south 
 wing, and also to remodel the north wing, which had been very poorly 
 constructed, in accordance with his own plans. He finished the work 
 in i8ii, and then connected the wings by a large wooden scaffolding, 
 or bridge, which occupied the place of the present Rotunda. The 
 walls of the wings were constructed of sandstone, quarried on an 
 island in Acquia Creek, a small stream that empties into the Poto- 
 mac River about forty miles below Washington ; and the bricks used 
 for the interior work were made in kilns, erected on the Capitol 
 grounds. Congress had occupied the building since 1800, and at the 
 time the British troops invaded the city, on Aug. 24, 1814, the new 
 Capitol looked quite imposing on its hill-top. 
 
 The British army, commanded jointly by General Ross and Ad- 
 miral Cockburn, reached Capitol Hill early in the evening, flushed 
 and excited by their victory at Bladensburg. As General Ross rode 
 toward the Capitol his horse was killed by a shot fired from a house 
 in the vicinity. The shot was apparently aimed at the British general, 
 and it so enraged the troops that, after setting fire to the house con- 
 taining the sharpshooter, they marched quickly to the Capitol, and 
 fired several volleys into its windows. A regiment then marched into 
 the hall of the House of Representatives, “ the drums and fifes play- 
 ing ‘ The British Grenadiers,’” and the soldiers were formed around 
 the Speaker’s chair. Admiral Cockburn was escorted to the post of 
 honor, and, seating himself, derisively called the excited assemblage 
 to order. “Shall this harbor of Yankee Democracy be burned ? 
 All for it say aye ! ” he shouted. There was a tumultuous cry of 
 affirmation, and then the order was given to fire the building. The 
 pitch-pine boards were torn from the passage-way between the wings, 
 the books and papers of the Library of Congress were pulled from 
 their shelves and scattered over the floor, valuable paintings in a room 
 adjoining the Senate Chamber were cut from their frames, and the 
 torch applied to the combustible mass. Presently clouds of smoke 
 and columns of fire ascended from tlie Capitol, and it seemed doomed 
 to destruction. The soldiers discharged army rockets through the 
 roof of each wing, and when the fire was burning furiously, left the 
 building and marched up Pennsylvania Avenue to fire the other pub- 
 lic edifices. The wooden passage-way, and the roofs and interiors of 
 the wings were burned, but the walls were saved, as the flames were 
 
RESTORING THE CAPITOL 
 
 73 
 
 MAIN ENTRANCE, CAPITOL. 
 
 extinguished in time by a severe rain which set in within half an hour 
 after the fire had begun, and continued all the evening. 
 
 Congress held its first session after the British invasion in Blodg- 
 ett’s Hotel, which occupied the site of the present Post-Office building. 
 The Capitol was ordered rebuilt, and in December, i8i6. Congress 
 leased a building which the citizens of Washington had erected near 
 the eastern grounds of the Capitol, and held its sessions in it for sev- 
 eral years. This building has always been known as the “ Old Cap- 
 itol.” In it John C. Calhoun died on the 31st of March, 1850; and 
 during the Civil War it was used as a prison for Confederates. 
 Henry Wirz, the keeper of Andersonville prison, was hanged in its 
 yard on Nov. 10, 1865. It is now standing, and is used for business 
 purposes and for residences. 
 
 At the time the Capitol was burned, Latrobe, its real architect, 
 was in Pittsburg, aiding in the construction of a steamboat for Robert 
 Fulton. He was immediately recalled to Washington, and, after a 
 
74 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 thorough examination, reported that the Capitol could be easily re- 
 stored, as its foundations and walls were unimpaired. Latrobe was 
 a man of infinite resource. He could speak five modern languages 
 fluently, and was also familiar with Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. He 
 was an inventor, and a discoverer. In the Loudon Hills, in Virginia, 
 he discovered the beautiful mottled marble, known as “breccia,’' 
 whicb he used extensively in the interior of the Capitol. He invented 
 what President Madison called “ the American order of architecture,” 
 using designs of Indian corn, the cotton blossom, and tbe tobacco-leaf 
 for columns and capitals instead of the acanthus. Until 1817 he 
 labored assiduously to restore and improve the Capitol, and to him 
 the credit is due for the old hall of the House of Representatives, 
 now the National Statuary Hall ; the old Senate Chamber, now used 
 by the Supreme Court ; the Law Library Chamber, and the old lob- 
 bies. When he resigned, and Charles Bulfinch was engaged as the 
 architect, the understanding was that the Capitol should be completed 
 in accordance with the designs he had made. 
 
 Bulfinch was a native of Massachusetts. He had constructed the 
 old State House in Boston, and had performed other notable work. 
 For ten years he devoted himself to the Capitol, following Latrobe’s 
 plan to a great extent. He completed what were then called the 
 wings, and connected them by the central Rotunda, with a low dome, 
 and also built the main hall of the Library of Congress. In 1827 
 he reported to Congress that the Capitol was finished, and three }"ears 
 later, resigned the position of architect and retiumed to Boston. The 
 edifice was declared “majestic,” and “perfect in all its adaptations.” 
 It covered about one and one-half acres, and was tliree hundred and 
 fifty-two feet long, and seventy feet high to the top of the balustrade. 
 To the top of the dome it was one hundred and forty-five feet high. 
 Its construction had cost $2,433,814. 
 
 During the twenty years ensuing, the Capitol was considered suf- 
 ficient for the use of the Nation. Robert Mills, a Wasliin<rton archi- 
 tect, was placed in charge of it, and made sundiy small improve- 
 ments from time to time. In 1850 the necessity for better accommo- 
 dations for both Houses of Congress, the number of members having 
 greatly increased, compelled an enlargement of tlie building. It was 
 decided to “extend the wings by greater wings, called extensions,” 
 which were to be constructed of marble, and connected with the 
 original Capitol by wide corridors, d’homas Ik Walter, of Philadel- 
 
EXTENSION OF THE CAPITOL. 
 
 75 
 
 phia, who had built Girard College, was secured as architect, and he 
 retained the position until 1865. He arranged a plan for the exten- 
 sions, and immediately began the work of construction. Gen. Mont- 
 gomery C. Meigs, the accomplished engineer, was appointed as the 
 superintendent and inspector. 
 
 On the 4th of July, 1851, the corner-stone of the south or House 
 extension was laid by President Fillmore, assisted by the Grand 
 Lodge of Masons of the District of Columbia, the Grand Master wear- 
 ing the regalia worn by President Washington as Master Mason when 
 he laid the corner-stone of the original edifice, nearly fifty-eight years 
 before. ,An eloquent oration was delivered by Daniel Webster, Sec- 
 retary of State, which was listened to by a vast assemblage. Beneath 
 the corner-stone this record was deposited : 
 
 “ On the morning of the first day of the seventy-sixth year of the 
 Independence of the United States of America, in the city of Wash- 
 ington, being the 4th day of July, 1851, this stone, designated as the 
 corner-stone of the Extension of the Capitol, according to a plan ap- 
 proved by the President, in pursuance of an act of Congress, was 
 laid by Millard Fillmore, President of the United States, assisted by 
 the Grand Master of the Masonic Lodges, in the presence of many 
 members of Congress ; of officers of the Executive and Judiciary De- 
 partments, National, State, and District ; of officers of the Army and 
 Navy ; the corporate authorities of this, and neighboring cities ; 
 many associations, civil, military, and Masonic ; officers of the Smith- 
 sonian Institution, and National Institute ; professors of colleges and 
 teachers of schools of the District of Columbia, with their students 
 and pupils ; and a vast concourse of people from places near and re- 
 mote, including a few surviving gentlemen who witnessed the laying 
 of the corner-stone of the Capitol by President Washington, on the 
 18th day of September, 1793. If, therefore, it shall be hereafter the 
 will of God that this structure shall fall from its base, that its founda- 
 tions be upturned, and this deposit brought to the eyes of men, be it 
 known that, on this day, the Union of the United States of America 
 stands firm ; that their Constitution still exists unimpaired, and with 
 all its original usefulness and glory, growing every day stronger and 
 stronger in the afl'ections of the great body of the American people, 
 and attracting more and more the admiration of the world. And all 
 here assembled, whether belonging to public life or to private life, 
 with hearts devoutly thankful to Almighty God for the preservation 
 of the libert}^ and happiness of the country, unite in sincere and fer- 
 
76 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 vent prayers that this deposit, and the walls and arches, the domes 
 and towers, the columns and entablatures, now to be erected over it, 
 may endure forever ! God save the United States of America ! 
 
 Daniel Webster, 
 
 Secretary of State of the United States.” 
 
 The extensions were constructed of white marble, tinged with blue* 
 from quarries at Lee, Mass. ; and the one hundred massive columns 
 around them, each consisting of a single block of marble, were quar- 
 ried in Cockeysville, Md. 
 
 It was proposed to construct a new and grander dome to take the 
 place of “ the small wooden thing ” that surmounted the Capitol, and 
 the way in which the first appropriation of $100,000 was obtained for 
 the purpose is described thus : “ Mr. Walter prepared plans for a com- 
 plete extension of the Capitol — new wings, new dome, and anew 
 marble front for the middle or sandstone building, and as he knew very 
 well that Congress would never vote the great sum required in the 
 most economical way, that is in bulk, he first submitted the wings. 
 Next, as Congress was about adjourning at the end of a session, and 
 they were all very merry at a night session — ladies on the floor, and 
 everything lively — the new dome was presented splendidly painted 
 in a picture, and adopted at once.” The money first appropriated was 
 barely sufficient to remove the old dome, which was constructed of 
 wood, brick, and stone, with a sheathing of copper. The new dome 
 required nine years for its construction, and cost $1,250,000. 
 
 The extensions were finished in November, 1867, and the Capitol 
 then presented the stately appearance it has to-day. Nearly $10,- 
 000,000 had been expended for its reconstruction, which, with the cost 
 of the original edifice, made the total expenditure a little less than 
 $I3,000;000. General Meigs, the superintendent, made a report to 
 Congress, in which he said, “ I have labored faithfully and diligently 
 to construct this building in such a manner that it would last for ages 
 as a creditable monument of the state of the arts at this time in this 
 country.” 
 
 From 1867 to the present time nothing of consequence has been 
 done to the exterior of the Capitol. Edward Clark, of Philadelphia, 
 is the architect in charge. The interior has been variously adorned, 
 and the grounds greatly improved. Walter’s plan included the exten- 
 sion of the eastern facade so as to cover the “ deep cuts” made by the 
 Senate and House extensions, which would give an unbroken series 
 
THE MAIN BUILDING. 
 
 77 
 
 of columns ; and it is proposed to rebuild the front and the back of 
 the main or original building with marble, to take the place of the 
 sandstone, which requires very careful painting every year to prevent 
 it from crumbling. These changes will doubtless be made, in time. 
 
 On the brow of a hill w'hich rises ninety feet above the Potomac 
 River is the majestic Capitol, one of the grandest structures in the 
 world. It covers an area of six hundred and fifty-two feet more than 
 three and one-half acres, and the grounds around it comprise forty- 
 six acres. Its total length is seven hundred and fifty-one feet four 
 inches, and its greatest breadth, including the porticoes and the steps, 
 is three hundred and twenty-four feet. It has a principal story, and 
 an attic story, which rest upon a rustic basement. The basement 
 supports an ordonnance of pilasters rising to the top of the two sto- 
 ries above, on which is the entablature, and a marble balustrade sur- 
 mounts the whole. The basement story is devoted to committee- 
 rooms of Congress, the Law Library, the document and folding rooms, 
 the House post-office, the Senate and House restaurants, and offices. 
 The principal story contains the Rotunda, the National Statuary Hall, 
 the Supreme Court Chamber, the National Library or Library of 
 Congress, and the halls of the Houses of Congress, with various 
 rooms for the members and the officials. The attic stoiy contains 
 committee-rooms. 
 
 The main building, or original Capitol, is three hundred and fifty- 
 two feet four inches long, and one hundred and twenty-one feet six 
 inches deep. On the eastern fagade is a portico one hundred and 
 sixty feet wide (the grand central portico) ; and on the western fagade 
 is a projection of eighty-three feet, which forms a recessed portico 
 of ten coupled columns. The extensions, or north and south wings, 
 occupied by Congress, are connected with the centre building by cor- 
 ridors, each forty-four feet long, and fifty-six feet wide. Each wing 
 is one hundred and forty-two feet eifrlit inches in length, and two 
 hundred and thirty-eight feet ten inches in width. The wings have 
 porticoes of twenty-two columns on their eastern fagades, and porti- 
 coes of ten columns on their ends and western fagades. The north 
 wing is occupied by the Senate, and the south v/ing by the House of 
 Representatives . 
 
 On the tympanum of the grand central portico, at the main en- 
 trance to the Capitol, is a colossal allegorical group representing the 
 “ Genius of America,” which was designed by John Quincy Adams, 
 
78 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 when Secretary of State, after he had rejected various designs sub- 
 mitted in competition for a premium. It comprises three figures, the 
 Goddess of Liberty, with Justice and Hope, executed in sandstone by 
 Persico, an Italian sculptor, at a cost of $1,500. At the sides of the 
 entrance doors are niches in which are huge statues of Carrara mar- 
 ble, representing War and Peace, also executed by Persico. They 
 cost $12,000. War is portrayed by the figure of Mars, attired as a 
 Roman soldier, with sword and shield ; and Peace by the figure of 
 Ceres, in flowing robes, holding fruits and an olive-branch in her 
 hands. Above the door is a bust of Washington, laurel-crowned, cut 
 in stone by Capellano. 
 
 On the top of the broad stone steps of the portico are two huge 
 groups in marble, designated as “The Discovery of America,” and 
 “ Civilization.” The first group is the work of Persico, and repre- 
 sents Columbus holding the globe aloft “ in the hollow of his hand,” 
 while an Indian maiden crouches in alarm and amazement at his side. 
 This sculpture is said to give a faithful copy of the armor worn by 
 Columbus when he discovered America. The other group was exe- 
 cuted by Horatio Greenough. It represents a desperate encounter 
 between an American pioneer and an Indian. On one side is the 
 wife of the pioneer, holding her babe pressed to her bosom, shrink- 
 ing from the contestants, fearful of the result. These groups cost 
 $48,000. 
 
 The twenty-four massive monolithic columns of sandstone, each 
 thirty feet high, which constitute the portico, were placed in position 
 in 1825. They were quarried on an island in Acquia Creek, and 
 transported to Washington in flat-boats, which were brought to the 
 foot of Capitol Hill by means of the Tiber Creek. Ropes were then 
 attached to the columns, and they were dragged up the hill by long 
 lines of men, and every day many congressmen were to be seen pull- 
 ing at the ropes, laughing and shouting like school-bo}^s. 
 
 On the steps of this grand portico the oath of ofiice has been ad- 
 ministered by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to all the Pres- 
 idents of the United States, from Andrew Jackson in 1829 to Grover 
 Cleveland in 1885. Before the portico, in the eastern park, 100,000 
 people can witness the inauguration ceremony. When the President ■ 
 has taken the oath, the guns of the Arsenal, the Navy Yard, and the 
 forts around Washington fire the Presidential salute. 
 
 The famous Rogers bronze door is placed in the main entrance to 
 the Capitol. On it are designs in high relief representing events in 
 
THE ROGERS BRONZE DOOR. 
 
8o 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 the life of Columbus, and the discovery of the American continent. 
 The door is nineteen feet high, and nine feet wide, and is folding or 
 double. It is within a bronze casing, on which are emblematic fig- 
 ures of conquest and navigation in the four quarters of the globe. It 
 is constructed of solid bronze, and weighs 20,000 pounds. There 
 are nine panels, in which the scenes are arranged in regular order, 
 beginning with the examination of Columbus before the Council of 
 Salamanca, and following with his departure from the Convent of La 
 Rabida to visit the Spanish court. Then are shown the “Audience 
 at the court of Ferdinand and Isabella” ; the “ Starting of Columbus 
 from Palos on his first voyage”; the “First landing of the Spaniards 
 at San Salvador”; the “First encounter of the discoverers with the 
 Indians”; the “Triumphal entry of Columbus into Barcelona”; 
 “Columbus in chains,” and his “ Death scene.” Each scene is veiy 
 clearly and effectively delineated. Between the panels, and on the 
 sides and the top of the door are sixteen small statues of the emi- 
 nent contemporaries of Columbus, together with ten projecting heads 
 of the historians of his voyages ; and on the transom arch is a bust 
 of the great navigator, beneath which the American eagle spreads 
 its wings. The door was modeled by Randolph Rogers in Rome, 
 in 1858, and cast in Munich in i860, by F. von Muller. Its cost was 
 $30,000. 
 
 Broad flights of marble steps lead to the eastern porticoes of the 
 Senate and House extensions. On the tympanum of the Senate 
 portico is a group of figures in marble, executed by Thomas Craw- 
 ford, illustrating “ American Civilization and the Decadence of the 
 Indian races.” Fifty thousand dollars were paid for this work. 
 America is the central figure ; on the left are figures representing 
 War, Commerce, Education, and the Mechanical Arts ; on the right 
 are pioneers, Indians, and an Indian grave. Above the Senate door 
 is a marble group representing History and Justice. 
 
 A bronze door, modeled by Tliomas Crawford, and cast in Chico- 
 pee. Mass., by James T. Ames, was placed at the entrance to the 
 Senate extension in 1868. It was executed at an expense of nearly 
 $57,000, and is a notable specimen of American art. It portra}'s 
 events in the Revolutionary War, and in the early histor}^ of the Re- 
 public. The panels contain representations of the “Battle of Bunker 
 Hill and death of General Warren”; the “Battle of Monmouth 
 and rebuke of Gen. Charles Lee, the traitor, 1778”; “ Yorktowu 
 — the gallantry of Hamilton, 1781”; a “Hessian soldier in death- 
 
THE GREAT DOME. 
 
 8l 
 
 struggle with an American”; an allegory of the “Blessings of 
 Peace”; the “ Ovation to Washington at Trenton, 1789”; the “ First 
 Inauguration of President Washington, 1789”; and the “ Laying of 
 the Corner-stone of the United States Capitol.” The door is the finest 
 example of bronze-work ever cast in the United States, and compares 
 favorably with the Rogers door in design and execution. 
 
 It is proposed to place a bronze door at the main entrance to the 
 House extension, and also to adorn the portico with marble groups. 
 Designs for a door were made some years ago, but as yet Congress 
 has taken no action in the matter. 
 
 Rising far above the Capitol is the great dome, an object of im- 
 posing beauty, to be seen for miles around. No edifice in the world 
 possesses a dome equal to it in grand, classic symmetry, and in size 
 it is only equaled by the domes of St. Peter’s in Rome, St. Paul’s in 
 London, and the Hotel des Invalid es in Paris. It was designed by 
 Thomas U. Walter, and erected by Charles Fowler. The most beau- 
 tiful forms of classical architecture are embodied in it. It is of cast 
 iron, and is a vast sphere nearly 3,576 tons in weight. The builder 
 states that it was constructed on a series of ribs which give support to 
 the large outer plates, which are bolted together. It is nearly all of one 
 metal, and the plates are so arranged that they will expand and con- 
 tract “ like the folding and unfolding of a lily, all moving together.” 
 Any atmospheric change that will move one part will also move all 
 the others — the plates, the bolts, and the other mechanism, and “ the 
 Rocky Mountains will budge as quickly ” as this ponderous iron struc- 
 ture, which is likely to endure for ages. It is prevented from rusting 
 by covering it yearly with white paint in solid coatings. It rises from 
 a colossal peristyle, with tall, fluted columns, above which is a balus- 
 trade, and above this an “ attic.” On its top is a “ lantern,” fifteen 
 feet in diameter, and fifty feet high, which is crowned by a huge bronze 
 statue of Freedom. This statue stands three hundred and seventy- 
 seven feet eleven inches above the level of the Potomac River. From 
 the base line of the eastern front of the Capitol to the top of the 
 statue it is two hundred and eighty-seven feet eleven inches. Thomas 
 Crawford modeled the figure, which is that of the Goddess of Lib- 
 erty, with a “ liberty cap” of eagle’s feathers, suggested to the sculp- 
 tor by Jefferson Davis, when Secretary of War. The figure is nine- 
 teen and one-half feet in height, and weighs 14,985 pounds. It was 
 cast at a foundry in Bladensburg, Md., and cost nearly $25,000. 
 
 6 
 
82 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 The body of the statue was raised to the lantern on the dome a few 
 days previous to the 2d of December, 1863, and on that day the head 
 was placed on the body with patriotic ceremony. All the forts around 
 Washington fired rapid salutes as the head of the goddess was care- 
 fully hoisted over the vast iron sphere, and when it had reached the 
 summit and was securely fastened to the body, flags were dipped on 
 ' every public building, and in every encampment in and near the cit}’, 
 and a hundred guns on the District and Virginia hills rang out deep- 
 toned salutations to the glorious emblem of liberty. 
 
 The grounds of the Capitol comprise an open court on the east- 
 ern, and a grand terrace on the western side — in all, forty-six acres 
 of park, laid out in an attractive manner, and planted with a great 
 variety of luxuriant trees and a wide range of shrubbery, which afford 
 pleasing contrasts of form and color. The design has been to arrange 
 the grounds for convenience of business with Congress and the Su- 
 preme Court, and also to fitly support and present the Capitol to ad- 
 vantage. When the government first took possession of the tract it 
 was overgrown with “ scrub oaks,” and had a soil of stiff clay, dusty 
 in dr}’, and like mortar in wet weather. For many years it was merely 
 an open common, with roads and paths crossing it in all directions. 
 At the base of the hill, on the west, flowed the Tiber Creek, a little 
 stream with rugged sycamore trees overhanging its banks. In the 
 early spring it was not fordable, and the small bridge was often 
 washed away by freshets. Congressmen in riding to the Capitol were 
 frequently compelled to secure their horses on the farther side, and to 
 pick their way across the swollen stream on fallen trees. Ten years 
 ago the Tiber Creek was utilized for the sewer system of the city, and 
 now forms a natural sewer much larger than the famous sewers of 
 Paris. It runs through the city and empties into the Eastern Branch 
 of the Potomac. Its course is covered by streets, under which the 
 tide ebbs and flows. 
 
 President Washington planted a number of trees in the park on 
 the north of the Capitol, and one of these, known as the “ Washing- 
 ton Elm,” still remains. It is likely to outlive many more Presidents, 
 as it is well cared for and in a flourishing condition. In 1825 the 
 grounds were laid out for the first time with some attempt at system. 
 Rows of trees, flower-beds, grass-plats, and gravel walks were ar- 
 ranged. A few years later, more land was enclosed, and numerous 
 trees planted. In the eastern court two “barbecue groves” were 
 
THE STATUE OF AVAST IINGTON. 
 
 83 
 
 made, one for the Democrats, and the other for the Whigs, to hold their 
 meetings and jubilations in. The system of landscape gardening now 
 in use was begun soon after the Capitol was reconstructed. Around 
 the building on the western side an architectural terrace is to be con- 
 structed, which will greatly add to the ornamentation of the grounds. 
 There are forty-six carriage and foot entrances from the streets on all 
 sides, well paved with concrete and smooth stone, and the entire park 
 is enclosed by low walls, with handsomely ornamented coping, posts, 
 arxi gateways. Many trees and shrubs from foreign countries are 
 growing vigorously. They are properly described by means of labels 
 attached to them, and visitors are thus enabled to gain accurate knowl- 
 edge of the varieties. The park is largely used as a place of public 
 resort in spring and summer, and the government has provided pretty 
 rustic arbors and resting-places, drinking-fountains of pure spring 
 water, and plenty of wide, comfortable seats under lofty trees for the 
 use of all who seek this pleasant, sylvan retreat. 
 
 In the eastern court, fronting the central portico, is a colossal mar- 
 ble statue of Washington, by Horatio Greenough. The statue was 
 executed in Italy, and its cost, including the pedestal and transporta- 
 tion, was nearly $45,000. Congress ordered it in 1832, and ten years 
 later it was placed in the centre of the Rotunda of the Capitol. Sub- 
 sequently it was removed to its present location. Greenough was a 
 native of Boston, and died near that city in 1852, after a long residence 
 abroad. In writing of the statue he said, “ It is the birth of my thought, 
 and I have sacrificed to it the flower of my days and the freshness of 
 my strength ; its every lineament has been moistened with the sweat 
 of my toil and the tears of my exile. I would not barter away its asso- 
 ciation with my name for the proudest fortune avarice ever dreamed 
 of. ” Washington is represented seated in a Roman chair adorned 
 with lions’ heads and the acanthus leaf. The figure is nude to the 
 waist, with a mantle draped round the lower part and extending over 
 the right shoulder. The right hand points toward heaven, and the 
 left holds a sheathed sword. On the sides of the chair are allegories 
 of Phoebus-Apollo driving the chariot of the sun, and Hercules strang- 
 ling the serpent. On the back is a Latin inscription, which is freely 
 translated, “ This statue is for a great example of liberty, nor without 
 liberty will the example endure.” The granite pedestal is inscribed 
 with the famous eulogy on Washington, uttered by Gov. Henry Lee, 
 of Virginia : “ First in war, first in peace, first in the hearts of his 
 
 countrymen.” 
 
84 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 At the foot of Capitol Hill, near the main entrance to the western 
 park, is the Naval Monument, or Monument of Peace, executed in 
 Italy by Franklin Simmons. It is inscribed, “ In memory of the offi- 
 cers, seamen, and marines of the United States Navy, who fell in 
 defence of the Union and liberty of their country, 1861-1865.” It is 
 of pure Italian marble, and rises to a height of forty-four feet, and 
 rests on an elaborate granite pedestal, which contains a fountain. It 
 cost $21,000, and the pedestal cost $20,000. At the top are large 
 figures representing America, and History. America is weeping, 
 while History holds a tablet on which she has written, “They died 
 that their country might live.” A figure portraying Victory stands 
 below the other figures, holding aloft a wreath of laurel in her right 
 hand, and at her feet are miniature images of Mars and Neptune. On 
 the back of the monument is a figure of Peace bearing an olive-branch, 
 and surrounding the figure are models of agricultural implements and 
 products. This fine memorial was erected from funds contributed 
 by members of the navy, and the pedestal from an appropriation by 
 Congress. 
 
 The National Botanical Garden adjoins the Capitol grounds on 
 the west, and is part of the government reservation, known as the 
 Mall. It was originally an alder swamp, with the Tiber Creek flow- 
 ing through it. The first attempt to establish a garden here was made 
 about fifty years ago. It was begun with a small collection of trees 
 and plants carelessly brought together, and of no special value, and 
 it was not until 1850, when the first building was erected, that it began 
 to claim attention. At that time Congress commenced to make an- 
 nual appropriations for it, and it was enriched by having placed in it 
 the extensive and valuable botanical collections brought to Washington 
 by the Wilkes Exploring Expedition from southern climes. Nothing 
 now remains of these collections save a Jujube tree. During the 
 past twenty years the rarest and most beautiful plants have been 
 gathered from all parts of the world, and the national garden is at 
 present the equal in many respects of the famous gardens of Europe. 
 Within the enclosure of ten acres are small houses for the growing of 
 plants, and a grand central conservatory three hundred feet in length, 
 with a huge dome — a veritable palace of glass and iron, with large 
 transept halls and octagonal pavilions, filled with the choicest floral pro- 
 ductions. It rivals the great conservatory in the Royal Kew Garden 
 in London, or that on tlie Chatsworth estate of the Duke of Devon- 
 
THE BOTANICAL GARDEN. 
 
 8S 
 
 shire, and in its archi- 
 tectural design and 
 proportions it is finer 
 than either. In the 
 avenues of the garden 
 is an extensive scien- 
 tific collection of trees, 
 consisting of the best 
 American and foreign 
 varieties, and eveiy- 
 where about the 
 grounds the most val- 
 ued flowers and shrubs are cultivated. North of the main conserva- 
 tory is the celebrated Bartholdi fountain, which was exhibited at the 
 Philadelphia Centennial. 
 
 STATUARY HALL. 
 
86 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 Visitors throng the garden in winter as well as summer, and it is 
 regarded as one of the attractions of Washington. It is often jocosely- 
 called the “bouquet garden” for congressmen. During the annual 
 session of Congress as many as two thousand bouquets are sent from 
 it to the wives and fair friends of the statesmen, and when the session 
 is finished, each congressman is entitled to take to his home one large 
 box of choice plants, which privilege is seldom neglected, particularly 
 as the government pays the cost of transporting the “ botanical speci- 
 mens” anywhere throughout the United States. The garden is under 
 the control of the Library Committee of Congress, and a liberal appro-, 
 priation is annually made for it. Its superintendent receives a salary 
 of $i,8oo, and the employes are paid nearly $10,000 per year. 
 
 Up to the present time, good judges have estimated, the Capitol 
 has had expended upon it not much less than fifty millions of dollars. 
 Its works of art and the interior decorations and improvements have 
 cost millions, and an enormous amount of money has been expended 
 upon the laying out and ornamentation of the grounds. The annual 
 cost of caring for the Capitol is very large. Even to light it and the 
 grounds requires the }'early expenditure of $25,000; and the yearly 
 compensation of its engineers, firemen, laborers, and other employes 
 will aggregate nearly one hundred thousand dollars. The special 
 Capitol police are paid $36,600 per year. There are thirty police- 
 men, commanded by a captain and three lieutenants. They preserve 
 order, protect the public property, and give information to visitors. 
 The architect of the Capitol receives a salary of $4,500, and his 
 office is provided with several well-paid employes. The building is 
 open daily from 9 a. m. until 5 p. M., and in the evening whenever 
 Congress has a night-session. Then the lantern on the dome is 
 lighted, and the light can be seen from every part of Washington, 
 shining like a great brilliant star in the heavens. 
 
 A VISIT to the Capitol is not complete without ascending the dome 
 and taking the wonderful and charming view from the top of this 
 mighty iron globe. It is a toilsome ascent, and when the balustrade 
 above the peristyle is reached, many people are content to stop at this 
 point, where the view is exceedingly beautiful. But here the dome 
 only really begins, and those who persevere in the ascent, and linally 
 arrive at the summit just below the lantern on wliich the figure of lib- 
 erty rests, will be amply repaid for all their toil. Here is a circular 
 
THE SCENE FROM THE DOME. 
 
 87 
 
 landing with a strong balustrade, from which can be viewed at an ele- 
 vation of about three hundred feet, the city of Washington, the Poto- 
 mac River, and the hills and valleys of the District of Columbia and 
 the states of Maryland and Virginia for many miles. No words can 
 express the grandeur of this scene. The city is sharply outlined on all 
 sides, each prominent building standing out in high relief. Murmurs of 
 its busy life come faintly to the ear, but on its broad streets, filled with 
 innumerable moving things, no motion is apparent. You know that 
 thousands of changes are being made each moment, but you cannot 
 perceive the slightest movement anywhere, although you can look 
 from end to end of the thoroughfares. To the west, beyond the city, 
 the hills of Georgetown and of Arlington rise blue and misty, with fields 
 beyond fields spreading out to meet the sky. Along the Virginia 
 shore the silver thread of the Potomac can be seen stretching far to 
 the southward in sparkling loveliness, till it is hidden by jutting banks. 
 The green plateau of the Soldiers’ Home stands out boldly to the north- 
 ward, and seemingly within easy distance is Howard University, on 
 the brow of its high hill. Fertile plains, rising into wooded heights, 
 are to the east and south, and directly downward are the streets and 
 buildings of Capitol Hill, the ships of war in the Navy Yard, and the 
 waters of the Anacostia. It is a sight long to be treasured in the 
 memory, and ever recalled wuth delight. 
 
 From the dome one is enabled to obtain a better realization of the 
 solidity of the Capitol than from the ground below. The massive 
 edifice, composed of marble, sandstone, and iron, is spread out directly 
 to the eye, and its huge proportions are clearly revealed in all their 
 strength and grand symmetry. One can see that faithful, honest 
 work has been done in constructing this greatest and most beautiful 
 of American edifices — work that w'ill certainly bear the test of time. 
 Every part of the Capitol has a very substantial appearance, and look- 
 ing at it from the elevation afforded by the great iron sphere, no one 
 can fail to be impressed with its solidity. Around the “ tholus ” or 
 lantern of the dome are placed numerous electric lights, which have 
 a greater elevation than any similar lights in the country. They 
 illuminate the dome at night in a magnificent manner. A large 
 electric light, with a strong reflector, is placed at the base of the dome 
 on the western side, and this light each evening casts its powerful 
 rays far up Pennsylvania Avenue. 
 
CHAPTER V 
 
 tNTERIOR OF THE CAPITOL — THE ROTUNDA — ITS HISTORICAL PAINTINGS AND 
 CANOPY — THE NATIONAL STATUARY HALL — STATUES CONTRIBUTED BY THE 
 STATES— THE SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES —THE COURT CHAM- 
 BER-FAMOUS JUSTICES AND INTERESTING COURT CUSTOMS — THE LIBRARY 
 OF CONGRESS — DETAILS OF THE VAST NATIONAL COLLECTION OF BOOKS. 
 
 T he Rotunda, which occupies the centre of the interior of the 
 Capitol, is a grand circular hall, ninety-five feet six inches in 
 diameter, and three hundred feet in circumference. From the 
 floor to the canopy over what is called “ the eye of the dome,” 
 it is one hundred and eighty feet three inches in height. Looking 
 upward, you see at first the thirty-six long windows of the peristyle of 
 the dome, which admit a flood of light, and then the gigantic iron ribs 
 and frame of the dome itself, gradually curving to the “open eye,” 
 which is fifty feet in diameter. The canopy suspended directly over- 
 head appears very small, yet it is an immense sheet of metal and 
 plaster, covering an area of 4,664 feet, and is two hundred and five 
 feet four inches in circumference, and sixty-five feet four inches in 
 diameter. From the base to the top it is over twenty feet. 
 
 On this canopy is an allegorical painting by Constantino Brumidi, 
 designated as “ The Apotheosis of Washington.” It was executed at 
 a cost of $39,500, and is a remarkable work in many respects. It 
 represents Washington seated in majesty, with the Goddess of Liberty 
 at his right, and Victory at his left hand. Encircling the central 
 group are thirteen female figures, portraying the thirteen original 
 states, holding a banner on which is inscribed, “ E Pluribus Unum.’’' 
 Around the border of the canopy are six groups of figures, emblem- 
 .atic of the Fall of Tyranny, Agriculture, Mechanics, Commerce, the 
 
90 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 Marine, and the Arts and Sciences. Each hgure is of great size, and 
 most carefully finished. The artistic merit of this painting cannot, of 
 course, be appreciated from the floor, but when one ascends the dome 
 and inspects the canopy from the gallery directly under it, the mas- 
 sive figures, the glowing colors, and the exceeding beauty of the de- 
 sign can be seen to advantage. From the gallery a downward view 
 of the Rotunda can be obtained, almost startling in its effect. The 
 height and extent of the grand hall will be better realized from this 
 position than from the ffoor below. The canopy is a perfect “ W'his- 
 pering gallery,” fully equal to that in St. Paul’s, in London. Per- 
 sons conversing from opposite sides of the gallery over which the 
 canopy hangs, can distinctly hear the slightest whisper across the 
 huge concave. 
 
 Eight oil paintings, each eighteen by twelve feet, are set in panels 
 round the walls of the Rotunda. The first of the series depicts the 
 “ Landing of Columbus at San Salvador,” and was painted by John 
 Vanderlyn at a cost of $10,000. Then follow “ De Soto’s Dis- 
 covery of the Mississippi,” painted by William H. Powell at a cost of 
 $12,000 ; “ The Baptism of Pocahontas,” by John G. Chapman, and 
 “ The Embarkation of the Pilgrims from Delft-Haven,” by Robert 
 W. Wier, each costing $10,000. 
 
 The four other paintings are by Col. John Trumbull, a son of Gov. 
 Jonathan Trumbull, of Connecticut, and an aide-de-camp to General 
 Washington during the Revolutionary War. They faithfully repre- 
 sent important scenes of the struggle for American independence. 
 Trumbull studied -art in Europe after leaving the arm}', and was 
 engaged for nearly thirty years in gathering material and executing 
 the paintings. Washington gave him several sittings, attired in full 
 uniform as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, and many 
 other distinguished persons represented in the series were painted 
 from life. The paintings were finished in 1824, Trumbull receiving 
 $32,000 for them. 
 
 The first painting of the Trumbull series is a representation of the 
 “ Signing of the Declaration of Independence, July 4th, 1776.” This 
 contains life-size figures of the signers, each face being regarded as a 
 correct likeness. John Hancock is represented sitting at a table on 
 which rests the Declaration, and standing near him are Jefferson, 
 Adams, Franklin, Sherman, and Livingston, the committee who had 
 reported the draft of the instrument. Disposed in chairs about the 
 room are the members of tlie Continental Congress. 
 
THE ROTUNDA. 
 
 91 
 
 The second painting depicts the “ Surrender of General Burgoyne, 
 Saratoga, October 17th, 1777.” General Gates is represented sur- 
 rounded by his officers, receiving the defeated British general and his- 
 staff. General Burgoyne tenders his sword, but General Gates de- 
 clines to take it, and instead invites him and his companions to enter 
 his tent and partake of refreshments. 
 
 The third of the series represents the “ Surrender of Lord Corn- 
 wallis at Yorktown, October 19th, 1781.” It shows the principal Brit- 
 ish officers passing before the American and French generals, and the 
 troops drawn up in line. It is a spirited delineation, and the canvas 
 seems to reflect the glory of the great triumph. 
 
 The “ Resignation of General Washington at Annapolis, Decem- 
 ber 23d, 1783,” is the subject of the fourth picture. Washington is 
 portrayed as he appeared before Congress to resign his commission 
 as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army. Many figures are- 
 introduced, and Mrs. Washington and her grandchildren are repre- 
 sented among the spectators. This painting fitly closes a series dis- 
 tinguished for exquisite coloring, accuracy and faithfulness of histor- 
 ical details, and strong effects. 
 
 Above the paintings are arabesque designs executed in low relief, 
 and panels containing medallion heads of Columbus, Sir Walter 
 Raleigh, Cabot, and La Salle. Over the four entrance doors of the 
 Rotunda, in oblong panels, are alto relievos cut in stone, representing 
 “Penn’s Treaty with the Indians,” by Gevelot ; “The Landing of 
 the Pilgrims,” and a “Conflict between Daniel Boone and the In- 
 dians,” by Causici, a pupil of Canova ; and “The Preservation of 
 Captain John Smith by Pocahontas,” by Capellano. The relievos 
 cost $14,000, and the arabesque designs -and heads, $9,500. 
 
 Within the sunken space about nine feet wide which encircles the 
 Rotunda above the architrave, is a series of frescos in light and 
 shade illustrating the principal epochs of American history. The 
 work was begun by Brumidi, and after his death was continued by 
 Castio;ini. Each fresco is broad in its effect and of sufficient size to 
 be clearly seen from the floor. 
 
 The Rotunda has a freestone floor which is supported by brick 
 arches resting upon peristyles of forts^ Doric columns. These columns 
 form the subterranean chamber called the Crypt, in which it was pro- 
 posed to place the body of Washington when the Rotunda was origin- 
 ally designed. The plan was to have a galleried opening in the centre 
 of the floor through which the sarcophagus could be seen. Mrs. 
 
92 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON- 
 
 Washington consented to the proposition, but after her death Washing- 
 ton’s heirs decided that by the terms of his will the bod}' must remain 
 at Mount Vernon. Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, John Qiiincy Adams, 
 and other distinguished men endeavored for a long time to secure the 
 removal of the body to the Crypt, but as the Washington family were 
 firm in refusal, the project was abandoned in 1832. When the Crypt 
 was first constructed. Congress appointed a keeper of it, and ordered 
 a light to be kept burning continuously within it. This light was not 
 extinguished for over fifty years, and it was not until after the Civil 
 War that the office of “ Keeper of the Crypt” v/as abolished. 
 
 The National Statuary Hall is entered at the south door 
 from the Rotunda. This beautiful hall was occupied by the House 
 of Representatives until the new legislative hall, in the House exten- 
 sion, was completed. It is ninety-five feet long, and sixty feet high 
 to the top of its magnificently painted dome. It has a colonnade of 
 twenty-six massive columns and pilasters of the variegated Potomac 
 marble called “ breccia,” and a wide, sweeping arch. It was designed 
 by Latrobe to resemble the ancient Greek theatres, and for its orna- 
 mentation he secured the services of a number of prominent Italian 
 artists, among whom were the Franzoni brothers, and Valperti and 
 Causici. After the British troops had partially burned the hall, La- 
 trobe reconstructed it in finer proportions, adding the marble columns 
 and works of art. It was declared “ so perfect and so grand” that a 
 writer early in the century quaintly said, “ Its defects of construction 
 with reference to acoustics, is a happy circumstance for the worthy 
 fellowship of fault-finders, who would otherwise have to hang them- 
 selves from the galleries in despair.” The congressmen who used it 
 found it was a badly constructed hall for public speaking, as it had 
 very provoking echoes, and at certain points “ a whisper scarcely audi- 
 ble to the ear into which it was breathed, would resound over the 
 entire hall.” But with all its bad acoustic properties, many of the 
 most eloquent and effective speeches ever heard in the halls of Con- 
 gress have been delivered in this old legislative chamber, by renowned 
 statesmen, whose names will live forever in the annals of the Republic. 
 
 Under the arch near the dome is a large plaster figure of Liberty, 
 by Causici, and beneath it is the American eagle with outspread wings, 
 sculptured in stone by Valperti. Over the main entrance is a marble 
 statue of History recording the events of the Nation, while rolling over 
 the globe in a winged car, the wheel of which serves as a clock. This 
 
THE CAPITOL — WEST FRONT. 
 
 
94 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 was executed by Carlo Franzoni, and is known as “ Franzoni’s His- 
 torical Clock.” 
 
 When the House of Representatives removed to its new hall it was 
 suggested by Senator Morrill, of Vermont, then a member of the 
 House, that the old hall should be taken for a National Gallery of 
 Statuary, and that “ each state should be permitted to send the effi- 
 gies of two of her chosen sons, in marble or in bronze, to be placed 
 permanently here.” The suggestion was adopted, and the states were 
 invited to send contributions of statues. 
 
 The first to respond to the invitation was the State of Rhode Island, 
 w’hich contributed a statue of Roger Williams, her “ great Apostle of 
 Religious Freedom,” and a statue of Gen. Nathanael Greene, a dis- 
 tinguished soldier of the Revolutionary War. Connecticut followed 
 with statues of Gov. Jonathan Trumbull, the last colonial governor 
 of the State, to whom Washington familiarly applied the sobriquet 
 of “ Brother Jonathan”; and Roger Sherman, one of the signers of 
 the Declaration of Independence. New York sent statues of George 
 Clinton, Vice-President of the United States in 1804 ; and Robert R. 
 Livingston, who, as Chancellor of the State of New York, admin- 
 istered the oath of office to President Washington. Massachusetts 
 contributed statues of Gov. John Winthrop, of colonial fame, and 
 Samuel Adams, who was called “ The Father of the Revolution.” 
 Vermont is represented by statues of Col. Ethan Allen and Jacob 
 Collamer ; Maine by a statue of Gov. William King, her first gov- 
 ernor ; and Pennsylvania by a statue of Robert Fulton and Muhlen- 
 berg, the heroic Revolutionary Minister ; Ohio by a statue of Garfield, 
 and one of Governor Allen. Doubtless before many years all tlie 
 states w'ill be represented in this silent assembly of “ chosen sons.” 
 
 The statues are regarded as fine works of art, and as highly cred- 
 itable to the states which have placed them in the care of the Nation. 
 They are supplemented by statuary and portraits purchased by the 
 government. Prominent in the collection is a plaster copy of Hou- 
 don’s famous statue of Washington, carefully taken from the original 
 in Richmond, Va. Here also is Mrs. Vinnie Ream Hoxie’s statue 
 of Lincoln. 
 
 The Supreme Court of the United States has occupied the old 
 Senate Chamber, north of the Rotunda, since December, i860. Pre- 
 vious to that time it held its sessions in what is now tlie Law Library, 
 in the basement story of the Capitol. From tlie second Monday in 
 
THE SUPREME COURT. 
 
 95 
 
 October until the first week in May in each year, with short intermis- 
 sions, the court sits to hear cases on appeal, and to decide constitu- 
 tional questions. The court consists of a Chief Justice, with a salary 
 of $10,500 per year, and eight Associate Justices with salaries of 
 $10,000. The justices are appointed by the President, and “ hold 
 their offices during good behavior.” The court officials include a 
 clerk and deputy clerk, a marshal, and a reporter. During a portion of 
 the year the justices act as circuit justices in the nine judicial circuits 
 of the United States, each justice being assigned to a particular cir- 
 cuit, in which he receives the assistance of the specially appointed 
 circuit and district justices. The Federal courts have jurisdiction of 
 all constitutional questions, and of all offences against the laws of 
 the United States not within the jurisdiction of the state courts. 
 
 The chamber of the Supreme Court was the first portion of the 
 Capitol that was finished, and in 1800 it was occupied by the Senate. 
 It was reconstructed by Latrobe after the British invasion, and until 
 the winter of 1859, when the Senators left the familiar, classic cham- 
 ber for their new hall, “ all gold and buff,” it was the place where 
 some of the most important contests in the history of American leg- 
 islation occurred. The chamber is semi-circular in form, and of pure 
 Grecian design. The ceiling is part of a low dome, the greatest 
 elevation being forty-five feet. The greatest width of the floor is 
 seventy-five feet. Ionic columns of Potomac marble, with white 
 marble capitals, form a screen at the back of the long judicial 
 bench, and around the walls are marble pilasters, and marble busts 
 of deceased Chief Justices. There is a small gallery over the bench, 
 with windows through which the daylight streams. The justices 
 sit with their backs to a large crimson curtain, and in front of them 
 is a curtained bar with a railing. In the central area are mahogany 
 chairs and tables for the use of lawyers and others having business 
 with the honorable court. Outside of the area are rows of comfort- 
 able seats, cushioned in red velvet, for spectators. The chamber is 
 a very beautiful example of classical symmetry. 
 
 Promptly at noon of each day that the court is in session the crier 
 requests all persons in the chamber to rise, and then announces in 
 measured, solemn tone, “The Honorable Chief Justice and the Asso- 
 ciate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States.” Nine dig- 
 nified gentlemen, attired in long silken robes, march in from the “ with- 
 dra wing-room,” and take their places upon the bench with the Chief 
 Justice in the centre. They bow all together very courteously to the 
 
96 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 members of the bar, who return the polite salutation, and then seat 
 themselves in their wide, comfortable chairs. The crier then opens 
 the session in the usual form : “ Oyes ! Oyes ! Oyes ! All persons 
 
 having business with the honorable the Supreme Court of the United 
 States are admonished to draw near and give their attention, as the 
 court is now sitting. God save the United States and this honorable 
 court.” 
 
 Usually the decisions of the court are read by one of the justices 
 at the beginning of the day’s session. Until four o’clock in the after- 
 noon the business continues without intermission. The chamber is 
 free from disturbing noise. Cases are argued by the lawyers in a low, 
 conversational tone, save when some legal luminary from the back- 
 woods, sent to Washington by admiring clients, tries to make an im- 
 pression on the court by means of artful tricks and mannerisms suc- 
 cessful with a juiy , and declaims at the top of his voice, strides back 
 and forth, and sets out the merits of his cause with emotional and 
 gymnastic effect. But usually the counsel who appear before this 
 high tribunal are gentlemen of skill and discrimination, who know 
 that solid arguments, stated quietly and easily, are all that is necessary 
 here. The thick carpet on the floor entirely prevents the sound of 
 footfalls as people come and go, and a high screen hides the entrance 
 door from the view of the bench and the bar. Gray-haired colored 
 attendants guard the door, and inform visitors in a whisper where to 
 sit. And so all the afternoon the legal stream flows along as placidly 
 as the waters of the Potomac. The chamber gives you a drowsy 
 feeling. You listen to the “lawyers with their endless tongues, ’’and 
 in following the droning arguments soon feel so inclined to sleep that 
 you wonder how the honorable justices manage to keep their eyes 
 open during the four hours of the sitting. Indeed, members of the 
 court have said that the room was so “ full of repose” that they often 
 had to struggle to keep from sleeping while a dull argument was 
 going on. 
 
 Some of the justices sit very quiet and appear to pay a great deal 
 of attention to the lawyers. Others are nervous and uneasy, and twist 
 about in their chairs constantly. One justice has the habit of getting 
 up and standing behind his chair to rest himself. They turn over the 
 pages of the briefs, consult books brought to them by attendants, and 
 now and then put pertinent questions to the counsel. Sometimes a jus- 
 tice, by a few keen remarks, will show the matter under consideration 
 in such a clear light, that the lawyer who is trying to muddle it will 
 
CHAMBER OF THE SUPREME COURT OF IHE UNITED STATES. 
 
98 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 become quite embarrassed, and abruptly close his argument. The jus- 
 tices are complaisant in manner, and there is no stiffness, no assump- 
 tion of superiority, often seen in very ordinary tribunals. They 
 address the lawyers pleasantly, and are patient in hearing even the 
 most tiresome discussion. The two senior justices sit at the right and 
 left of the Chief Justice, and the others are disposed on the bench in 
 the order of their appointment. In their consultation-room the same 
 order is observed at the table around which they sit. 
 
 The black silk robes worn by the justices are nearly like those 
 used by clergymen of the Episcopal church. They reach to the feet, 
 and have capacious sleeves. Before entering the court chamber the 
 justices are dressed in their “sheeny gowns,” in the robing-room, by 
 colored attendants. In the first part of the century it was customary 
 for the members of the court to wear wigs, and to cover their nether 
 limbs with small-clothes. Lawyers were expected to appear in court 
 in full suits of black, with ruffled shirts, small-clothes, silk hose, and 
 low shoes with silver buckles. It is the court custom now for lawyers 
 to wear black and a frock coat, but occasionally a “ business suit” 
 will be seen. 
 
 There was a great deal of formal ceremony in the court some years 
 ago, most of it, doubtless, taken from the English courts, but it has 
 been gradually abandoned, and now very little is left. The early 
 justices were treated with high respect, not unmingled with a certain 
 amount of awe, and members of the bar seldom attempted to be famil- 
 iar with them either on or off the bench, unless they were in intimate 
 social relations. It is related of Henry Clay, who was noted for 
 suavity, that he stopped one day when arguing a case before the court, 
 and advancing to the bench in graceful manner, took a pinch of snuff 
 from the box of a justice, saying, “ I perceive that }mur honor sticks 
 to the Scotch,” and then resumed his argument. This excited much 
 astonishment at the time, and Justice Story said, “I do not believe 
 there is a man in the United States who could have done that but Mr. 
 Clay.” _ ^ • 
 
 The first Chief Justice was John Jay, of New York, who was ap- 
 pointed when the court was organized, in 1789, and served until 1795- 
 A portrait of him, painted by Gilbert Stuart, hangs in the robing-room. 
 Following Jay were John Rutledge, of South Carolina, and Oliver 
 Ellsworth, of Connecticut. Then John Marshall, of Virginia, became 
 Chief Justice in 1801, and remained on the bench for thirty-four }'ears. 
 
 Chief Justice Marshall has been placed in the front rank of Ameri- 
 
EARLY JUSTICES. 
 
 99 
 
 can magistrates for profound learning, inflexible honesty, and a rare 
 genius for logical argument. He was called “ the great Chief Jus- 
 tice.” He was dignified, but very kind in manner. He was tall and 
 ungainly, and noted for wearing very shabby clothes. In the coldest 
 weather he never wore an overcoat, and was often seen on winter 
 days walking at a rapid pace through the streets of Washington, clad 
 only in his rusty, thin black suit. He was very fond of society, was 
 exceedingly hospitable, and frankly acknowledged he enjoyed the 
 pleasures of the table. He took infinite delight in playing billiards 
 and quoits, and even when over seventy-five years old was always 
 ready, in his leisure moments, to play these games, and whenever he 
 scored good points he would shout with childish glee. In addition 
 to his severe labors as Chief Justice, he found time to write a very 
 excellent life of Washington. 
 
 During his time one of the associate justices was Bushrod Wash- 
 ington, a nephew of President Washington. He was on the bench for 
 thirty-one years, and achieved a fine reputation as a learned and in- 
 dustrious magistrate. He was a small, thin man, of rather insignifi- 
 cant appearance. Severe study had deprived him of the use of one 
 eye, but it was commonly remarked that “ he could see more with one 
 eye” than most men with two. He had a great fondness for Vir- 
 ginia tobacco, and was continually smoking or taking snufT. He was 
 never known to become tired at the most protracted sittings of the 
 court, and once gi*eatly astonished the people of a town where he 
 was holding a circuit court by having a continuous session for six- 
 teen hours. 
 
 The early justices were not allotted to certain circuits, as they are 
 now, but each in turn traveled over the entire country, often meeting 
 with very interesting adventures. Justice Wilson always made the 
 grand tour in a huge lumbering coach and four, with dashing out- 
 riders ; Justice Todd, in one year, rode over two thousand miles on 
 horseback in performing his judicial duty. Some of the justices 
 traveled in open phaetons with two horses. 
 
 From 1835 to the present time there have been three Chief Jus- 
 tices — Roger B. Taney, Salmon P. Chase, and Morrison R. Waite, 
 the present incumbent of the office. Chief Justice Taney served 
 twenty-eight years, and Chief Justice Chase a little less than ten 
 years. Chief Justice Waite is of Ohio, and was appointed by Pres- 
 ident Grant in 1874. There have been forty-three associate justices. 
 Justice Joseph Story was a member of the court for thirty-four years, 
 
lOO 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 and quite a number of the justices served more than twenty years. 
 By the law of 1869 a justice may retire with full salary when seventy 
 years old, if he has given ten years of service. 
 
 The docket of the court is always crowded with cases, most of 
 them involving questions of great importance, and suitors are com- 
 pelled to wait generally for two or three years, and sometimes longer, 
 before they can have a hearing. Not more than four or five hundred 
 cases can be disposed of in a year, and as there are usually over 
 one thousand cases on the docket at each term, the unavoidable 
 “ law’s delay’,’ is very trving to the patience and the purses of liti- 
 gants. Several plans of relief have been proposed, but as yet Con- 
 gress has considered none of them. 
 
 The official etiquette of Washington requires that the Chief Jus- 
 tice and the associate justices shall pay an official visit to the President 
 and to the Vice-President annually, on the day of the opening of the 
 court session. They are also required to call on the President on the 
 first day of January. During the winter the President entertains the 
 court at a ceremonious dinner. 
 
 A VISIT to the Library of Congress, or, as it is frequently and per- 
 haps more properly called, the National Library, will enable one to 
 better realize King Solomon’s saying — “Of making many books 
 there is no end.” In the beautifully decorated library halls, occupy- 
 ing the entire central portion of the western front of the Capitol, 
 there are 580,000 books and 180,000 pamphlets. They are in many 
 languages — a vast store of literature, representing the researches 
 and product of the mind in every conceivable field of human knowl- 
 edge. The library is now one of the five great libraries of the world, 
 and at its present rate of increase will number a million books and 
 pamphlets in about ten years. The halls are crowded to repletion 
 with publications — books in every available space ; closely packed 
 two deep on the shelves which extend tier after tier through the sto- 
 ried rooms ; lying in great heaps on the floors ; loading the railings 
 of the galleries — half a million volumes crammed into quarters 
 originally designed for less than half that number. An appropria- 
 tion act has been passed to construct a large building adjacent to the 
 Capitol, to cost about $3,000,000, for the use of this inestimable 
 National Library. This new library edifice will be located at the 
 junction of East Capitol and First streets, directly ojiposite the House 
 of Representatives, and fronting the Eastern Capitol Park. It will 
 measure 460 feet front by 310 feet in depth, and will cover about 
 
THE NATIONAL LIBRARY. 
 
 lOI 
 
 thr e e 
 - and a 
 half 
 acres, being de- 
 signed to store 
 about three mil- 
 lion volumes. On 
 the second floor an art gal- 
 lery will be provided, 300 feet 
 long b}'^ 35 wide, for the ar- 
 rangement and exhibition of 
 the extensive collection of 
 
 THE NATIONAL LIBRARY. , - , . , i • i 
 
 works of graphic art which 
 
 the National Library has accumulated. 
 
 The western door of the Rotunda leads to the main hall of the 
 library. This hall is 91 feet long, 34 feet wide, and 38 feet high. It 
 is flanked by two others, each about the same size as the main one. 
 They are lighted by windows and crystal roofs, are constructed of 
 iron, with floors of marble, and are entirely fire proof. They are 
 painted in light, delicate colors, and adorned with gold-leaf, and 
 present an elegant appearance. The book-cases are of iron, and 
 iron railings protect the alcoves. Small galleries extend along the 
 stories. It is estimated that the halls contain nearly five miles of 
 book shelving, yet the library increases yearly at such an enormous 
 rate, thaj these miles of shelving have long since proved insufficient 
 
102 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 to hold the literary collections. In the main hall is the desk of the 
 librarian, at which all applications for books must be made. Tables 
 and chairs are placed in two of the halls for readers, and one hall is 
 used almost entirely by the employes engaged in cataloguing publica- 
 tions and attending to the copyright business. 
 
 The library force consists of a librarian, whose title is the “ Li- 
 brarian of Congress,” and twenty-three assistant librarians. The 
 compensation of the librarian is $4,000 per 3'ear, and the assistants 
 receive $32,640 in all. Congress annually appropriates about $12,- 
 000 for the purchase of books of reference not published in the United 
 States, files of newspapers, etc. Only members of Congress, and 
 about forty high officials of the government, have the right to take 
 books away from the library, but all persons over sixteen years of age 
 have the privilege of freely using the collections inside the halls. This 
 great privilege is taken advantage of by thousands of people from all 
 portions of the United States, who desire to investigate certain sub- 
 jects, and every day the halls contain several hundred readers. 
 
 In some cases a person seeking the widest information of a special 
 matter can have spread before him, within a short time, many books 
 and pamphlets bearing on the subject, which have come from Ameri- 
 can, English, French, and German presses for over a century — pages 
 dim and yellow with age, or bright and fresh from the publisher’s 
 hands. The collections are rich in ancient and rare historical works, 
 in books and pamphlets pertaining to the history of states, counties, 
 and towns, and the files of American and foreign newspapers and 
 magazines are very extensive. There are files of the principal news- 
 papers printed in New England, New York, Pennsylvania, Mary- 
 land, Virginia, and other states, from 1735 to 1800; and from the 
 latter date to the present time the collections of newspapers and peri- 
 odicals are unrivaled. Among very rare works are two great 
 volumes written on vellum, issued in the thirteenth century, a copy 
 of Eliot’s Indian Bible, and the various volumes written hy Cotton 
 and Increase Mather. The departments of miscellaneous literature 
 are very full. Many an old novel, forgotten long ago ; many a 
 poem, many a song or play, dead and buried for two or three score 
 years, can be exhumed from this vast literary storehouse. The aim 
 always has been to collect published in the United States 
 
 that could be obtained, and as much of foreign literature as possible, 
 in order that the library should be complete in the full meaning of 
 the term. 
 
THE NATIONAL LIHRARY. 
 
 103 
 
 By law the Librarian of Congress has charge of the copyright 
 business, and all applications for copyrights of books, maps, dramatic 
 or musical compositions, and works of art, have to be made to him. 
 Copyrights are granted for twenty-eight years, and then may be re- 
 newed for fourteen years. Some figures of the copyright business 
 may be interesting, as they show the great mental activity of the peo- 
 ple of the United States. During the year 1886 there were granted 
 31,241 copyrights, and the government received in fees the sum of 
 $25,421. Of the articles copyrighted there were 11,136 books, 6,089 
 periodicals, 7,514 musical, and 672 dramatic compositions. Two 
 complete copies of each publication copyrighted must be deposited in 
 the Library of Congress to perfect the copyright. Thus the library 
 is enabled to possess copies of all printed matter issued in the country 
 on which a copyright is granted. 
 
 The library exchanges many of its spare copies of publications 
 with the libraries of foreign governments, obtaining much valuable 
 foreign literature in this way. All the publications and exchanges of 
 the Smithsonian Institution are deposited here. Many donations of 
 books are received from institutions and individuals all over the 
 world, and purchases of thousands of volumes are made. Whenever 
 a famous private library is sold, bids from this library are generally 
 forwarded, and many rare books are purchased. 
 
 In 1800 Congress established this literary treasure-house with a 
 number of books obtained from London. This was the list: “ 212 
 folios, 164 quartos, 581 octavos, 7 duodecimos, and 9 magazines. 
 It was the only library of reference the government then possessed. 
 In 1814 the collection had increased to about 3,000 volumes, which 
 went to feed the fires started by the British troops in the Capitol. 
 The next year Congress purchased President Jefferson’s private col- 
 lection of about 7,000 books, considered the finest in the country at 
 that time, for $23,950, and this was the nucleus of the present Library 
 of Congress. In 1851 there were 55,000 volumes on hand, but in 
 December of that year nearly 35,000 were destroyed by a fire in the 
 library hall. The fire also consumed a number of valuable paintings, 
 including Gilbert Stuart’s portraits of the first five Presidents. The 
 main hall was soon restored in fire-proof, after designs by Walter, 
 and the two iron extensions added, the work costing $280,500. 
 Congress yearly appropriated large sums of money for the purchase 
 of books. Through the efforts of ex-President Hayes, then a mem- 
 ber of Congress, and chairman of the Committee on the Library, the 
 invaluable historical collections belonging to Peter Force, of Wash- 
 
PLAN OF THE BASEMENT STORY OF THE CAPITOL. 
 {Occupied as Committee Rooms ^ by the Law Library^ RestaurantSj etc.' 
 
HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS. 
 
 105 
 
 ington, were purchased for $100,000, and deposited in the library. 
 These collections of books, pamphlets, prints, etc., pertaining to early 
 American history, are of inestimable value. They were accumulated 
 during many years of earnest and enthusiastic antiquarian labor. In 
 1866 the library of the Smithsonian Institution was added to the 
 Library of Congress. 
 
 The law department contains nearly 70,000 volumes, and is con- 
 sidered very complete. Every volume of American, English, Irish, 
 and Scotch court reports is to be found here, together with the stat- 
 utes of all countries, from 1649 to the present time. From 2,500 to 
 3,500 volumes are added yearly. 
 
 This collection of works relating to jurisprudence, which is the 
 largest and most valuable in the country, is contained in the base- 
 ment story of the Capitol, in what was formerly the chamber of the 
 Supreme Court of the United States. The chamber is directly under- 
 neath the present court chamber, and is a notable example of classical 
 architecture. It was designed and constructed by Latrobe, and was 
 occupied for court purposes from the earl}" part of the century until 
 the winter of i860. In the vestibule Latrobe placed his celebrated 
 “ cornstalk columns” with capitals of ears of corn, which have been 
 described as the “ American order of architecture.” 
 
 There have been many important suits at law heard in the old 
 chamber — suits concerning the disposition of vast properties, and 
 the settlement of complicated questions of rights and privileges, every 
 step of which has been earnestly contested by lawyers of rare ability 
 and great distinction. Clay and Webster, and numerous other ad- 
 vocates of eminence in the history of American jurisprudence, have 
 pleaded here with eloquent tongues and strong arguments — bright 
 lights of the age that has gone. Here the renowned Chief Justice, 
 John Marshall, of Virginia, whose effigy in bronze now adorns the 
 western grounds of the Capitol, presided for many years, and here 
 most of his decisions upon vital constitutional questions were given — 
 decisions which have remained to this day as the law of the land. 
 Here the early justices — men of sound and extensive learning — 
 served long terms. The old chamber, now crowded with volumes 
 of law, is indeed an historic place. 
 
 The law library is extensively used by lawyers every day, and 
 is also of great service to the justices of the Supreme and District 
 courts in preparing their decisions. Many members of the legal pro- 
 fession from distant parts of the country frequently visit Washington 
 to consult its rare volumes. 
 
THE SEXATE CHAMBER. 
 
CHAPTER VI 
 
 THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES — ITS FIRST SESSION IN THE CAPITAL 
 CITY — THE OLD HALLS OF LEGISLATION — QUAINT CUSTOMS OF BY-GONE 
 DAYS — GREAT STATESMEN AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS — ANECDOTES AND 
 PERSONALITIES — THE PRESENT HOUSES OF CONGRESS — SENATE AND HOUSE 
 EXTENSIONS OF THE CAPITOL. 
 
 T he First Congress of the United States, under the Constitu- 
 tion, began its session in New York on the 4th of March, 
 1789. In 1790 Congress removed to Philadelphia, and for 
 ten years thereafter held its sessions in that city. On No- 
 vember 17, 1800, the Sixth Congress convened in Washington in the 
 unfinished Capitol, and on the 22d of that month President John 
 Adams appeared before both houses, in joint session in the Senate 
 Chamber, and made the customary “annual speech.” Vice-Pres- 
 ident Thomas Jefferson presided over the Senate, and the Hon. 
 Theodore Sedgwick, of Massachusetts, was the Speaker of the House 
 of Representatives. 
 
 When Congress began its sessions in Washington, only the north 
 wing of the Capitol was finished, and that was badly constructed. 
 The Senate Chamber was mostly of wood and plaster, and was not 
 completed in its present substantial, symmetrical manner until after 
 Latrobe had reconstructed the building in 1815-17. The House of 
 Representatives at first was crowded into a room intended for the 
 Senate officials, but a temporary apartment was soon arranged for it 
 in the south wing of the Capitol. This apartment was facetiously 
 called “the oven,” and was used until 1804, when the House removed 
 to another apartment and remained there until it took possession in 
 1808 of its beautiful, classic hall. When the Capitol rose stately 
 
io8 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 and capacious after the British conflagration, both Houses of Con- 
 gress were amply accommodated in fine halls. 
 
 Man}' exciting and important parliamentary battles took place in 
 these old halls of legislation. The momentous political questions of 
 the times — the United States Bank, the Missouri Compromise, the 
 protective tariff, the Mexican War, the annexation of Texas, nullifica- 
 tion, the fugitive slave bill, and other issues as grave and significant — 
 were debated by Congress, often with fierce wrangles which aroused 
 high excitement and wrath. There was malevolent sectional feeling, 
 and the harmony of the country was frequently disturbed. Indeed it 
 continually required the greatest efforts of the wisest men to preserve 
 the union of the states, and it was then that the grand statesmen and 
 orators — the glory of American legislation — were developed, and 
 they held the Ship of State firmly and steadily on its course. 
 
 The Senate for a time sat with closed doors, after the manner 
 of the Continental Congress, but as there was decided objection to 
 this secrecy, the chamber was opened to the public, except during 
 executive sessions. The House of Representatives always transacted 
 its business openly. In the early sessions the Senators discussed the 
 matters before them in a colloquial way, and set speeches were rarely 
 made ; but in the House there was considerable formal speaking. 
 Many of the early congressmen wore powdered wigs, and retained 
 the European fashions in dress which had been in vogue in 1700. 
 Their wigs were curled and powdered every day with great care, 
 and the barber was an important individual. 
 
 It was thought necessary for the Speaker of the House to have 
 a symbol of authority, and the sergeant-at-arms was directed to 
 procure the mace, which is “a bundle of ebony rods, fastened 
 with silver bands, having at its top a silver globe surmounted by a 
 silver eagle.” When the mace was placed on the Speaker’s table 
 it signified that the House was in session and under the authority 
 of the Speaker ; when it was placed under the table, that the House 
 was in committee of the whole. The sergeant-at-arms was required 
 to bear aloft this glittering mace when executing the commands of 
 the Speaker, and in many of the sessions in the old hall he was 
 often compelled to brandish it in the flushed faces of angry debaters, 
 and bid them to “be still.” An’ attempt was made to abolish the 
 mace, but it was vigorously resisted, and failed, and the time-honored 
 symbol is placed to-day at the Speaker’s right hand whenever the 
 House is sitting. 
 
 For some years there was an official pen-maker in each house, 
 
COMPENSATION OF MEMBERS. 
 
 109 
 
 whose duty it was to mend the goose-quills commonly used. Many 
 of the congressmen were exceedingly particular as to the “ degree 
 of flexibility and breadth of point” of their quills, and while some 
 would’ use nothing but “broad nibs,” others required the finest of 
 “ fine points,” and the pen-makers had no easy task in trying to suit 
 the different writers. There were also official sealers, who were en- 
 trusted with the sealing of letters and packages with red wax. The 
 “ stationery ” used in both houses includedpen-knives, scissors, razors, 
 pocket-books, kid gloves, bottles of perfumery and bear’s grease, and 
 numerous other little articles which the officials would purchase “ by 
 request ” whenever they went to New York to get their supplies. For 
 a number of sessions “ an innocent beverage called swichell, com- 
 posed of molasses, ginger, and water,” was largel}^ consumed by the 
 Representatives, and it was popularly supposed that among its “ inno- 
 cent ” ingredients were good French brandy and Jamaica rum. It 
 was always charged in the appropriation for stationery under the 
 head of “ syrup.” 
 
 Previous to 1816 the compensation of members of Congress was 
 six dollars per day, and when a bill was passed in that year to raise the 
 compensation to $1,500 a session, a sum barely sufficient to pay the 
 expenses of a decent living in Washington, it aroused great excite- 
 ment throughout the country. In an ancient record it is stated that 
 “the whole nation was shaken to its centre ; parties were formed and 
 political armies marshaled, and the patriotisrn of the country was' 
 aroused to ebullient indignation at the bare proposition that a member 
 of Congress should dare to take thought for what he should eat and 
 drink, or wherewithal he should be clothed, and the liberties of the 
 country where menaced with destruction when Congress ventured to 
 demand the necessaries of life in payment of its thankless services.” 
 So great was the feeling that Congress, at its next session, repealed 
 the obnoxious bill, and made the compensation eight dollars per day. 
 
 It was customary for the Representatives to wear their hats in the 
 House during the sessions, and it was not until 1828 that the practice 
 was discontinued. Ladies were excluded from the galleries for a 
 time, but at last, after some discussion of the “ momentous question,” 
 they were admitted, and even had seats reserved for them. As many 
 congressmen were inveterate snuff-takers, urns filled with “ old 
 Scotch” were placed in each house, and officials were charged with 
 the duty of keeping them filled. Even to this day, in the Senate 
 Chamber there is. a large box containing choice snuff, which is freely 
 used by the “ most potent, grave, and reverend ” Senators. 
 
no 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 Duelling was quite common in the early days of Washington, and 
 the Western and Southern congressmen usually had a case of duel- 
 ling pistols as an important part of their outfit. In the museum of the 
 Patent-Office there is a case of pistols owned by Andrew Jackson 
 while he was in Congress, and the heavy, cruel-looking weapons 
 bear the appearance of having been frequently used. The “ code” 
 was a matter of general conversation, and was carefully studied. 
 Truculent congressmen were prompt to resent Insulting words spoken 
 in debate, and occasionally pistols would be drawn in the House 
 during a session. Then the sergeant-at-arms would seize the mace 
 and hasten to the contestants, hold the official symbol high over their 
 heads, and command them to take their seats under penalty of being 
 arrested for contempt of the House. Henry Clay and John Randolph 
 once fought a duel. Randolph was always abusive in his remarks 
 about Clay, and in debate one day referred to him in a very insulting- 
 manner. He declined to apologize for his words, and Clay sent him 
 a challenge. They fought, but without injury to either. 
 
 There were many exciting scenes in the House in those “ good 
 old days.” The debates were full of virulence, and the Speaker fre- 
 quently had to exert his authority to the utmost to check the passion- 
 ate members. Those who have looked on the House in these “ pip- 
 ing times of peace,” when an animated debate was going on — when 
 all over the great legislative hall there was a furious din and babble ; 
 members rising much excited and uttering sarcastic and exceedinglv 
 impertinent remarks, and apparently confusion worse confounded — 
 can form some idea of how the old House appeared while debating 
 the vexed questions in the turbulent times of the first part of the cen- 
 tury, when congressmen had a “ code of honor” which necessitated 
 the carrying of pistols, and when there were numerous “ crested jav- 
 hawks of the mountains ” threatening violence to those who spoke the 
 truth too plainly. 
 
 Many able men gave strength and character to the national legis- 
 lation for half a century, and made the old halls of Congress mem- 
 orable. John Qiiincy Adams, who enjoys the distinction of being the 
 only son of a President of the United States who has ever occupied 
 the Presidential chair himself, began his congressional career in 1803 
 as a Senator. After his term as President he was elected to the House 
 of Representatives in 1831, and became one of its leading members. 
 He was bold, experienced, and learned, but exceedingly frigid in lii« 
 
THE DOTUNDA. 
 
 
1 12 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 manner, and was never on terms of familiarity with any member. 
 Tlie “old man eloquent,” as he was styled, was seldom absent from 
 his seat in the House, and day after day was fully prepared to discuss 
 every matter that came up. It was his delight to start a stormy de- 
 bate, and then he would throw oft' his frigidity, and become veiy ex- 
 cited. One who knew him well wrote as follows of his manner of 
 speaking : “ He rises abruptly, his face reddens, and in a moment 
 throwing himself into the attitude of a veteran gladiator, he prepares 
 for the attack ; then he becomes full of gesticulation — his body sways 
 to and fro — self-command seems lost. His head is bent forward in 
 his earnestness till it almost touches the desk ; his voice frequently 
 breaks, but he pursues his subject through all its bearings. Nothing 
 daunts him — the House may ring with the cry of ‘ Order’ ; he stands 
 amid the tempest, and like an oak that knows its gnarled and knotted 
 strength, stretches his hand forth and defies the blast.” 
 
 It is related that when he was canvassing his district in Massa- 
 chusetts for election to the House, his cold, apathetic way of dealing 
 with infiuential people often created for him a great deal of unpopu- 
 larity. On one occasion he was introduced to a farmer of consider- 
 able political infiuence, who cordially shook his hand and said, 
 “ Mr. Adams, I am very glad to see you. My wife, when she was 
 a girl, lived in your father’s family ; you were then a little boy, and 
 she has often combed your head.” “ Well,” replied Mr. Adams in 
 a harsh tone, “ I suppose she combs yours now.” 
 
 On the 2 1st of February, 1S48, Mr. Adams was stricken with 
 apoplexy while sitting in his seat in the House. He was removed to 
 the Speaker’s room, and in about an hour regained consciousness for 
 a few moments. Looking at those around him, he said in a whisper, 
 “This is the last of earth, but I am content.” Then he closed his 
 eyes and never spoke again. He died on February 23. 
 
 John Randolph, the “ Lord of Roanoke,” as he was generally 
 called, was a member of the House from Virginia before Congress 
 began its sessions in Washington. He served until 1825, and then 
 was a Senator for two years, but afterward returned to the House for 
 one term. It was his boast that he had descended from Pocahontas. 
 He was very tall and thin, and had a small, round head and sallow 
 face. His eyes were black, keen, and expressive, his nose and chin 
 long and sharp, and his hair, which was brushed back and tied in a 
 queue, was as black, straight, and coarse as that of the race from 
 which he claimed descent. On his daily trips to the Capitol he 
 
GREAT STATESMEN. 
 
 113 
 
 always rode a fine, high-blooded horse, whose sleek, plump body 
 was in marked contrast to his own leanness. He was usually 
 dressed in a long surtout coat of drab English broadcloth, buckskin 
 knee-breeches and top-boots. 
 
 Randolph always attracted great attention in the House, and it 
 is said that “ his speeches were reported more fully than any other 
 member of Congress.” His powers of sarcasm and invective were 
 remarkable, and as he had “ a tongue with a tang,” his wrath was 
 avoided as much as possible. He was selfish, exclusive, contempt- 
 uous ; he had no popular sympathies, and was never known to ap- 
 prove of anything favored by other men. He was full of “ quarrel 
 and offence,” and spared no one from the copious shower of his epi- 
 thets. Garland, his biographer, says, “ He was like an Ishmaelite, 
 his hand against every man, and every man’s hand against him.” 
 
 In 1806, Henry Clay, the great Kentuckian, began his long career 
 in Congress. He first served in the Senate for one session to fill a 
 vacancy, and again in 1809 he became a Senator for two years. He 
 entered the House of Representatives at a special session on the 4th 
 of November, 1811, and “ on the very day he made his first appear- 
 ance on the fioor he was elected Speaker by a vote of 75 out of 128 
 cast — the only instance on record in which the confidence of Con- 
 gress has been yielded in so marked a manner to any person on his 
 entrance as a member.” He retained the speakership during five 
 Congresses, and was a member of the House for about fourteen years. 
 He was elected to the Senate In 1831, and served until 1842, when 
 he resigned his seat, and retired to private life for seven years. In 
 1849 again elected as Senator. His last speech in the Senate 
 
 was delivered on the ist of December, 1851, and on the 29th of June, 
 1852, he died in the National Hotel in Washington. His large ex- 
 perience in state craft, his preeminent intellectual strength, and his 
 wonderful gift as a popular orator, admirably fitted him to play an 
 important part in the legislative arena. He was of commanding 
 height, and had a pleasant face lighted by sparkling gray eyes. He 
 was courtly in manner, and thoroughly understood tlie difficult art of 
 being easy at all times and in all places. When he spoke, a winning 
 smile would give effect to his words. Few orators of his day could 
 so enchant an audience, and his speeches in Congress and on the 
 platform were listened to with deep interest, and always made a 
 marked impression. He was the recognized leader of the Whig 
 party, and ruled its affairs with an iron hand. 
 
PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 114 
 
 Clay was sincere and liberal, and ardent in his devotion to the 
 things he considered right and just. He was the champion of the 
 system of protection to American industry, and made many powerful 
 speeches and assiduously labored for it. Sometimes for weeks when 
 he was in the Senate he would take very little part in the proceedings, 
 but would sit quiet in his seat, day after day, eating candy and taking 
 snuff, and jocosely commenting in a low tone on the speeches of 
 others. He relished a good joke, and nothing pleased him better than 
 a bright repartee, even if it was against himself. When he was ready 
 to engage in debate he would spring to his feet and hold his auditors 
 fascinated by his eloquent language and graceful delivery. 
 
 Daniel Webster entered the House of Representatives in 1813, as 
 a Representative from New Hampshire, his native state, and served 
 until 1817. About this time he took up his residence in Boston, and 
 thereafter Massachusetts claimed him as her foremost orator and 
 statesman. He was elected to the House in 1823, and to the Senate 
 in 1827. He continued as a Senator until 1841, and then went into 
 President Harrison’s Cabinet as Secretary of State, which position he 
 held until May 9, 1843. In 1845 he was again chosen to the 
 Senate, serving until 1850. He had a massive form, and his large, 
 finely developed head was covered with hair “ as black as the 
 raven’s wing.” His face was full of character, and his eyes were 
 deep set, large, and melancholy in expression. He was always 
 carefully dressed, and, as a writer has said, “ in the old Whig colors 
 of blue and buff.” For years he was a leader in the great debates, 
 and his speeches gave him national fame and influence. Visitors 
 to the Senate Chamber would eagerly watch his movements, and lis- 
 ten to his words with rapt interest. Whenever it was announced 
 that he intended to speak upon any question the crowd to hear him 
 would fill every part of the chamber, and hundreds would be unable 
 to gain admission. His speeches were always prepared with great 
 care, and he would never permit them to be published until he had 
 thoroughly revised them. Many of his eloquent sentences were com- 
 posed after days and even weeks of study. He had a good deal of 
 humor, which now and then would be displayed in the Senate, 
 although generally he was very dignified while engaged in his legis- 
 lative duties. 
 
 Quite often in his private hours he would be gloomy and despond- 
 ent about his political career. At one time when he was feeling de- 
 pressed a friend said to him that he should not feel so, as his fame 
 was made. 
 
GREAT STATESMEN. 
 
 1 15 
 
 “Fame,” replied Mr. Webster; “and 
 much for fame ! Let me give you a striking 
 illustration of this fact.' I was traveling in a railroad car a short time 
 ago, and it so happened that I was located by the side of a very old 
 man. I soon found that this old man was from my native town in 
 New Hampshire. I asked him if he was acquainted with the Webster 
 family up there. He answered that he and old Mr. Webster, in his 
 life-time, were great friends. He then went on to speak of the chil- 
 dren. He said Ezekiel was the most eminent lawyer in New Hamp- 
 shire, and his sisters, calling each by her Christian name, were mar- 
 ried to most excellent men. I then inquired if there was not another 
 member of the family. He said he thought not. Was there not 
 
 THE SENATE RECEPTION-ROOM. 
 
ii6 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 one, I asked him, by the name of Daniel ? Here the old man put on 
 his thinking-cap for a few moments, and then replied : ‘ O, I recol- 
 lect now. There was one by the name of Daniel, but he went down 
 to Boston, and I have not heard of him since.’” 
 
 Thomas Hart Benton, of Missouri, entered the Senate in 1821, 
 and served for twenty-nine years and seven months continuously — 
 the longest continuous service ever given. He was not a pleasing 
 speaker, being noted for long, bombastic speeches, delivered in a 
 loud, imperious manner. In debate he was passionate, and would 
 often “launch thunderbolts of hatred, jealousy, and rage” at the 
 heads of those who opposed him. His stalwart body was always at- 
 tired in a long, double-breasted frock-coat of antique fashion, and as 
 he walked to and fro on the floor of the Senate, he would assume a 
 martial bearing, and his eyes would flash with arrogance. Although 
 a man of marked ability, his displeasing manner and lack of tact and 
 grace in speech prevented him from obtaining popularity. 
 
 One of the group of great statesmen was John C. Calhoun, of 
 South Carolina, who began his congressional career in 1811, as a 
 member of the House of Representatives, serving for six years in that 
 body. He was elected Vice-President in 1825, when John Quincy 
 Adams was President, and in 1831 went into the Senate, where he 
 remained for twelve years. He took a leading position, and was 
 fully the peer of the remarkable men who composed the Senate of his 
 day. In 1843 he became Secretary of State, but returned to the 
 Senate in 1845, and served until his death in 1850. He was tall and 
 slender, and had a sombre face, on which a smile was rarely seen. 
 As an orator he was logical and forcible, and in all the prominent 
 debates his voice was often heard. Very ambitious, with his 
 “ whole mind and soul given to politics,” he yet would never descend 
 to trickery or baseness to accomplish his purpose, and he has gone 
 into history as one of the purest of public men. 
 
 Martin Van Buren, who was President in 1837, was for some time 
 in the Senate. He was a wily politician — shrewd, capable, and 
 ingenious. He was rather under medium height, and had a high 
 forehead and comely features. He was exceedingly courteous, and 
 made as much study of “deportment” as Mr. Turveydrop, and he 
 is said to have diligently practiced all his graceful attitudes before a 
 large mirror in his room. 
 
 Then there were Silas Wright, the influential Democrat, who in- 
 variably carried conviction by his sound logic ; Henry A. Wise, who 
 
SOUTHERN LOBBY 
 
 PLAN OF THE SENATE CHAMBER. 
 
Ii8 
 
 picturesque WASHINGTON. 
 
 could startle the House by a perfect hurricane of passionate words ; 
 Edward Everett, noted for his captivating speech and great learning ; 
 Charles Sumner, polished and graceful as an orator, sincere and saga- 
 cious as a statesman ; John Forsyth, a superb debater, and remarkable 
 for his accomplishments; Tristam Burges, called “the man of the 
 iron heart” — strong and brave, whose keen wit and eloquent tongue 
 made even the “ Lord of Roanoke” tremble; David Crockett, from 
 the mountains of Tennessee, always ready with his rifle to shoot for 
 prizes, and noted for quaint, common-sense speeches ; George Mc- 
 Duffie, Thomas Corwin, Lewis Cass, and innumerable others of great 
 ability and marked individuality. 
 
 The present hall of the House of Representatives was occupied on 
 the i6th of December, 1857, and the present Senate Chamber on the 
 4th of January, 1859. 
 
 The north wing of the Capitol is known as the Senate extension. 
 The principal story contains the Senate Chamber, the Senate post- 
 office, the office of the sergeant-at-arms, the reception-room, the 
 Senators’ withdrawing-room, the rooms of the President and Vice- 
 President of tlie United States, the office of the secretary of the Senate, 
 and the offices of the Senate clerks and official reporters. Around 
 the Senate Chamber is a grand corridor adorned with marble columns 
 and pilasters. The wing is constructed entirely of marble and iron, 
 and is very magnificent. 
 
 At the back of the Senate Chamber is the Senators’ lobby, and 
 opening from it is the withdrawing-room, or, as it is generally called, 
 “ the marble room,” as it is made entirely of marble. Senators use 
 it for consultation. The President’s room is on one side of it, and 
 the Vice-President’s room on the other. Medallion portraits of Wash- 
 ington and the members of his first Cabinet cover the walls of the 
 President’s room, and it is sumptuously decorated. Here the Presi- 
 dent coines on the last day of the session of Congress, to sign the bills 
 passed by both houses. When the Senate is not sitting the various 
 rooms can be inspected, and the floor of the Senate Chamber is also 
 open to the public. 
 
 The Senate Chamber is one hundred and twelve feet in length, 
 eighty-two feet in width, and thirty feet high. The ceiling is com- 
 posed of large iron girders and cross-pieces, in which are panels of 
 glass containing painted emblems representing the Union, Progress, 
 tlie Army and Navy, and the Mechanical Arts. At night hundreds 
 
THE SENATE CHAMBER. 
 
 of gas-jets, arranged back of the ceiling, throw a flood of softened 
 light into all portions of the chamber. The walls are painted in ex- 
 quisite tints and decorated in gold, and have buff panels. Arranged 
 on the floor in concentric semicircles are mahogany desks and chairs 
 for the Senators. On a dais is the chair of the President of the Senate, 
 and in front of it is a broad mahogany desk. To the right of the 
 president’s chair is the chair of the sergeant-at-arms, and to the left 
 that of the assistant door-keeper. In front of the president’s desk are 
 the desks of the Senate clerks and the tables of the official reporters. 
 Galleries with seats for i,ooo persons extend around the chamber. 
 Above the president’s chair is a gallery for reporters of the press, and 
 
 THE president’s ROOM. 
 
120 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 directly opposite is one for the diplomatic corps. The others are for 
 the public. 
 
 Two grand staircases of highly polished marble lead to the Sen- 
 ate galleries from the public corridor. The eastern staircase is con- 
 structed of variegated Tennessee marble, with white marble steps. 
 A stained glass skylight set in a paneled iron frame is placed over- 
 head. From the main floor a broad flight of sixteen steps leads to 
 the first landing ; thence the ascent is by a double flight of eighteen 
 steps. In a niche at the foot of the staircase is a marble statue of 
 Benjamin Franklin, by Hiram Powers, executed at a cost of $10,000. 
 On the wall above the first landing is a large painting of “ Perry V 
 Victory on Lake Erie,” Sept. 10, 1813. It was painted b}' W. H. 
 Powell, and cost $25,000. Commodore Perry is represented in a 
 boat, making the perilous transfer of the flag from the disabled “ Law- 
 rence ” to the “ Niagara,” during a tremendous cannonading. 
 
 The western staircase is constructed entirely of white marble, and 
 is similar in design to the eastern. At the foot is a marble statue of 
 John Hancock, by Horatio Stone, which cost $5,550. Over the main 
 landing is a painting of “ The Storming of Chapultepec” by Gen- 
 eral Scott’s troops. Sept. 13, 1847. It was painted by James Walker, 
 from sketches taken on the battle-field, the artist receiving $6,000 for 
 the work. The staircases, with their massive pillars and balustrades, 
 are very beautiful. 
 
 The south wing of the Capitol, or the House extension, is similar 
 in design and construction to the Senate extension. It has a grand 
 corridor or lobby, and a vestibule with fluted columns. In the princi- 
 pal story is the great hall of the House of Representatives, and sur- 
 rounding it are the Speaker’s room, the retiring-room, the office of 
 the sergeant-at-arms, the offices of the House clerks, and committee- 
 rooms. The retiring-room is large and richly furnished, and the 
 other rooms are of good size and elegant in their ornamentation and 
 furniture. Opening from the rear of the legislative hall is the mem- 
 bers’ lobby, which is finely decorated and hung with portraits of past 
 Spe akers of the House. 
 
 The hall of the House of Representatives is one of the largest and 
 finest legislative halls in the world. It is one hundred and thirty-nine 
 feet in length, ninety-three feet in width, and thirty-six feet high. The 
 chairs and desks of the Representatives and Delegates are arranged 
 on the floor in concentric semicircles. The chair of the Speaker is- 
 
THE HALL OF THE HOUSE. 
 
 121 
 
 placed on a platform three feet from the floor, and in front of it is a 
 large marble table, and in front of that are marble desks for the House 
 clerks and official reporters. At the right of the Speaker’s chair is a 
 stand on which the mace is placed when the House is in session, 
 and close by is the chair of the sergeant-at-arms ; on the left is the 
 chair of the assistant door-keeper. A portrait of Washington, by 
 Vanderlyn, hangs on one side of the Speaker’s chair, and a portrait 
 of Lafayette, by Ary Sheffer, on the other. Two paintings by Bier- 
 stadt, for which he received $20,000, are set in panels near the south 
 doors. They represent the “ Settlement of California,” and the “ Dis- 
 covery of the Hudson River.” A fresco by Brumidi, of “Washington 
 at Yorktown,” adorns a panel. Over the main entrance door is a large 
 clock, supported by figures of an Indian and a pioneer, and sur- 
 mounted by an eagle. The ceiling is similar in construction to that 
 in the Senate Chamber. It is profusely gilded and ornamented, and 
 the panels are filled with panes of painted glass bearing the arms of 
 the states and other emblems. Back of the ceiling are 1,500 gas-jets, 
 which at night illuminate the hall in a very brilliant manner. The 
 galleries will seat nearly two thousand people, and they are often filled 
 during the progress of an important debate. The press gallery, back 
 of the Speaker’s chair, has accommodation for sixty reporters. Two 
 galleries are reserved for the diplomatic corps and the leading officials 
 of the government ; the others are open to the public. 
 
 The eastern and western grand staircases, leading from the corri- 
 dcM’ of the House to the galleries, are exactly like those in the Senate 
 extension. At the foot of the eastern staircase is a marble statue of 
 Thomas Jefferson, by Hiram Powers, executed in Italy at a cost of 
 $10,000. On the wall of the landing is Francis B. Carpenter’s 
 famous painting of “ President Lincoln signing the Proclamation of 
 Emancipation,” which was purchased of the artist for $25,000, by 
 Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Thompson, and presented to the United States 
 in 1878. While making studies for the work Mr. Carpenter resided 
 in the White House as the guest of President Lincoln. 
 
 At the foot of the western staircase is a bronze bust of a friendly 
 chief of the Chippewa Indians, called Bee-She-Kee, the Buffalo. The 
 wall of the landing is embellished with an immense chromo-silica, by 
 Emanuel Leutze, representing an emigrant train crossing the Rocky 
 Mountains. It is bold in drawing and brilliant in color. Leutze re- 
 ceived $20,000 for the work. 
 
HALL OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 COMGRESS CONTINUED — MANNER OF LEGISLATION IN BOTH HOUSES — THE 
 ENORMOUS COST OF A SESSION — HOW MILLIONS ARE SPENT — SENATORIAL 
 SKETCHES— A GLANCE AT THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES — CLAIMANTS 
 AND LOBBYISTS —THE CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — THE DISTRIBUTION OF 
 PUBLIC DOCUMENTS. 
 
 T he Congress of the United States is the supreme legislative 
 body, and has full authority under the Constitution to make 
 all laws “ which shall be necessary and proper ” for carrying 
 on the national government. It is composed of seventy-six 
 Senators (two from each state), and three hundred and twenty-five 
 Representatives, apportioned to the various states according to popu- 
 lation. There are also eight Delegates who have seats in the House 
 of Representatives and represent the territories, but who have no 
 vote. The legislative period of each Congress extends through two 
 years, and is divided into two regular sessions. The first session is 
 termed “ the long session,” as it begins in December and continues 
 until June or July, or even later, at the option of Congress. The 
 second session, termed “ the short session,” begins in December and 
 ends at noon on the 3d of March. Congress assembles annually on 
 the first Monday in December. Senators are chosen by the legisla- 
 tures of the states for a term of six years, and Representatives are 
 elected by the people for a term of two years. Each member of Con- 
 gress receives a compensation of $5,000 per year, and is also allowed 
 mileage at the rate of twenty cents per mile, with $125 annually for 
 newspapers and stationery. The President tem;pore of the Sen- 
 ate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives have an addi- 
 tional compensation of $3,000 per year each. 
 
124 
 
 FICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 As a matter of reference, the apportionment of Representatives in 
 Congress is herewith given : Alabama has eight Representatives ; 
 
 Arkansas, five ; California, six ; Colorado, one ; Connecticut, four ; 
 Delaware, one ; Florida, two ; Georgia, ten ; Illinois, tw'^enty ; In- 
 diana, thirteen ; Iowa, eleven ; Kansas, seven ; Kentucky, eleven ; 
 Louisiana, six ; Maine, four ; Maryland, six ; Massachusetts, twelve ; 
 Michigan, eleven ; Minnesota, five ; Mississippi, seven ; Missouri, 
 fourteen ; Nebraska, three ; Nevada, one ; New Hampshire, two ; 
 New Jersey, seven; New York, thirty-four; North Carolina, nine; 
 Ohio, twenty-one ; Oregon, one ; Pennsylvania, twenty-eight; Rhode 
 Island, two ; South Carolina, seven ; Tennessee, ten ; Texas, eleven ; 
 Vermont, two; Virginia, ten ; West Virginia, four ; Wisconsin, nine. 
 
 The two Houses of Congress exercise ’oiat legislation, but all bills 
 to raise revenue for the government must originate in the House of 
 Representatives. The Vice-President of the United States acts as 
 President of the Senate, but has no vote unless the Senate is equally 
 divided ; then he casts the deciding vote. The Senate elects a presi- 
 dent tempore, who, in the absence of the Vice-President, presides 
 over its sessions. The House elects a Speaker to preside. All the 
 officials of the Senate and House serve two years, or during the leg- 
 islative period of each Congress. 
 
 The bills introduced in either' house are first referred to pi'oper 
 committees ; they are printed and placed on the files of the committees. 
 Afterward, when any committee reports a bill for action, it is read by 
 title and then is assigned a place on a calendar until it is called up for 
 discussion in what is known as the “ committee of the whole,” which 
 is constituted of all the members of either house acting as a committee, 
 and not as a house. When the Senate, or House, goes into com- 
 mittee of the whole, the presiding officer calls a member to the chair 
 to preside. If a bill is adopted by the committee of the whole it is 
 reported and ordered engrossed. After another reading it is debated, 
 and then is voted upon, and if it receives a majority of all the votes 
 cast, it is declared adopted, and is sent to the other house, where it is 
 referred to the committee of the whole. If the second house adopts 
 the bill it is transmitted to the President of the United States for his 
 approval. If he signs the bill it becomes a law, and if he vetoes the 
 bill it may still become a law if both houses pass it again, over the 
 veto, by a two-thirds vote. If the bill is retained by the President for 
 ten days after Congress has presented it to him, it becomes a law 
 without his signature. 
 
EXPENSES OF THE SENATE. 
 
 125 
 
 A statement of the cost of the sessions of Congress may be inter- 
 esting and very astonishing to many readers. As the national legis- 
 lature is very expensive, the details of its principal expenditures can 
 be properly given for the information of those who pay the bills — 
 the people of the United States. In the first place, the annual com- 
 pensation and mileage of the members amount to $2,188,624. "^^e 
 
 Senators receive as compensation $380,000, and the Representatives 
 and Delegates, $1,665,000. There is appropriated for mileage the 
 sum of $143,624. ^ 
 
 The miscellaneous expenses of the Senate are very large. The 
 secretary of the Senate has a salary of $4,896 per year, and is also 
 allowed $1,200 for the hire of a horse and wagon. The chief clerk 
 and the financial clerk have $3,000 each. Then there are five other 
 clerks who have $2,592 each, six clerks who have $2,220 each, and 
 five more clerks who have $2,100 each. The librarian has $2,220, 
 and the assistant librarian, $1,440. The keeper of the stationery has 
 $2,102, and two assistant keepers, $1,800 and $1,000. For making 
 a five minutes’ prayer each day in the Senate at the opening of the 
 session, the chaplain has a salary of $900. The sergeant-at-arms 
 and door-keeper has $4,320, and his clerk, $2,000. The assistant 
 door-keeper and the acting assistant door-keeper have $2,592 each, 
 and three other door-keepers, $1,800 each. The principal book- 
 keeper has $4,320, and two assistant book-keepers, $2,592 each. 
 For reporting the proceedings of the Senate in short hand, the four 
 official reporters are paid $6,250 each. The Senate postmaster has 
 $2,250, his assistant, $2,088, and five mail-carriers, $1,200 each. 
 
 Nor is this all. The secretary to the President of the Senate has 
 a salary of $2,102, and the messenger to the President’s room, $1,440. 
 There are thirty-six messengers, for various purposes, whose aggre- 
 gate salaries amount to $50,000 per year ; and there are eighteen 
 pages who receive $2.50 per day each during the session. The 
 numerous clerks to committees are paid, some $6 per day, and others 
 from $2,220 to $2,500 per year. The other expenses of the Senate 
 are considerable, and the total yearly expenditure is about $370,000, 
 exclusive of the compensation and mileage of Senators. 
 
 The House of Representatives, being a much larger body than the 
 Senate, has expenses which swell into an enormous aggregate. In 
 addition to the great sum of money annually paid as compensation to 
 the Representatives and Delegates, the salaries of the House officials 
 and the other expenses will amount to nearly $550,000. 
 
126 
 
 picturesque WASHINGTON. 
 
 The chief clerk of the House has a salary of $4,500. To assist 
 him there are live clerks with salaries of $3,000, one clerk with $2,- 
 500, and three clerks with $2,240. These clerks have seven assist- 
 ants who are paid $2,000 each, and three assistants who are paid 
 $1,440 each. In addition there are five book-keepers who have sal- 
 aries of $1,600. The private secretary of the Speaker has $1,800, 
 the Speaker’s clerk $1,600, and the clerk to the Speaker’s ta’ole $1,- 
 400. The principal door-keeper has $2,500, with $500 allowed him 
 for horse hire, and the two assistant door-keepers have $2,000 each. 
 Forty messengers, some of whom act as door-keepers, receive salaries 
 aggregating $50,000, There are thirty-two clerks to committees who 
 are paid $6 per day each, and numerous committee clerks who have 
 salaries from $2,000 to $2,500. Thirty-one pages are employed at 
 $2.50 per day each, and in the short session they also receive a gra- 
 tuity of $75 each. There is an “ upholsterer and locksmith,” whose 
 duty it is to keep the chairs and desks of the Representatives in good 
 order, and for this work he is paid $1,440 per }"ear. 
 
 The sergeant-at-arms, who disburses the funds of the House, has 
 a salaried force equal to that of some national banks. His salary is 
 $4,000, and $500 are allowed him for a horse and wagon, and $300 
 for postage-stamps. He has a deputy at $2,000, a cashier at $3,000, 
 a paying-teller at $2,000, a book-keeper at $1,800, a messenger at 
 $1,200, a page at $60 per month, and a laborer at $660 per year. 
 His office is furnished in an elegant and costly manner. 
 
 There are five official short-hand reporters who have salaries of 
 $5,000, and two stenographers for committees, who also receive $5,000 
 each. The chaplain has $900, the postmaster, $2,500, and the assist- 
 ant postmaster, $2,000. In the House post-office there are nine 
 clerks with salaries of $1,200, and two clerks with $800. An em- 
 ploy6 known as “the conductor of the elevator” has a salary of 
 $1,200. The stationery and newspapers for the House cost $47,500 
 per year ; $10,000 are paid for repairs to the furniture, the expenses of 
 special committees are $50,000, and contingent expenses many more 
 thousands. If the amount of the compensation and mileage of the 
 members is added to the amount expended for miscellaneous expenses, 
 it will be found that the aggregate yearly cost of the House is more 
 than $2,300,000. 
 
 Each annual session of Congress costs the country all of three 
 millions of dollars, and if this vast sum is divided by the number of 
 
< 
 
 h4 
 
 C. 
 
 OF THE HALL OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. 
 
128 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 days or weeks of the session it will give a really startling result. For 
 instance, the short session, deducting the usual holiday recess, is of 
 less than twelve weeks’ duration. If the session is estimated at twelve 
 weeks the cost of it will be $250,000 per week, and if Congress sits 
 six days in each week, which is a rare occurrence, very nearly $42- 
 000 per day. The long session will cost about one-half as much per 
 day and week as the other. 
 
 The daily sessions of Congress begin at noon and continue until 
 four or five o’clock in the afternoon. During the first weeks of the 
 annual meeting both houses have short sittings, as there is very little 
 that can be done until the committees get in working order, and report 
 bills for action. The last weeks are crowded with business, and it 
 is generally necessary to hold night-sessions. Much of the work of 
 legislation is done in the committee-rooms, and some of the commit- 
 tees are tasked to the utmost with a multiplicity of affairs, while others 
 seldom have a meeting. Each house is opened daily with prayer by 
 the chaplain, and after the journal of the previous day’s proceedings 
 has been read, petitions and bills are introduced and referred to appro- 
 priate committees during what is called “the morning hour.” Vari- 
 ous reports are also made by committees, with accompanying bills, 
 which are usually placed on a calendar for consideration in regular 
 order. At the expiration of the morning hour, bills are taken from 
 one or more of the calendars and considered until the adjournment. 
 Whenever Congress sits on Saturday , it is generally “ for debate only.” 
 The appropriation bills, or bills providing money for the support of 
 the government departments, are usually taken up near the end of the 
 session, and often occasion very lively debates. There is always a 
 strong political feeling in both houses, and much of the legislation is 
 tinged with it. 
 
 Whenever the Senate receives a communication from the President 
 of the United States, it goes into what is called “ executive session” 
 to discuss it. The galleries and floor are cleared of spectators and 
 reporters, the doors are locked, and the Senators then feel at liberty 
 to express themselves freely upon the President’s communication, 
 which is usually in reference to appointments which are presented for 
 confirmation by the Senate. 
 
 The Senate is quite a dignified body, and generally adheres to 
 certain rules of decorum. It is rarely that there is a very noisy de- 
 bate in this branch of Congress. In fact, the proceedings during the 
 
SENATORIAL HUMOR. 
 
 129 
 
 greater part of a session might be characterized as “ dull.” Now and 
 then a matter will come up which will arouse party feeling, or per- 
 haps sectional prejudice, and then earnest words will be spoken, and 
 some flushed faces will be seen. Occasionally rather impertinent re- 
 marks are made. One Senator, during a debate, said of another 
 whose speech had proved very irritating, that “ It is generally believed 
 
 tbe gentleman from rests his mind while talking ” ; to which 
 
 saucy remark the Senator alluded to replied, “ The gentleman from 
 
 reminds me of that sterile tract of land in Virginia which was 
 
 said to be poor by nature and exhausted by cultivation.” But these 
 “little pleasantries” are to be expected during the conflicts of the pow- 
 erful opposing interests represented in the Senate. 
 
 The Senators have the right to speak as long as they please on 
 most matters under consideration, and although long speeches are not 
 the rule, occasionally one will be delivered of very great length. If 
 the matter is not particularly interesting, or the speaker gifted as an 
 orator, the Senators will retire from the chamber, or busy themselves 
 at their desks over their correspondence or the newspapers, and the 
 visitors in the galleries will gradually depart until few or none remain. 
 But the Senator who has the floor goes on entirely regardless of the 
 lack of listeners, as in most cases the speech is intended for the coun- 
 try, and an arrangement has been made with the correspondents of 
 the press to give it a wide circulation. 
 
 One day during a debate a Senator who was known to have 
 aspirations for the Presidency was addressing the Senate, and in the 
 course of his remarks shouted in an impressive manner, “ I would 
 rather be right than be President ! ” To this remark a Senator quickly 
 
 retorted, “The Senator from will never be either!” This 
 
 retort was so applicable that the Senators burst into roars of laughter, 
 and the presidential aspirant abruptly concluded his speech in a very 
 embarrassed manner. 
 
 Not a few of the Senators have risen to eminent position from hum- 
 ble life, and they are often quite proud of the fact that they fought 
 their way to prominence by the hard road of poverty and drudgery. 
 It is related of two Senators of national fame that they worked to- 
 gether when young men on the same farm for several years. When 
 they met in the Senate one said to the other, after congratulating him 
 upon his election as Senator, “Well, John, when we used to drive 
 old Brown’s oxen we never expected to meet in the United States 
 
 9 
 
130 
 
 PICTUREJSQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 Senate.” “No, Henry,” replied the other, “we didn’t know there 
 was such a place.” 
 
 In the Senate Chamber are some of the chairs used in the old 
 chamber by the famous Senators of years ago — Webster, Clay, 
 Benton, McDuffie, Cass, and others. These historic chairs have been 
 carefully preserved, and once they were pointed out to visitors, but as 
 relic hunters began to mutilate them, it was thought best to keep their 
 identity a close secret, and now only Capt. Isaac Bassett, the venerable 
 assistant door-keeper, and two or three of the oldest Senators know 
 which they are. But few of the Senators and officials of the Senate 
 who served in the old chamber are living. Mr. Bassett is the only 
 official of those days at present connected with the Senate. He 
 began his service in 1831 as a page, and has continued in various 
 positions ever since. 
 
 The late Senator Heniy B. Anthony, of Rhode Island, gave 
 the longest continuous service of any Senator except Thomas Hart 
 Benton. He entered the Senate in 1859, served for twenty-five 
 consecutive years, until his death in September, 1884. 
 
 The House of Representatives, with its great hall and throng of 
 members, is in marked contrast to the Senate. Apparently the House 
 cares very little for dignity or decorum, and sometimes there is con- 
 siderable confusion on the floor. There are many days when the 
 proceedings are proper even to extreme dullness, but on other days, 
 when an important matter is under consideration, the House is brim- 
 ful of animation. Until one becomes accustomed to its bewilderintr 
 noises, its manifold and complicated rules and practices, and its pecul- 
 iar kind of speech-making, frequently broken by sarcastic retorts and 
 impertinent interjections, it is very difficult to understand much of its 
 legislation. 
 
 A glance at the House will show members absorbed at their desks 
 over piles of books and documents ; some are writing letters, others 
 are reading newspapers. Groups here and there are conversing in 
 animated tones, and before the cheerful grate fires in the corners of 
 the hall are other groups comfortably seated, joking and laughing. 
 Pages are running to and fro with their arms full of papers, and re- 
 sponding to members as they clap their hands. On the floor there 
 may be a running fire of debate, witli keen, experienced debaters 
 shouting at the top of their voices, for it is necessary to shout to be 
 
THE HOUSE, 
 
 131 
 
 heard half- 
 way across this 
 huge hall, 
 while others 
 are standing in 
 readiness to 
 join in the dis- 
 cussion as soon 
 as they can 
 catch the 
 Speaker’s eye. 
 
 Cries of “ Mr. 
 
 Speaker!” 
 
 “ Mr. Speak- 
 e r I ” “Mr. 
 
 Speaker I ” go 
 up from all 
 sides. The 
 Speaker has a 
 difficult task. 
 
 He strikes his 
 marble table 
 with the gavel 
 almost inces- 
 santly to call 
 the House to 
 order, and oc- 
 casionally is 
 compelled to 
 
 stop all business and to peremptorily command every member to take 
 his seat or retire from the hall. 
 
 One is never at a loss for amusement while watching the House 
 during a spirited session, and it does not take long to understand why 
 it is that only a few men, and those the ablest and strongest, ever 
 attain to any degree of prominence as Representatives. Even to be 
 heard in the hall requires lungs of iron, and to stand against the free 
 and often exceedingly insolent comments and personal remarks, the 
 continual strife for mastery, and the shrewd political manoeuvering, a 
 member who makes speeches and aims to be prominent must have 
 
 THE RETIRING-ROOM OF THE HOUSE. 
 
 — III l" 1~ 
 
 I M ^ 
 
 1 
 
 
132 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 great courage, much endurance, a ready wit, and a very practical way 
 of meeting all difficulties. It is little wonder that many men who go 
 into the House with the belief that they can make a reputation in na- 
 tional legislation are soon content to remain “ mute, inglorious ” mem- 
 bers, ambitious only to obtain the privilege of printing their undeliv- 
 ered speeches in the Congressional Record, for circulation among 
 their constituents. The House is no respecter of persons, and a man 
 to win success in it must be made of sturdy metal. 
 
 The business yearly brought before Congress is so enormous that it 
 has become impossible to dispose of a quarter of it. The files of the 
 principal committees will contain thousands of bills at each session, 
 and on the calendars of both houses there will be long lists of import- 
 ant matters waiting consideration. Yet hardly three hundred bills 
 will be disposed of, and all the rest must go over, greatly to the loss 
 and injury of many persons in different sections of the country. 
 
 In the room of the House Committee on Claims hundreds of claims 
 are always on file, some of which have been pending for years. One 
 claim for half a million dollars is twenty years old, and at nearly every 
 session during that time something has been done about it. It has 
 been reported a number of times, but was not reached on the calendar, 
 and consequently died with the session, and had to be introduced 
 over again. There are claims for the relief of public officials, for 
 compensation for damages, and for all sorts of things, many of them 
 just and proper, but it is found to be impossible to dispose of any con- 
 siderable number. Claimants throng the lobbies of Congress, and 
 use ail the means in their power to have their claims acted upon, but 
 the majority have to go away unsuccessful. 
 
 As there is great necessity for personal action and influence to ex- 
 pedite matters before Congress — to persuade the committees to I'e- 
 port, and then to persuade either house to act — it naturally follows 
 that there must be considerable “ lobbying.” This practice is very 
 ancient, and from the early Congresses to the present one, the lobby- 
 ist has been an important factor of legislation, and the Third House 
 almost a recognized branch of the national legislature. The lobbyists 
 thrive at each session, and the shrewd, worldly-wise men, and even 
 women, who make lobbying a business, usually have all they can do 
 in assisting the reporting and passage of bills. The methods em- 
 ployed are numerous and diversified, and great care is taken to pre- 
 vent a knowledge of them coming to the public. Some lobbyists work 
 on contingencies — that is, they receive so much if the business they 
 
THE CONGRESSIONAL RECORD. 
 
 133 
 
 are charged with is accomplished ; while others will do nothing with- 
 out money in advance. Great corporations that desire the passage of 
 certain bills bearing directly and profitably upon their business ; claim- 
 ants who have become discouraged at the failure of their own efforts 
 to advance their claims ; the organizers of “jobs” to take millions out 
 of the Treasury — -seek the lobbyists and make terms with them for 
 their peculiar and mysterious services. Stories are told of fortunes 
 made by the members of the Third House who have been very success- 
 ful, and it is generally understood that the wily, ingenious, persistent 
 lobbyists are pretty sure to gather a lucrative harvest. 
 
 The official reporters of the Senate and House take down in short 
 hand the proceedings of each day’s session, and they are printed the 
 following morning in the official publication known as The Congres- 
 sional Record. The reports are presumed to be verbatim, but they 
 are far from that. Few, if any, of the sarcastic and impertinent re- 
 marks made by members during the debates are ever printed, and 
 many of the speeches undergo substantial change, passages being 
 stricken out and new ones added on the proof-slips sent out from the 
 Government Printing Office to members who desire to make correc- 
 tions. There are also very many speeches printed in the Record 
 which were never delivered. A congressman who wishes to gain in 
 an easy way the reputation of having “ made a great speech in Con- 
 gress,” will obtain “the permission to print,” and then will have in- 
 serted in the official publication his so-called speech. This saves 
 all the trouble of delivering it before an ungracious house, and the 
 member’s constituents, afar off, will not be aware of the fact that the 
 “ eloquent words ” were never uttered in the legislative hall. 
 
 Members frequently withhold their speeches from publication in 
 the Record for a number of days in order to obtain the place of 
 honor, the conspicuous first page. Each member of Congress is 
 entitled to twenty-four copies of the Record daily, and can purchase 
 as many more as he desires. After Congress has finished its annual 
 session the publication is usually continued for a month to “work 
 off” all the speeches, previously crowded out, that members had re- 
 ceived permission to print. The yearly cost of the Record is about 
 $200,000. 
 
 In the basement of the Capitol are many committee-rooms, the 
 House post-office, the restaurants, and the document and folding 
 rooms. About thirty rooms are used for the enormous business con- 
 
( Used for Committee- Rooms ^ the Senate Library ^ Document-Rooms^ 
 
PUBLIC DOCUMENTS. 
 
 135 
 
 nected with public documents. The government issues yearly nearly 
 three hundred diflerent books — reports of departments and special re- 
 ports on home and foreign matters, mostly bulky volumes, and many 
 of them illustrated in the finest and costliest manner — besides a large 
 number of pamphlets. The Government Printing-Office is con- 
 stantly engaged in many of its departments in printing and binding 
 these publications. A large force is employed in the document and 
 folding rooms in wrapping and addressing the books and pamphlets, 
 and nearly every day in the year one hundred large mail-sacks of 
 public documents are sent out over the country. It is estimated that 
 the printed matter annually distributed will fill two hundred and fifty 
 mail-cars, and will weigh six millions of pounds. More than a million 
 bound volumes are distributed, and an immense number of pamphlets. 
 Each congressman is entitled to a certain number of copies of all the 
 works, and he furnishes the list of people to whom they shall be sent. 
 
 Thousands of copies of The Congressional Record are distributed 
 over the country every day, and during the progress of an exciting 
 and important debate the number will swell into tens of thousands. 
 Some congressmen expend a large amount of money in the purchase 
 and mailing of their speeches, and in one case it is known that a very 
 ambitious speechmaker expended five thousand dollars, his entire 
 compensation for the congressional year, in sending his “ great 
 speech ” to his constituents and to others far and wide throughout the 
 United States. In another case a speech on the tariff had a circula- 
 tion of one hundred thousand copies. 
 
 The report of the Department of Agriculture has the largest cir- 
 culation of any of the public documents, and it is greatly appreciated 
 by enterprising and progressive farmers, as its fund of information 
 concerning the agricultural interests is accurate and complete, great 
 pains being taken by the department with all the subjects treated of. 
 Within a few years the farmers of the great southwestern region of 
 the country have taken many thousands of the reports, and the de- 
 mand from that section yearly increases. The circulation of the re- 
 port in the northwest is also very large. Reports on mines and 
 minerals are circulated throughout the mining regions in great num- 
 bers, and are also sent to the financial centres. The reports of some 
 of the departments are distributed among the state and public libra- 
 ries, and are found to be very useful for reference. Many of the pub- 
 lic documents are of much value to specialists, and the demand for 
 them generally exceeds the supply. 
 
FROM PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, 
 
CHAPTER VIII 
 
 THE WHITE HOUSE — HISTORICAL SKETCH — DESCRIPTION OF THE BUILDING 
 AND GROUNDS— THE MAGNIFICENT STATE APARTMENTS — LIFE IN THE 
 PRESIDENTIAL MANSION — THE PRESIDENT AND HIS OFFICIALS — STATE 
 DINNERS, FETES AND RECEPTIONS — FORMER PRESIDENTS AND THEIR 
 WIVES —SKETCHES AND ANECDOTES. 
 
 F rom the beginning of the century to the present time the 
 Presidents of the United States have resided, during their 
 official life, in the Executive Mansion, popularly known as 
 the White House, and as one walks through the rooms of the 
 ancient mansion recollections of these historic characters throng the 
 memory. Here the men chosen to guide the affairs of the Nation 
 have lived from day to day, have had their joys and their sorrows, 
 their domestic felicity, the honors of high position, and the cares and 
 burdens which accompany great office. Here have been many bril- 
 liant scenes of festivity — the joyous nuptial ceremony, the pomp and 
 glitter of fetes and receptions ; and here, likewise, have been scenes 
 of anguish — the lights and shades of human existence. Nearly a 
 hundred years ago Washington was present ,t the laying of the cor- 
 ner-stone, and month by month watched the beautiful structure rise, 
 and on one day, but a few weeks before his death, he walked through 
 the house with his beloved wife. It was then the only completed 
 public building in the new capital city, and its pure classic elegance 
 won the admiration of the first President and all who looked upon 
 it. The tradition is that it was called the “ White House ” out of re- 
 spect for Martha Washington, whose early home on the Pamunkey 
 River, in Virginia, was known by that name ; but as its color was 
 always white, it is more probable that the popular name came into 
 
PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 138 
 
 use from that. It is always officially styled “ The Executive Man- 
 sion,” but this dignified appellation is seldom heard outside of gov- 
 ernment circles. 
 
 The first commissioners of the city of Washington advertised on 
 the 14th of March, 1792, for a design of “The President’s House,” 
 offering a premium of $500 for the best one. Among the number 
 submitted was one by a talented young architect named James Hoban, 
 and his design being approved, the premium was awarded to him, 
 and he was engaged at a salary of one hundred guineas per year to 
 superintend the construction of the mansion. Hoban had resided for 
 some years in Charleston, South Carolina, before he came to Wash- 
 ington to enter the ranks of the contestants for the honor of designing 
 the White House, and was considered one of the leading architects in 
 the country. He had studied in Europe, and was familiar with the 
 most notable examples of foreign architecture. In his design he fol- 
 lowed that of the palace of the Duke of Leinster, in Dublin, and the 
 White House, as it stands to-day, bears a marked resemblance to its 
 foreign prototype. Hoban resided in Washington until his death in 
 1831, and accumulated a large estate by the practice of his profes- 
 sion. 
 
 On the 13th of October, 1792, the corner-stone of the White House 
 was laid, in accordance with the rites of Masonry. It was an import- 
 ant event to those who were deeply interested in ffie embryo capital, 
 and several thousand people assembled to witness the ceremony. 
 President Washington, the commissioners, the architect, the Masons, 
 and others formed a procession and solemnly marched to the spot, 
 and there held formal and impressive e.xercises. The work of con- 
 struction was begun at once, but on account of some difficulty in rais- 
 ing money the building was not entirely completed until 1799* Up 
 to 1814, when the interior was partially burned by the British troops, 
 the total cost of construction was $333,207. The reconstruction and 
 re-furnishing, after the fire, cost about $300,000, and since then many 
 thousands of dollars have been expended in various improvements, 
 and in the laying out and ornamentation of the spacious grounds. 
 When the house was re-opened on the ist of January, 1818, it was 
 pronounced “a grand edifice”; and from that day to this it has been 
 an object of admiration. 
 
 The White House is situated on the government reservation 
 called “The President’s Grounds,” and fronts on Pennsylvania Ave- 
 nue at Lafayette Square. It is in the centre of an enclosed plat of 
 
THE STATE PARLORS. 
 
 139 
 
 twenty acres, and the main entrance is reached by two broad semi- 
 circular driveways lined with noble trees. The grounds are filled 
 with flower-beds and well-kept lawns, and adorned with marble foun- 
 tains, and at the back of the house is a park sloping gradually to the 
 river bank, which opens a far-reaching prospect of the Potomac and 
 the blue hills of Virginia. Stately oaks, sycamores, and poplars give 
 the grounds in summer a most beautiful sylvan appearance, and the 
 official mansion then is almost hidden by expansive foliage. The 
 building is constructed of Virginia freestone, painted white. It is of 
 the Grecian order of architecture, has two stories and a basement, 
 and is surmounted by a wide balustrade. It is one hundred and sev- 
 enty feet in length and eighty-six feet in width. At the main entrance 
 is a grand portico of Ionic columns, and at the rear is a semi-circular 
 colonnade. Adjoining the house on the west is a large conservatory 
 containing a choice and varied collection of plants. 
 
 The state parlors on the first floor are usually accessible to the 
 public during certain hours of each week-day. The main entrance 
 door opens into a spacious vestibule which is elegantly frescoed. 
 From the vestibule the great East Room is reached. This is the 
 largest apartment in the house, and until 1837 it was used as a ban- 
 quet hall. It is eighty by forty feet, and is designed in Grecian style 
 and richly ornamented. Its lofty ceiling is composed of three large 
 panels, profusely decorated, and in the centre of each panel hangs a 
 massive crystal chandelier. Eight long, magnificent mirrors, sup- 
 ported on carved mantels, in white and gold, are placed around the 
 room, and a costly velvet carpet covers the broad floor. The hang- 
 ings and upholstery are exceedingly rich and handsome. A full- 
 length painting of Washington, by Gilbert Stuart, purchased in 1803, 
 hangs on the walls, and also one of Martha Washington, by E. F. 
 Andrews, purchased in 1878. When evening receptions are given 
 by the President, the room is fragrant and beautiful with masses of 
 flowers. Festoons of smilax encircle the chandeliers, the mantels are 
 banked with precious roses, and the windows and angles are filled 
 with tall palms and comely exotic plants, the luxuriant floral display 
 adding a charming effect to the gay and brilliant surroundings. 
 
 Leading from the East Room is the Green Room, in which all the 
 furniture and decorations are pale green. In this room hangs the life- 
 size painting of Mrs. Rutherford B. Hayes, which was presented to 
 the government in May, 1881, by the National Temperance Union. 
 It is by Huntington, and the canvas is over seven feet high, and the 
 
140 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 elaborately carved oaken frame, made by the Cincinnati School of 
 Design, is nearly ten feet high. Mrs. Hayes is represented standing 
 in a graceful attitude, holding a bunch of roses. She is attired in 
 crimson velvet, and has white lace around her neck and arms. 
 
 The Blue Room is the next in the suite. It is here that the Pres- 
 ident receives his guests at public and private receptions. The room 
 is oval, and is decorated and furnished in light blue. The walls are 
 profusely yet very tastefully embellished, and the upholstery, consist- 
 ing of delicate silk with gilt trimmings, is unique and attractive. 
 
 It is in the Red Room, the last of the apartments on the first floor 
 open to the inspection of the public, that the President sits at night, 
 and it is furnished and arranged as a family parlor. Here are books 
 and periodicals, numerous bric-a-brac, a mahogany table over one 
 hundred years old, a fine portrait of Lincoln above the mantel, and 
 elegant red plush furniture. The walls and hangings are red, and 
 the room has a cheerful, cosy appearance — an atmosphere of home 
 life about it. 
 
 The state parlors open into a long corridor, which is used on the 
 occasion of fetes as a grand promenade for the guests. Paintings of 
 the Presidents cover the wall of the corridor, and here and there on 
 the floor are placed tropical plants. The corridor is separated from 
 the vestibule by a handsome sash screen. 
 
 The state dining-room, in which the President gives ceremonious 
 dinners during the winter to the members of the Cabinet, Senators and 
 Representatives, the Justices of the Supreme Court, the diplomatic 
 corps, and other distinguished personages, is at the western end of 
 the corridor. It is magnificently furnished, and at its table over fifty 
 persons can dine. When state dinners are given, the White House 
 is brilliant with lights and flowers, with court costumes and splendid 
 toilets, with fair women and stately men. The table is set with the 
 sumptuous state china, on which is finely depicted the fauna and flora 
 of America, and with masses of silver and delicately cut glass. Gold 
 and silver candlesticks and mirrored sconces in broad silver frames 
 contain wax-lights, which brightly illuminate tlie table, and special 
 floral designs of exquisite beauty add rich color and perfume to the 
 banquet. Corsage bouquets are provided for tlie ladies, and houton- 
 niercs for the gentlemen. The President leads the way to the table 
 at eight o’clock, and tlie dinner of many courses continues for three 
 hours, during which time the Marine Band, stationed in the vestibule, 
 discourses soft, delicious music. 
 
ROOMS OF THE WHITE HOUSE. 
 
 141 
 
 THE WHITE HOUSE, FROM THE SOUTH. 
 
 In the second story are the executive offices, the President’s re- 
 ception-room, where he receives those who call during the day on 
 business or to pay their respects ; the Cabinet room, and the various 
 family rooms. All the rooms on the east side of the house are used 
 for the government business, and all on the west are private. 
 
 The Cabinet room is spacious and well arranged. Here the 
 President meets the members of his Cabinet every Tuesday and Fri- 
 day at noon, and around a long table, covered with books and docu- 
 ments, they discuss affairs of state. The President sits at the head 
 of the table, with the Secretary of State at his right, and the Secre- 
 tary of the Treasury at his left hand. The Cabinet meetings usually 
 continue for two hours. 
 
 The President’s reception-room is a large, finely furnished apart- 
 ment, oval in shape. The windows are hung with silk curtains, and 
 the furniture is of mahogany, upholstered in red leather. At the 
 sides of the room are long, low book-cases, filled with richly bound 
 
142 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 volumes, and before these are chairs for persons waiting to be re- 
 ceived. In front of the windows is the President’s desk, a massive 
 oak structure of historic interest. It was constructed of timber which 
 formed part of Her Majesty’s ship “ Resolute,” sent to the Arctic Sea 
 in 1852 by the English government, to search for Sir John Franklin. 
 The ship was abandoned in the ice, but afterward was discovered and 
 restored by an American whaler. This souvenir was expressly made 
 for the White House, and came into it in 1881. The room has a 
 pleasant appearance : portraits of the first five Presidents look down 
 from the walls, and disposed in various nooks are bronzes and art 
 decorations. 
 
 It is proper to call on the President on any public business, or 
 simply to pay respects, and he is “ at home” to visitors from ten a. m. 
 to one p. M. on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, and at such 
 hours on other days as suit his convenience. Visitors are shown 
 into a waiting-room at the head of the stairs leading from the first 
 story, and their cards taken to the private secretary. Afterward 
 they are escorted to the reception-room, where the President receives 
 each person in turn. The customary form of address is “ Mr. Presi- 
 dent.” 
 
 The President receives a compensation of $50,000 per year. He 
 furnishes his personal servants, all household supplies, and horses 
 and carriages. The government provides the furniture for the White 
 House, keeps the house and grounds in order, and pays the salaries 
 of the private secretaries and clerks, and other employes. The pri- 
 vate secretary has a salary of $3,250 per year, and the assistant sec- 
 retary $2,250. Two executive clerks have salaries of $2,000, and 
 a stenographer is employed at a salary of $i ,800. There are also six 
 clerks, a steward, three ushers, five messengers, two door-keepers, 
 a watchman and a fireman. The total compensation of the house- 
 hold force provided by the government amounts to $36,000 per year. 
 There are $8,000 allowed for the contingent expenses of the execu- 
 tive offices, $15,000 for lighting tlie house and grounds, which require 
 considerable illumination every evening; $5,500 for the care of the 
 conservatory, and $25,000 for the other expenses. Thus it will be 
 seen that it costs the government $89,500 per year to maintain the 
 Executive Mansion. 
 
 Every morning the private secretary examines the enormous mail 
 which comes to the White House from all parts of the world, selects 
 the letters which it is necessary for the President to see, and turns the 
 
THE PRESIDENT’S OFFICE HOURS. 
 
 143 
 
 others over to the clerks who have charge of the correspondence. 
 He also arranses the details of the social life which forms no small 
 
 o 
 
 part of the duty of the President, especially during the congressional 
 season, and in many ways relieves him of official burdens. His re- 
 lations with the President are very confidential. The assistant secre- 
 tary has charge of all papers concerning Presidential appointments, 
 and also of all matters between the President and Congress. A com- 
 plete record is kept of the appointments, the confirmations and rejec- 
 tions by the Senate, and the removals from office, and the history of 
 every appointment or removal can be readily ascertained from the 
 record-books. 
 
 A large part of each day’s mail consists of letters relating to the 
 affairs of the various departments of the government. These letters 
 are recorded, and then are transmitted to the departments to which 
 they belong, to be answered. From two hundred to three hundred 
 newspapers are received daily from all sections of the United States 
 and from Europe. Editors who desire that the President should see 
 certain political articles send marked copies of their publications, and 
 many others favor him with printed matter. He subscribes for the 
 leading newspapers and periodicals. A clerk is specially detailed to 
 carefully examine all the newspapers, and to cut out the articles he 
 thinks the President w^ould like to read. The cuttings are put in a 
 scrap-book, which is laid before the President every morning. He 
 looks it over, and thus is enabled, in a half-hour, to become familiar 
 with the good things and the bad things printed of his administration, 
 and also with the general drift of political affairs. 
 
 The President’s business day begins at ten o’clock in the morning, 
 and an hour^ before he has entered his office, the outer waiting-room 
 will contain a number of persons seeking an interview with him. He 
 first reads the many letters on his desk, and to the least important of 
 them rapidly dictates answers, keeping his private secretary and his 
 stenographer busy for some time. The letters requiring careful 
 attention are put aside to be attended to when the stress of business is 
 over for the day, and he has time to properly consider them. When 
 the correspondence is disposed of visitors are admitted. 
 
 The visitors are always numerous. They come on all sorts of 
 business, with all sorts of stories, from the east and west, from the north 
 and south, and from lands beyond the sea. As the President has the 
 appointment of a vast army of office-holders — nearly 100,000, it is es- 
 timated — much of his time in the morning hours, and for that mat- 
 
144 
 
 picturesque WASHINGTON. 
 
 ter in all hours, has to be given up to the seekers for office and their 
 friends. He has to listen to all the urgent claims, all the requests of 
 statesmen and politicians, that this or that office shall be awarded to 
 this or that patriot whose valuable services to the country (that is “the 
 party”) have entitled him to feed at the public crib. Aspirants for 
 every office in his gift are at hand — for bureau offices, for first-class 
 and second-class or any class missions, for judicial offices, for marshal- 
 ships, for post-offices, for collectorships, for territorial commissions, 
 for the army and navy, and, in fact, for everything in the long list. 
 They throng around the President day after day and insist, with many 
 strong reasons, that their claims shall be allowed — insist with indom- 
 itable perseverance. Delegations from various states arrive in the 
 city and hurry to the White House, eager in the hunt of some good 
 office which has just become vacant, each delegation striving to be in 
 advance of the other, so as to influence the Pi'esident in making up his 
 mind as to the new appointment. Senators and Representatives send 
 in their cards with requests for “ a few minutes’ interview on import- 
 ant business.” High officials, diplomats, eminent strangers, seek an 
 audience, and until the President closes his doors at luncheon-time his 
 reception-room is constantly full of visitors, and he is entirely occu- 
 pied in attending to them. 
 
 The hours of the afternoon are devoted by the President to study- 
 ing the questions of state which have been brought to his attention. 
 As he is charged with the duty of ascertaining if the immense and 
 important business of the government is properly conducted, it is 
 necessary for him to continually review the work of the department 
 officials. Certainly a day of arduous toil at its best. And then there is 
 the pain of disappointing many whose desires cannot be gratified, and 
 there is the difficulty in arriving at the exact truth in order that justice 
 may be done, and withal the need of making momentous decisions 
 which are likely to be criticised harshly in every section of the coun- 
 try, howsoever they are made. This is the President’s usual routine 
 of life, commingled with incessant social duties, no portion of which 
 can be remitted in any way. 
 
 The regular dinner hour at the White House is seven o’clock, and 
 at this meal the President usually has a few intimate friends at his table, 
 and for a while banishes the cares of his position. He rarely accepts 
 invitations to dinner, except witli the members of his Cabinet, and 
 never makes ceremonious calls ; but he invites officials and friends to 
 dine with him, and visits in official circles without ceremony at his 
 
FAMOUS STATUES. 
 
 1. Statue of General Rawlins. 2. Ward’s Statue of General Thomas. 3. Statue of Emancipation. 
 
 4. Statue of General McPherson. 5. Statue of Admiral Farragut. 
 
 10 
 
146 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 pleasure. An invitation to dine with the President must be always- 
 accepted, unless illness compels declination. No previous engage- 
 ment has precedence, and when it is absolutely necessary to decline 
 it is customary to send a full explanation in writing. 
 
 The etiquette regulating the social intercourse of the President and 
 his family with officials and the public has been in vogue since tl.e 
 administration of Washington, modified more or less by the different 
 Presidents, but retaining its salient points to the present day. In the 
 early years of the White House there were many courtly ceremonials, 
 but they have been long since laid away with the powdered wigs, the 
 lace ruffs, and all the ancient styles of dress, and the certain polite 
 forms now prescribed, the careful observance of which is expected,, 
 are very simple in comparison with the ceremony once prevailing. 
 
 The annual series of presidential receptions begins on New Year’s 
 day, and continues until spring. On New Year’s day the President 
 has a public reception. The first to pay their respects to him are the 
 members of the Cabinet, the Justices of the Supreme Court, the Sena- 
 tors and Representatives, and the high officials of the government. 
 Then the diplomatic corps, in court costumes, and the officers of the 
 army and navy, in full uniform, present themselves. Afterward the 
 public are admitted. From this time until the season wanes there are 
 fetes and grand dinners at the White House every week. 
 
 The President usually gives a number of public evening receptions 
 during the winter, which are open to everybody of respectability. Al- 
 though there is no rule about the matter, it is customary to appear at 
 these receptions in full evening costume, and the finest of toilets are 
 always to be seen. On these occasions the White House assumes 
 a fascinating appearance. The grounds are brightly illuminated, long 
 lines of carriages fill the great driveways, and throngs of people as- 
 semble on the walks, and are slowly admitted into the house. The 
 interior is lavishly adorned with flowers, the state apartments and 
 the conservatory are open, and are dazzling with a thousand lights. 
 Ushers conduct the guests to the cloak-rooms, and thence to the Blue 
 Room, where presentations are made to the President by the Marshal 
 of the District of Columbia. A brilliant and distinguished group al- 
 ways surrounds the President — members of the Cabinet, famous gen- 
 erals and congressmen, diplomats, high officials, with their wives 
 and daughters. After the presentation, which is necessarily brief, the 
 guests can stroll through the gorgeous rooms and down the floral 
 pathways of the conservatory, and for two hours enjoy the music, the 
 gay conversation, and the brightness of the festival. 
 
PUBLIC RECEPTIONS. 
 
 147 
 
 The ladies of the presidential household have weekly afternoon 
 receptions during the winter, generally on Saturday, from two to five 
 o’clock. No invitations are issued, and every one is at liberty to attend. 
 Prominent society ladies assist at these receptions, and the President 
 is often present. The dress is that customary for morning calls. 
 
 During the two official terms of the first President he resided in 
 plain, comfortable, but not over-large houses in New York and Phil- 
 adelphia, which were rented by the government and furnished in a 
 suitable manner. In these houses Washington and his wife held what 
 has been described as a “ Republican court,” and established the offi- 
 cial ceremony which, in part, has come down to this age. 
 
 When the government removed to the capital city in October, 1800, 
 the White House was ready for occupancy, and President John Adams 
 and family at once took up their residence in it. The first public 
 reception was given on the ist of January, 1801, and the guests were 
 received in the room in the second story in which the President now 
 receives his business callers. The East Room was then unfurnished, 
 and Mrs. Adams used it as a drying-room, for lack of a good yard, 
 the grounds of the White House being rough and exposed at that 
 time, and in this spacious state parlor the presidential linen was hung 
 on wash-days. In writing to her daughter, Mrs. Adams said of her 
 new residence : “The house is on a grand and superb scale, requir- 
 ing about thirty servants to attend and keep the apartments in proper 
 order and perform the ordinary business of the house and stables. 
 The lighting of the apartments, from the kitchen to parlors and cham- 
 bers, is a tax indeed, but the fires we are obliged to keep to secure us 
 from daily agues are cheering. Bells are wholly wanting ; not one 
 hung through the whole house, and promises are all we can obtain.” 
 
 Abigail Adams is credited with a strong intellect and extensive 
 culture. Although in feeble health, she zealously and faithfully per- 
 formed all her social duties, aided her husband in his official work, 
 and carefully attended to the household affairs. She is the only 
 lady of the White House who reared a son to become President. 
 
 During President Adams’ residence in tbe official mansion he gave 
 many splendid state dinners and receptions, but his own way of liv- 
 ing was very plain. His invariable luncheon consisted of oat-cake 
 and lemonade, and the family dinners were simple. He was in the 
 habit of taking long walks, and was quite unassuming in manner. In 
 fact, his wife, it is said, occasionally had to remind him, when he was 
 
148 
 
 picturesque WASHINGTON. 
 
 somewhat free and sportive in his intercourse with people, that he 
 held a high and dignified office. Like all persons of rank in those 
 days, he wore richly embroidered coats, silk stockings, huge silver 
 buckles on his shoes, and a powdered wig, but is said to have pre- 
 ferred a plainer garb. He was frugal, and went out of office with a 
 good sum of money saved from his salary. 
 
 Thomas Jefferson, the third President, entered the White House 
 in 1801. When he appeared before Congress to deliver his “ annual 
 speech ” every one was astonished at his simple attire, which was in 
 great contrast to that of his predecessors. He wore a blue coat with 
 gilt buttons, blue pantaloons, and serviceable American shoes tied 
 with leather strings. He had entirely discarded the “ aristocratic 
 foppery,” as he termed it, of official life. He adopted the plainest 
 style of living, and appeared in public either on foot or mounted on a 
 sedate, slow-going horse, instead of in a showy presidential coach 
 with liveried servants and outriders. Usually he wore a large felt 
 hat, pulled down nearly over his eyes. With the stiff, formal customs 
 then in vogue he would have nothing to do, and he set himself to the 
 pleasant task of making all the callers at the White House “ perfectly 
 at home.” He liked to be surrounded by poets and painters, singers 
 and musicians, and every genial denizen of Bohemia that he could 
 secure. As his wife had died some time before he became President, 
 his two daughters, assisted by Mrs. Madison, the wife of the then 
 Secretary of State, conducted the social affairs of the White House 
 during his administration. 
 
 Jefferson was noted for his exalted ideas of equality. He was 
 sincere and unaffected, and made it a rule to be courteous and com- 
 panionable to all men. One day while riding with a grandson, named 
 after him, an old slave they met in the road raised his cap and bowed 
 very obsequiously. Jefferson returned the salute in a polite manner, 
 but his grandson took no notice of it. Turning to the boy he said, 
 “ Thomas, do you permit a poor slave to be more of a gentleman 
 than yourself? ” 
 
 On one occasion when Jefferson was returning from a horseback 
 ride in Virginia, with two of his nephews anc a party of gentlemen, 
 he and the young men rode somewhat in advance of the others, and 
 coming to a swollen stream they found the water was up to their 
 saddle-girths. A countryman was on the bank, waiting to get across, 
 and when the young men had ridden over, he stepped up to the Presi- 
 dent and requested a ride. “Certainly,” said Jefferson ; and he reined 
 
PUBLIC RECEPTIONS. 
 
 149 
 
 up to a rock, bade the stranger mount his horse, and then took him 
 over the stream. The party in the rear noticed the occurrence, and 
 when shortly after they overtook the pedestrian, one of them asked 
 him why he did not request one of the young men instead of the eld- 
 erly gentleman to take him over the water. “ Well,” he replied, “ if 
 you want to know I’ll tell you. I reckon a man carries yes or no in 
 his face. The young chaps’ faces said no ; the old ’un’s said yes.” 
 “ But it isn’t every man that would have asked the President of the 
 United States for a ride behind him,” said the other. “You don’t 
 say that’s Tom Jefferson, do you?” cried the astonished country- 
 man, adding, “ He’s a fine old fellow, anyway !” Then he laughed 
 heartily, and said, “ What do you suppose my wife Polly will say 
 when I get back home and tell her I’ve ridden behind Jefferson? 
 She’ll say I voted for the right man ! ” 
 
 When James Madison became President, in 1809, he restored in 
 full the stately ceremonies of the White House, disregarded by Jef- 
 ferson, and court costumes were again seen at the levees. Madison 
 always wore his hair powdered, but his dress was usually plain, except 
 when he gave official receptions and dinners, when he would don a 
 very magnificent suit. He was a small man, with a mild, pleasant 
 face, and was quite overshadowed by his tall, elegant wife. At the 
 inauguration ball “ Mrs. Madison ‘ looked and moved a queen.’ She 
 wore a buff-colored velvet dress with pearl ornaments, and a Paris 
 turban with a bird of paradise plume.” Dolly Madison was a widow 
 when she married Madison, and was known in Philadelphia society 
 for her beauty and accomplishments. She had a happy, buoyant 
 nature, and during her reign of five years filled the great mansion 
 with merriment and good-cheer. Dancing-parties were frequent, and 
 innumerable gay social events delighted the fashionable circles of 
 Washington. At the levees Mrs. Madison is said to have “ made a 
 most magnificent appearance, her stately and Juno-like form tower- 
 ing above the rest of the ladies.” She was often styled “ the queen,” 
 and the White House was generally called “ the palace.” 
 
 The first marriage which ever took place in the White House was 
 dui'ing Madison’s administration. In the winter of 1811 Miss Todd, 
 a relative of Mrs. Madison, was married to Congressman Jackson, 
 of Virginia. The nuptial ceremony was very brilliant, and was at- 
 tended by nearly all the select society of the capital. 
 
 When the British troops entered Washington and fired the Capi- 
 tol, the inmates of the White House made a hasty flight. President 
 
PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 150 
 
 Madison with his Cabinet had retired from the city after the battle 
 of Bladensburg, but he had left his wife and her companions to fol- 
 low as soon as it should be necessary. Mrs. Madison had issued in- 
 vitations for a dinner-party, and as it was not believed that the enemy 
 would reach the city that evening, she had the preparations for the 
 dinner go on. When the news was brought that the British were on 
 Capitol Hill, she collected a few personal articles, cut from its frame 
 the famous painting of Washington hanging in the East Room, that 
 it might not fall into the hands of the invaders, and with her friends 
 fled from the house to a place of safety. 
 
 The British soldiers, when they marched into the White House, 
 found, to their great surprise, a bountiful dinner all spread, with 
 covers for thirty guests. The meats were ready to be served, and 
 on the sideboard the wine was cooling. It is almost superfluous to 
 say that the soldiers made a good meal before they fired the “ Yan- 
 kee nalace.” 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ST. Dominick’s r. c. church. 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 THE WHITE HOUSE CONTINUED — SKETCHES OF THE PRESIDENTS AND THEIR 
 MANNER OF LIVING — THE BRILLIANT SOCIAL EVENTS — DISTINGUISHED 
 WOMEN WHO HAVE PRESIDED OVER THE HOUSEHOLD — SCENES AND INCI- 
 DENTS FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE CENTURY TO THE PRESENT TIME. 
 
 C ONGRESS authorized the restoration of the White House in 
 1815, and Hoban, its architect, had it ready for occupancy 
 in the early part of James Monroe’s administration. When 
 it was re-opened in 1818 it was more beautiful than before 
 the British conflagration, and the flfth President, in a short time, made 
 it quite a splendid court. Washington society at that period was ex- 
 ceedingly brilliant with lavish displays of wealth. The South sent 
 its beauty and its culture to adorn the capital, and the great sugar 
 and cotton planters, who had obtained opulence in a few years, used 
 their means freely, during their residence in Washington, in enter- 
 taining and living in a gay and costly manner. The State of Vir- 
 ginia was proud of the fact that four of the five Presidents were from 
 her people, and claimed the rare distinction of being “ the mother ot 
 Presidents.” Her lovely women and distinguished men thronged the 
 city, and invested its society with a refined and courtly tone. The 
 Northern element was also large, and some of the most intellectual 
 people of the prominent cities were among the leaders of the social 
 life. 
 
 President Monroe was a stately Virginian, nearly six feet in height. 
 He was polished in manner, and was always carefully dressed in a 
 dark blue coat, buff vest, small-clothes, and top-boots. He wore a 
 cocked hat of Revolutionary style, and he has been called “ the last 
 of the cocked hats,” for he was the last of the Presidents to adhere to 
 
152 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 the fashions of the past century. His face was mild and grave, and, 
 although he was very courteous, he was never familiar in his inter- 
 course with men, and was given to a liking for the strict observance 
 of official ceremony. He had been in public life from youth, and was 
 highly esteemed for his true, gentle nature, and it has been recorded 
 of him that he was “ one of the purest public servants that ever lived.” 
 
 His wife, Elizabeth Kortright Monroe, was a highly accomplished 
 lady of New York. She had a beautiful face, a tall, graceful per- 
 son, and elegant manners. She was familiar with fashionable life 
 abroad, and introduced into the White House many English forms 
 of etiquette. Her receptions were numerous, and were attended by 
 the highest and most exclusive classes of the city. She held them 
 in the East Room, which was also used for the state dinners,’ and 
 full dress was always required. The fetes were given in a style of 
 unusual splendor, and the most ceremonious usages were prescribed. 
 Mrs. Monroe inaugurated the custom of the President’s wife return- 
 ing no calls, which custom has been very generally followed to the 
 present time. She had several children, and her oldest daughter, 
 Maria Monroe, was married in the White House in 1820, to Samuel 
 L. Gouverneur, of New York. Monroe’s administration was marked 
 by harmony, his domestic life was happy, and he retired from office 
 in 1825 with the respect of his countrymen. 
 
 When John Quincy Adams, of Massachusetts, became President 
 the sum of $14,000 was appropriated by Congress to refurnish the 
 White House, and the East Room in particular was fitted up in a 
 superb manner. President Adams was a perfect host. His long 
 and varied experience of men and affairs, at home and abroad, ena- 
 bled him to preside at the state dinners and to conduct the official 
 ceremonies with infinite grace. To people outside of the highest 
 circles he was apt to be cold and forbidding, and his repellant man- 
 ner often created hard feeling. No more precise and methodical 
 man ever occupied the White House. His life was regulated by the 
 clock. He rose at four in summer and at six in winter. After a cold 
 bath he would take a long walk, generally to the Capitol and around 
 the Capitol park and back, a distance of nearly four miles. Then 
 he would read precisely two chapters in the Bible, and then look at 
 the newspapers until breakfast, at nine. He went into the executive 
 office at ten, and remained there absorbed in work until four; then 
 would come another walk, and then dinner, at six. In the evening he 
 attended to public business, unless social duties intervened. He was 
 
THE FAMOUS ROOMS OF THE WHITE HOUSE, 
 
154 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 an untiring worker, and was ever acquiring information from all 
 sources, which he carefully stored away for future use. In person he 
 was short and inclined to corpulency ; his eyes were bright and ex- 
 pressive ; he always had good health, and his face was full of whole- 
 some color. At times, with those he dearly loved, he would display a 
 surprising playfulness, laughing merrily, uttering odd jokes, and even 
 singing snatches of old songs learned in his youth ; but these sunny 
 moments were too infrequent. His manner of living was marked by 
 a certain degree of elegance, but it was not ostentatious. In 1826 
 his son, John Quincy Adams, Jr., was married in the White House 
 to his cousin. Miss Johnson. 
 
 It has been declared that the fashionable circle Mrs. Louisa Kath- 
 arine Adams drew around her was far superior in elegance, refine- 
 ment, beauty, and worth “ to that which has appeared at any period 
 since.” She greatly aided her husband, by her fine manners, kindli- 
 ness, and varied accomplishments, in meeting the requirements of his 
 position, and often displayed consummate tact in her efforts to make 
 his administration popular. 
 
 A great crowd attended the inauguration of Gen. Andrew Jack- 
 son, of Tennessee, on the 4th of March, 1829, and the gallant soldier 
 was lustily cheered as he rode up Pennsylvania Avenue on a spirited 
 horse after the inaugural ceremony. The people followed the Presi- 
 dent into the White House, filling the state parlors to overflowing. 
 In the East Room a banquet had been spread, and the tables were 
 laden with choice viands, but no one appearing to serve the guests, 
 there were many clamors of impatience, and, finally, the crowd, 
 without ceremony, surrounded the tables and began a tumultuous 
 attack on the food. In the stru<j(ile ice cream was scattered over 
 the costly carpet, glass and china dishes were broken, coffee was 
 spilled on the satin furniture, and a great deal of damage was done. 
 The President at one time was violently pressed against the wall by 
 the surging mob striving to reach the tables, and was only saved 
 from injury by some officials who linked their arms, and in this way 
 formed a living barrier atound him. Surely it was a strange scene 
 to witness in the White House. 
 
 After this occurrence the practice of serving refreshments at pub- 
 lic receptions, introduced in Monroe’s administration, was speedily 
 discontinued. Although Jackson was profuse in his hospitality, and 
 quite willing the public should enjoy good food in the White House, 
 yet the throngs at his receptions were so great, and generally so un- 
 
 S 
 
THE PRESIDENTS. 
 
 155 
 
 mannerly, that he was compelled, after providing refreshments several 
 times and seeing his guests “ rush at and strip the salvers in the cor- 
 ridor long before they reached the banquet-room,” to cease the prac- 
 tice, and it never has been resumed. 
 
 Jackson opened the doors of the White House to everybody, and 
 visitors of all sorts poured in and roamed through the rooms at will. 
 The hearty old soldier disliked ceremony even more than Jefferson, 
 and saw no reason why the presidential abode should be hedged 
 about with formal etiquette. He was a man of the people, and it has 
 been said that “ all his vices were of the popular sort.” He went 
 about the house and grounds smoking a corn-cob pipe, and, as may 
 be supposed, others availed themselves of the privilege of smoking, 
 even in the state parlors. He called his friends by their Christian 
 names, and they invariably addressed him as “ General” ; he slapped 
 people on the back familiarly, joked about his position, and would 
 say, “ By the Eternal,” whenever he desired to emphasize a sentence. 
 His hospitality was so bountiful that the proceeds of his “ Hermitage ” 
 farm in Tennessee had to be constantly used to pay the expenses of 
 his entertainments. At his dinners there was no special ceremony, 
 and guests were simply expected to be social and merry, and have a 
 good time. After dinner they did not immediately depart, as had 
 been customary in Adams’ time, but remained to dance or otherwise 
 enjoy themselves. 
 
 Many of his dinners to intimate friends were notable for fun and 
 frolic at the table. On one occasion Webster and Van Buren were 
 present, and the latter proposed that Webster should favor the com- 
 pany with a song. To this he agreed, if the President would sing 
 one first. Nothing loath, Jackson immediately began, in quaint, dis- 
 cordant notes, his favorite song of “ Auld Lang Syne,” singing for a 
 few minutes without interruption ; but the strange discord was too 
 much for the company, and he was forced to stop by reason of the 
 uproarious laughter that went round the board, and in which he 
 heartily joined. Webster and Van Buren then attempted to sing, but 
 their efforts produced so much merriment that they ceased, and grace- 
 fully acknowledged that Jackson was the better vocalist. 
 
 Jackson was more than six feet in height, but was very slim, not 
 weighing over one hundred and forty pounds during the time he was 
 President. He had strongly marked features, bushy, iron-gray hair, 
 brushed high above his forehead, and dark blue eyes, which would 
 snap and sparkle with peculiar lustre whenever he was excited. He 
 
156 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 was usually plainly and rather negligently dressed, and when out of 
 doors carried a stout cane, with which he would strike the ground 
 incessantly when engaged in earnest conversation. He went about 
 unattended, and liked to talk freely with every one he met. When 
 saluted by the highest or the humblest a winning smile would light 
 up his strong face, and he would say in cordial tones, “ How do you 
 do, sir ; glad to see you.” He was fond of children, and would stop 
 them on the street and chat familiarly, patting their heads and taking 
 great delight in their innocent prattle. One day a friend met him 
 entering the White House grounds carrying a little girl on one arm 
 and a dog on the other. In explanation he said that the child was 
 crying because her dog was cold, and he was taking them into the 
 house to the fire. 
 
 His wife, Rachel Donelson Jackson, with whom he had lived hap- 
 pily for nearly forty years, died shortly before he became President, 
 and was laid to rest in the dress she had made to wear at his inauffu- 
 
 O 
 
 ration. It is related that “ he wore her miniature next his heart day 
 and night until his death.” Her place in the White House was filled 
 by Mrs. Emily Donelson, the general’s niece, who was assisted by 
 the wife of his adopted son, Mrs. Andrew Jackson, Jr. They were 
 charming women, and performed their duties in a manner winning 
 universal praise. 
 
 When Jackson held his farewell reception, Feb. 22, 1837, he pre- 
 sented his visitors with a parting gift. Friends and admirers in New 
 York had sent him a monster cheese, larger than a hogshead in 
 circumference, and nearly a yard thick. This cheese was cut by 
 two men with huge knives manufactured from saw-blades, and dis- 
 tributed in an ante-room, each person receiving a piece weighing 
 about three pounds. Everybody was very merry over the cheese, 
 and most of the visitors carried home this remarkable presidential 
 souvenir. 
 
 Martin Van Buren, of New York, who succeeded Jackson as Presi- 
 dent, had almost lived in the White House before he went there in 
 1837 as master for four years. He had been Jackson’s Secretary of 
 State, and was always believed to be “ the power behind the throne.” 
 He had been constantly at Jackson’s elbow, and as a reward for his 
 valuable services, the gallant commander had worked hard to make 
 him his successor. Van Buren was a little, dapper gentleman, ele- 
 gant and refined, the pink of fashion and politeness, but withal re- 
 markably shrewd as a politician, and full of tact and practical busi- 
 
THE PRESIDENTS. 
 
 157 
 
 THE WHITE HOUSE, FROM THE EAST. 
 
 ness capacity in dealing with public aflairs. It was customary to call 
 him the American Talleyrand, and his cleverness in political manage- 
 ment was much discussed in those days. He was a widower, having 
 lost his wife nearly twenty years before he became President, and his 
 household affairs were directed by his son’s wife, Angelica Single- 
 ton Van Buren, a sweet young Southern beauty, whose grace and 
 amiability won the hearts of all who met her in the White House. 
 Her social duties were performed in such a pleasant manner that she 
 gained extensive popularity. No more gracious woman ever has 
 been at the head of a President’s household. 
 
 Gen. William Henry Harrison, of Ohio, “ the hero of Tippe- 
 canoe,” was only one month in office. He became President in 1841, 
 with John Tyler as Vice-President. “ Old Tip,” as he was affec- 
 tionately called, it is believed, “ was worried to death ” by importu- 
 nate office-seekers, not having the faculty of repressing them pos- 
 sessed by some of the latter-day Presidents. He died on the 4th of 
 April, and his funeral was the first to occur in the White House. 
 
PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 158 
 
 He was tall and graceful, and had keen black eyes and a face beam- 
 ing with good nature. Like Jackson, he was thoroughly conscious 
 that the White House was the property of the Nation, and one day 
 when a servant showed a plain, humble caller into a room without a 
 fire, he took him to task for it. “ Why did you not show the man 
 into the other room, where it is warm and comfortable?” he asked. 
 The servant thought the man might soil the carpet with his muddy 
 boots. “Never mind the carpet another time,” said Harrison ; “the 
 man is one of the people, and the carpet, and the house, too, belong 
 to the people.” 
 
 John Tyler, who succeeded Harrison, was a Virginian — an in- 
 tellectual, high-bred gentleman, tall and slender, with a light com- 
 plexion, brown hair, blue eyes, and prominent features. He was 
 very courteous to all classes, but particularly favored men of learn- 
 ing and polite letters, and the Executive Mansion was much fre- 
 quented by this class during his administration. He appointed Ed- 
 ward Everett Minister to England, Washington Irving to Spain, 
 Caleb Cushing to China, and made John Howard Payne consul to 
 Tunis. His tastes were polished, and he had the urbanity of refined 
 culture and association. His first wife, Letitia Christian T}der, ap- 
 peared at but one reception, and that was on the occasion of the mar- 
 riage of her daughter. She died in Washington in 1842, and Tyler 
 lived in retirement for some time. Eight months before the expira- 
 tion of his official term he married Miss Julia Gardiner, of New York, 
 and the wedding reception was held in the White House. Mrs. Julia 
 Tyler was the first woman who ever entered the house as a Presi- 
 dent’s bride. Her receptions were notable for elegance and refine- 
 ment, and her short career as the “ first lady of the land” was a very 
 brilliant one. 
 
 James K. Polk, of Tennessee, the eleventh President, was in- 
 augurated in 1845. He was rather below the medium height, and 
 excessively thin. He had a large, angular brow, and sharp gray 
 eyes. His face was grave and sad, and his hair was nearly white. 
 In regard to his thinness a writer of that date said, “If his clothes 
 were made to fit he would be but the merest tangible fraction of a 
 President. He has them, therefore, especially his coat, made two 
 or three sizes too large in order to hide his spareness.” His wife, 
 Sarah Childress Polk, was an agreeable hostess. Her dress was al- 
 ways magnificent, and her presence commanding. A gentleman said 
 to her one day, “ Madam, there is a woe pronounced against you 
 
THE PRESIDENTS. 
 
 159 
 
 in the Bible ; for it is written there, ‘ Woe unto you when all men 
 shall speak well of you.’” 
 
 In 1849 Gen. Zachary Taylor, of Louisiana, was inaugurated, 
 but he remained in office only sixteen months and five days. He 
 died July 9, 1850, of cholera morbus, after a few days’ illness. He 
 was a portly gentleman, with a pleasant face and a well developed 
 head crowned with pure white hair. He had mild, beautiful eyes, 
 and a soft, pleasing voice. His manner was kind, and whenever he 
 appeared in public and was greeted by applause he would wave his 
 hand and say, “ Your humble servant, ladies ; Heaven bless you, gen- 
 tlemen.” His wife, Margaret Taylor, took scarcely any part in the 
 round of ceremonies pertaining to official life, but left everything to 
 the direction of her daughter, Betty Taylor Bliss, a bright, dainty 
 little lady, who won golden opinions for her performance of the role 
 of hostess, and the White House was a very attractive place during 
 her reign. 
 
 The Vice-President, Millard Fillmore, became President after the 
 death of General Taylor, taking the oath of office on the loth of 
 July, 1850. Fillmore was an eminent lawyer of Buffalo, and had 
 worked his way to prominence from poverty and obscurity. He was 
 tall and finely proportioned, and was considered a very handsome 
 man. He was agreeable in manner, and made friends readily by his 
 charming simplicity and frankness, and his manifest desire to do 
 what was right. During his administration he gave many grand en- 
 tertainments, and in the congressional season always had weekly 
 morning and evening receptions. His wife, Abigail Powers Fillmore, 
 had a fine erect figure, a delicate, intellectual face, and silky auburn 
 hair hanging in ringlets about her head. She was an exemplary 
 wife and mother, and had been a strong support to her husband when 
 he was a young lawyer, “ to fortune and to fame unknown.” She 
 was rather shy of society, much preferring the companionship of a 
 few friends and the solace of her books to the ceremonious social 
 practices of the White House. At President Fillmore’s request Con- 
 gress appropriated considerable money to furnish the oval sitting- 
 room in the second story of the mansion as a library, and Mrs. Fill- 
 more selected the books to fill the cases. She was a reader and a 
 student, and in the library spent many happy hours. 
 
 Franklin Pierce, of New Hampshire, became President in 1853. 
 He came to Washington in very simple style, and when his baggage 
 was carried into the White House it was found to consist of “a 
 
i6o 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 couple of old hair trunks, which might have been the property of a 
 veteran of 1812, and two portmanteaus scarcely less venerable in 
 appearance.” At his first reception a great throng of office-seekers 
 appeared and pressed their claims on him. “One ambitious fellow 
 stepped up with the prefatory remark : ‘ I’m an applicant for office.’ 
 ‘ Glad to see you, sir,’ was the reply ; ‘ good morning,’ and off glided 
 the President. One applicant managed to thrust his memorial into 
 the President’s hands, but it was dropped like a hot coal.” 
 
 Pierce was nearly six feet in height, and a man of fine presence. 
 There was a keen, bright expression to his face, and his eyes were 
 dark and penetrating. He delighted in horseback riding, and nearly 
 every day rode long distances in the country unattended. Mrs. Jane 
 Appleton Pierce was an invalid, but she faithfully endeavored to per- 
 form her social duties as the lady of the White House. She was a 
 highly cultivated woman, and was ardently beloved by her husband. 
 
 The fifteenth President was James Buchanan, of Pennsylvania, a 
 large, muscular man, six feet in height, with light complexion, hair 
 and eyes, and a serious face. He was a bachelor, and the first 
 one to occupy the Executive chair. During his administration, 
 which began in 1857 and continued to the commencement of the 
 Civil War, the social life of the White House was very brilliant 
 under the inspiration of his niece. Miss Harriet Lane. The city was 
 exceedingly gay, although the black and angry clouds of war were 
 gathering in the political sky. As one has said, “ people danced on 
 the edge of a volcano, with the crust heaving under their feet.” Miss 
 Lane made the White House more nearly like a Republican court 
 than it had been since the ancient regime — :the days of powdered 
 wigs, embroidered satins, and “ aristocratic foppery.” The Presi- 
 dent was very ceremonious, and largely retained the form and color 
 of his life among the English nobility while Minister to England. 
 He exacted strict, formal etiquette, and was displeased at familiarity. 
 Miss Lane was a beautiful woman, and finely educated and accom- 
 plished. She has been described as “ tall and commanding, with a 
 perfectly molded shape, with a faultless head, finely poised and 
 crowned with a mass of golden-brown hair, with large dark blue 
 eyes, handsome features, the mouth particularly lovely, and a skin of 
 milk and roses.” Her taste in dress was exquisite, and in all social 
 observances she was perfectly schooled. 
 
 Buchanan’s last reception was given on the 12th ot February, 
 1861, and was attended by a large number of people. The Presi- 
 
FAMOUS STATUES. 
 
 1. Statue of Civilization» 3. Greenough’s Statue of Washington. 
 
 2. The Naval Statue, or Monument of Peace. 4. Brown’s Statue of General Scott. 
 
 11 
 
i 62 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 dent received his guests in a very amiable manner, and Miss Lane, 
 elegantly arrayed in pure white satin, charmed everybody by her 
 graciousness. The state parlors were decked with fragrant flowers, 
 the ladies present made a lavish display of magnificent toilets, bright 
 uniforms of the army and navy were to be seen, the band played 
 patriotic airs, and apparently every one was joyous. 
 
 In a short time after this night of pleasure the lurid flames of 
 civil war burst forth, and Abraham Lincoln, of Illinois, the six- 
 teenth President of the United States, was compelled to enter Wash- 
 ington secretly, like a thief in the night, to assume his place as the 
 head of the Nation. 
 
 At the first evening reception held by President Lincoln there was 
 a notable gathering. It took place on March 8, i86i, and long be- 
 fore the doors of the White House were opened, the grounds were 
 filled with ladies and gentlemen patiently waiting for the hour of the 
 reception to arrive. From eight until eleven o’clock the state apart- 
 ments were crowded to overflowing with a brilliant assemblage, com- 
 prising all the prominent officials of the new administration, the dip- 
 lomatic corps, the leading officers of the aimy and navy, the elite 
 of Washington society, and hundreds of people who had come from 
 distant states expressly for this occasion. The tall, grave President, 
 towering above the majority of his guests, was incessantly engaged 
 in shaking hands and acknowledging the congratulations and prom- 
 ises of support, and his countenance would brighten now and then 
 with pleasure as he greeted old friends and heard their fervent “ God 
 bless you, Mr. President.” Mrs. Lincoln stood at the side of her 
 husband, a proud and happy woman, cheerful, smiling, and attrac- 
 tive to all who sought her acquaintance. 
 
 I No man was ever more courteous, sympathetic, and considerate 
 in high office than President Lincoln, and the humblest persons could 
 approach him with the feeling that he would sympathize with their 
 troubles, and relieve them if it was possible. The years of war caused 
 him to have an anxious face, save when he was telling a story or en- 
 gaged in a frolic “ to get the kinks out,” as he used to say. lie liked 
 all innocent pleasures, and was occasionally very jolly when he had 
 dropped his cares for an hour or two and was enjoying himself with 
 his family and friends. He was never known to speak harshly of 
 any one, not even of those who were supposed to give him much an- 
 noyance, and when it was absolutely necessary for him to give a 
 reprimand he would do so in a sort of serio-comic way, but efi'ecb 
 
PRESIDENT LINCOLN. 
 
 163 
 
 ively. As everybody knows, he was very fond of a good story, and 
 possessed an inexhaustible fund of anecdotes and apt illustrations, 
 which he was in the habit of using on many occasions to make his 
 meaning plain to those who were rather dull of comprehension, or 
 when he was in a sportive mood among friends. A little story from 
 him would sometimes have a volume of significance. He was a dili- 
 gent worker, spending many hours of the day at his desk, and often- 
 times half the night. Frequently he would sit in profound thought, 
 completely abstracted from outward things, or he would rise from his 
 chair and slowly pace the floor while meditating, his lips moving, 
 and his long, bony hands pointing here and there as his thoughts 
 prompted. No one was permitted to disturb him, and back and forth 
 he would walk, back and forth, until suddenly he would seem to wake 
 from his abstraction, his sombre, rugged face would become almost 
 beautiful by a tender smile, and he would turn to the person nearest 
 to him and begin to relate a humorous anecdote. 
 
 An old resident of Washington who was an intimate friend of 
 Lincoln, in speaking of the proclamation of emancipation, has said : 
 “ It is hard to believe now that very nearly half of the Republicans 
 were opposed to the issue of that proclamation, and that half em- 
 braced the most active politicians. A strong effort was made to in- 
 duce the President to withdraw the proclamation. It was issued in 
 the summer of 1862, and was to take effect on the ist of January, 
 1863, provided the rebels did not in the mean time lay down their 
 arms. I never felt more anxious during the war than at that time, 
 for fear that Lincoln would be induced to recall the proclamation. 
 About Christmas time, 1862, a week or so before the proclamation 
 was to take effect, if not recalled, I called on the President’s private 
 secretary in his room adjoining the President’s room. We were sit- 
 ting conversing before the fire, when Lincoln’s door opened, he walked 
 into the room and took a seat before the fire at my right hand. He 
 slapped me on the shoulder and said, ‘Well, my friend, the import- 
 ant day draws near.’ ‘ Yes,’ I replied, ‘ and I hope there will be no • 
 backing out or backing down.’ ‘ Well,’ he said, ‘ I don’t know about 
 that. Peter thought he would not deny his master, but he did.’ I 
 replied, ‘ I think you will do better than Peter did.’ And he did.” 
 
 Lincoln took great delight in theatricals, and said they rested and 
 refreshed him more than anything else. Whenever he could leave 
 his harassing business he would visit the theatre for an hour or two 
 of recreation. He occasionally went behind the scenes and watched 
 
164 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 the actors at their work, and would seem to greatly enjoy all he saw 
 in that curious mimic world. He had a box at Ford’s old theatre,, 
 and on many evenings sat in it alone, hidden by the curtains, the 
 audience having no suspicion that he was present. On one evening 
 “Tad” Lincoln, the President’s jolly little boy, whom everybody 
 loved, accompanied his father to the theatre and went in among the 
 actors. One of them dressed him in a ragged suit and sent him on the 
 stage in a certain scene. The President, who was in his box, looked 
 at the boy in astonishment for a few moments, and then threw up his 
 hands, leaned back in his chair, and burst into a roar of laughter 
 which was heard all over the theatre, thus revealing his presence to 
 the audience. Instantly there was a round of applause, and he was 
 compelled to acknowledge it. Tad ran off the stage when the ap- 
 plause began, changed his dress and went to his father’s box, and the 
 President put his arms around him and lovingly kissed him over and 
 over again. 
 
 The mighty concerns of the war interfered with the social life of 
 the White House, but there were some magnificent fetes, and the oc- 
 casional public receptions were very agreeable. There was always- 
 a proper amount of etiquette, but none of the “ court ceremony” in- 
 troduced by the former President. At all the entertainments Lincoln 
 endeavored to make everything pleasant for his guests, and was quite- 
 successful as a host, his manner having a quaint simplicity which was 
 very charming. He was six feet four inches in height, and his strong,, 
 sinewy body was capable of great endurance. His arms and legs 
 were very long, and he was awkward in his movements. His face 
 was thin and sallow, his forehead high and well developed, and his 
 hair black and abundant. Usually his dark gray eyes had a sad ex- 
 pression, but now and then they would sparkle with roguish fun. 
 
 A sagacious critic of Lincoln’s administration has said that 
 “ during all the perilous years of civil war he managed the Ship 
 of State with remarkable skill, prudence, and wisdom.” Second 
 only to Washington in the hearts of his countrymen, his “ great 
 name will flow on with broadening time forever.” 
 
 Mrs. Mary Todd Lincoln shared the anxieties of the war with 
 her husband, rejoiced in every success, and was a loving companion 
 to the great-hearted President. She was a frequent visitor to the 
 hospitals in which scores of wounded soldiers were lying in pain and 
 distress, and gladdened their lonely hours by her presence and ten- 
 der solicitude for tlieir comfort. The conservatory of the White 
 House was stripped of its flowers, tliat the “ poor sick boys” might 
 
JOHNSON — GRANT — HAYES. 
 
 165 
 
 have them by their bedsides, and delicacies of all sorts were taken 
 from the White House kitchen to many a hospital, to tempt the ap- 
 petites of the soldiers. Day by day the President’s carriage, filled 
 with flowers, fruits, and baskets of delicacies, conveyed the sympa- 
 thetic, devoted woman to the scenes of suffering. She affectionately 
 bathed the brows of the hapless ones stricken down in battle, con- 
 soled them as best she could, wrote letters to parents and friends in 
 far-off states, and was indeed a blessed ministering angel at many a 
 sorrowful couch. For this, if for nothing more, she should be held 
 in loving remembrance : gentle, compassionate one, whose own bit- 
 ter sorrows made her after years dark and comfortless. 
 
 Vice-President Andrew Johnson, of Tennessee, became President 
 at the death of Lincoln, and was sworn into office by Chief Justice 
 Chase on Saturday morning, April 15, 1865, at the Kirkwood House, 
 in Washington. After a proper period of mourning President John- 
 son opened the White House to society, and made constant efforts to 
 dispel the gloom arising from Lincoln’s death, believing that “the 
 new glad days of peace ” should be joyously celebrated. During 
 the greater part of his administration he entertained liberally, and 
 introduced the pleasing feature of children’s parties. The White 
 House was often filled with little ones enjoying “ a real party,” witli 
 pretty flowers, fine music, and refreshments, and with the President 
 to do them honor. Their young, gleeful voices rang through the 
 ancient halls, and their blithesome games and frolics greatly de- 
 lighted the elders. 
 
 As the President’s wife, Mrs. Eliza McCardle Johnson, was an 
 invalid, the management of the house was given over to her daugh- 
 ters, Mrs. Patterson and Mrs. Stover, who successfully carried out 
 the customary social practices. President Johnson was above the 
 medium height, and rather stout. He had brown hair, and light, ex- 
 pressive eyes, and a face denoting decision of character. 
 
 The White House was completely refurnished when Gen. Ulysses 
 S. Grant, of Illinois, became President in 1869, and for eight years it 
 was the scene of unceasing festivity. President Grant and family 
 sought in all ways to make the house attractive to the gay society of 
 “ the city of palaces,” and the dinners and fetes were upon a splen- 
 did scale. Mrs. Julia Dent Grant proved an admirable hostess, easily 
 winning the esteem of all who enjoyed her hospitality. 
 
 In 1877 Rutherford B. Hayes, of Ohio, began his term as Presi- 
 dent. At his first reception there was a very large assemblage. 
 Mrs. Lucy Webb Hayes “ received” in a plain black silk dress, and 
 
l66 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 it was said that “ Mrs. Madison in her time, in her pink satin and 
 feathers, commanded hardly more admiration.” On the 31st of De- 
 cember, 1877, President Hayes and wife celebrated the twenty-fifth 
 anniversary of their marriage — the first “ silver wedding ” ever held 
 in the White House. One hundred guests were present, and the 
 “ happy pair” received many hearty congratulations. 
 
 James A. Garfield, of Ohio, assumed the Presidency in 1881. 
 His interesting family included his venerable mother, Mrs. Eliza 
 Garfield, who was the first mother of a President to have a residence 
 in the White House during the whole period of its existence. It is 
 not necessary to relate the story of the sudden closing of Garfield’s 
 promising career, for it is firmly impressed on the memorv of the 
 American people. 
 
 Chester A. Arthur, of New York, Vice-President, succeeded to 
 the Presidency on Sept. 19, 1881, and served to the end of the presi- 
 dential term, 1885. 
 
 The list of occupants of the White House ends at present with 
 Mr. and Mrs. Grover Cleveland, of New York. Mr. Cleveland 
 became President on the 4th of March, 1885. The marriage of 
 President Cleveland and Miss Frances Folsom on the evening of 
 June 2, 1886, was an event of great interest to the people through- 
 out the country. It was the first marriage of a President in the 
 history of this famous residence of the Presidents. 
 
 ALONG TIIK CMKSAPKAKK AND OHIO CANAL. 
 
CHAPTER X 
 
 I HE DEPARTMENT OF STATE —THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND THE OFFICIALS 
 — VARIOUS DIVISIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT — STATE, WAR, AND NAVY 
 BUILDING — ANCIENT RECORDS — THE DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR SERVICE 
 
 — FOREIGN LEGATIONS AT THE CAPITAI THE ORIENTAL AMBASSADORS — 
 
 DIPLOMATIC FETES. 
 
 T he Department of State is the first of the executive depart- 
 ments of the government. It has the supervision of all for- 
 eign affairs, and of all affairs concerning the states of the 
 Union. It directs the diplomatic and consular service, has 
 charge of all international claims commissions, issues passports, pub- 
 lishes and preserves all the laws enacted by Congress, and has other 
 important duties. At first the foreign affairs of the government were 
 directed by commissioners, but in 1789 Congress passed an act creat- 
 ing the Department of State, and authorizing the appointment of a 
 chief official with the title of Secretary of State. For a time the 
 department issued all patents and copyrights, had charge of the work 
 of taking the census, and supervised the affairs of the territories. As 
 now constituted it has a Diplomatic Bureau, a Consular Bureau, a 
 Bureau of Indexes and Archives, a Bureau of Accounts, a Bureau 
 of Statistics, a Bureau of Rolls, and several minor divisions. The 
 entire business is carried on in a strictly confidential manner, and all 
 persons connected with it are required to maintain the closest secrecy 
 in regard to every matter which comes to their knowledge. 
 
 The Secretary of State is the first in rank of the members of the 
 President’s Cabinet, and on account of his office, and from long cus- 
 tom, his relations with the President are very intimate. His com- 
 pensation is $8,000 per year. He has the general supervision of the 
 
PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 1 68 
 
 Department of State, and, under the direction of the President, nego- 
 tiates treaties with' foreign powers, decides the various questions aris- 
 ing from the relations of the United States with other countries, and 
 is charged with the execution of all the state business. There is a 
 
 o 
 
 first assistant Secretary of State, who has a compensation of $4,500 
 per year, and there are two other assistant secretaries who have $3,- 
 500 each. The assistant secretaries have the supervision of the dip- 
 lomatic and consular correspondence, and perform other duties as- 
 signed them by the Secretary of State. There is a chief clerk, with 
 a salary of $2,750, who is in charge of the employes of the depart- 
 ment ; and there are six chiefs of the bureaus, with salaries of $2,- 
 100, and nearly seventy clerks and employes. Congress annually 
 appropriates $113,000 for the compensation of the officials and others, 
 and about $20,000 for tbe miscellaneous expenses of the department. 
 
 Since 1875 the department has occupied the southern portion of 
 .the imposing State, War, and Navy Building, which stands directly 
 west of the White House, on part of the government reservation 
 called “The President’s Grounds.” This building, in massive pro- 
 portions and architectural beaut}^ bas few equals in tbe world. It 
 was begun in 1871, and has cost very nearly $12,000,000. It was 
 designed by A. B. Mullett, and was constructed in tbe style of the 
 Italian renaissance, the material being Maine and Virginia granite. 
 Over a sub-basement and basement are four stories, surmounted by a 
 mansard roof of artistic design. From north to south, including the 
 projections, the building is five hundred and sixty feet ; exclusive 
 of projections, four hundred and seventy-one ^feet. From east to 
 west it is three hundred and forty-two feet ; exclusive of projec- 
 tions, two hundred and fifty-three feet. Its greatest height is one 
 hundred and twenty-eight feet. There are four facades, alike in 
 design and construction, and four grand entrances through lofty 
 pavilions reached by broad flights of stone steps. Huge blocks of 
 granite, each over twenty tons in weight, form the platforms to the 
 entrances. The greatest possible care has been taken in the con- 
 struction, and the building is entirely fire proof. All the parts are 
 in harmony, the ornamentation is a tasteful combination of the classic 
 and modern methods, and the result is an almost perfect specimen of 
 architecture. 
 
 The interior of the building has been constructed in a very mag- 
 nificent and yet entirely substantial manner. There are wide stair- 
 cases of granite with bronze balusters, long, spacious corridors, and 
 

 XllK STATE, WAR, AND NAVY BUILDING. 
 
PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 170 
 
 innumerable apartments, richly frescoed and adorned, and furnished 
 with every convenience that could be suggested for the transacting 
 of the business of the three departments for which the building was 
 erected. The War Departm.ent' occupies the whole of the northern 
 and western portion, and the Navy Department the eastern. 
 
 Very large and elegant apartments are occupied by the Depart- 
 ment of State. On the second floor are the apartments of the Sec- 
 retary of State and his assistants. They are flnely painted in dis- 
 temper, and splendidly furnished. 
 
 The diplomatic reception-room, in which the foreign ministers 
 have audience with the Secretary of State, is sumptuous in its ap- 
 pointments. It is sixty feet long, and twenty feet wide. A great 
 mirror in an ebony and gold frame reaches from the floor to the ceil- 
 ing ; the furniture is of ebony, and the upholstery of bluish-brown 
 brocade. The walls are painted in Egyptian style, and the floor is 
 tessellated and partially covered by oriental rugs. Paintings and 
 busts adorn the walls and mantels, and two large chandeliers hang 
 from the ceiling. The ante-room is also richly decorated and fur- 
 nished. 
 
 The Bureau of Indexes and Archives occupies large apartments 
 excellently arranged for its business. This bureau has charge of all 
 the letters and documents of the department, and hundreds of official 
 papers are carefully examined and filed every day by its employes. 
 A most perfect system is used, and although the accumulation of 
 state documents during the past century is vast almost beyond belief, 
 anything that is wanted can be produced in a very short time. 
 Whenever the officials of the department desire certain papers they 
 apply to this bureau. The demand is constant, and embraces an 
 extensive range of subjects daily. Papers of the widest variety and 
 character in reference to every country in the world with which the 
 government has official relations, and also to all parts of the United 
 States, are called for to be used in the settlement of the multifarious 
 questions under consideration. The correspondence with foreign 
 ministers and consuls is enormous, and the miscellaneous corre- 
 spondence is also large and important. All the letters are opened 
 and indexed in this bureau before the}^ are delivered to the cliief 
 officials for their inspection. 
 
 Several apartments of the bureau contain many precious archives 
 of the Nation. The first draft of the Declaration of Independence 
 and of tlie Federal Constitution are here carefully preserved, Wasli- 
 
THE STATE DEPARTMENT. 
 
 171 
 
 ington’s commission as Commander-in-chief of the American Army, 
 and a host of documents pertaining to the Revolution and the early 
 days of the government, are to be seen. The letters and papers of 
 Washington, Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe, and some of the other 
 Presidents, are preserved in large volumes, many of the manuscripts 
 appearing as clear and distinct as if written yesterday. Autograph 
 letters from kings and queens, princes, statesmen, and historical per- 
 sonages who have flourished during the past one hundred years, are 
 to be found in these collections. Here are the original copies of all 
 the laws enacted by Congress, and of all the treaties made by the 
 United States with foreign nations, from the first, with France in 
 1778, and the second, with England — the treaty of peace, bearing 
 date of Sept. 3, 1783 — down to those of recent years. One treaty 
 with Turkey is gorgeously embellished with golden letters ; but the 
 most unique treaty in the collection is one with Japan, which is con- 
 tained in a costly lacquered case covered with silk. The quaint Jap- 
 anese characters, covering many pages of fine paper, are clearly and 
 boldly portrayed. The royal signature appears at the top, and you 
 read from tlie bottom. The treaty was brought to Washington by 
 two officials of high rank, who were charged with its safe deliveiy 
 on peril of their lives. One day they triumphantly marched into the 
 Department of State bearing aloft on long bamboo poles a queerly- 
 constructed box, in which was the important document. Glad, in- 
 deed, were they to have escaped the “ disastrous chances” of land 
 and sea, and when the royal agreement finally passed into the hands 
 of the Secretary of State they appeared greatly relieved, for their 
 heads were no longer in danger. 
 
 The great seal of the United States is kept in one of the apart- 
 ments. This seal is affixed to all executive proclamations, to all war- 
 rants of extradition or pardon, and to all commissions issued to min- 
 isters and consuls to foreign countries. 
 
 The library of the department is in the third story. It is in a 
 spacious room witli three balconies, and is well lighted by a dome 
 of glass. The room is constructed entirely of iron, wrought in grace- 
 ful forms, and beautifully decorated in pearl and gold tints. Jef- 
 ferson established the library, and many of the oldest books con- 
 tain his autograph. On the shelves are over thirty thousand volumes, 
 comprising the laws of all the states, and works relating to history, 
 diplomacy, and international affairs. They are in many languages, 
 and are extensively used by the members of the foreign legations in 
 Washington, and by the officials of the department. 
 
172 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 The diplomatic and consular service requires a large force of 
 officials stationed in the important cities and towns throughout the 
 world. The expenditure for this service — for what is termed “the 
 foreign intercourse” — is about $2,500,000 per year. Thirty -three 
 legations, with ministers, secretaries, and attaches, and more than 
 nine hundred consular offices, are maintained by the United States. 
 The ministers at London, Paris, Berlin, and St. Petersburg receive 
 salaries of $17,500 per year ; those at Vienna, Rome, Madrid, Pek- 
 ing, Rio de Janeiro, Tokei, and the City of Mexico, $12,000 ; those at 
 Guatemala, Santiago, and Lima, $10,000; those in minor countries, 
 $7,500 and $5,000. The consuls-general at London, Paris, Havana, 
 and Rio de Janeiro receive $6,000. 
 
 There are twenty-five foreign legations in Washington, most of 
 them occupying large, finely furnished mansions. They represent 
 all the prominent countries, and have many attaches, and a throng 
 of servants. Numerous receptions and dinners are given by the 
 diplomatic corps, and at certain seasons the members are enter- 
 tained at the White House. Then they wear their gaudy court cos- 
 tumes, and display their glittering orders and decorations. By the 
 United States statutes they are exempt from arrest, and no process 
 of law can reach them. This immunity extends to all the members 
 of a diplomat’s family, and even to the servants, if they are not citi- 
 zens of the United States. 
 
 The Chinese Legation occupies a tine mansion, in which there is 
 ample room for the grand entertainments given by the Chinese Min- 
 ister during the winter. It is furnished entirely in the Mongolian 
 style of high official life, and its apartments are filled with rare and 
 curious articles. The walls of the parlors are hung with Chinese 
 tapestry of delicate texture, elegantly embroidered with the sacred 
 maxims of Confucius upon the virtues of charity, honesty, and jus- 
 tice ; and massive oriental vases of peculiar design mingle their 
 bright colors with the gold and scarlet of the unique and magnificent 
 furniture. One strangely fashioned vase has been in the possession 
 of the minister’s family for more than two centuries. There are silk- 
 embroidered screens, worked by Chinese ladies, and in various nooks 
 are well-filled hook-cases with costly volumes of the Chinese classics. 
 The parlors, and many of tlie other apartments, are the very perfec- 
 tion of bric-a-hrac and oriental adornment, and are very attractive 
 to guests. The smoking-room is furnished with a varied collection 
 of Cliinese pipes, and has comfortable divans, and, in fact, is a ver- 
 
FOliEiGN LEGATIONS. 
 
 173 
 
 liable smoker’s paradise. In the 
 halls are groups of Chinese stat- 
 uary, some being of a humorous 
 character, modeled with much 
 skill and fidelity to nature. At 
 the minister’s banquets the 
 tables are spread in grand 
 style, with exquisite oriental 
 ware, silver and gold dishes, 
 and many unique articles 
 ' of table service. Numer- 
 ous Eastern delicacies are' 
 
 FRENCH LEGATION. 
 
 furnish ed, 
 and first chop 
 Chinese tea, 
 rarely to be had 
 in the United 
 States, is served 
 in quaint wicker- 
 covered pots. 
 
 The minister re- 
 ceives his guests 
 attired in his 
 gorgeous court 
 
 dress of colored silks, and the attaches of the legation, numbering 
 more than a dozen, appear in silken robes of superb quality and bril- 
 liant hues. 
 
 The Japanese Minister has a large residence furnished in the 
 picturesque fashion of his country, and within its walls are many 
 quaint and beautiful articles. There are a number of young Jap- 
 anese gentlemen of good education and refined manners attached to 
 the legation. The minister gives brilliant receptions and banquets, 
 and is fond of society. 
 
 Fetes are frequently given by the English, French, Spanish.. 
 
 RESIDENCE OF THE GERMAN LEGATION. 
 
174 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 Russian, and Mexican legations. The residence of the English 
 Minister was erected by his government, and is one of the notable 
 mansions of Washington. It has broad halls, a great ball-room 
 illuminated by three chandeliers, a spacious dining-room, and ele- 
 gant parlors. It is situated on Connecticut Avenue. 
 
 Upon their arrival in Washington the members of the diplomatic 
 corps present themselves to the President and the Secretary of State, 
 and then make ceremonious calls upon the Vice-President, the 
 Speaker of the House of Representatives, the members of the Cab- 
 inet, the Justices of the Supreme Court, and the Senators. They 
 call on the President on New Year’s day. During the winter the 
 Secretary of State gives a series of dinners, at which all the foreign 
 ambassadors appear. 
 
 MASSACIIUSKTTS AVICNUK. SHOWING CHURCH OR THIC ASCENSION. 
 
CHAPTER XI 
 
 THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT — THE IMMENSE STORE HOUSE OF THE GOVERN- 
 MENT FUNDS — PRINCIPAL SUB-DIVISIONS — SECRETARY OE' 1 HE TREASURY 
 AND HIS WORK — THE TREASURY “ AUTOCRAT ” — THE MASSIVE MONEY- 
 VAULTS — COUNTING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS — SINGULAR FACTS OF THE. 
 REDEMPTION DIVISION — MANUFACTURING THE NATIONAL CURRENCY — 
 THE SECRET SERVICE — TREASURY TRANSACTIONS. 
 
 D uring the session of the First Congress under the Con- 
 stitution, in 1789, an act was passed to establish the Treas- 
 ury Department, which was to have the entire charge of 
 the finances of the government. Previous to that time 
 commissioners had performed the duties appertaining to the collec- 
 tion of public moneys and the settlement of public accounts, but 
 there had been no well-regulated and competent system. By the new 
 act the officials authorized were a Secretary of the Treasury, who 
 was to be the financial head of the government, and to have a seat 
 in the President’s Cabinet ; an assistant secretary, a comptroller, an 
 auditor, a treasurer, and a register. When the government removed 
 to Washington in 1800, a small wooden building was erected for tlie 
 Treasury, but it was burned to the ground by the British troops in 1814. 
 Another building was speedily constructed, and remained until March 
 31, 1833, when it was entirely destroyed by fire. It was proposed 
 to locate the present Treasury Building farther down the tract on 
 which the other buildings had been erected, in order that the White 
 House might be seen from the Capitol ; but the story is that 
 President Jackson became impatient at the delay of Robert Mills, 
 the architect, in selecting a location, and walked over the ground 
 one morning, planted his cane in the extreme northeastern cor- 
 
176 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 ner, and said, “Here, right here, I want the corner-stone laid!” 
 And the stone was laid there, and the huge structure was erected 
 where it breaks the continuity of Pennsylvania Avenue, and prevents 
 the President from looking toward Capitol Hill from the windows of 
 his I'esidence. 
 
 In 1841 the Treasury Building was completed. It was constructed 
 of Virginia freestone, and on its eastern fagade a lofty colonnade of 
 thirty Ionic columns was placed. In 1855 it was found necessary 
 tp add extensions, and designs for these were made by Thomas U. 
 Walter. The extensions were constructed of Maine granite, and 
 were finished in 1869. At that time the total cost of the building was 
 nearly $7,000,000, and since then large sums have been expended 
 in alterations and interior decorations. The building extends four 
 hundred and sixty feet on Fifteenth Street, and has a frontage of twm 
 hundred and sixty-four feet on Pennsylvania Avenue. It is Grecian 
 in architecture, with various modifications. Over a rustic basement 
 are three stories, surmounted by a balustrade. There are four fa- 
 cades, those on the north, west, and south having massive porticoes 
 of Ionic columns. The wnlls of the extensions are composed of 
 pilasters, with belt courses, resting on the basement story. The 
 massive pilasters, monolithic columns, and blocks of granite were 
 quarried on Dix Island, near Rockland, Maine, and brought to Wash- 
 ington in vessels of peculiar construction. Each portico has a broad 
 flight of steps descending to a spacious platform, on each side of 
 which is a flower-garden. The northern front is ornamented with a 
 stone fountain. The building is very substantial, and its great size 
 and the superb architectural design of its extensions, give it a ma- 
 jestic appearance. Seemingly, it should be large enough for any 
 possible business that the Treasury Department might have to do, 
 but this is not the case. It is far too small, and at present some of 
 the Treasury bureaus have to be accommodated elsewhere for lack 
 of room in this vast structure. 
 
 If the business of the department continues to increase during the 
 next ten years as rapidly as it has the past ten, greater extensions to 
 the Treasury Building will be necessary to accommodate the force 
 of employes which will be recpiired for the financial service of the 
 government. The country is growing so fast that, year by year, the 
 business of the Treasury increases enormously. Fifty years ago a 
 few men were able to attend to everything connected with the finances 
 in quite an easy manner ; now an army of oHicials, clerks, and cm- 
 
Till-: TREASURY BUILDING. 
 
178 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 ployes drive the work to the utmost of their strength, but are unable 
 to dispose of it promptly, and there are many embarrassing accumu- 
 lations. The settlement of some public accounts is often delayed for 
 months, from sheer inability to cope with the work. Army paymas- 
 ters’ accounts will average two years in settlement, so that a pay- 
 master cannot know how he stands on the Treasury books until two 
 years after he renders his accounts, and neither does the Treasury 
 Department know until after the same period whether the paymaster 
 has properly accounted for the thousands of dollars advanced to him 
 for disbursement. 
 
 The Treasury Building contains nearly two hundred rooms, ex- 
 clusive of the basement. Most of the rooms are spacious and well 
 arranged, and those occupied by the principal officials are hand- 
 somely furnished. The halls and corridors are wide and well lighted, 
 and all of the interior furnishing is substantial and often elegant. 
 There is such a constant pressure of work, and so much of it is neces- 
 sarily of a private, confidential nature, that but few of the rooms are 
 accessible to visitors. Business with the divisions is usually done 
 through the chief clerks, whose offices are open to the public. To 
 inspect the money-vaults it is necessary to obtain a permit from the 
 Treasurer of the United States. The building is crowded with em- 
 ployes, nearly three thousand persons performing service in it daily. 
 Stringent rules are enforced for the government of this host of 
 workers, and a rigid business s}'stem prevails in every division. 
 
 The rooms occupied by the Secretary of the Treasury, and the 
 numerous divisions appertaining to what is called “The Secretary’s 
 Office,” are large and finely furnished. The Secretary, as a mem- 
 ber of the Cabinet, has a compensation of $8,000 per year. There 
 are two assistant secretaries who receive $4,500 each, and in the 
 Secretary’s office are a chief clerk at a salary of $2,700, a stenogra- 
 pher at $2,000, and several chiefs of divisions at salaries averaging 
 $2,500. There are also one hundred and thirty clerks, fifty of whom 
 are women, and a large force of book-keepers, messengers, and 
 others. The salary list is $495,000 per year. The Secretary’s office 
 maybe called “ the official division ” of the Treasury Department. 
 It has special duties connected with the Secretary’s supervision of 
 the sub-departments of the Treasury, but it is in a certain sense 
 independent of them. 
 
 The sub-departments are large and important. They occupy 
 
THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT 
 
 179 
 
 special suites of rooms, and liave many officials, clerks, and em- 
 ployes, whose total compensation amounts to $2,500,000 per year. 
 These are the principal divisions : The offices of the First Comp- 
 troller and Second Comptroller, the Commissioner of Customs, the 
 Commissioner of Internal Revenue, the Treasurer of the United 
 States, the Register of the Treasury, the Comptroller of the Cur- 
 rency, the Director of the Mint, and the First, Second, Third, Fourth, 
 Fifth, and Sixth Auditors. Then there are the offices of the Super- 
 vising Architect, who has charge of the erection of public buildings 
 throughout the country ; the Light-house Board, the Bureau of Sta- 
 tistics, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, the Life-Saving Ser- 
 vice, the Secret Service, the Coast and Geodetic Survey, the Rev- 
 enue Cutter and Marine Hospital Service, the Construction of Stand- 
 ard Weights and Measures, and the Steamboat Inspection Service. 
 
 All the sub-departments are under the general supervision of the 
 Secretary of the Treasury, and it must be admitted that this distin- 
 guished official has a great deal to engage his time and attention if 
 
 THE BUREAU OF ENGRAVING AND PRINTING. 
 
i8o 
 
 picturesque WASHINGTON. 
 
 he faithfully performs his duty. If a secretary carefully verifies 
 everything in the sub-departments ; if he is determined to know all 
 about the official acts of his subordinates — and many secretaries 
 have been scrupulously particular in this respect — he must give all 
 his time to the work, and even then he can hardly master the full 
 details of the colossal transactions of the Treasur}^ Department. 
 
 There are sub-treasuries in New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Bal- 
 timore, Cincinnati, New Orleans, St. Louis, and San Francisco; and 
 mints in Philadelphia, San Francisco, New Orleans, Carson, Ne- 
 vada ; and Denver, Colorado. Assay offices are also located in New 
 York, Helena, Montana; Boise City, Idaho; Charlotte, North Car- 
 olina ; and St. Louis. All these financial institutions are under the 
 supervision of the Secretary of the Treasury. They are of great 
 importance, and transact a very large business. They are sustained 
 at a yearly cost of $1,556,000. 
 
 The First Comptroller is familiarly called “ the autocrat of the 
 Treasury,” as he has been given remarkable power by Congress. 
 He countersigns all the warrants on the Treasury for the payment 
 of money, and not a dollar can be obtained unless his signature is 
 on the warrant. He decides every matter of payment, and even if a 
 claim has been passed by a department of the government, the claim- 
 ant, be he the highest official, even the President of the United States, 
 cannot receive what is due him unless the First Comptroller is satis- 
 fied that the claim is correct. It is supposed that this official was 
 created when the Treasury Department was first organized, as a 
 check upon the officials whose duty it was to audit claims ; and from 
 time to time additional power has been given him by statute, so that 
 now he has the final decision in regard to all payments, and can re- 
 verse the decision of any official, and even refuse his signature to a 
 warrant signed by the President or the Secretary of the Treasury. 
 There is no appeal from his decision e.xcept to the courts. In fact, 
 through the laws which give him absolute power, he can stand before 
 the government money-vaults, and allow only what he thinks is 
 proper to be paid out of them. The President can remove him from 
 office, but he would find it difficult to explain why he removed an 
 official for doing what Congress has authorized him to do, and par- 
 ticularly as Congress has deemed it necessary to make this official a 
 check upon the Executive. 
 
 The salar}’ of the First Comptroller is $5,000 per year. He has 
 
THE GREAT VAULTS. 
 
 i8i 
 
 a deputy with a salary of $2,700, four chiefs of divisions with sala- 
 ries of $2,100, and fifty-one clerks. Eighty-three thousand dollars 
 are yearly expended for the maintenance of his office. The Second 
 Comptroller has a salary of $5,000, and his office is pi'ovided with 
 a large force of clerks. 
 
 In the offices of the auditors the accounts of the various depart- 
 ments of the government are examined, after which they afe trans- 
 mitted, with the vouchers, to the offices of the First Comptroller and 
 Second Comptroller for final examination and approval. Each au- 
 ditor examines the accounts of certain departments, and has full au- 
 thority to approve or reject any account, subject to the final decision 
 of the First Comptroller. The auditors have salaries of $3,600, 
 and employ many clerks. 
 
 The Treasurer of the United States is in charge of the govern- 
 ment funds. He receives and disburses all the public moneys, has 
 the custody of the great money-vaults, holds the bonds deposited by 
 the national banks to secure their circulating notes, issues new treas- 
 ury notes and redeems old ones, is the custodian of the Indian trust 
 funds, pays the interest on the public debt, and has numerous other 
 duties. His salary is $6,000, and he is required to give a bond for 
 the faithful performance of his duties in the sum of $150,000. There 
 is an assistant treasurer with a salary of $3,600, and in the six 
 divisions of the department there is a large force of accountants, 
 cashiers, and clerks. 
 
 The money-vaults in which the government keeps its reserve 
 funds are located in the basement of the Treasury Building. They 
 are massive iron and steel structures, which are faithfully guarded 
 night and day. There are other vaults on the first floor, near the 
 cash-room, which contain the funds for current payments. In the 
 different vaults and safes are millions of dollars in treasury notes, 
 in gold and silver coins, and in United States bonds — “ wealth be- 
 yond the potential dream of avarice ! ” The Treasurer of the United 
 States is the custodian of this vast sum, is solely responsible for its 
 safe keeping and proper disbursement ; and it can be truly said of 
 him, that he can day by day indulge in the sight and touch of a 
 larger amount of money than any other person in the country. If 
 we could examine the great pile of bank-notes and bonds, and the 
 bags of coins in the compartments of the vaults, we should find that 
 they represented between four and five hundred millions of dollars. 
 
i 82 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 In the first place, there are bonds held in trust for various purposes 
 to the amount of about four hundred millions. Then there is national 
 currency of the value of fifty or sixty millions — to-day more, to-mor- 
 row less, as the payments and receipts cause the fund to increase or 
 diminish. In the coin sections there are usually from twenty to forty 
 millions in gold and silver, and this represents but a small fraction 
 of the specie the government has on hand, as the greater portion is 
 deposited in the sub-treasuries in other cities. Sometimes the vaults 
 will contain many tons of the precious metals. 
 
 There never has been an attempt made to rob the Treasury, and it 
 is believed that it would be an impossibility. A guard of sixty men, 
 nearly all old soldiers, patrol the building day and night. The men 
 are commanded by a captain and lieutenant, and are armed with re- 
 volvers of the largest and best variety. When the building is closed 
 at night, every room is inspected, and if a safe is found unlocked an 
 officer is placed in charge of it, and the person whose duty it was to 
 lock it is sent for. After the inspection the guard is set, and a rigid 
 discipline maintained until morning. The men patrol their beats 
 every ten or fifteen minutes, and the lieutenant goes the rounds every 
 twm hours. 
 
 The redemption and counting division is a busy and interesting 
 place. Here worn and mutilated bank-notes, retired from service, 
 are examined and counted, previous to being destroyed. Every year 
 national currency of tbe value of two hundred millions is counted, 
 canceled, and destroyed. The counting is done by female clerks, 
 many of whom acquire marvelous skill, and seldom, if ever, make 
 a mistake in manipulating the great piles of valuable paper. Some 
 of the clerks have been at the work for eight or ten years, and in 
 that time have handled many millions of dollars. They sit at long 
 tables, on which bank-notes are spread as thick as leaves in a forest. 
 Package after package is opened, the notes are closely scrutinized 
 and rapidly counted, and are then turned over to officials who cancel 
 them by means of macbines which punch them full of holes. After- 
 ward the “ dead ” currency is placed in water and thoroughly macer- 
 ated, nothing remaining but a mass of paper-pulp. It is then given 
 into the hands of a special ofiicer, to be burned. The national cur- 
 rency received from the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and 
 from government dejwsitories tliroughout the country, is also care- 
 fullv counted and verified before it is accepted, and the amount cer- 
 tified to as correct. 
 
THE REDEMPTION BUREAU. 
 
 In the redemption bureau a great deal of delicate work is done in 
 verifying currency which has been partially destroyed by fire or 
 other causes, and which has been sent to the Treasury to be ex- 
 changed for new notes. Ladies who are expert in this business take 
 the mass of burned or otherwise damaged currency in hand, and 
 with long, thin knives and powerful magnifying-glasses slowly and 
 cautiously separate the pieces, and then endeavor to trace out each 
 note alleged to be in the collection. Sometimes the entire amount 
 can be thus verified, even if the notes were badly burned ; but usually 
 from ten to thirty per cent, is lost to the owner from sheer inability to 
 distinguish in the mass of debris anything that bears the slightest 
 resemblance to a bank-note. Hundreds of thousands of dollars — in 
 fact, an astonishing amount — rendered worthless by various accidents 
 are received every year, and the greatest of care is taken to redeem 
 as much of the money as possible. One day a mass of cinders, the 
 remains of a package of bank-notes of the value of $1,700, was re- 
 ceived from Missouri for redemption. The money had been placed 
 
184 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 in a stove over night for safe keeping, and was entirely forgotten the 
 next morning until after the fire was lighted. The charred fragments 
 were carefully collected, brought to the Treasury, and placed in the 
 hands of one of the most expert ladies of the redemption bureau. 
 She succeeded, after ten days of arduous labor, in identifying nearly 
 eighty per cent, of the notes, and when their owner received the new 
 money he was so delighted at his good fortune that he presented the 
 skillful lady with a brand new one hundred dollar bill. 
 
 A curious case is related of the redemption of notes amounting to 
 $2,091, which were found in a secret pocket in the undershirt of a 
 German, who had died in a New York almshouse and had been buried 
 in a pauper’s grave for three months. A relative of the supposed 
 pauper arrived from Europe, and had his body disinterred, when the 
 money was discovered. The condition of the notes, after they had 
 been in contact with a decomposing body for such a length of time, 
 can be imagined, and the lady to whom was assigned the duty of 
 examining and verifying them was speedily deserted by her compan- 
 ions, and had the entire end of the apartment to herself. The work, 
 although very disagreeable, was satisfactorily accomplished, and clean, 
 new notes were returned to the German’s heir. 
 
 The cash-room of the Treasury is a large apartment on the first 
 floor, beautifully constructed of polished marbles of a wide variety. 
 It is a palatial banking-office, all its appurtenances being sumptuous 
 and ornate. Here are a dozen cashiers who daily disburse great 
 sums of money in the payment of warrants and checks to the cred- 
 itors of the government. Usually there are ten or fifteen million dol- 
 lars in the vaults to meet the requirements of the daily business. The 
 cashing of a warrant for one million dollars is no unusual thing, and 
 warrants for several millions are occasionally presented. On one 
 occasion the pension office presented a warrant for ten millions, 
 which was promptly cashed. Members of the Secret Service are 
 constantly in the room to guard the treasure. By ascending to the 
 second floor, visitors can enter the balcony which extends around the 
 cash-room, and watch the cashiers make the payments, enjoying, if 
 only for a few moments, the sight of a great deal of money. 
 
 The national currency is manufactured at tlie Bureau of Engrav- 
 ing and Printing, which is located in a large brick building on the 
 Mall at the corner of Fourteenth and B streets southwest. The 
 building is of the Romanesque style, and was erected at a cost of 
 
BUREAU OF ENGRAVING AND PRINTING. 
 
 185 
 
 $300,000. It has three stories and a high basement, and on the 
 northeast end is a tall tower of handsome design. The interior is 
 constructed in a very elaborate and elegant manner. Visitors are 
 permitted to inspect the different divisions of the bureau, and a guide 
 is provide to conduct all who apply on “ the grand tour” of the 
 rooms. 
 
 The entire third story is devoted to the printing division. Here 
 are two hundred and fifty plate-presses, worked by hand, and a force 
 of about five hundred men and women constantly engaged in print- 
 ing sheets of bank-notes, bonds, and internal revenue stamps. In- 
 tense activity prevails throughout the long, spacious room. Those 
 who have the idea that government employes “take things easy,” 
 should look at this host of energetic workers who waste not a moment, 
 but with the untiring movement of a great machine, drive on the work 
 they have to do. Each employ^ has to perform a certain fixed 
 amount of work in a day — and the same is true of the employes in 
 most of the departments of the public service — and if it is not done 
 the failure is recorded, and the employe stands in danger of dismis- 
 sal. Six hundred sheets a day must be printed on each press, and 
 when it is considered that every time an impression is taken the del- 
 icate copper and steel plate has to be removed from the press, care- 
 fully wiped dry, then polished with whiting, then inked, and all the 
 ink rubbed off save that contained in the minute lines of the engrav- 
 ing, then put on to the press and the fibre paper laid on it expertly, 
 some idea may be obtained of the labor necessary to print the num- 
 ber of sheets required each day. There is, indeed, no time allowed 
 for loitering. To print a bank-note, three impressions are necessary. 
 First, the centre picture or design on the back is printed ; then the 
 border for the back, and then the face of the note. The sheets 
 printed on each press bear the name of the pressman, and all bad 
 impressions — those too light or too dark, or defaced in any way — 
 are thrown out by the examiners, and recorded to the discredit of 
 the pressman. 
 
 In the second story are the examining, lettering and numbering, 
 and counting divisions. When the sheets of currency come from 
 the press-room they are closely inspected by the examiners to detect 
 imperfections, and those that are imperfect are thrown out and sent 
 to the redemption bureau of the Treasury to be finally counted and 
 destroyed. The perfect sheets are passed over to the employes in 
 
t86 
 
 picturesque WASHINGTON. 
 
 charge of the lettering and numbering machines, and the letters and 
 numbers belonging to the series are printed on each note. When 
 this process is finished the clean, crisp notes are given into the hands 
 of a large force of women, who count them with marvelous celerity, 
 after which they are taken to the basement story, where tlTe red seal 
 ot the government is stamped on them. The new-made paper dol- 
 lars are then deposited in the vaults of the bureau until they shall be 
 conveyed to the Treasury in the guarded treasure-wagons. It re- 
 quires about twenty-eight days to complete a lot of bank-notes of 
 small denominations, aggregating five million dollars — certainly a 
 very short time to make so much money. The government is con- 
 tinually obliged to print new currency with which to redeem the worn- 
 out notes that are all the time being sent to the Treasury by the 
 national banks to be exchanged. 
 
 While the employes in the several divisions of the bureau are 
 working, they are under the strict surveillance of officials stationed 
 here and there throughout the rooms. Around each room is a high, 
 closely-woven wire screen, completely enclosing the employes, and 
 rendering it impossible for any of them to pass the sheets of cur- 
 rency to persons who may come into the corridors, even if they were 
 so disposed. At the close of working hours no one is permitted to 
 leave the building until the heads of the divisions have reported to 
 the chief of the bureau that every printed and unprinted sheet, and 
 every stamp, die, and plate have been properly accounted for. 
 
 The engraving division, in the basement, is fitted up with the best 
 appliances for executing the fine plates required. Here is a massive 
 vault used as a depository for all the plates and rolls, which at night 
 are securely locked in it. The engravers are guarded by watchmen, 
 lazily sitting in comfortable arm-chairs a few steps off, who keep their 
 eyes fixed on the blocks of steel and copper being engraved, for 
 here, as in the other divisions, all the employes are under surveil- 
 lance very much as if they were inmates of a prison. 
 
 The Register of the Treasury, who has charge of the account- 
 books wherein all the receipts and expenditures of the government 
 are recorded, and the Comptroller of the Currency, who has charge 
 of the national banks and their circulating notes, are important offi- 
 cials, and their divisions have numerous officials and employees. The 
 Register has a salary of $4,000 per year, and the assistant register 
 $2,250; the Comptroller has $5,000, and tlu; deputy-comptroller, 
 
THE SECRET SERVICE. 
 
 187 
 
 $2,800. The departments 
 of Customs and Internal Revenue 
 are very extensive. The Commis- 
 sioner of Customs has a salary of $4,000, and the Commissioner of 
 Internal Revenue, $6,000. The Director of the Mint, who has the 
 supervision of the mints and assay offices, has a salary of $4,500. 
 
 A large amount of important and very beneficial work is performed 
 by the Secret Service Office, which is in charge of a chief with a sal- 
 ary of $3,500, who reports to the Solicitor of the Treasury. Counter- 
 feiting, and the numerous cunning devices employed to fraudulently 
 obtain money and lands from the government, are investigated by 
 the Secret Service agents, and evidence obtained to convict offenders. 
 The office rooms in the Treasury Building contain an extensive 
 museum of counterfeit bank-notes and coins, and the plates, dies, 
 and moulds used by counterfeiters, and there are also collections of 
 photographs of the fraternity. The office keeps a thorough record 
 of cases and of men, and it can furnish the fullest information con- 
 cerning hundreds of persons who are ranked among the dangerous 
 
i88 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 classes. It is thought that the Secret Service does remarkably good 
 wmrk in the suppression of counterfeiting, when the extent of the 
 country and the wide variety of the government money are considered. 
 Many of the most skilled bank-note counterfeiters have been given 
 long terms of imprisonment, and those who are at liberty are kept, 
 as far as possible, under close surveillance. The greatest difficulty 
 the Secret Service now has to contend with is the counterfeiting of 
 silver coins, which is largely increasing, and proving very annoying 
 to the government, as well as a matter of considerable loss to the 
 public. Counterfeiters of silver money now pay great attention to the 
 mixing of their metals, and the plating of the coin, and consequently 
 the detection of the counterfeits is very difficult. There are imitations 
 of the silver dollar and half-dollar in the possession of the Secret 
 Service which are almost as perfect as the coins made in the United 
 States mints, in weight, size, ring, and general appearance. 
 
 Unceasing efforts are ma.de to discover the counterfeiters who work 
 so much mischief. Not long since an entire family was captured in 
 Vermont, — father, mother, sons and daughters, and even the aged 
 grandsire, — all diligently laboring at the nefarious business. The 
 coin-testers in the mints, whose duty it is to test each coin received, 
 furnish a good deal of the information as to the counterfeits, particu- 
 larly those which deceive bank officials and experts. A coin must 
 be quite perfect to pass their test. They balance the coin on the 
 top of the middle finger, and lightly tap its rim with the forefinger. 
 Thousands of coins are tested by them, and they acquire wonderful 
 skill, readily detecting the slightest false ring or “ rote,” as they term 
 it. Counterfeit coins are also analyzed in the Treasury assay office, 
 and their qualities given to the Secret Service agents, to aid them in 
 their work. 
 
 The attic of the Treasury Building consists of a series of capa- 
 cious rooms, halls, and corridors. Many of the rooms are filled with 
 documents relating to the department and its multifarious transactions 
 during the past threescore years. There are tons of written and 
 printed papers — cases reaching to the roof filled with reports, vouch- 
 ers, letters, books, records, certificates of deposit, some of them yel- 
 low with age. In this vast documentary museum are hundreds of 
 curious relics of by-gone days. 
 
CHAPTER XII 
 
 WAR AND NAVY DEPARTMENTS — THE VARIOUS DIVISIONS — HEADQUARTERS 
 OF THE ARMY — THE MILITARY FORCE — ARMY MEDICAL MUSEUM — THE 
 WEATHER BUREAU AND ITS MODE OF OPERATION — THE SOLDIERS’ HOME 
 — NAVAL AFFAIRS — THE NAVY YARD — THE NATIONAL OBSERVATORY. 
 
 T he War Department has charge of the military service of 
 the government, and is under the direction of the Secretary 
 of War. It occupies the northern portion of the State, War, 
 and Navy Building, with several divisions located elsewhere 
 in Washington. It has been an executive department since 1789. 
 The divisions are, the office of the Secretary of War, the Headquar- 
 ters of the Army, the departments of the Adjutant-General, Inspector- 
 General, Quartermaster -General, Commissary -General, Surgeon- 
 General, and Paymaster-General ; the Corps of Engineers, the Ord- 
 nance Department, the Bureau of Military Justice, the Signal Office, 
 the Bureau of War Records, etc. The department, in addition to the 
 charge of military affairs, has the management and control of numer- 
 ous matters that are not strictly warlike. Among the number are 
 the manifold river and harbor improvements throughout the United 
 States, the government explorations and geographical surveys, the 
 various public works, the gathering and promulgation of the weather 
 reports, and the national cemeteries and asylums. It is a vast estab- 
 lishment, requiring a host of workers and an enormous yearly ex- 
 pehditure to maintain it. In some recent years the disbursements 
 have amounted to about fifty millions of dollars. Every year the 
 army and its adjuncts require the expenditure of nearly $29,000,000, 
 the salaries and expenses of the department amount to $2,400,000, 
 and from ten to twenty millions are expended for public works. 
 
190 
 
 picturesque WASHINGTON. 
 
 The Secretary of War is a Cabinet minister, and receives $8,000 
 per year. He has a chief clerk with a salary of $2,500, a disburs- 
 ing clerk with $2,000, a stenographer with $1,800, and three chiefs 
 of divisions with $2,000 each. His office is provided with fifty-six 
 clerks and numerous other employes. The chief clerk has the gen- 
 eral superintendence, is in charge of the correspondence, and acts 
 as a medium between the Secretary and the heads of the sub-depart- 
 ments. The several military bureaus bave many employes, and are 
 part of the army establishment, the chiefs being officers of the regu- 
 lar army. 
 
 The old War Department building, so familiar to thousands of 
 soldiers of the volunteer army during the Rebellion, was demolished 
 in 1879. stood where the northern wing of the State, War, and 
 Navy Building now stands, and had a history going back to Presi- 
 dent Monroe’s time. It was a three-story brick structure with a huge 
 portico of marble pillars, and in front of it were a number of grand 
 old trees, among the largest and finest in Washington. When it was 
 proposed to cut down these trees there was an earnest protest from 
 army officers, but tbe new building required the space, and the 
 woodman could not “ spare the axe.” 
 
 In the present palatial building the department offices are all very 
 spacious and magnificent. The apartments used by the Secretary of 
 War are artistically decorated and richly furnished. They are in the 
 second story, fronting on Pennsylvania Avenue. The Secretary sits at 
 a handsomely carved mahogany desk, with his private secretary and 
 his stenographer near at hand. In the early part of the day he re- 
 ceives members of Congress, the chiefs of the sub-departments, and 
 those whose business renders an interview necessary. The afternoon 
 is devoted to an examination of the reports and papers submitted to 
 him for approval. It is his duty to make a careful study of the public 
 business pertaining to the important department he controls, and to 
 ascertain the most correct and efficient methods of doing it. No man, 
 it is declared, can master the details of this department who does not 
 give his nights, as well as his days, to their stud}^ ; and unless the 
 details are mastered, a Secretary of War can never fully understand 
 the questions he has to decide, or be competent to give proper advice 
 to the President. 
 
 In one of the rooms of the Secretary’s office is a collection of 
 portraits of past Secretaries of War, and in other rooms are portraits 
 of famous soldiers and a series of well-painted battle-scenes. T be 
 
THE NAVY YARD, FROM THE POTOMAC, 
 
PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 192 
 
 office library is contained in a finely embellished room. It consists 
 of 3,000 works of reference, and 15,000 miscellaneous works, which 
 are freely circulated among army officers and the department em- 
 ployes. In addition to this library, the various sub-departments and 
 bureaus all have special libraries, consisting of works treating of the 
 matters they are occupied with, and many of these libraries are large 
 and valuable. 
 
 The rooms used for the headquarters of the army are very hand- 
 somely furnished. They are occupied by the Lieutenant-General in 
 command of the army, his aides-de-camp, and clerks. Here reports 
 are daily received, and the numerous details appertaining to the su- 
 pervision of the military force are attended to. The regular army 
 consists of over two thousand commissioned officers, and 23,000 en- 
 listed men, and is divided into twenty-five regiments of infantry, ten 
 regiments of cavalry, and five regiments of artillery. Three hundred 
 scouts, engaged in Indian warfare on the plains of the far West, are 
 also part of the army organization. There are nine military depart- 
 ments throughout the United States. The pay of the Lieutenant- 
 General is $11,000 per year. Major-generals receive $7,500, brig- 
 adier-generals $5,500, colonels $3,500, lieutenant-colonels $3,000, 
 majors $2,500, captains from $1,800 to $2,000, and lieutenants from 
 $1,400 to $1,600. After five years’ service the pay of officers below 
 the rank of general is increased from ten to forty per cent., accord- 
 ing to length of service. All commissioned officers are retired from 
 service on three-quarters pay when they reach the age of sixty-two. 
 Enlisted men are paid from $13 to $21 per month. 
 
 In the army headquarters are portraits of the commanders-in- 
 chief, from Washington to Sheridan. There have been nineteen 
 commanders from 1775 to the present time, but Congress has con- 
 ferred the full title of General on only three of them — Washington, 
 Grant, and Sherman. General Washington received the honor a 
 short time before his death, in 1799, when he was placed in command 
 of the army, in expectation of a war with France ; and in 1866 Con- 
 gress revived the title as a special honor for General Grant. When 
 General Sherman became commander he also received the title. 
 Lieutenant-General Winfield Scott was commander from June, 1841, 
 to November, 1861, and General William T. Sherman from March, 
 1869, to November, 1883. These were the longest terms of service. 
 
 The department of the Adjutant-General is a very busy place. 
 Here are five hundred clerks and other employes, for whose salaries 
 
THE WAR DEPARTMENT. 
 
 193 
 
 tlie sum of $691,000 is annually appropriated. Two hundred of 
 the clerks are constantly engaged in preparing reports to expedite 
 the settlement of pension claims. The muster-rolls and papers relat- 
 ing to enlistments and discharges are kept in this department. The 
 Adjutant-General publishes the orders in regard to military affairs, 
 issues commissions, and has charge of the army discipline. There 
 are four assistant adjutants-general. 
 
 Another large and important department is that of the Quarter- 
 master-General, which provides the means of transportation by land 
 and water of troops and the materials of war. It furnishes horses for 
 the artillery and cavalry, and all the clothing, tents, camp and gar- 
 rison equipage for the army ; builds barracks, hospitals, store-houses, 
 bridges, etc., and also has charge of the eighty-one national ceme- 
 teries in various parts of the country, in which soldiers are buried. 
 It yearl}'" expends from ten to fifteen millions of dollars. 
 
 The Paymaster-General is charged with paying the army and the 
 military academy. He has an office force of fifty persons, and an- 
 nually disburses over thirteen millions of dollars. 
 
 The Bureau of War Records has published seven volumes of 
 records of the Civil War, and has other volumes in course of prep- 
 aration. Records of the Union army, from 1861 to 1865, have been 
 gathered from all sources with diligent and persevering labor, and a 
 great collection of records of the Confederate service has also come 
 into the possession of the bureau. Search is constantly being made 
 throughout the Southern States by special agents, for original docu- 
 ments relating to tbe war, and frequently very valuable Confederate 
 papers are discovered. 
 
 Carefully preserved in the Bureau of Military Justice are a num- 
 ber of relics of the Lincoln assassination. They include the pistol 
 with which the President was shot, the fatal bullet, flattened by con- 
 tact with his skull, the bowie-knife that the assassin brandished, and 
 the hat he wore, and other articles associated with the historic event. 
 The bureau is under the supervision of the Judge-Advocate-General, 
 and has charge of the proceedings of courts-martial and courts of 
 inquiry, and furnishes reports on various matters submitted to it by 
 the Secretary of War. 
 
 The department of the Surgeon-General is very extensive, and 
 his offices are full of industrious workers. He has over four hundred 
 clerks, the majority of whom are engaged upon matters concerning 
 the settlement of pension applications. Besides having the care of 
 
194 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 the health of the army — the medical and hospital department — the 
 Surgeon-General has possession of the enormous collection of records 
 relating to the disability and the death of soldiers, from the first organ- 
 ization of the army of the United States to the present time, and from 
 these records are compiled the reports used by the Commissioner of 
 Pensions in determining the merits of claims for pensions. There are 
 nearly nineteen thousand volumes of hospital registers, classified and 
 indexed ; and thousands of volumes of records containing the names 
 of deceased soldiers, as well as an immense collection of documents 
 pertaining to the medical and surgical history of every war that this 
 country has known. The records of the Civil War are very com- 
 plete. They were begun during its progress, and were continued 
 afterward for a number of years, requiring in their compilation re- 
 markable patience, perseverance, and skillful application to details. 
 The registers in the possession of the Surgeon-General contain the 
 names of more than seven millions of sick, wounded, and deceased 
 soldiers, and nearly half the names are arranged in convenient form 
 for every-day reference. 
 
 The record and pension division of the Surgeon-General’s depart- 
 ment is located in the historic building on Tenth Street, formerly 
 known as Ford’s Theatre, and now as the Army Medical Museum. 
 In this building President Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes 
 Booth, on the evening of April 14, 1865. The government took the 
 building for its present purpose at the suggestion of the late Surgeon- 
 General Joseph K. Barnes, who founded the Army Medical Museum, 
 and began the great Medical and Surgical History of the War of 
 the Rebellion^ three volumes of which have been published. On 
 the second floor is the library of the department, which is considered 
 to be the largest and best collection of medical works in the world. 
 In the cases are over fifty thousand volumes and nearly seventy thou- 
 sand pamphlets, some of them very ancient. They are in many lan- 
 guages, and constitute a thorough history of medicine and surgery, 
 fVom the earliest times. The library can be used gratuitously by 
 physicians, and is much resorted to, many physicians coming from 
 distant parts of the country to consult its rare and precious books. 
 
 On the third floor is the Army Medical Museum, an institution 
 which has no counterpart in Europe or America. It has obtained 
 great celebrity, and is visited by thousands of people every year. 
 Wsitors are freely allowed to inspect its immense collections, and in 
 one recent year the names of 13,250 people were registered. The 
 
THE MEDICAL MUSEUM. 
 
 195 
 
 
 g 
 
 jiro 
 
 
 I’tM 
 
 § 
 
 V. 
 
 1 ^ 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 • 1 
 
 . / 
 
 THE SIGNAL OFFICE, OR THE WEATHER BUREAU. 
 
 museum contains thorough illustrations of the diseases of armies, of 
 the casualties of battle, and of military surgery. The illustrations 
 comprise over twenty thousand specimens taken from life, and arranged 
 in systematic series. It is a very interesting exhibition, even to the 
 non -professional, and furnishes many instructive object-lessons. 
 The display of surgical instruments and appliances is very large, 
 and includes the ancient as well as the modern ; and there is a large 
 collection of models of barracks, ambulances, railroad cars for the 
 sick and wounded, etc. The anatomical divisions are full and finely 
 arranged. A great deal of pains is taken with the museum, and 
 yearly its unsurpassed collections are considerably increased. 
 
 In Winder’s Building, on Seventeenth Street, opposite the State, 
 
196 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 War, and Navy Building, is the Ordnance Museum, which contains 
 a large, novel, and interesting exhibit of military articles, including 
 many relics of the Civil War. Here the instruments of war can be 
 studied to advantage, and much useful information readily obtained. 
 The collections of arms comprise everything known to America, with 
 considerable of foreign manufacture, and fully illustrate the various 
 stages of advancement. 
 
 The Signal Office, better known as the “Weather Bureau,” is 
 located on G Street northwest. It occupies a brick edifice, which is 
 conspicuous by reason of the numerous appliances on its roof, used 
 for registering the velocity of the wind, for ascertaining the rain-fall, 
 etc. This bureau is in charge of a chief signal officer, who is a 
 brigadier-general of the regular army. He has several officers of 
 the army as assistants, a chief clerk, a force of scientific experts, 
 draughtsmen, and others, together with many clerks, copyists, mes- 
 sengers, etc. Throughout the United States there are three hundred 
 and seventy-six signal stations, in charge of nineteen officers and five 
 hundred men of the signal corps of the army, and each station is 
 provided with the best instruments for the “weather service” — for 
 observing and accurately recording the constant variations of the 
 weather. From one hundred and thirty-nine of these stations tele- 
 graphic reports are sent daily to Washington; the others report by 
 mail. 
 
 The Signal Office receives reports from the trained observers three 
 times in every twenty-four hours — at 7 a. m., 3 p. m., and at mid- 
 night. These reports contain full particulars of the weather in the 
 different districts. Seventeen stations in Canada, one in St. Johns, 
 Newfoundland, and one in another part of British America, send re- 
 ports ; and, in the seasons of tropical storms, reports by telegraph are 
 daily received from six stations in the West Indies. Over three hun- 
 dred voluntary observers also send reports by mail. The lines of the 
 regular telegraph companies are used, and besides, various military 
 and sea-coast telegraph lines owned by the government. The reports 
 from all the stations in the United States, Canada, and the West Indies, 
 which give telegraphic service, are received inside of thirty minutes, 
 Washington time. The first synchronous weather reports were made 
 on the first of November, 1870, and since then the service has reached 
 a high state of perfection. The display of cautionary signals at Amer- 
 ican ports was begun in October, 1871. 
 
 The weather reports are telegraphed from the signal stations to 
 
197 
 
 THE WEATHER BUREAU. 
 
 Washington by means of a secret code, a few figures conveying a large 
 amount of information. A “ translator” takes the telegrams in hand 
 and carefully reads them off to eight clerks, each of whom has a 
 special weather map before him, on which he marks the particular 
 readings he has been instructed to take. Afterward these eight maps 
 are combined in one general map, which will fully represent all the 
 phases of the weather in the United States and Canada at the hour the 
 reports were sent. This map is closely studied by the assistant sig- 
 nal officer detailed for the purpose, — the assistants alternating in the 
 work, each one serving thirty days at a time, — the “storm-centre” is 
 located, the probable course of storms determined, and finally the 
 “weather indications” are made up for the East and West, the North 
 and South, and given to the agent of the associated press for trans- 
 mission to the newspapers of the country. 
 
 The completed weather map, which is the finest of the kind issued 
 * in the world, is lithographed by the Signal Office, and copies of it 
 
 THE soldiers’ HOME. 
 
198 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 are distributed every morning in the sections easily reached from 
 Washington. In order that the map may have a more extended cir- 
 culation, certain parties in prominent cities east, west, and south are 
 also charged with its publication by authority of the War Depart- 
 ment, and the daily “ plan of make-up” is telegraphed to them by an 
 efficient system, which enables them to issue an exact copy of the map 
 printed in Washington. Thus it is possible to obtain a weather map 
 hundreds of miles from the Signal Office, by noon of the day of its 
 date. 
 
 A large amount of meteorological work is done by the Signal 
 Office, and its records are very precise and voluminous. It publishes 
 a magazine called The Monthly Weather Review, which contains 
 papers on meteorology by eminent scientists, and much valuable in- 
 formation for those interested in “the weather.” 
 
 The United States Barracks (formerly known as the Arsenal) are 
 situated on a tract of sixty-nine acres in the southerly part of Wash- 
 ington, at Greenleaf Point, where the waters of the Anacostia flow 
 into the Potomac River. This military station was established in 
 1803. The grounds are finely laid out. 
 
 A SHORT distance from Washington, on the Rock Creek road, is 
 the Soldiers’ Home, a most beautiful sylvan retreat where the aged 
 and invalid soldiers of the regular army can pass their days in peace 
 and comfort. There are few finer rural estates in the land, and it is 
 often called “the Central Park of Washington,” as it is constantly 
 open to the public, and over its five hundred acres of beautifully 
 diversified hill and dale, every one can wander at will, enjoying the 
 charming views and attractive surroundings. Within the grounds 
 there are seven miles of drives on broad, well-made roads, shaded in 
 summer by gigantic oaks with luxuriant leafage ; and there are lakes 
 with swans, long stretches of meadow-lands, handsome arbors perched 
 on hills, whence can be obtained delightful prospects of the country 
 for several miles ; ornate villas, statuary, and various adornments. 
 It is, indeed, a pleasing spot, with plentiful means for peaceful enjoy- 
 ment, and, doubtless, many a “ weary pilgrim on life’s devious course,” 
 as he strolls through these grounds almost envies the superannuated 
 warriors their privilege of residing here. 
 
 The Soldiers’ Home was founded in 1851, not long after the Mex- 
 ican War, and was suggested by Gen. Winfield Scott. Congress 
 appropriated $118,719, the balance remaining of the sum General 
 
THE SOLDIERS’ HOME. 
 
 199 
 
 Scott had obtained from the City of Mexico as indemnity for the 
 violation of the truce, for a fund to establish the institution, and the 
 fund was further augmented by levying a tax of twelve cents a month 
 on the pay of the enlisted men of the regular army. The money 
 received by the government from fines, forfeitures of pay, etc., of the 
 soldiers was also devoted to the purpose. At present the fund 
 amounts to over $800,000, and the ye'arly receipts from all sources 
 are nearly $150,000. The government also holds more than one 
 million dollars accruing from forfeitures of pay of deserters from the 
 army, and from the money of deceased soldiers which has remained 
 unclaimed for three years, and as soon as the complicated army ac- 
 counts can be adjusted, this great sum will be turned over to the Home. 
 Soldiers of the regular army who have served faithfully for twenty 
 years, or who have been disabled in service, are entitled to a residence 
 in the Home for the remainder of their lives. There are over six 
 hundred inmates, who are not subject to any strict regulations, but 
 are well fed and clothed, tenderly cared for while sick, and who spend 
 their time in a very comfortable, pleasant manner. The institution 
 is directed by a superintendent and various officials, and is under the 
 supervision of a board of high army officers, at the head of which is 
 the Lieutenant-General of the Army. 
 
 The main building is of white marble, and has a frontage of two 
 hundred feet, with a wing of sixty feet, and a tall central tower. It is 
 two stories in height, and is fashioned after the Norman order of archi- 
 tecture. On the grounds are several elegant marble cottages, occupied 
 by the officials ; a pretty church of Seneca stone ; a capacious hospital 
 building with wide piazzas, from which charming views of Washington 
 and the Potomac can be had ; a fine library building, well stocked 
 with books and periodicals, and numerous other structures. On the 
 brow of one of the hills stands a bronze statue of General Scott by 
 Launt Thompson, erected in 1874 at a cost of $18,000. The entire 
 estate is enclosed by a low stone wall, surmounted by a small iron 
 fence of handsome design. Fifty acres are under cultivation, and fine 
 crops of fruits and vegetables are raised. 
 
 Near the main building is a large cottage used by the Presidents 
 of the United States as a summer residence. It is surrounded by 
 noble trees, and has a very attractive appearance. Buchanan was the 
 first President to pass the summer here, and Lincoln, Johnson, Hayes, 
 and Arthur have lived on this grand estate. 
 
200 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 The Navy Department is directed by the Secretary of the Navy, 
 who is a member of the Cabinet, and is required to execute the com- 
 mands of the President in regard to the naval establishment. Like 
 the other Cabinet ministers, his compensation is $8,000 per year. He 
 has a chief clerk at a salary of $2,500, a disbursing clerk at $2,250, 
 a stenographer at $1,600, and other clerks and employes whose total 
 salaries amount to $40,000 per year. The department occupies the 
 eastern portion of the State, War, and Navy Building, and has finely 
 embellished suites of rooms. The Secretary’s office is decorated in 
 Greek style, and furnished very handsomely. During the customary 
 business hours the Secretary is to be found at his desk attending to 
 the many affairs with which he is charged, receiving callers, and 
 listening to reports from the different bureaus of the department. 
 These bureaus are as follows: Yards and Docks, Navigation, Ord- 
 nance, Provision and Clothing, Medicine and Surgery, Construction 
 and Repairs, Equipment and Recruiting, and Steam Engineering. 
 Each bureau is in charge of a high officer of the navy, and is pro- 
 vided with a numerous force of officials and employes. 
 
 At present the navy consists of thirty-seven cruising war-vessels, 
 “ creditable in tbeir appearance, well adapted for ordinary naval 
 exercises, and useful for displaying the national flag upon the seas 
 and in the harbors of the commercial world.” But they are of low 
 speed and mostly built of wood, and gradually will be replaced by 
 new iron or steel ships, constructed in the very best manner. There 
 are also numerous steamers and small craft, and thirteen monitors, or 
 armored vessels, mostly laid up since their use in the Civil War, but 
 kept in good condition. In the service at sea and on shore there are 
 over eighteen hundred naval officers, and there are also over three 
 hundred officers on the retired list. The seamen number over seven 
 thousand, and the apprentices 950. The marine corps has 2,077 
 officers and enlisted men. The pay of the Admiral of the Navy is 
 $13,000 per year, and of the V’ice- Admiral, $9,000. Rear-admirals 
 are paid $6,000, commodores $5,000, captains $4,500, commanders 
 $3,500, and lieutenant-commanders from $2,800 to $3,000. Lieu- 
 tenants are paid from $2,000 to $2,600, and masters from $1,800 to 
 ,$2,000. The pay of seamen is $258, and of ordinary seamen $210. 
 Over seven million dollars are annually paid to the naval force. 
 
 The maintenance of the Navy Department requires the yearly 
 expenditure of from fifteen to twenty million dollars, the amount de- 
 pending very much on the construction of new vessels. Provisions- 
 
THE NAVY DEPARTMENT. 
 
 201 
 
 ■■-' ■■-~- ' - .i — — — n’ l'Wfl^^— 
 
 THE NAVAL OBSERVATORY. 
 
 for the navy cost $2,200,000 per year; coal and various articles of 
 equipment, $1,000,000, and the expenses of the bureaus of the de- 
 partment are $250,000. 
 
 The hydrographic office, under the direction of the Bureau of 
 Navigation, supplies the navy with charts, its surveying work cover- 
 ing all the navigable waters of the globe, with the exception of those 
 of the United States, which are surveyed and chartered by the United 
 States Coast Survey, a bureau of the Treasury Department. It pub- 
 lishes a series of charts for the benefit of navigators, and also numer- 
 ous volumes of sailing directions, and other information of great value 
 to those whose business is on the mighty deep. A large force of 
 draughtsmen, engravers, and copper-plate printers is employed in 
 producing the charts and volumes. One of the largest chart printing- 
 presses in the world is to be found in this office. 
 
 In 1855 the Bureau of Navigation began the publication of the 
 American Efhemeris and Nautical Almanac, which is regarded 
 as a standard authority, both here and in Europe. It is published 
 three years in advance of the time for which it is required. An 
 able staff of scientists devote themselves to the difficult labor of mak- 
 
202 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 ing the computations. The first part of the work is designed for 
 the use of navigators, and is adapted to the meridian of Greenwich. 
 It contains ephemerides of the sun, moon, principal planets, and fixed 
 stars. The second part is for the use of astronomers on land, for 
 surveyors and scientific men generally, and is adapted to the meridian 
 of Washington. 
 
 The Bureau of Yards and Docks has charge of the navy yards 
 throughout the United States. There are eight of these yards, the 
 principal one being at Brooklyn, New York. They have great 
 docks, work-shops, and store-houses, and the most approved machin- 
 ery for constructing and repairing ships, and for the manufacture of 
 ordnance, cordage, and all naval equipments. The yard in Wash- 
 ington was established in 1804, and for many years some of the best 
 ships in the navy were constructed in it. Of late, however, it has 
 been chiefly used for the manufacture of naval supplies. Here are 
 manufactured all the chain cables and anchors used in the navy, and 
 all the ordnance, such as rifles, breech-loading guns, howitzers and 
 boat-guns, and many other articles entering into the construction and 
 •equipment of vessels of war. The yard is situated at the termination 
 of Eighth Street east, about a mile from the Capitol, and covers nearly 
 twenty-eight acres. It lies on the banks of the Anacostia River, and 
 has a fine water frontage. It is in charge of a commodore, who has 
 a staff of naval officers as assistants. Visitors will find numerous ob- 
 jects of interest in the yard. The work-shops, museum, laboratory, 
 monitors and ships of war can be inspected. The museum contains 
 many naval relics, and a large collection of arms, torpedoes, and mar- 
 itime appliances. 
 
 The extensive Marine Barracks are situated on Eighth Street, a 
 short distance from the navy yard. They were constructed at a 
 cost of $350,000, and are the headquarters of the marine corps, 
 which is an adjunct to the naval force. 
 
 Located on the hill where General Braddock’s troops encamped 
 in 1755, is the United States Naval Observatory, or, as it is also 
 called, the National Observatory. It is on the goveimment reserva- 
 tion of nineteen acres bounded by Twenty-third, Twenty-fourtli, and 
 Twenty-fifth streets and the Potomac River, and stands about ninety- 
 six feet above tide-water. The structure is surmounted by a large 
 dome, and has two wings. The observatory is in charge of the Bu- 
 reau of Navigation, and its superintendent is a rear-admiral of the 
 
NAVAL OBSERVATORY 
 
 203 
 
 navy. It was established in 1842, and now ranks among the foremost 
 observatories in the world. Here is the great twenty-six inch equa- 
 torial telescope, one of the largest and most powerful ever constructed. 
 It was mounted in 1873, and cost $47, 000. It rests upon a solid found- 
 ation of masonry deeply imbedded in the earth, and, with its base, 
 weighs six tons. The dome in which it is placed is forty-one feet in 
 diameter, and forty feet in height. The observatory has also a nine 
 and one-half inch equatorial telescope, set in a dome twenty-three 
 feet in diameter, and twenty feet high. These far-reaching instru- 
 ments are used for much of the difficult and important astronomical 
 work for which this observatory is famous. A transit circle, with an 
 object-glass of 8.22 inches, is used for observations of the sun and 
 moon, and some of the planets. The best apparatus is to be found 
 in the observatory, and from month to month a large amount of labor 
 is performed in the way of astronomical researches and computations. 
 
 G STREET, SHOWING FOUNDRY AND EPIPHANY CHURCHES, 
 
THE METROPOLITAN M. E. CHURCH 
 
CHAPTER XIll 
 
 THE POST-OFFICE DEPARTMENT — ORGANIZATION OF THE POSTAL SERVICE — 
 THE CONTRACT DIVISION — BIDDING FOR THE “ STAR” ROUTES — THE DEAD- 
 LETTER OFFICE — ITS PECULIAR WORK, AND ITS WORKERS — MONEY-ORDER 
 OFFICE — POSTAL FACTS AND FIGURES. 
 
 T he Post-Office Department occupies a marble building sit- 
 uated on the square between Seventh and Eighth, and E 
 and F streets northwest. The building is of the delicate 
 Corinthian order, and is a notable example of architectural 
 grace and beauty. Its faqades are ornamented with monolithic col- 
 umns and pilasters, with beautiful capitals, and the architrave, frieze, 
 and cornice are designed in pure classic style. It is three hundred 
 feet from north to south, and two hundred and four feet from east to 
 west. It has two stories resting upon a rustic basement, with deep, 
 spacious vaults below. That portion on E Street was erected of New 
 York marble in 1839, from designs by Robert Mills. In 1855 the 
 building was extended over tbe entire square, the extensions being 
 designed by Thomas U. Walter, and constructed of Maryland mar- 
 ble. The cost of construction was nearly two million dollars. The 
 building contains eighty-five apartments excellently arranged for the 
 postal business, and most of them are elegantly decorated and fur- 
 nished. 
 
 By the Constitution of the United States, Congress was given the 
 right “ to establish post-offices and post-roads.” The office of Post- 
 master-General was created in 1789, and the General Post-Office was 
 established in 1794. On the 2d of March, 1799, Congress passed an 
 act to establish the General Post-Office in Washington. The depart- 
 
2o6 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 ment has had a marvelous growth. Fifty years ago there were 10,693 
 post-offices throughout the country, and the revenue from them was 
 only $2,823,749. At present there are 47,863 post-offices, and the 
 yearly revenue of the department is over $45,000,000. To carry 
 on the postal service requires the assistance of 67,000 persons. 
 
 The site of the Post-Office Building was originally occupied in 
 the early days of Washington by a large brick structure erected for a 
 hotel by a sanguine speculator, who believed that the new capital 
 would rapidly become a great city. Before the hotel was finished his 
 funds gave out, and the building was offered as a prize in a lottery, 
 and drawn by two orphan children to whom the lucky ticket had been 
 presented by a friend. They were without means to finish it, and it 
 was suffered to remain in an unfinished state for nearly ten years. 
 Here the first play ever given in the city was performed by a troupe 
 of strolling players, some of whom afterward achieved distinction on 
 the American stage. It was used now and then as a theatre until 
 1810, when the government purchased and completed it, using it for 
 the post-office, and also to store the first collections of patent models 
 ever made. When the British invaders burned the public buildings 
 in 1814, this one was spared through the efforts of Dr. William Thorn- 
 ton, then in charge of the patent business. He appealed to the 
 soldiers sent to destroy it, who were his countrymen, and succeeded 
 in persuading them to stay the work of destruction until the next day. 
 Then the troops had left the city, and this building was the only pub- 
 lic one to which the incendiary torch had not been applied. Con- 
 gress held one session in it after the burning of the Capitol, and the 
 post-office occupied the first story until Dec. 15, 1836, when a fire 
 completely destroyed it. In the fire were consumed the collections of 
 the patent office, stored in the second story, which numbered over 
 four thousand models, the accumulation of nearly half a century. A 
 private building was then rented for the post-oflice, and was used 
 until the present building was erected. 
 
 The Postmaster-General, who has the supervision of the affairs of 
 the Post-Office Department, is a member of the Cabinet, and receives 
 $8,000 per year. There are three assistant postmasters-general, 
 appointed by the President, who receive $4,000 each. The Postmas- 
 ter-General has a chief clerk at $2,200, a stenographer at $1,800, an 
 appointment clerk at $1,800, a law clerk at $2,500, and a dozen or so 
 other employes for the special business of his office. He appoints all 
 
THE POST-OFFICE DEPARTMENT. 
 
 207 
 
 postmasters for offices to which a salary of not more than $1,000 
 is attached. The other postmasters come within the “Presidential 
 classes,” and are appointed by the President. They number 2,175, 
 with total salaries of $3,750,000. The office of the Postmaster- 
 General is a richly furnished apartment ; near it are the offices of 
 the assistant postmasters-general — large, elegant apartments. 
 
 The bureau of the first assistant postmaster-general has five divis- 
 ions, viz. : the appointment division, the bond division, the salary and 
 allowance division, the free delivery division, and the blank agency 
 division. The bureau acts upon the establishment of new post-offices, 
 and the appointment of postmasters, postal clerks, agents, and others ; 
 attends to the bonds required, has the supervision of the free delivery 
 system, adjusts the salaries of postmasters, considers allowances for 
 the various expenditures of post-offices, and furnishes the greater part 
 of what are called “ department supplies.” A large amount of busi- 
 ness is transacted in the different divisions, and seventy-five officials 
 and clerks are employed. In regard to the free delivery system it 
 may be said that it is now in use in one hundred and fifty-four cities, 
 and requires the services of 3,680 letter-carriers, whose yearly salaries 
 amount to more than $3,000,000. The postmasters of the country 
 are annually paid over $12,000,000, and postal clerks, $4,900,000. 
 
 Few persons are aware of the magnitude of the postal business, 
 particularly that portion of it relating to the transportation of the mails. 
 The transportation service is in charge of the second assistant post- 
 master-general, and the three divisions of his bureau are known as 
 the contract division — familiarly called the “ contract office,” — the 
 inspection division, and the mail equipment division. To transact 
 the business of this bureau requires one hundred employes. 
 
 The “ star service,” or the “ star routes ” as they are usually called, 
 is that portion of the mail transportation not covered by railroads and 
 steamboats. In the endeavor of the Post-Office Department to furnish 
 all communities with mail facilities, use is made of private conveyances 
 in sections of the country, particularly in the far West, where there 
 are no railroads or steamboats. The mails are carried over these 
 special or star routes by contractors who make bids for the service, 
 and furnish the horses and wagons and the persons required. These 
 routes number very nearly 8,000, and are mostly in the western and 
 southwestern states and the territories. Their yearly cost is upwards 
 of five million dollars, and their aggregate length is 226,865 miles. 
 
2o8 
 
 picturesque WASHINGTON. 
 
 By these routes mails are carried to the mining camps, to the interior 
 villages, and to communities located away from the great highways 
 of travel. The service is very useful and important, and has largely 
 aided in the settlement of the western country. 
 
 The contract office attends to all the mail lettings. The countrv 
 is divided into four postal sections, and bids are received and con- 
 tracts made for carrying the mails in one section every year. As 
 many as 100,000 bids will be received in some years. The depart- 
 ment has no discretion in the matter of mail lettings, as the law 
 directs that the routes shall be awarded in all cases to the lowest 
 bidders, if their bids are in proper form. Contracts for mail trans- 
 portation, after the acceptance of bids, must be filed in the depart- 
 ment within a certain time. If an accepted bidder fails to file his 
 contract by the time specified, he becomes a “failing bidder,” and 
 the route is awarded to the next lowest bidder. 
 
 On the day fixed for closing the bids the Postmaster-General as- 
 signs three officials of the department to open and stamp all those 
 received. In the basement story of the post-office is a massive vault 
 in which all the bids are kept, and near at hand is a printing-press. 
 The three officials, aided by a force of clerks, first assort the bids by 
 states ; then the bids are opened and passed through the press, and 
 have imprinted on them the special seal of the department, which 
 shows the date they were opened. When all the bids have been 
 opened and stamped they are taken to the room of the chief clerk 
 of the contract office, where they are examined by clerks detailed 
 for the purpose, to see if they are proper in form. The amount is 
 then indorsed on the back of each bid, and then the bids are “ listed” 
 or classified according to the routes, after which they are recorded 
 in route-books specially prepared. 
 
 After all this tedious and laborious work is done, the chief clerk 
 goes over the route-books and designates the lowest bidder for each 
 route. An acceptance is then prepared by the Postmaster-General 
 and sent to each lowest bidder, who executes a contract according to 
 the terms of the bid. The contracts are made in duplicate, and when 
 received, one is retained by the Postmaster-General, and the other is 
 sent to the Sixth Auditor of the Treasury, who has charge of the dis- 
 bursements of the Post-Office Department. 
 
 The railroad mail routes number nearly 1,400, and the yearly ex- 
 penditure for the transportation of mails over them is $13,000,000. 
 
THE DEAD-LETTER OFFICE. 
 
 209 
 
 THE GENERAL POST-OFFICE. 
 
 There are more than one hundred steamboat routes, which cost $625,- 
 000. The mail messenger service on the railroads is performed at a 
 cost of $800,000, and the railroad postal clerks are paid $3,700,000. 
 At present the railroad mail service is 110,208 miles in length. 
 
 The third assistant postmaster-general has charge of the follow- 
 ing divisions : The division of finance, the division of postage- 
 
 stamps and stamped envelopes, the division of registered letters, 
 and the division of dead letters. It is the duty of this official to 
 pay the mail contractors, to collect the postal revenues, to issue post- 
 age-stamps, stamped envelopes, and postal cards to the post-offices, 
 and to attend to the business connected with registered letters and 
 dead letters. 
 
 The Dead-Letter Office occupies a spacious apartment in the F 
 Street portion of the department building, and can be inspected by 
 visitors. The apartment has a wide gallery, and is well lighted by a 
 glass roof and high, broad windows. The office has a chief with a 
 salary of $2,250, and a force of one hundred male and female clerks. 
 
 14 
 
210 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 About 15,000 dead letters are received every day from the post- 
 offices of the country, and a great quantity of other mail-matter. All 
 the “ dead mail” is first examined by the chief clerk and his assist- 
 ants, in order to ascertain if there is anything in it which has been 
 improperly sent to the office. This is a very needful practice, as 
 every day a number of letters are discovered properly addressed and 
 stamped, and which should have been delivered. By carelessness 
 on the part of postmasters and postal clerks, a letter plainly addressed 
 to a place, say in Pennsylvania, will be sent to a place, say in Texas. 
 The postmaster there, instead of forwarding it to the place to which it 
 is addressed, will retain it the customary time, and then send it to 
 the dead-letter office. These letters are taken out of the dead mail 
 and forwarded by the department to the post-offices to which they 
 should have gone in the first place, accompanied by an official order 
 to the postmasters that they shall request the parties claiming the 
 letters to allow the envelopes to be returned to Washington. The 
 envelopes thus obtained are put on record, and a reprimand is sent to 
 the postal officials through whose carelessness the mistakes occurred. 
 Upon an average, four thousand of these “ careless letters” are dis- 
 covered every year. 
 
 When the dead letters have been examined by the chief clerk and 
 his assistants they are given into the hands of men sitting at long 
 tables, who deftly cut open each envelope with a sharp, long-bladed 
 knife, and examine the enclosure to ascertain if it contains any valua- 
 bles. If anything is found the finder makes a detailed record of it in 
 a small book lying at his hand, and the letter is put aside. Those 
 letters which contain nothing of value are passed over to a force of 
 women in the gallery, who search them to ascertain if they bear an 
 address by which they can be returned to the writers. If one is found 
 the department sends the letter back to the writer. The others ai'e 
 consigned to the waste matter, which is taken at certain intervals to 
 West Washington, to a government structure, cut up, and thorouglily 
 reduced to pulp. 
 
 If a letter or parcel with anything of value contains an address it 
 is returned at once, but if there is no address the property is retained 
 for six months, and then is disposed of at auction, at what are termed 
 “ sales of unclaimed and undeliverable mail-matter.” A careful 
 record is made of the sales, and tlie amount received for any article 
 can be recovered upon application any time witliin four years. 
 
THE MONEY-ORDER OFFICE. 
 
 2II 
 
 A peculiarity of the dead-letter office is, that the letters are all 
 opened by elderly men, quite a number of whom are in the “ sere 
 and yellow leaf” time of existence, with hair and beards fully frosted 
 by many winters. The parcels are all opened by elderly women. 
 It is only for the other work that young persons are employed. The 
 reason for this, it is said, comes from a belief that men and women 
 of mature age will be more conscientious in regard to valuables found 
 in the letters and parcels — that is, will not secrete anything they find. 
 It would be quite an easy matter for a person opening a letter or parcel 
 which contained a bank-note, or something else of value, to slyly 
 pocket it, and in a majority of the cases it would be difficult, if not 
 impossible, to detect the theft. 
 
 Great quantities of money are found. In one recent year 20,000 
 letters were opened that contained $45,000 in bank-notes. The arti- 
 cles found are of most every sort, and quite often they are of consid- 
 erable value. Checks, drafts, and money-orders yearly discovered 
 represent a value of more than two million dollars. Between thirty 
 and forty thousand photographs come into the office every year ; 
 and, strangest of all, nearly ten thousand letters annually appear in 
 the dead mail which have no address upon their envelopes. 
 
 The Money -Order Office is located in a high brick building adja- 
 cent to the Post-Office. It is in charge of a superintendent who has 
 a salary of $3,500, and employs numerous clerks. Here the money- 
 orders that have been paid are received from all the money-order 
 offices in the United States, and from foreign countries. They are 
 classified, and then the accounts of postmasters In reference to the 
 money-order business are verified and audited. As the business is 
 very extensive and complicated, the accounts require the greatest of 
 care in their settlement. Over nine millions of American and foreign 
 money-orders are issued in a year, representing a value of $125,- 
 000,000. 
 
 No department of the government is better managed than that of 
 the post-office. The details of its immense business are thoroughly 
 attended to, its expenditures are usually very judicious, and its work- 
 ing system is constantly being improved to meet the public require- 
 ment. 
 
THE NEW PENSION- BLILDING. 
 
CHAPTER XIV 
 
 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR — THE PATENT OFFICE AND MUSEUM OF 
 MODELS— THE PENSION OFFICE — ITS ENORMOUS EXPENDITURE AND BUSI- 
 NESS — GENERAL LAND OFFICE — HOW THE PUBLIC LANDS ARE DISPOSED 
 OF — BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS — BUREAU OF EDUCATION. 
 
 T he Department of the Interior was created by act of Con- 
 gress in 1849. It is an extensive and important branch of 
 the public service, and comprises the Patent Office, the Pen- 
 sion Office, the General Land Office, the Census Office, the 
 Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Bureau of Education, the Office of the 
 Commissioner of Railroads, and the Office of the Geological Sur- 
 vey. It is under the supervision and control of the Secretary of the 
 Interior, who is a Cabinet minister, and has a compensation of $8,000 
 per year. The Secretary has also the general supervision of the 
 Capitol (through the office of the architect), the Government Print- 
 ing-Office, the Government Hospital for the Insane, and the Colum- 
 bia Institution for tbe Deaf and Dumb. Each office and bureau of 
 the Department of the Interior is managed by a commissioner or 
 director, who has his own force of officials and clerks. 
 
 The colossal structure known as the Patent Office, which extends 
 from Seventh to Ninth streets, and from F to G streets northwest, is 
 occupied by the Secretary of the Interior, and sundry bureaus of tbe 
 department. It stands upon a government reservation of four acres, 
 which was set apart by L’Enfantin bis plan of Washington for a great 
 national church, and is four hundred and ten feet from east to west, 
 and two hundred and seventy-five feet from north to south. Its erec- 
 tion was begun in 1837, the main division, which was constructed 
 of Virginia freestone and granite, was completed in 1842. An east 
 
214 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 wing was added in 1853, and north and west wings some years later. 
 The east and west wings were constructed of marble from Maryland 
 quarries, and the north wing of granite. The building is of the Doric 
 order of architecture, has two stories and a rustic basement, and is 
 nearly seventy-five feet high. The main entrance is on F Street, 
 through a massive portico of two rows of huge columns, which was 
 designed after that of the Parthenon in Athens, and is precisely of the 
 same dimensions. A lofty flight of broad granite steps leads to the 
 portico. On the Seventh Street side is another great portico, and 
 smaller ones are on the north and west. There is an interior court- 
 yard ornamented with fountains and flower-beds. The building con- 
 tains nearly two hundred apartments, besides the extensive halls of 
 the Museum of Models. The architects were Robert Mills, who con- 
 structed the original portion, and Edward Clark, who constructed the 
 extensions. The cost of construction was $2,700,000. 
 
 There is an assistant secretary of the interior, with a salary of 
 $4,000, and the department office is provided with a chief clerk at 
 $2,750, a superintendent of documents at $2,000, six chiefs of divis- 
 ions at $2,000 each, and many clerks and employes. The Commis- 
 sioner of Patents has a salary of $4,500 ; the Commissioner of Pen- 
 sions, $5,000; the Commissioner of the Land Office, $4,000; the 
 Commissioner of Indian Affairs, $4,000 ; the Commissioner of Edu- 
 cation, $3,000; the Commissioner of Railroads, $4,500, and the Di- 
 rector of the Geological Survey, $6,000. 
 
 The Patent Office occupies many apartments of the build- 
 ing that bears its name, and employs a host of workers in its enor- 
 mous and constantly increasing business. It is not only self-sustain- 
 ing, but it is very profitable. In 1883 its receipts were more than one 
 million dollars, and the profits exceeded $500,000. There are up- 
 wards of 21,000 patents issued annually, covering nearly every con- 
 ceivable thing under the sun, and, in addition, there are hundreds 
 of caveats filed, and trade-marks and labels registered. The office 
 is divided into divisions, in each of which are examiners who have 
 charge of certain classes of inventions. When a patent is applied 
 for, these examiners make the necessary investigations, carefully ex- 
 amining the invention claimed to be new, and patiently and labori- 
 ously comparing it, part by part, with devices already patented, in 
 order to determine whether or not the application for a patent can be 
 granted. The principal examiners receive salaries of $2,400, and 
 
THE PATENT OFFICE. 
 
 215 
 
 THE PATENT OFFICE. 
 
 the assistant examiners from $1,200 to $1,800. Three examiners-in- 
 chief, who supervise and finally decide as to the work of the others, 
 receive $3,000 each. An examiner in charge of interferences re- 
 ceives $2,500, and a trade-mark examiner, $2,400. All applications 
 for patents are classified as soon as received, and are taken up and 
 disposed of in regular order, as far as practicable. A patent con- 
 tinues for seventeen years, unless the article patented has been pre- 
 viously patented in a foreign country, in which case the American 
 patent expires with the date of the foreign one. 
 
 Since 1872 the office has issued a weekly publication called The 
 Official Gazette, which takes the place of the old Patent Office Pc- 
 fort. It contains the claims of every patent issued, including the 
 reissues, with drawings illustrating the patents, the full list of designs 
 patented, and the decisions of the commissioner. The copies of the 
 monthly edition are authenticated by the official seal, and are received 
 as evidence in the United States courts. One copy of this edition is 
 sent to each state library, and one copy is deposited in the clerk’s 
 office of each United States district court, for public reference. Sen- 
 ators and Representatives are also entitled to designate eight public 
 libraries in their states to which copies will be sent gratuitously. 
 
2i6 
 
 PICTURESQLIE WASHINGTON. 
 
 A fine library is provided for the use of inventors, and its rooms 
 on the first floor of the patent office are much frequented by that 
 class. Congress annually appropriates $5,000 for the purchase of 
 hooks. The library contains about twelve thousand volumes, com- 
 prising the best works published in all the lines of invention and 
 mechanics, and the collections of foreign publications are specially 
 valuable. The librarian has a salary of $2,000. 
 
 The numerous rooms used by the patent office are filled with 
 officials, examiners, draughtsmen, clerks, and copyists, busy as bees 
 investigating claims, comparing inventions, copying designs and speci- 
 fications, and otherwise attending to the multifarious business. There 
 are one hundred and forty-two examiners of patents, and over four 
 hundred clerks and other employes. Since 1838 the patent office 
 has accumulated a surplus of $2,700,000, which stands to its credit 
 on the books of the United States Treasury, and this surplus event- 
 ually may be expended in the erection of a new building for its sole 
 use, as its present quarters are inadequate for the business. 
 
 The Museum of Models is contained in four lofty, magnificent 
 lialls, extending throughout the second story of the department build- 
 ing. Here are to be seen 300,000 models of patented articles, ar- 
 ranged in classes and subdivisions, and filling hundreds of spacious 
 cases, all properly labeled and indexed. By means of these models 
 one can trace the progress of every line of industry, from crude de- 
 signs to the perfected machine, wonderful in construction and almost 
 human in action. Here is the result of the profound study of count- 
 less men diligently working in all the industrial fields through many 
 years, and it is a marvelous exhibition of human capabilit}q and can 
 be inspected for hours, and even days, with plentiful profit and enjoy- 
 ment. 
 
 The first collections of patent models, comprising everything re- 
 ceived by the government from 1790 to 1836, were entirely destroyed 
 by fire when tlie Post-Office Building, in which the}^ were stored, was 
 burned on Dec. 15, 1836. Shortly after this fire Congress enacted a 
 law for the better recording of patents, requiring models in every 
 proper case, and made tlie patent office a regular branch of the pub- 
 lic service, placing it in charge of a commissioner. Previous to that 
 time patents had been issued from the office of the Secretary of State, 
 under the direction of a clerk, who bore tlie title of superintendent 
 ot patents. In 1877 a fire in the north and west halls of the present 
 
THE PENSION OFFICE. 
 
 217 
 
 Museum of Models, originating among a collection of ancient docu- 
 ments, destroyed 80,000 models. These halls were afterward recon- 
 structed at a cost of $250,000. 
 
 The south hall of the museum is two hundred and forty-two feet 
 in length, and sixty-three feet in width, and the north, east, and west 
 halls are of nearly the same size. They are of handsome design, 
 and present many pleasing architectural features. The museum is 
 open daily, and visitors are allowed to gratuitously inspect the vast 
 collections of models contained in it. 
 
 The Pension Office is the largest bureau of the Department of 
 the Interior, and its yearly business is enormous. It is a very diffi- 
 cult bureau to administer, as it is constantly assailed by thousands of 
 dishonest people, whose ingenious trickery in the invention and sub- 
 stantiation of claims might deceive the shrewdest and most careful of 
 officials. Bogus claims for pensions are so numerous that the proper 
 claims are very much delayed in their settlement, in consequence of 
 the great amount of time taken to detect the frauds. When it is con- 
 sidered that 510,938 claims were allowed from 1861 to 1883, and that 
 during the time the prodigious sum of $621,073,297 was disbursed, 
 the work of the office will be better appreciated. There are at pres- 
 ent nearly 304,000 pensioners on the rolls, and every year the names 
 of from 25,000 to 30,000 are added. Upwards of 275,000 claims are 
 pending. The Commissioner of Pensions has a large working force, 
 which is making all possible efforts to adjust the claims on file, but 
 it must be necessarily many years before all the rightful claimants for 
 pensions can receive what the government has directed to be paid. 
 The claims are now taken up in regular order, and no favoritism is 
 allowed in their consideration. 
 
 A careful estimate has been made by the pension office that there 
 were no less than 2,063,391 persons who entered the army and navy 
 during the Civil War. Of this number 304,369 died in battles, hos- 
 pitals, or otherwise ; 285,545 were discharged for disability, and there 
 were 128,352 deserters. On the ist of May, 1865, the number in the 
 service was over 1,000,000, and previous to that time 328,187 had 
 been discharged on account of the expiration of their terms of en- 
 listment. Of this vast host applications for pensions have been made 
 by over 500,000 rendered invalids by the war, and nearly 300,000 ap- 
 plications also have been made by those representing deceased sol- 
 
2i8 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 diers and sailors. At present, it is estimated, that there are about 86,- 
 ooo of this class who have not yet presented claims, and that there 
 are nearly 1,000,000 survivors of the war who have never made ap- 
 plication for pensions — that is, there is this soldier and sailor popula- 
 tion in the United States out of which thousands of claims may come 
 in the future. 
 
 It will be seen by these figures that the pension office has plenty 
 of business on hand, and to come; that it will require a large force 
 of employes to attend to it, and the expenditure of hundreds of mil- 
 lions during many future years to pay all the claims. The office 
 annually disburses over $30,000,000 for pensions, and as much more 
 for the arrears of pensions. All this money goes through the hands 
 of the eighteen pension agents in various sections of the United States 
 to the persons entitled to it. Each agent is assigned to a certain dis- 
 trict comprising one or more states, or parts of states. They give 
 bonds to the amount of $150,000, with justified security to the amount 
 of $300,000, and are allowed salaries of $4,000 each. They are 
 tried and trusty officials, and, although handling so many millions 
 of the government money in the course of a year, their accounts are 
 invariably exact to a dollar. 
 
 The pensions are from one dollar to one hundred dollars per 
 month, the last-named sum, however, being drawn by only one pen- 
 sioner. There are seven hundred and forty-five pensioners who draw 
 seventy-two dollars per month, and four hundred and twenty-five who 
 draw fifty dollars. Over seven thousand draw twenty-four dollars, 
 and nearly thirteen thousand draw eighteen dollars. A great num- 
 ber draw from eight to fifteen dollars, and nearly forty-three thousand 
 only four dollars. There are eighteen thousand who are paid only 
 two dollars, and about sixteen hundred who have to be content with 
 one dollar per month. 
 
 The pension office has twelve divisions, each in charge of a chief 
 with a salary of $2,000. Twenty-two surgeons are employed, witli 
 salaries from $1,800 to $2,500, and there are forty-two principal ex- 
 aminers at $2,000 each, a number of other officials, and about fifteen 
 hundred clerks and employes. The annual salary list of the office 
 is $1,945,000. 
 
 The pension office formerly occupied a large brick building on 
 Pennsylvania Avenue, corner of Twelltli Street, which was rented by 
 the government, but early in 1885 it was removed to the new Pension 
 
THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE. 
 
 219 
 
 NORTH HALL, MUSEUM OF MODELS, PATENT OFFICE. 
 
 Building which was recently completed on Judiciary Square, near G 
 Street. The new building resembles the great Italian palaces, and 
 has many unique forms of architecture. It is constructed of fine 
 pressed brick with terra cotta mouldings, and extends 400 feet from 
 east to west, and 200 feet from north to south, and the walls are 
 seventy-five feet high. The walls surround a large interior court- 
 yard, which has a high roof of iron and glass, and is crowned with 
 a dome. Two tiers of galleries extend around the court-yard, by 
 which access is gained to the rooms. On the first story there is a 
 course of terra cotta extending entirely around the building, consist- 
 ing of a band three feet wide, on which various scenes and incidents 
 of a soldier’s life are represented in finely sculptured figures. The 
 cost of the building is about $500,000. 
 
 The General Land Office, which has charge of all the pub- 
 lic lands in the United States, occupies a suite of apartments in the 
 
220 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 Patent Office Building. It is a very important bureau, and that its 
 work is extensive may be inferred from the number of its officials and 
 clerks, some four hundred in all, whose salaries amount to nearly 
 $500,000 per year. In fact, the pressure of business in this office is 
 very great, and double the force could be advantageously employed, 
 if Congress would provide for the increase and assign larger quarters 
 for the work. New business comes in faster than the old can be dis- 
 posed of, and the accumulation of affairs is very embarrassing. If 
 the entire force of the office should be devoted to bringing up the work 
 in arrears, in cases all prepared for final action, it would require at 
 least two years to accomplish this result. Over two thousand con- 
 tested homestead cases are pending, and there are fifty thousand 
 others awaiting settlement. Besides all these cases there are six thou- 
 sand more in the railroad division, which have to be decided in con- 
 nection with the adjustment of land grants to railroads. There is 
 also a great accumulation of business in the divisions of the office 
 which have charge of the preemption claims, the timber culture en- 
 tries, and the claims for mineral lands, etc. The preemption claims 
 number over 300,000, and of these about 20,000 are awaiting final 
 action, and final proof is likely to be offered at any time upon a ma- 
 jority of the others. The work is disposed of as fast as possible, but 
 as much of it requires very close examination of a variety of compli- 
 cated matters, it cannot be done properly in a hurried manner. 
 
 Few people, except those interested in the public lands, have any 
 definite knowledge as to the territory in the United States still in the 
 possession and subject to the control of the government. There is a 
 comfortable feeling that Uncle Sam has plenty of land to furnish a 
 good farm to all who would like to till the soil, but where this land is, 
 and how much there is, the generality of people cannot tell. The ac- 
 tual area of the public domain once amounted to nearly two thousand 
 millions of acres — verily a goodly property, hardly to be realized by 
 the simple statement of the number of acres. This land was acquired 
 by cession from the original states, by the Mexican treaty, by what 
 is known as the Gadsden purchase, and by purchases from Texas, 
 Florida, and Alaska. Of this vast public estate, nearly six hundred 
 million acres have been sold, given to states for internal improvement, 
 given to railroads, given to colleges and schools, disposed of under 
 the homestead and bounty laws, and in various other ways have passed 
 from the holding of the government. Forty-six million acres have 
 
THE PUBLIC LANDS. 
 
 221 
 
 been awarded lo railroads by Congress, to aid in the construction of 
 the roads, and other corporations have had enormous blocks and 
 stretches of the public domain awarded them by special acts. 
 
 It is estimated that the area of public lands now remaining is 
 about 1,800,000,000 acres. Taking out of this estimate the lands 
 held for Indian and military reservations, the unexplored lands in 
 Alaska, and all lands unsurveyed, etc., there will yet remain, in 
 round numbers, some 650,000,000 acres to be disposed of by the 
 government, nearly all of which can be acquired by citizens of the 
 United States by actual settlement and cultivation. The lands are 
 located in the states of Ohio, California, Arkansas, Alabama, Colo- 
 rado, Florida, Louisiana, Kansas, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Indiana, 
 Michigan, Oregon, Wisconsin, Nevada, Missouri, Nebraska, and 
 Mississippi, and in all the tei'ritories. Any citizen of the United 
 States is entitled under the homestead laws to enter one hundred and 
 sixty acres of these lands wherever unappropriated. In six months 
 from the date of entry he must pay $16 in. fees and commissions to 
 the land office, and must live on the land and cultivate it for five 
 
 SOUTH HALL, MUSEUM OF MODELS, PATENT OFFICE. 
 
222 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 continuous years. Then, upon proof of residence and cultivation, a 
 patent is issued, and he becomes the owner of the land. The soldiers 
 and sailors of the Civil War who enter homestead lands have the 
 period of their service in the army and navy deducted from the five 
 years’ residence, provided they live on and cultivate the land for one 
 year. Under the preemption laws it is necessary to live for one 
 year on the land preempted, at the expiration of which time the land 
 can be purchased for $1.25 per acre, if outside of railroad limits, and 
 for $2.50 per acre if within railroad limits. There are other ways of 
 acquiring lands under the timber culture laws and the desert land act. 
 Up to the present time about seventy million acres have been secured 
 by homestead settlers. 
 
 Connected with the land office are sixteen surveyors -general, 
 assigned to different states and territories, who have charge of the 
 surveying of public lands. They have their offices in the districts to 
 which they are assigned, and employ many clerks. About twenty 
 million acres of land are disposed of by the government every }'ear 
 under the various land acts, and from eight to twelve million dollars 
 are received from sales, fees, and commissions. 
 
 The Bureau of Indian Affairs is charged with the care of 
 those troublesoine wards of the Nation, the Indian tribes of the far 
 West. It has apartments in the Patent Office Building, and employs 
 about seventy clerks and others in its routine work. All the Indian 
 agents, inspectors, etc., are under the supervision of the bureau, and 
 it has many important duties. Clothing, food, agricultural imple- 
 ments, and many other things are supplied to the tribes, whose res- 
 ervations extend from Lake Superior to the Pacific Ocean. Six 
 million dollars are annually paid to the Indians. There are fifty- 
 nine agencies, which have charge of 246,000 Indians, and outside of 
 the agencies there are 15,000 Indians. The bureau pays considerable 
 attention to the education of Indian children, and a number of good 
 schools for them have been established. In many of the schools 
 various industries are taught, and it is believed that in time the ex- 
 periment will be tried on a large scale of educating the Indian youth 
 to become intelligent, civilized laborers. If the boys and girls are 
 educated to manual occupations, it is thought they will cease to liave 
 a desire for a savage life, and will become self-supporting and inde- 
 pendent of government aid. 
 
THE BUREAU OF EDUCATION. 
 
 223 
 
 SECTION OF FRIEZE ORNAMENTATION ON THE PENSION BUILDING. 
 
 The Bureau of Education has offices in a large brick building 
 on G Street, opposite the Patent Office. It has a force of forty 
 persons, many of whom are college graduates and practical educa- 
 tors, and Congress appropriates yearly a little more than $50,000 for 
 its support. It was established in 1867, and its primary object is to col- 
 lect information concerning schools and systems of education, not only 
 in this country but throughout the world, and this information is com- 
 piled and diffused by means of reports and other publications, which 
 are extensively circulated. A special feature is made of exhibits of 
 foreign school systems, which are exceedingly instructive and inter- 
 esting. The bureau is held in high estimation in Europe, and sev- 
 eral countries have modeled their educational bureaus upon the 
 American system. The statistics collected in reference to education 
 in foreign countries have a wide range, and are of great value. An 
 extensive correspondence is carried on, and every year thousands of 
 letters are written in reply to inquiries from all over the country about 
 the free schools of the South, the education of colored children, the 
 compulsory school laws of the states, the methods of industrial schools 
 in England and France, the organization and management of techni- 
 cal institutes, the normal school and kindergarten systems, the co- 
 education of the sexes, the best training for teachers, and a host of 
 other matters. The bureau is doing a beneficial work, the extent and 
 value of which are hardly realized by the country. 
 
 The Geological Survey is a part of the Department of the 
 Interior, and has offices in the National Museum. It has a director. 
 
PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 224 
 
 a chief clerk, an executive officer, surveyors, and other employes. 
 It is charged with the examination and classification of the mineral 
 lands belonging to the United States, and performs an important 
 work. Within a few years the Survey has made extensive examin- 
 ations of the regions in the Western States and Territories which 
 produce the precious metals, and also of those regions which contain 
 valuable fields of anthracite and bituminous coal and iron ore, and 
 the reports and maps issued have been of great service not only to 
 the government, but to all persons interested in mineral lands. Be- 
 fore long the entire Rocky Mountain region will be carefully exam- 
 ined and accurately reported upon, and the vast mineral wealth of 
 this as yet but partially explored country thoroughly revealed. The 
 Survey has in course of preparation a geological map of the United 
 States which is intended to be very complete. The country will be 
 divided into seven districts, and the geological features of each dis- 
 trict will be fully portrayed. The map will be published in atlas 
 sheets, each being composed of one degree of longitude by one of 
 latitude in area, bounded by parallels and meridians. 
 
 The office of the Commissioner of Railroads is attached to the 
 Department of the Interior. It occupies a building on G Street, op- 
 posite the Patent Office. All the' railroad companies to which the 
 government has granted any loan or credit are required to report to 
 this office their earnings and expenses, and general financial condi- 
 tion, and at certain times officials are detailed to e.xamine the prop- 
 erty and accounts of the subsidized roads. These roads are the 
 Central Pacific, the Western Pacific, the Union Pacific, the Kansas 
 Pacific, the Central Branch of the Union Pacific, and the Sioux City 
 and Pacific. The amount of their indebtedness to the government, 
 principal and interest, is over one hundred million dollars. The 
 Commissioner of Railroads is required to enforce the laws relating 
 to the railroads, and to give assistance in various ways to the govern- 
 ment directors of the roads. 
 
CHAPTER XV 
 
 DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE — UNITED STATES COURTS — DEPARTMENT OF AGRI- 
 CULTURE — THE MUSEUM AND PLANT-HOUSES — THE GROWING AND DISTRI- 
 BUTION OF SEEDS — EXPERIMENTS IN AGRICULTURE — THE SMITHSONIAN 
 INSTITUTION AND ITS WORK— NATIONAL MUSEUM— THE GREAT COLLECTIONS 
 OF NATURAL AND INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS — GOVERNMENT PRINTING-OFFICE. 
 
 T he Department of Justice, under the direction of the At- 
 torney-General, has charge of all prosecutions by the gov- 
 ernment, and supervises the United States courts in the judi- 
 cial districts of the country. The office of Attorney-General 
 is as old as the present form of government, having been created in 
 1789 ; but the Department of Justice was not created until 1870, when 
 Congress thought best to combine all the law-officers, and all the law 
 business of the government in an executive department, with the At- 
 torney-General as its head. This official is a member of the Cabinet, 
 and the law-adviser of the President and the heads of the executive 
 departments. He has a compensation of $8,000 per year. 
 
 The business of the Department of Justice is conducted, under 
 the supervision of the Attorney-General, by a Solicitor-General, who 
 has a salary of $7,000, three assistant Attorneys-General with sal- 
 aries of $5,000 each, a Solicitor of Internal Revenue with $4,500, 
 and an assistant Attorney-General of the Post-Office Department 
 with $4,000. There are also an examiner of claims with $3,500, 
 two assistant attorneys with $3,000 each, three assistant attorneys 
 with $2,500 each, one assistant attorney with $2,000, a law clerk 
 and examiner of titles with $2,700, a chief clerk with $2,200, two 
 law clerks with $2,000 each, a stenographic clerk with $1,800, and 
 forty other clerks and employes. The salaries of the department 
 annually amount to $109,590. 
 
 15 
 
226 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 The office of the Solicitor of the Treasury is also under the su- 
 pervision of the Attorney-General. The Solicitor has charge of the 
 legal business of the Treasury Department. He has a salary of 
 $4,500, and there is an assistant solicitor with a salary of $3,000. 
 In the Solicitor’s office there are fifteen clerks and employes, and 
 the salary list amounts to $28,000. 
 
 The five-story building originally erected by the defunct Freed- 
 men’s Savings and Trust Company, on Pennsylvania Avenue, oppo- 
 site the northern front of the Treasury Building, is occupied by the 
 Department of Justice. In the office of the Attorney-General is a 
 fine collection of portraits of the Attorneys-General of the United 
 States from 1789 to the present time. The first story is used by the 
 United States Court of Clgims, which hears and determines claims 
 disputed by the executive departments. The court consists of five 
 judges, who receive salaries of $4,500. 
 
 The District Court House is situated on Judiciary Square. It is 
 a large freestone structure, painted white, and was erected in 1820, 
 after designs by George Hadfield. East and west wings were added 
 in 1826 and 1849. Until 1871 it was used by the municipal govern- 
 ment as the city hall. All the District courts are held here, with 
 the exception of the police court, which is held in a building on the 
 corner of Sixth and D streets northwest, once a Unitarian church. 
 
 The Supreme Court of the District is divided into a criminal court, 
 a District court, a common law court, and an equity court. There 
 are a Chief Justice and five associate justices, who receive an aggre- 
 gate compensation of $24,500. Connected with the District judiciary 
 are the offices of the United States District Attorney, the United 
 States Marshal, the Register of Wills, and the Recorder of Deeds. 
 
 In the District Court House many notable trials have taken place 
 during the more than half century of its existence. Here Guiteau 
 was tried, and the notorious “star route cases” were heard. The 
 District jail formerly stood in the rear of the court house, but it is 
 now located on the banks of the Anacostia River, at the eastern ter- 
 mination of Pennsylvania Avenue. It is a large stone building, erec- 
 ted in 1875, at a cost of $400,000. 
 
 It has been said that “ the government of the United States may 
 take its stand among the most enterprising and prosperous of those 
 nations in which departments are provided and supported for every 
 purpose which can possibly increase the national wealth and intelli- 
 
DEPARTMENT OF ACJRICULTURE 
 
 227 
 
 TIIK DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE BUILDING. 
 
 gence, and stimulate the national enterprise.” One of these beneficial, 
 and it may be called stimulating, departments is the Department of 
 Agriculture, which is charged with collecting and diffusing the most 
 reliable information upon agriculture and the many important indus- 
 tries which cluster around it, and upon the successful prosecution of 
 which the country’s prosperity depends. It is not a costly department, 
 as compared with other branches of the public service, its expendi- 
 ture rarely exceeding $400,000 a year, but its work is of incalcu- 
 lable value. It has diffused definite information concernin<x the best 
 methods to be employed in special branches of agriculture ; it has told 
 the farmers how to protect themselves from pestiferous insects, and 
 how to guard against the diseases of farm animals ; it has supplied the 
 best seeds for vegetables and flowers, for cotton, corn, wheat, tobacco, 
 
228 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 medicinal herbs, hemp, flax, and jute ; it has made many valuable 
 discoveries, and diffused them so that they may benefit the greatest 
 number ; and in countless ways has been of vast service in the devel- 
 opment and improvement of the agricultural interests of the country. 
 
 The department is under the direction of an official called the 
 Commissioner of Agriculture. He is appointed by the President, and 
 receives a salary of $4,500 per }^ear. A force of talented specialists 
 is constantly engaged in making careful and thorough investigations 
 of agricultural matters, and in many of the divisions of the department 
 invaluable work is done. Thus, in the microscopical division close 
 examinations are made of food products, and new methods discovered 
 for the detection of artificial impurities in them. Examinations are 
 also made to discover the cause of diseases of animals and plants, with 
 a view of providing remedies. Plants native to the United States are 
 frequently discovered to have valuable medicinal qualities, and within 
 a short time several of this sort have been found on the Pacific coast 
 which have great value for medical purposes. In the division of 
 entomology special investigations are made of insects which injuri- 
 ously affect wheat, corn, rice, sugar-cane, fruit-trees, and many veg- 
 etables, and important information gained as to their habits, mode of 
 development, and the means of destroying them. Men are sent to the 
 districts ravaged by insects, and devote much time to their study, and 
 the results of their studies are incorporated in special publications, 
 which are distributed throughout the farming sections of the country. 
 Careful examinations have been made of insects affecting the cotton 
 plant, and they have resulted in discoveries by which the cost of pro- 
 tecting the crop is greatly lessened, and a good part of the loss from 
 the pests is prevented. 
 
 The department has undertaken an extended series of experiments 
 and investigations in regard to diseases of farm animals, greater than 
 it has ever attempted before, which will be conducted witli the view of 
 thoroughly ascertaining the origin, cause, and nature of the Texas 
 cattle-fever, pleuro-pneumonia in cattle, and hog and chicken cholera, 
 diseases which cause the loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars to 
 farmers ; and it is confidently expected that means will be discovered 
 by which these destructive diseases can be prevented and cured. An 
 experimental farm has been established in one of the outlying sections 
 of Washington, and stocked with animals to be \ised for the experi- 
 ments, and all the necessary apparatus for inoculation, autopsies, and 
 
l)i:partment of agriculture 
 
 229 
 
 chemical analyses has been provided. Experts will here diligently 
 labor to obtain the information so greatly needed, and the farm will 
 doubtless become a permanent part of the department, to be used for 
 many kindred experiments from time to time. 
 
 Located throughout the agricultural districts of the United States 
 are hundreds of reliable and judicious correspondents, who make 
 simultaneous report to the department on the first of each month, of the 
 condition of the crops, the results of local agricultural experiments, 
 and other valuable facts. These reports are constantly verified by 
 special agents, and the greatest pains taken to secure accuracy. When 
 the information is all at hand the statistician of the department com- 
 piles it, and makes out the full monthly crop report, which is an- 
 nounced through the newspapers and issued in pamphlet form. These 
 reports have great practical value, especially to those pecuniarily in- 
 terested in bread-stuffs, cotton, and other staples. 
 
 Thousands of letters are received requesting information in regard 
 to the agricultural productions of the western states and the territories ; 
 and information in regard to strange looking birds and insects, samples 
 
 TMt; Dp;i»ART.MENT UK AGRICIU.TURE BUILDING. 
 
23G 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 of which are sent — w'hether or not they are destructive to crops. 
 Peculiar kinds of grass and plants that have poisoned cattle are for- 
 warded, with inquiries about them ; and a thousand and one different 
 requests for practical knowledge continually pour in. Each letter is 
 promptly answered, and the fullest information it has been possible to 
 obtain is given. The annual report of the department has a circula- 
 tion of 300,000 copies, mostly of course among the western farmers, 
 who prize it highly. It is a bulky volume, with a vast amount of in- 
 formation of importance to the agricultural interests, and is copiously 
 illustrated with correct drawings of insects, and various other things 
 appertaining to agriculture and horticulture, the illustrations costing 
 in some years as much as $30,000. 
 
 The department building is situated on the Mall, facing Thirteenth 
 Street, and is of fine pressed brick with brown-stone trimmings. It is 
 of the renaissance order of architecture, and was erected in 1868, after 
 designs by Adolph Cluss, at a cost of $140,000. It has three stories 
 and a mansard roof, and is one hundred and seventy feet long, and 
 sixty-one feet wide. That portion of the Mall on which the building 
 is situated is beautifully laid out in spacious gardens, in which are 
 grown over two thousand varieties of plants and flowers, arranged in 
 strict botanical order. A portion of the ground is laid out as an ar- 
 boretum, and contains a choice collection of trees and hardy shrubs. 
 The front gardens are adorned with a low terrace wall, and numerous 
 rustic vases and statues. About ten acres of the rear gardens are 
 devoted to the raising of seeds, and the testing of small fruits. From 
 the front of the building a charming view of the business section of 
 Washington can be obtained. 
 
 Great plant-houses of glass and iron are located on the west of the 
 building. They consist of a centre pavilion with long wings, and are 
 nearly four hundred feet in length, and very handsomely designed. 
 They contain all the principal varieties of tropical fruit plants, and an 
 extensive collection of foreign grapes, and also many medical plants, 
 and those furnishing dyes, gums, and textile fibres. 
 
 Adjacent to the department building on the east is the seed-house, 
 used for the storing and distributing of seeds. Here nearly one hun- 
 dred persons are employed, during the winter and spring, in packing 
 garden, field, and flower seeds of the most approved varieties, for dis- 
 tribution throughout the country. The department raises great quan- 
 tities of seeds, and also purchases of reliable firms in Europe and 
 
I I IE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
 
 231 
 
 THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 
 
 America many seeds which are strictly guaranteed to be of prime 
 quality. Seeds are sent to districts where the lands have been over- 
 flowed, and the farmers have lost all they put into the ground, thus 
 enabling them to start again in the work of cultivation. Choice vari- 
 eties of foreign seeds are given out in sections where it is believed the 
 foreign plants can be successfully cultivated. Yearly over two mil- 
 lion packages of seeds, and from 60,000 to 70,000 plants are dis- 
 tributed. The plants include many rare and exceeding!}" valuable 
 species. 
 
 The interior of the department building is excellently arranged 
 for the purposes of the business, and all the divisions are accommo- 
 dated in large, well-furnished apartments. A large apartment on the 
 first floor is used for the library, a collection of 10,000 volumes per- 
 taining to agriculture, which is considered the most complete of the 
 kind in the United States. It has a number of very costly and mag- 
 nificent botanical works of foreign publication. 
 
 On the second floor, occupying all the space in the centre of 
 the building, is a grand Museum of Agriculture, arranged to thor- 
 oughly illustrate the agricultural productions of the country, and the 
 substances manufactured from them. The collections are very ex- 
 
232 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 tensive, and include every vegetable grown from Maine to California, 
 together with many minerals and woods. There is also a fine 
 exhibit of the game birds and poultry of the United States. Illus- 
 trations are given of the effect produced upon vegetation by climate, 
 birds, insects, and animals. The vegetables and fruits are skillfully 
 modeled and colored to imitate nature, and are so perfect in most 
 cases that they may be easily taken for the genuine. 
 
 In the third story is a large botanical museum, containing many 
 thousand species of plants, properly arranged. Here all the botan- 
 ical collections obtained by the government exploring expeditions are 
 deposited. 
 
 In 1828 an English gentleman named James Smithson died at 
 Genoa, leaving an estate valued at half a million dollars. By his will 
 the estate passed to a relative for life, and afterward descended “To 
 the United States of America to found at Washington, under the name 
 of the Smithsonian Institution, an establishment for the increase and 
 diffusion of knowledge among men.” In 1838 this bequest, amounting 
 to the sum of $515,169, was transferred to the United States by the 
 Chancery Court of England. The agent of the government in obtain- 
 ing the money wrote in his report of Smithson that “ he was a natural 
 son of Hugh, first Duke of Northumberland, his mother being of an 
 ancient family in Wiltshire of the name of Hungerford. He was born 
 in London, and was educated at Oxford, where he took an honorary 
 degree in 1786. He took the name of James Lewis Macie until a few 
 years after he left the university, when he changed it to Smithson. 
 He does not appear to have had any fixed home, living in lodgings 
 when in London, and occasionally, a year or two at a time, in the 
 cities on the continent — Paris, Berlin, Florence, and Genoa, at which 
 last place he died. The ample provision made for him by the Duke 
 of Northumberland, with retired and simple habits, enabled him to 
 accumulate the fortune which passed to the United States. He inter- 
 ested himself little in questions of government, being devoted to 
 science and chieffy to chemistry.” 
 
 Gentlemen of learning and distinction in the United States were 
 invited by tbe government to submit their views as to the best method 
 of applying the Smithson bequest, and many views were submitted. 
 It was suggested that a national university should be established, to 
 occupy the place between a college and a professional school, with 
 
THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. 
 
 233 
 
 public lectures on classical and oriental languages, and the principal 
 sciences. It was urged that the money should be devoted to teaching 
 the principles of the useful arts, to the founding of a great botanical 
 garden, to the creating of a national free library of reference ; and, in 
 fact, innumerable views were presented, all set forth with strong argu- 
 ments. Finally it was decided to make the “ Smithsonian Institution ” 
 a general scientific establishment, which should be devoted to investi- 
 gations and researches in all branches of knowledge ; which should 
 employ eminent men to study special subjects, and publish the results 
 to the world. 
 
 In 1846 the institution was organized by act of Congress, the 
 management of its affairs being placed in the hands of a Board of 
 Regents, composed of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the 
 United States, members of the Senate and House of Representatives, 
 and sundry private citizens. The President of the United States and 
 his Cabinet were constituted members ex-officio of the institution. A 
 secretary, to have the active management, was to be chosen by the 
 regents. 
 
 The corner-stone of the building was laid by President Polk, 
 wfith Masonic rites, on the ist of May, 1847, and the building was 
 
 THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING-OFFICE. 
 
234 
 
 PICTURESC^UE WASHINGTON. 
 
 completed in 1856, at a cost of $450,000, the accumulated interest 
 on the bequest being sufficient to pay for its erection. Prof. Joseph 
 Henry, of Princeton College, was chosen to be secretary, and for 
 many years directed the institution most successfully, retaining the 
 position until his death. In 1880 Congress appropriated $15,000 for 
 the erection of a bronze statue of Professor Henry, and on April 19, 
 1883, this statue, the work of William W. Story, was publicly un- 
 veiled with appropriate ceremony. It stands northwest of the Smith- 
 sonian Building, in a prominent position on the grounds. 
 
 The building is located on that part of the Mall, between Seventh 
 and Twelfth streets, known as “ the Smithsonian Grounds,” an area 
 of fifty-two acres, finely laid out as a public park, with broad drives 
 and footways, handsome lawns, and groves of luxuriant trees. An- 
 drew J. Downing, the distinguished landscape gardener and horticul- 
 turist, designed and partially laid out the grounds, but he died in 
 1852, before the work was completed. A monumental vase of great 
 beauty, which stands in the easterly portion of the grounds, was 
 erected to his memory by the American Pomological Societ}*. The 
 building is of red sandstone from quarries near Washington, on the 
 upper Potomac, and the style of architecture is that variously de- 
 scribed as the Norman, the Lombard, and the Byzantine, which pre- 
 vailed throughout southern Europe toward the close of the twelfth 
 century. There are nine towers of different forms and heights. 
 The front extends four hundred and twenty-six feet, the centre build- 
 ing being fifty by two hundred feet, and there are two wings, the 
 east one having a vestibule and porch attached, and the west one a 
 semicircular projection. It was designed by James Renwick,Jr., 
 and was the first unecclesiastical edifice of this architectural order 
 ever erected in the country. The interior is substantially constructed. 
 The officials and employes of the institution have apartments in the 
 wings, and the centre structure is mainly used for the exhibition of 
 objects of natural history. 
 
 The institution expends about $70,000 a year in various scientific 
 investigations conducted by its force of scientists, and publishes a 
 series of volumes, entitled the Smithsonian Contributions to KnozvI- 
 cdge, which are sent to the principal scientific societies of the world 
 in exchange for their publications. It carries on an extensive scien- 
 tific correspondence, and all letters that are received making incpiiries 
 relative to certain branches of knowledge are carefully answered. 
 
THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 
 
 235 
 
 A LANDMARK ON B STREKT NORTHWEST. 
 
 It publishes accounts of the latest discoveries in science, and in many 
 ways intelligently labors for the “increase and diffusion of knowl- 
 edge among men.” 
 
 In 1879 “ annex to the Smithsonian Institution ” was erected by 
 the government, and denominated “The National Museum.” Orig- 
 inally intended to contain the splendid exhibits made by foreign gov- 
 ernments at the Centennial Exhibition, which were presented to the 
 United States, its scope has been enlarged, so that now it is the gen- 
 eral depository of all the geological and industrial collections of the 
 government, and is rapidly becoming one of the greatest and most 
 attractive museums in the world. In the course of a few years it 
 will contain vast collections of the products of industry, ancient and 
 modern, the useful, the ornamental, and the marvelous ; and, it may 
 be said, representations of nearly everything of importance that prod- 
 igal nature furnishes for man’s use and benefit. 
 
 The building stands directly east of the Smithsonian Institution, 
 
PICTURESQUE WASHINGTOX. 
 
 and covers nearly two and one-half acres. It is a line example of the 
 modern Romanesque order of architecture, and has a certain quaint 
 beauty, with its numerous peaked towers, h’gh central dome, and 
 pavilions. It is constructed of bricks laid in black mortar, with blue 
 and buflf bricks set in the cornices, which produce a very pleasing 
 etl'ect. There are seventeen spacious exhibition halls within the build- 
 ing, and also one hundred and thirty-five rooms for other purposes. 
 The floors are constructed of tiles laid in artistic forms, the cases are 
 all of mahogany, and the decorations are elegant. In the offices and 
 work-shops in various sections may be found men of extensive reputa- 
 tion in the world of science, with numerous assistants, prosecuting 
 researches and preparing material to increase the treasures of the 
 museum. The secretary of the Smithsonian Institution is the director, 
 and there are an assistant director, eleven curators, and a large force 
 of employes. Congress annually makes a:i appropriation for the 
 museum. 
 
 Already the collections are very interesting and instructive to all 
 who wander through the lofty and beautiful exhibition halls. The 
 staple products of the world are shown in their varying qualities, and 
 the articles manufactured from them are thoroughly represented. 
 !Much that is curious in American and foreign growth and manufirct- 
 ure — much that is specially attractive — can be found in an hour’s 
 inspection, and days can be spent in the profitable study of the 
 thousands of articles displayed. The ethnological exhibit is par- 
 ticularly comprehensive and valuable. The fame of these collections 
 is rapidly extending over the country, and students of natural his- 
 tory, and of special industrial subjects, are beginning to learn that 
 the government has provided in the most liberal manner in this 
 museum a remarkable school wherein object-lessons of the utmost 
 practical value can be obtained gratuitously. 
 
 The Government Printing-Oi'kice occupies a four-story brick 
 building, covering the square at the corner of North Capitol and II 
 streets. It is interesting to visitors from the fact that it is the largest 
 printing and bintling establishment in the world, having a working 
 force of from 2,500 to 3,000 persons, and an immense quantilv of the 
 best material known to the “ art preservative of arts.” Tliis ofiice 
 executes all the printing required by Congress and the execulive and 
 judicial departments of tlie government — trul}’ an enormous amount. 
 
THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING-OFFICE. 
 
 237 
 
 which will be realized by the statement that every year very nearly 
 ^3,000,000 are expended for it. An official with the title of Public 
 Printer is in charge, and he receives a salary of $4,500. 
 
 Visitors to this mammoth establishment enter at the main door on 
 North Capitol Street, and are provided with guides to show them over 
 the building. It is an interesting though a rather fatiguing journey 
 through the great halls and apartments occupied by busy men and 
 women, noisy with the clatter of presses and other machines, and 
 crowded with thousands of printed volumes and documents. The 
 finest and costliest typographical work done in the country may be 
 seen, and scores of unique machines, found only in the most extensive 
 printing offices. The immense press-room, with a hundred large 
 presses in constant motion ; the type-setting room, three hundred feet 
 long, filled with compositors ; the great folding and binding rooms 
 — all excite wonder and admiration, particularly as the vast amount 
 of work appears to be progressing smoothly and easily, and appar- 
 ently without a sign of confusion. Every department has a compe- 
 tent foreman and manager, and there is a fixed standard of work to 
 which all the employes must conform. The very best service is re- 
 quired, and a careful record of deficiencies is kept. 
 
 Practically the office is unlimited in its productive capacity. It 
 can also do very rapid work, if so required by Congress or any of 
 the departments. For instance, the copy of a bill of Congress, or a 
 report, which will make fifty or sixty large printed pages, may be 
 received at ten o’clock in the morning, with orders for immediate 
 delivery. It will be put in type, the proof read twice and corrected, 
 and in two or three hours the bill or report, printed, and bound, will 
 be ready to be delivered. * 
 
 The finest work ever produced by this office was The Medical 
 and Surgical History of the War of the Rebellion. It was printed on 
 very costly paper, and contained a great number of magnificent illus- 
 trations, executed at a cost of many thousands of dollars. An edition 
 of 2,000 copies was first issued, and afterward Congress ordered an- 
 other edition of 10,000 copies. The work was demanded by all the 
 principal libraries of the world. 
 
 In the bindery can be seen every process known to the trade, in- 
 cluding marbling, embossing, stamping, and other high branches. 
 Some of the volumes issued are bound in sumptuous style. In the 
 foundry, electrotyping and stereotyping are done. 
 
FARRAGUT Sqi'ARE SHOWING THE RUSSIAN LEGATION BUILDING. 
 
CHAPTER XVI 
 
 SKETCHES OF CITV LIFE-THE FASIIION’ABLE Qll AKTER--PALATI AL MANSIONS 
 — THE ROUND OF SOCIAL FESTIVITY — OFFICIAL AND SOCIETY ETIQUETTE — 
 THE GOVERNMENT CLERKS — CUSTOMS OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE — THE 
 NEGRO POPULATION -ODD CHARACTERS AND WAYS OF LIVING. 
 
 T hose who knew Washington before the Board of Public 
 Works, under the leadership of Governor Shepherd, began 
 the remarkable improvements, described elsewhere, and who 
 have not visited the city since, can hardly imagine the great 
 change that has taken place everywhere within its boundary. The 
 streets once filled with rude specimens of architecture, now contain 
 very handsome structures, varied and ornate ; and in the popular resi- 
 dent sections the majority of the houses are notable for their pleasing 
 and tasteful forms. In the extensive northwest quarter there have 
 been erected during the past ten years large numbers of very costly 
 and magnificent houses, which in variety and elegance of form, in 
 size and in luxurious appointments, are unequaled in the country. 
 What is known as the “ West End ” is more especially the fashionable 
 locality, but in other portions of the northwest quarter, and also on 
 Capitol Hill, are many streets of fine mansions. The city is now 
 very largely one of brick and stone, there being but few wooden 
 buildings, except in the sections occupied by the colored people. 
 
 The West End comprises about five miles of territory stretching 
 east and south from the foot of Kalorama Hill, which borders on 
 Rock Creek and West Washington. It was formerly called “The 
 Slashes,” and was a dreary, unhealthy part of the city, covered with 
 swamps, and mainly occupied by negro squatters. During the Re- 
 bellion the government erected barracks over it, and it was largely 
 
240 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 used for military purposes. When the Board of Public Works began 
 its improvements this marsh-land was included in the comprehensive 
 plan. It was carefully drained and graded, and everything necessary 
 was done to make it desirable for habitation. Many acres were pur- 
 chased at a low price by a combination of real estate speculators, who 
 were shrewd enough to see that the district was likely in a short time 
 to become the most eligible in the city for the residences of the wealthy 
 and fashionable class. Their sagacity was well rewarded, for the 
 acres they had obtained so cheaply were afterward disposed of at 
 several dollars per foot, and great fortunes realized. The land in 
 every part of the West End is now held at very high prices, and is 
 considered to be the most valuable in Washington. 
 
 Connecticut Avenue, with a roadway one hundred and thirty feet 
 in width, extending from Lafayette Square to the northern boundary- 
 line of the city, is the principal thoroughfare of this district ; and Mas- 
 sachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Vermont avenues — 
 broad, beautiful highways — also cross it. There are squares and 
 circles with parks and statues in various portions of the district, and 
 its whole appearance is exceedingly bright and charming. 
 
 It is on this spacious plain, but a few years ago an almost value- 
 less area of swamps, that those palatial mansions, the pride and boast 
 of the capital, are erected. Here are the residences of the wealthiest 
 citizens, and those of the millionaires from different sections of the 
 United States who make Washington their winter home. Here are 
 the grand mansions of Blaine, Windom, Cameron, Cox, Stewart, 
 Matthews, and a large number of other prominent men, and those of 
 most of the high government officials, and the leading officers of the 
 army and nav}^. Here are the foreign legation buildings, and here 
 the leaders of society have congregated under splendid roof-trees. 
 On every side is a dazzling spectacle of luxury and grandeur, and 
 one can obtain, by a stroll through the avenues and streets, a realiza- 
 tion of the enormous wealth that is centering in Washington at the 
 present time. Those competent to judge express the opinion that in 
 less than ten years every portion of this district, extensive as it is, 
 will be covered with magnificent buildings, and that it will be verily 
 a region of palaces. Before the capital celebrates its centennial, it 
 is likely that tlie West End will have obtained great fame as one of 
 the finest resident sections in the world. 
 
 Fashion has firmly set its seal upon this district, and all those im- 
 provements which come with opulence are lavished upon it. The 
 
THE WEST END. 
 
 mansions here are constructed of marble, costly greenstone, and fine 
 pressed brick, and ai'e so arranged as to secure the highest quality of 
 artistic work. The architecture includes many forms of the antique 
 and the mediseval, and the most approved modern styles. The inte- 
 riors are remarkable for special methods of ornamentation, for mar- 
 bles and bronzes, for carvings and paintings, and exquisite cabintt 
 work. Europe and the Orient are searched for designs and sub- 
 stances, and apparently there is no limit as to cost. 
 
 It IS a common saying of the citizens that Washington is destined 
 to be the most popular winter resort of the continent, on account of 
 its genial climate and the host of attractions it furnishes not to be ob- 
 tained elsewhere, and that year by year greater numbers of Northern 
 
 THE JAMES G. BLAINE MANSION. 
 
 16 
 
242 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 people of wealth and leisure will take up their residence in it. People 
 who wish to escape the rigorous northern winter, and at the same 
 time have the excitement and enjoyments of a large city, will, it is be- 
 lieved, speedily ascertain that the capital is most desirable as a winter 
 home. This belief is already partially realized, as every winter dur- 
 ing the past few years throngs of strangers have sojourned in Wash- 
 ington, and the demand for costly dwellings has been quite remark- 
 able. 
 
 From its early days the national capital has been noted for being 
 a gay and pleasure-loving city, and its social life has been usually 
 brilliant and delightful. Of late it has developed its social qualities 
 to a very considerable extent, and society now has the claim of cos- 
 mopolitan characteristics. The city is so admirably adapted for the 
 homes of people of refinement, culture, and leisure, that many believe 
 it will become in a few years the social metropolis of the United States. 
 There are receptions, dinners, balls, germans, afternoon teas, kettle- 
 drums, and all sorts of entertainments almost without number, from the 
 beginning of winter until late in the spring, and few American cities 
 have such an incessant round of gayety. Properly the social season 
 begins on New Year’s day and continues till Ash-Wednesday, but of 
 late years it has been quite customary to have society entertainments 
 before January, and even before the session of Congress begins in the 
 first part of December, and to continue them through Lent. Many 
 society people do not observe Lent in a strict manner, and some not 
 at all, and they are willing to give receptions and parties during this 
 period. The houses of the wealthy are now constructed with special 
 reference to the giving of grand entertainments, very large drawing- 
 rooms and dining-rooms being made, and accommodations provided 
 for a host of guests. 
 
 What is called the “ official society ’’includes the President and the 
 members of his Cabinet, Senators and Representatives, members of 
 the Supreme Court, and of foreign legations, and persons in eminent 
 positions in the army and navy, and in the public service generally. 
 Retired statesmen, justices, generals, and others once prominently 
 connected with the government, are also placed in this society. There 
 are many social organizations, the members of which are government 
 employes of various ranks, and state associations, which include all 
 the persons socially inclined from a certain state who are living in the 
 city. The wealthy residents, not connected with the public service, 
 have sets and circles, exclusive or not, as it may be ; and there are 
 
SOCIETY ETIQUETTE. 
 
 243 
 
 numerous literary, musical, and art societies, which have frequent en- 
 tertainments. 
 
 It is said that Washington society people, during the winter, lunch 
 in one place, dine in another, dance in several houses of an evening, 
 and are never at home, except on their reception-days. Each week of 
 the social season is full of events. Monday is the reception-day of the 
 wives of the Justices of the Supreme Court, and of the General of the 
 Army and the Admiral of the Navy. Many of the residents of Capitol 
 Hill are also “ at home” on that day. On Tuesday the prominent 
 families of the West End have receptions, and on Wednesday the 
 members of the Cabinet and the Speaker of the House of Repre- 
 sentatives receive their friends and the public. On Thursday many 
 receptions are held by Senators and Representatives. Friday and 
 Saturday are filled out variously. There are very many pleasant 
 “ Saturday evenings” — dinners, card-parties, and meetings of social 
 organizations. The officers stationed at the United States Barracks, 
 and at the navy yard, give weekly receptions, at which dancing is 
 customary. 
 
 All the official receptions are announced in the newspapers, and 
 those in the afternoon are open to the public. The name or card 
 should be promptly given to the usher upon entering a house, and if 
 the name is not properly announced it should be mentioned at the 
 presentation. If cards are left by strangers they are always honored 
 by return cards, or calls in person, and invitations to evening recep- 
 tions in official circles usually follow. Small and plain cards are 
 used, with the name engraved or written, but never printed. The 
 dress customary in society for morning calls should be worn at after- 
 noon receptions, and full dress in the evening. The hours for after- 
 noon receptions are from two to five o’clock ; for evening receptions, 
 from eight to eleven o’clock. 
 
 It is customary for visitors to Washington to call first on the resi- 
 dents. If the person called upon is “not at home,” turn down the 
 upper right-hand corner of the card, thus indicating that the call was 
 made in person. If the call is intended for the different members of 
 the family, either leave several cards, or one with the right side en- 
 tirely folded over. When making a parting call, previous to leaving 
 the city, a card should be left with p. p. c. written on the right-hand 
 lower corner. The time to return calls or cards is within three days. 
 A call should be made in person after a dinner-party, but after other 
 entertainments a card may be sent by a servant or by mail. 
 
PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 244 
 
 Invitations to dinner should be promptly accepted or declined, but 
 with regard to other entertainments, no answer need be sent unless 
 the letters R. s. v. p. are on the invitation. The customary form of 
 
 acceptance to a dinner invitation is as follows : “ Mr. R has the 
 
 honor to accept Mr. S ’s kind invitation to dinner for Wednesday, 
 
 the loth of February, at eight o’clock. Feb. 6, 188 — .” The date 
 and hour of the dinner are mentioned in the acceptance to show that 
 they are understood. This form, propeidy adapted, may be used in 
 accepting other invitations. 
 
 People who are unacquainted with department life in Washing- 
 ton are very apt to believe that government clerks, as a general thing, 
 are indolent and improvident — a peculiar set who have obtained office 
 by political favor, who work very little, and spend the liberal salaries 
 they receive in extravagant living. This is a singular but by no 
 means uncommon mistake. Of course there are “black sheep” 
 among the clerks — those who shirk their work, are full of tricks, 
 and are generally dishonorable — but it can be truly said that the 
 majority are industrious, sober, economical, and, without doubt, full}'^ 
 on a par with similar workers in commercial lines. Clerks are re- 
 quired to perform a certain amount of work each day, and the work, 
 when done, will compare favorably with that performed in private 
 business establishments, and may even exceed it in quality and quan- 
 tity. All of the government work must be done in a methodical, 
 strictly accurate manner, and every imperfection or short-coming is 
 recorded and serves as a bar to promotion, and also as a pretext for 
 dismissal if the position held by the clerk of “ bad record ” is wanted 
 for some one else. In some of the departments the standard of work 
 is set so high, and the quantity required each day is so great, that it 
 is only by the most diligent efforts, by really exhausting labor, that 
 the best of clerks can keep their records entirely free from discredit. 
 The idle and incompetent are constantly being dismissed, unless per- 
 chance they are able to retain their places by means of “ strong in- 
 fluence,” or by cunning devices which may serve for a time in place 
 of honest, faithful labor. 
 
 Tbe department clerks in reality form a solid, intelligent, import- 
 ant part of the population of Washington, and their influence is 
 generally for good. Many are householders, over five thousand, it is 
 estimated, owning comfortable homes of their own, paid for out of 
 their savings, by the help of the greatly beneficial system of cobpera- 
 
GOVERNMENT CLERKS 
 
 245 
 
 tive building, and also by the installment plan applied to real estate, 
 which for the past ten years have been much in vogue in Washing- 
 ton, and which have done a great deal to make it a city of homes 
 owned by those who live in them, like Philadelphia. They are not 
 the aliens they have been represented to be, in any sense of the term. 
 They have aided in the growth of Washington, they take pride in its 
 beauty and prosperity, and large numbers look upon it as their per- 
 manent home. If they leave the government service they engage in 
 general business, and some of the most successful merchants and 
 professional Tnen of the city were once department clerks. 
 
 There are many veteran clerks. In the Treasury Department there 
 is one who has served since the administration of John Quincy Adams. 
 A clerk in the Navy Department was appointed in 1843, and has given 
 continuous service ever since. Here and there may be found those 
 who can point to a record of ten, twenty, and even thirty years of 
 service. 
 
 When one goes into the rooms in the department buildings, and 
 observes the clerks working over great piles of documents with an 
 
 THE ANTHONY POLLOK MANSION. 
 
246 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 intense, concentrated energy rarely seen in private business — each 
 room under the vigilant eye of an official — the impression produced 
 is that it is not, after all, such “a very fine thing” to be a govern- 
 ment employe of the subordinate class, even if the compensation is 
 liberal. Distance, indeed, lends enchantment to the view of service 
 in the departments. Away from Washington the stories of the large 
 salaries received by government employes for doing what is popu- 
 larly supposed to be little work in a short day of labor, have a very 
 beguiling effect, and thousands of persons long for positions in the 
 public service, and regard those who obtain them as exceedingly 
 fortunate. It is evident that there are some department positions 
 with a compensation very much out of proportion to the work per- 
 formed — easy and lucrative places; but a careful inspection of the 
 departments will convince any one that the majority of the clerks 
 and other employes render a full equivalent for their salaries. 
 
 A clerk’s life is not an entirely roseate one. Promptly at nine 
 o’clock each morning he must be at his desk to begin the day’s labor. 
 Until four o’clock in the afternoon the business in each division and 
 bureau goes on steadily, and frequently very rapidly, as in most of 
 the departments the affairs are many months behind by reason of the 
 lack of employes. Officials implore Congress to give them more 
 clerks, in order that they may dispose of the vast accumulation of 
 business in their hands, but the appeals are seldom heeded, and the 
 accumulation continues despite the most earnest efforts to prevent it. 
 Seven hours’ confinement over a desk in a close, stiffing room ; the 
 difficulty very often of executing the daily task to the satisfaction of 
 a hypei'critical official; the “insolence of office,” frequently dis- 
 played; the irritating system of watching and “spotting,” common 
 in many departments, which causes bitter, indignant feelings ; the 
 rigid, uncompromising adherence to strict rules in one case, and the 
 unblushing favoritism shown in another ; the demand for hours of 
 extra work without extra pay ; the promotions, not from merit, but 
 from ability to fawn and “ crook the pregnant hinges of the knee,” — 
 these are some of the thorns on the government rose. 
 
 Many men and women thrive in this clerk-life and seem pecu- 
 liarly adapted to it. They easily shed its irritations and discomforts, 
 they like the short day of labor, and they quickly discover “ where 
 thrift may follow fawning.” By degrees they ascend to the more 
 lucrative, less restricted positions, and often are able to hold them for 
 a long time. Others, of a different nature, try the life a while, and 
 
THE COLORED POPULATION, 
 
 247 
 
 then retire disgusted, quite willing to work more hours, and even for 
 less salary, in private business, where at least they will be regarded 
 as something more than mere machines to be entirely regulated by 
 official caprice. 
 
 There are nearly fifty-six hundred classified clerkships in the de- 
 partments, and many thousands of ungraded positions. Clerks of 
 the first class receive salaries of $1,200 per year ; those of the sec- 
 ond class, $1,400; those of the third class, $1,600; those of the 
 fourth class, $1,800. In the ungraded positions the salaries range 
 from $700 to $1,000. Male clerks usually begin their service for the 
 government at $800 or $1,000, and female clerks at $700, unless they 
 are fortunate enough to secure classified clerkships at once. Chief 
 clerks who rank with officials have salaries from $1,800 to $2,700, 
 and stenographers and translators of foreign languages, from $1,200 
 to $2,000. Copyists, who are mainly women, receive from $60 to $75 
 per month. Thirty days in each year are allowed for vacation, dur- 
 ing which time the salary is continued, and in case of sickness, cer- 
 tified to by a physician, there is no loss of compensation. 
 
 Of course in the government service, as in affairs generally, the 
 majority of the employes have the small places and the burden of 
 work. Hundreds of well-educated clerks who do a great deal of 
 drudgery are glad to get $800 or $1,000 per year, and if eventually 
 they are so fortunate as to be placed on the list of those entitled to 
 draw $1,200, they are happy indeed. The higher, more lucrative 
 places are usually out of their reach, unless they are specially favored, 
 or have distinguished themselves by thoroughly efficient work. 
 
 When Washington was first occupied by the government, in 
 1800, there were over two thousand negroes in the city, and over four 
 thousand in the entire District of Columbia. They were mainly 
 slaves engaged in cultivating plantations, and in domestic service. 
 In 1830 there were 6,512 free negroes, and 6,119 slaves. When sla- 
 very was abolished in the District, in April, 1862, some nine months 
 before the general emancipation, there were about 3,000 slaves and 
 14,316 free negroes. In 1870 the colored population had increased to 
 43,404, of which number Washington was credited with 35,455. At 
 the present time the city has nearly 49,000 colored people, and ranks 
 as third among the cities of the United States in this class of popula- 
 tion. 
 
 It has been said, apparently with a great deal of truth, that the 
 
248 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 capital has more intelligent, cultured, well-to-do colored people than 
 any other American city. They have many prosperous churches, 
 and literary, musical, and social organizations, and the thrifty fami- 
 lies give very pleasant entertainments during the winter. Excellent 
 public schools, a fine college, opportunities for lucrative government 
 service, are among the advantages provided for the colored people, 
 and a certain number, by no means small, carefully and thoughtfully 
 strive to reach a good position — to become well educated, well dis- 
 ciplined. 
 
 But, looking at the race as it appears on the surface of Washing- 
 ton life, it must be admitted that many are improvident, unreliable, 
 careless of tbe future, and are quite content if they have a ragged 
 coat to wear, a crust to eat, and plenty of leisure to enjoy the sun- 
 shine. The small, dilapidated cabins occupied by this class in some 
 sections of East and South Washington are really marvels of shift- 
 less contrivance. Some of them are scarcely larger than “ sugar- 
 boxes,” and yet they will give shelter to a numerous family. About 
 the doors of these fantastic, wretched abodes a half-dozen little curl}’’ 
 heads usually may be seen playing. 
 
 Near Lincoln Park lives a former slave of John Randolph, the 
 haughty “ Lord of Roanoke.” His cabin was constructed by his 
 own hands, and is comfortable in its way, although rudely fashioned 
 and sparsely furnished. The old man, over whose white head many 
 winters have swept, is held in high regard by the colored people liv- 
 ing in his vicinity, and gains a living by telling fortunes and pre- 
 scribing simple remedies for various ailments. He is an odd charac- 
 ter, and when in the humor will describe his former life on Ran- 
 dolph’s plantation in quaint, vivid, and intensely interesting language. 
 His clothes are patched and scarce hold together on his bent and tot- 
 tering form. Usually he sits crouching before his hearth-stone, rub- 
 bing his thin hands and muttering to himself, and he leaves his cabin 
 only at rare intervals to hobble a few squares. 
 
 The most ignorant of the colored people are very superstitious, 
 and have great faith in charms and omens, and all of those singular 
 things which have come from the South and pass current under the 
 name of voudooism. There are voudoo doctors of their own race, 
 who live well, dress fashionably, and apparently make a great deal 
 of money. They profess to cure everything, from a big wart to a bad 
 case of what they call “ devilish conjuration.” They are very mys- 
 terious in their practice, and use many curiously fashioned articles 
 
THE COLORED POPULATION. 
 
 249 
 
 
 which they audaciously claim possess cabalistic and astonishing qual- 
 ities> and utter many strange words. They impress their patients by 
 all sorts of tricks, such as manipulating large snakes, whispering in 
 the ear of a dog and pretending to receive an answer, and other silly 
 actions. The credulous negroes look with awe on these transparent 
 frauds, and do many ridiculous things at the bidding of the “ doc- 
 tors.” 
 
 Around the great markets one will see among the hucksters whose 
 little stands crowd all the walks, a good representation of colored 
 people of peculiar characteristics. The colored hucksters offer for 
 sale twists of tobacco in the natural leaf, warranted to be perfectly 
 pure Virginia weed ; many herbs, barks, and roots, and large quan- 
 tities of flowers and “ garden sass,” and some have coops of live 
 chickens and ducks. There are numerous women in the groups, 
 wearing large bandanna handkerchiefs gracefully entwined round 
 their heads, turban-like, but the colors are not as gorgeous as they 
 were in the days “ befo’ the wa’.” The gaudy red and yellow ban- 
 dannas are rarely seen, and it is said that the African dames of the 
 
250 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON 
 
 markets have resigned to the aristocratic aesthetes these glowing pri- 
 mary tints. By their pleasant ways, ready wit and repartee, the huck- 
 ster women induce you to buy liberally. They call you “ honey,” in 
 soft, cajoling tones, but do not take as kindly to the salutation of 
 “Aunty” as they did years ago. They are an interesting study, and 
 give a good deal of picturesqueness to the markets. 
 
 On the wharves where vessels bringing oysters to the city from 
 the Virginia beds deposit their cargoes, will be found daily through- 
 out the winter hosts of negroes known as “ oyster-shuckers.” They 
 buy oysters from the vessels, and, seated in groups, skillfully 
 “ shuck ” or remove the shells, shouting and laughing while at work. 
 Then taking the bivalves in long tin cans, they go over the city, call- 
 ing clearly and loudly as they walk, “ Oys ! oys ! here’s yer nice 
 fresh oys ! ” Great quantities of oysters are sold by these vendors 
 every day during the season. 
 
 There are manifold other occupations followed by the black man, 
 diligently seeking the honest penny. The workers have no lellow- 
 ship with the idlers to be seen on all the thoroughfares — ragged, 
 shiftless sons of Ham, who contrive to live in some unknown way, 
 although they toil not. 
 
 TENTir AND G STREETS N. W. , SHOWING FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH. 
 
CHAPTER XVII 
 
 CITY INSTITUTIONS — CORCORAN GALLERY OF ART— THE LOUISE HOME — PROM- 
 INENT CHURCHES AND SCHOOLS — CONVENT OF THE VISITATION— THE 
 PUBLIC MARKETS — PLACES OF AMUSEMENT, HOTELS, BENEVOLENT INSTI- 
 TUTIONS, ETC. — MASOITC TEMPLE — ODD FELLOWS’ BUILDING — THE CEME- 
 TERIES— GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF CITY AFFAIRS. 
 
 O NE of the institutions of Washington which attracts a great 
 deal of attention is the Corcoran Gallery of Art, presented 
 to the people of the United States by Mr. William W. 
 Corcoran. It was deeded to trustees on May lo, 1869, 
 and a year later was incorporated by act of Congress, the building 
 and grounds being forever exempted from taxation. In his deed of 
 gift Mr. Corcoran stated that the institution was designed for “the 
 perpetual establishment and encouragement of painting, sculpture, 
 and the fine arts generally,” and the condition was imposed that it 
 should be open to the public without charge on certain days of the 
 week, and “ on other days at moderate and reasonable charges, to be 
 applied to the current expenses of procuring and keeping in order 
 the building and its contents.” The hope was expressed that it 
 would provide “ not only a pure and refined pleasure for residents 
 and visitors at the national capital,” but that it would be useful in the 
 development of American genius. 
 
 The gallery is situated on the northeast corner of Pennsylvania 
 Avenue and Seventeenth Street, directly opposite the State, War, and 
 Navy Building. It has a frontage of one hundred and six feet, and 
 a depth of one hundred and twenty-five feet. It is constructed of 
 fine pressed brick, with brown-stone facings and ornaments, and is of 
 the renaissance order of architecture. Ten feet above the ordinary 
 roof rises a mansard roof, with a central pavilion, and two smaller 
 
252 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 ones. The building is two stories in height, and the front is divided 
 into recesses by pilasters with capitals representing Indian corn, and 
 has four niches in which are statues of Phidias, Raphael, Michael 
 Angelo, and Albert Durer, portraying sculpture, painting, architec- 
 ture, and engraving. On the front are fine carvings, the Corcoran 
 monogram, and the inscription, “ Dedicated to Art.” On the Seven- 
 teenth Street side are niches containing the statues of Titian, Da 
 Vinci, Rubens, and Rembrandt, and it is the intention to add those of 
 Murillo, Canova, and Crawford. The statues are of Carrara mar- 
 ble, seven feet high, and were executed by M. Ezekiel, an American 
 sculptor residing in Rome. The building was designed by James 
 Renwick, of New Yoi'k, and erected at a cost of $250,000. It is 
 very attractive in appearance. The gallery was opened to the pub- 
 lic in December, 1874. 
 
 Mr. Corcoran gave to it his private collection of paintings and 
 statuary, valued at $100,000, and an endowment fund of $900,000. 
 One of the trustees visited Europe and made extensive purchases of 
 art works, being very successful in procuring a large number of not- 
 able productions. Many American works of great value were also 
 obtained. The gallery is open daily, and on Tuesda}"s, Thursdays, 
 and Saturdays is free ; on other days there is an admission fee of 
 twenty-five cents. Under certain regidations persons are allowed to 
 draw from the casts and to copy the paintings. The annual income 
 is nearly $80,000, the larger portion of which is used in the purchase 
 of pictures and statues. 
 
 The lower story of the building is entirely devoted to the exhibi- 
 tion of sculpture, bronzes, and ceramic ware. In spacious halls are 
 magnificent collections of casts of antique marbles, representing the 
 best works of the great Greek sculptors. There are also many orig- 
 inal examples of modern sculpture, including a number of celebrated 
 works. The collections of bronzes and ceramic ware are very exten- 
 sive and noteworthy. 
 
 In the second story are four galleries of paintings, the main one 
 being ninety-five feet by forty-four and one-half feet, and thirty-eight 
 feet high, with a richly frescoed ceiling. These galleries contain 
 several hundred paintings carefully selected to furnish good examples 
 of modern art, with sometliing of tlie ancient. Many well-known 
 American and European painters are represented on the walls, and 
 most of the canvases are very valuable originals. The gallery ranks 
 among the finest in the country, and in some particulars has no equal. 
 
CORCORAN GALLERY OF ART. 
 
 253 
 
 THE CORCORAN GALLERY OF ART. 
 
 With its large income to be devoted to acquiring the best art works, 
 it must in time possess extraordinary collections. 
 
 Mr. Corcoran, the venerable philanthropist, who has given this 
 superb gallery to the public, and whose long life has been rich in good 
 works, is a native of Georgetown, but for many years he has been a 
 resident of Washington. He began his business career as an auc- 
 tioneer, and afterward established a banking-house, which he con- 
 ducted very successfully for an extended period. By his financial 
 operations, and by early investments in city lands which greatly in- 
 creased in value when Washington developed into a thriving city, he 
 became a millionaire. The princely fortune he possesses is con- 
 stantly being used for the benefit of worthy objects. 
 
 In 1871 Mr. Corcoran founded the Louise Home, an institution 
 designed for impoverished gentlewomen who may need the shelter 
 of a friendly roof. It was named after his deceased wife and daugh- 
 
254 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 ter. It has an endowment fund of $250,000, and is managed by a 
 board of lady trustees. The building is situated on Massachusetts 
 Avenue, between Fifteenth and Sixteenth streets, and cost $200,000. 
 It is a beautiful brick structure, four stories high, surmounted by a 
 mansard roof, with a central pavilion, and stands within a spacious 
 enclosure of lawn and garden, a conspicuous object in the fashion- 
 able West End. The interior is elegant in its appointments. The 
 doors of this noble institution are always open to women of refinement 
 and education who require assistance. Visitors are admitted every 
 week-day afternoon. 
 
 Washington, it may be said, can safely dispute with Brooklyn 
 the title of “The City of Churches,” as there are at present within 
 its borders no less than one hundred and ninety churches, most of 
 them apparently in a flourishing condition. There are fifty-nine 
 Methodist churches, forty-six Baptist, twenty-two Episcopal, seven- 
 teen Presbyterian, thirteen Catholic, ten Lutheran, and a variety of 
 other denominations. Many of the church structures are large and 
 handsome, and some of them are remarkable for graceful, pleasing 
 architecture. 
 
 The oldest Episcopal churches in the city are Christ Church, 
 erected on G Street, near the navy yard, in 1795 ; and St. John’s 
 Church on H Street, near the White House, which dates from 1816. 
 The distinguished Latrobe designed St. John’s, which is of brick, 
 covered with stucco, and in the form of a Latin cross. One of its 
 pews is set apart for the Presidents of the United States, many of 
 whom, from the time of President Madison, have worshiped in the 
 venerable edifice. Other prominent Episcopal churches are the As- 
 cension, corner of Massachusetts Avenue and Tweltth Street; the 
 Epiphany, on G Street, between Thirteenth and Fourteenth streets 
 northwest; the Incarnation, on N Street, corner of Twelfth north- 
 west ; St. Andrew’s, corner of Fourteenth and Corcoran streets north- 
 west ; the Holy Cross, on Massachusetts Avenue, corner of Eighteenth 
 Street; and Trinity, corner of Third and C streets northwest. 
 
 About four miles from Washington is the oldest Episcopal church 
 in the District of Columbia — St. Paul’s Church, of Rock Creek 
 Parish. It is situated adjacent to the Soldier’s Home, on land given 
 by the colonial worthy, John Bradford, in 1719’ held in perpe- 
 
 tuity for church purposes. St. Paul’s was erected in 1719, of brick 
 imported from England, and although it has been remodeled, the 
 original walls remain, with every appearance of enduring for a 
 
PROMINENT CHURCHES. 
 
 255 
 
 number of years longer. An extensive burial-ground surrounds the 
 church, in which many of the first residents of Washington are 
 buried, some of the grave-stones bearing dates of the past century. 
 
 The New York Avenue Church is the most prominent of the Pres- 
 byterian churches. It has a large membership, and is attended by 
 many Presbyterians sojourning in the capital during the winter. The 
 First Church, on Four and One-half Street ; the Central Church, cor- 
 ner of Third and I streets northwest; the Fourth Church, on Ninth 
 Street northwest, and the Metropolitan Church, on Fourth Street, 
 corner of B southwest, are to be ranked among the prominent houses 
 of worship. 
 
 The First Baptist Church, on Thirteenth Street northwest, began 
 existence in 1803, and the Second Baptist Church, on Virginia Ave- 
 nue, in 1810. These were the first of the numerous churches of this 
 denomination. Calvary Church, corner of Eighth and H streets 
 northwest; the E Street Church ; the Metropolitan Church, corner of 
 A and Sixth streets northeast, and the North Baptist Church, on Four- 
 teenth Street northwest, are leading churches. The largest of the 
 colored Baptist church organizations is the Nineteenth Street Church, 
 which has a fine edifice in the West End. 
 
 There is only one Unitarian church in Washington, the All Souls 
 Church, corner of Fourteenth and L streets northwest. This church 
 is attended by a fashionable and distinguished congregation, com- 
 prising many persons of high official position, and of prominence in 
 society. 
 
 Meetings of Methodists were held in Washington as early as 
 1805, and in 1815 the Foundry Church (where President Hayes wor- 
 shiped) was established. Methodism flourishes, there being at pres- 
 ent more churches of this denomination in the city than of any other. 
 The principal churches are the Metropolitan Church, on Four and 
 One-half Street; the Foundry Church, corner of Fourteenth and G 
 streets northwest ; the McKendree Church, on Massachusetts Ave- 
 nue ; the Hamline Church, corner of Ninth and P streets northwest, 
 and the Fourth Street Church. The Asbury Church, corner of 
 Eleventh and K streets northwest, has a large and influential col- 
 ored congregation. 
 
 There is but one Universalist church in the city — the Church of 
 Our Father, corner of Thirteenth and L streets northwest. The 
 church was erected in 1883, at a cost of about $30,000. For some 
 years the society worshiped in the Masonic Temple. 
 
256 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 The Congregational churches are the First Church, corner of 
 Tenth and G streets northwest, and the Tabernacle of the Congre- 
 gation, on Ninth Street, between B Street and Virginia Avenue 
 southwest. There are also two mission churches. 
 
 The Lutheran churches are divided into English and German, 
 there being more of the latter than the former. The Memorial 
 Church, on Thomas Circle, at the intersection of Fourteenth Street 
 and Vermont Avenue, and St. Paul's Church, corher of Eleventh and 
 H streets northwest, are the principal English ones. 
 
 On Vermont Avenue, between N and O streets, is the Church of 
 the Christian Disciples, generally known as the Garfield Memorial 
 Church. It is the leading church of the Christian faith in the United 
 States. In the small chapel which formerly stood on the site of this 
 church President Garfield worshiped for many years, and the pew 
 he occupied has been placed in the new church. It is draped in 
 black, and bears a silver tablet on which is the name of the lamented 
 President. 
 
 There are two Friends’ Meeting-Houses in the citv ; one, the 
 Hicksite, on I Street northwest; and the other, the Orthodox, on 
 Thirteenth Street northwest. 
 
 The principal Catholic churches are St. Patrick’s, on G Street 
 northwest; St. Peter’s, on Capitol Hill; St. Dominick’s, corner of 
 Sixth and E streets southwest ; St. Matthew’s, corner of Fifteenth 
 and H streets northwest ; St. Aloysius, corner of North Capitol and 
 I streets northwest; the Immaculate Conception, corner of Eighth 
 and N streets northwest; and St. Stephen’s, corner of Pennsylvania 
 Avenue and Twenty-fifth Street northwest. The oldest is St. 
 Patrick’s, which was established in 1804. There are two German 
 Catholic churches: St. Mary’s, on Fifth Street northwest; and St. 
 Joseph’s, on Second Street northeast ; and one church designed for 
 colored people, St. Augustine’s, on Fifteenth Street, northwest. 
 
 Two Hebrew synagogues have a large attendance. They are 
 the Congregation Adas Israel (orthodox), corner of Sixth and G 
 streets northwest; and the Washington Hebrew Congregation, on 
 Eighth Street northwest. 
 
 Congress annually appropriates about $500,000 for the support 
 of the public schools of the District of Columbia. The schools are 
 in charge of trustees, subordinate to whom are two superintendents, 
 one having the management of the white schools, and the other of 
 
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
 
 257 
 
 the colored schools. The salary of one superintendent is $2,700; 
 that of the other, $2,250. Five hundred and twenty-five teachers 
 are employed, their salaries aggregating $349,000 per year. There 
 are twenty-four prominent school buildings, most of which are in 
 Washington, and a number of smaller ones. The large buildings 
 were erected at an expenditure of many thousands of dollars, and 
 are considered models of school architecture. They have every ap- 
 proved appliance and convenience, and will accommodate large 
 numbers of pupils. 
 
 The schools of Washington, up to 1864, were very poor and in- 
 adequate. In that year the Wallach School, a fine, spacious brick 
 building, was erected on Pennsylvania Avenue, betw'een Seventh and 
 Eighth streets southeast. It was named after Richard Wallach, who 
 was mayor of the city from 1862 to 1868. Other large and suitable 
 buildings followed, and great attention was paid to educational mat- 
 ters, nothing being left undone which would make the school system 
 equal to that of any city of the country. Washingtonians now point 
 with proper pride to their splendid school buildings and admirable 
 system of education, which furnishes equal advantages to white and 
 
 THE WINDOM MANSION. 
 
 17 
 
258 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 colored children. Nearly thirty thousand pupils are enrolled in the 
 schools. 
 
 The Franklin School is the finest of the school buildings, although 
 some of the others approximate it in elegance of design. It is a 
 large brick edifice, with three stories and a basement, and contains 
 fourteen school-rooms. It stands on the corner of. Thirteenth and K 
 streets northwest, opposite a beautiful park, and in a locality filled 
 with costly residences. 
 
 The High School, on O Street northwest ; the Seaton School, on 
 I Street northwest ; and the Jefferson School, on Sixth Street south- 
 west, are imposing buildings. The latter is the largest school build- 
 ing in the city, having ample accommodations for twelve hundred 
 scholars. There are six prominent colored schools, the most notable 
 of which are the Sumner School, corner of Seventeenth and M streets 
 northwest, and the Lincoln School, corner of Second and C streets 
 southeast. The former was erected at a cost of $70,000, and is a 
 very fine building. 
 
 Among the important Catholic educational institutions is the Con- 
 vent of the Visitation, or Visitation Academy, which occupies the 
 entire square on Connecticut Avenue between L and M streets. It 
 emanated from the famous institution in Georgetown, which is the 
 “mother” community of the order of Nuns of the Visitation in the 
 United States, and for twenty-seven j^ears had its home in the old 
 convent building on Tenth Street, recently demolished. In 1877 the 
 community removed to the large and beautiful building it now occn- 
 pies. The convent is surrounded by spacious grounds enclosed by a 
 brick wall, and is an attractive and prominent object in the section of 
 the city in which it is located. 
 
 On I Street, between North Capitol and First streets northwest, 
 is the Gonzaga College, conducted by fathers of the Society of Jesus. 
 It was incorporated as a university in 1858. 
 
 The National Medical College, connected with the Columbian 
 University, is located on II Street, between Thirteenth and Four- 
 teenth streets northwest. It was founded in 1824, and the present 
 building, erected at a cost of $40,000 in 1864, 'W'as the gift of Mr. 
 William W. Corcoran. The Law School of Columbian University, 
 established in 1826, is located on Fifth Street, opposite Judiciary 
 Square. 
 
 The Medical and Law Schools of Georgetown College are located 
 in Washington, the former at the corner of Tenth and E streets 
 
THE PUBLIC MARKETS. 
 
 259 
 
 THE T.OUISE HOME. 
 
 northwest, and the latter on F Street, between Ninth and Tenth 
 streets northwest. 
 
 The public markets of Washington are among the finest in the 
 United States, and are objects of considerable interest to strangers. 
 They consist of the Center Market, on the south side of Pennsylva- 
 nia Avenue, between Seventh and Ninth streets northwest; the 
 Northern Liberty Market, on Fifth Street, between K and L streets 
 northwest ; the Northern Market, on Seventh Street, between O and 
 P streets northwest; the Eastern Market, on Capitol Hill, at the 
 junction of Seventh Street east, and North Carolina Avenue ; and 
 the Western Market, on K Street, between Twentieth and Twenty- 
 first streets northwest. They are supplied with a profusion of fine 
 
26 o 
 
 picturesque WASHINGTON. 
 
 vegetables and fruits, game, fish, oysters, and the best qualities of 
 meats. Washington being situated in the centre of a luxuriant agri- 
 cultural region, and adjacent to the great oyster and fishing-grounds 
 of the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay, is enabled to have an 
 abundance of food products in its markets. It has also special facil- 
 ities for obtaining early vegetables and fruits from the South, and 
 meats from contiguous districts and from the West. 
 
 The Center Market is the largest of the markets, and in many 
 particulars, it is considered to be the market -par cxcelletice of the 
 country. The building was begun in 1870, and opened in July, 1873, 
 its erection having cost $350,000. It is located on one of the most 
 central squares in Washington, which has been devoted to market 
 purposes since the foundation of the city, and is surrounded by exten- 
 sive grounds and wide streets. Here was the well-known “ Marsh 
 Market” of ante-bellum days — a rough, dilapidated building, or 
 series of buildings, but filled to overflowing with good “marketing,” 
 and distinguished for its quaint, motley assemblages. 
 
 Four capacious brick buildings constitute the Center Market, 
 those on the Pennsylvania Avenue front being very ornate and pleas- 
 ing in design. They form a square and are connected, so that in 
 going through the market they seem very much like one building. 
 They are four hundred and ten feet in length, and their average 
 width is eighty-two feet. The total space available for market pur- 
 poses is 84,818 feet. One building is used exclusively for wholesale 
 business in meats and produce. It is three stories high and contains 
 fourteen large stores, with elevators to the upper stories. The other 
 buildings are two stories in height, and have great arched roofs. 
 They contain six hundred and sixty-six stalls and stands for the retail 
 business, and have wide aisles and spaces. There is room for three 
 hundred wagons around the market, and the covered sidewalks will 
 accommodate innumerable hucksters’ stands. The rents for stalls and 
 stands are from $5 to $14 per month, and the yearly rent-roll is nearly 
 $60,000. The market is owned by the Washington Market Com- 
 pany. 
 
 The daily business in and around this splendid structure is enor- 
 mous. During the morning hours there are throngs of buyers of all 
 classes of society — fashionable women of the West End, accompa- 
 nied by negro servants, mingling with people of less opulent sec- 
 tions, all busily engaged in selecting the day’s household supplies. It 
 is a scene of wonderful variety and animation, and has much of the 
 
THE PUBLIC MARKETS. 
 
 261 
 
 picturesqueness noticeable in the markets farther south. And on 
 Saturday evenings, when the market is glowing with myriads of 
 lights, and is lively and bustling with the excitement of a great traffic, 
 it has peculiar interest and fascination. An extensive variety of arti- 
 cles, other than food products, can - be purchased. Flowers and 
 plants of numberless sorts are spread out in tempting array ; tin, 
 wooden, and crockery ware, and various household utensils; cloth- 
 ing, jewelry and trinkets, sweet-smelling herbs and barks, pictures 
 and books, smokers’ articles — these, and more, are to be obtained. 
 Cooked food is offered, such as hominy, smoking hot, sold by the 
 quart for family use ; and everything in the baker’s line is to be 
 found in abundance. Indeed, the market is a vast, convenient bazar, 
 where one can be readily supplied with innumerable things in daily 
 demand. 
 
 The Northern Liberty Market is the second in magnitude. It 
 was erected in 1875 at a cost of $140,000, and is an imposing brick 
 building, three hundred and twenty-four feet in length, and one hun- 
 dred and twenty-six in width, and is notable for its great height and 
 ponderous arched roof, supported by colossal iron girders. The other 
 markets are substantial brick buildings, excellently arranged, and of 
 good size. 
 
 EIGHTH AND H STREETS N. W. , SHOWING CALVARY BAPTIST CHURCH. 
 
262 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 There are three regular theatres in Washington — Albaugh’s 
 Grand Opera House, the New National Theatre, and Harris’ Bijou 
 Opera House. In addition, there are theatres in which variety per- 
 formances are given, and summer gardens where musical entertain- 
 ments are the rule. The prominent halls for concerts and lectures 
 are the Armory of the Washington Light Infantry Corps, National 
 Rifles’Hall, Lincoln Hall, Masonic Temple, and theGrand Army Hall. 
 
 The principal hotels are the Ebbitt House, Riggs’ House, Wil- 
 lard’s Hotel, Arlington Hotel, Wormley’s Hotel, Metropolitan Hotel, 
 and National Hotel. There are numerous smaller hotels for the gen- 
 eral public, as well as a number of what are called family hotels, 
 many of which are very elegant in their appointments. 
 
 Four daily newspapers are published — The National Republican 
 and The Daily Post in the morning, and The Star and The Critic 
 in the evening. The Post and the Star occupy fine buildings of 
 their own. There are six Sunday newspapers, and several other 
 weekly publications. 
 
 The benevolent institutions of the city are numerous. Among 
 the prominent ones is the National Soldiers and Sailors Orphan 
 Home, on G Street, between Seventeenth and Eighteenth streets 
 northwest. It was established in 1866, and is liberally supported b}' 
 the government. Orphans of soldiers and sailors in the Rebellion 
 are cared for and educated until they are sixteen years old. The 
 institution is in charge of a board of lady managers, and is open to 
 the public daily. 
 
 The Washington Asylum is located at the terminus of C Street 
 southeast, on the banks of the Anacostia River. The present build- 
 ing was erected in 1859. asylum for the paupers of the Di.s- 
 
 trict, and is also used as a work-house for persons convicted of minor 
 offenses. 
 
 The Freedmen’s Hospital occupies the square between Fifth, Sev- 
 enth, Boundary, and Pomeroy streets. It has accommodations for 
 two hundred patients. It is supported by government appropriations, 
 and, although designed for freedmen, all classes of patients are re- 
 ceived. 
 
 Other prominent benevolent institutions are, the Garfield Memorial 
 Hospital, at the head of Tentli Street; the Providence General Hos- 
 pital, corner of Second and D streets southeast ; the City Orphan 
 Asylum, corner of Fourteenth and S streets northwest ; St. Jolin’s 
 Hospital, on II Street, between Nineteenth and Twentieth streets 
 
MASONS AND ODD FELLOWS 
 
 263 
 
 northwest ; the Co- 
 lumbia Hospital for 
 Women, corner of L 
 and Twenty-fifth 
 streets northwest; 
 and the Home for the 
 Aged, corner of Third 
 and H streets noith- 
 east. 
 
 
 
 
 
 SOULS 
 
 In the District of 
 Columbia there are 
 twenty lodges of Ma- 
 sons, with a member- 
 ship of nearly three 
 thousand, and the 
 order is in a very 
 prosperous condition. 
 
 The Masonic Temple 
 in Washington is an 
 attractive structure. 
 
 It is situated on F 
 Street, corner of Ninth 
 northwest, and was 
 erected in 1868 at a 
 cost of $200,000. It 
 is of granite and free- 
 stone, and is four 
 stories in height. The 
 first floor is occupied 
 by stores, and the sec- 
 ond floor contains a hall for public entertainments. The third and 
 fourth floors are occupied by the Masonic lodges, chapters, and 
 commanderies, the various apartments being furnished in a magnifi- 
 cent manner. 
 
 The Odd Fellows’ building, on Seventh Street, between D and E 
 streets northwest, was originally erected in 1846, but was thoroughly 
 remodeled in 1874, and now is a convenient and handsome edifice. 
 It is of brick, and has iron pilasters and ornaments painted white. 
 It has three domes, the centre one rising above the others. On the 
 
 UNITARl.AN CHURCH. 
 
264 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 front of the building is a large balcony. Stores occupy the ground 
 floor, and on the second floor is a public hall. The lodge and en- 
 campment rooms are on the third floor, and are finely decorated and 
 furnished. There are fourteen lodges and four encampments, and 
 the order numbers about eighteen hundred members, and is rapidly 
 increasing. 
 
 At the foot of E Street southeast, is the Congressional Cemetery, 
 originally called “ Washington Parish Burial Ground.’* It was laid 
 out in 1807 by residents of the eastern quarter of the city, and after- 
 ward came under the control of Christ Episcopal Church. As the 
 government made liberal donations of money and land to the ceme- 
 tery, its name was changed to “ Congressional,” and freestone ceno- 
 taphs were erected for deceased congressmen. A large vault was 
 erected by Congress near the centre of the grounds. Among the 
 men of prominence buried here are Vice-President George Clinton, 
 of New York ; Elbridge Gerry, of Massachusetts, and Tobias Lear, 
 for many years the private secretary and intimate companion of 
 George Washington. The cemetery contains about forty acres, and 
 extends alonu the Anacostia River. 
 
 Oak Hill Cemetery is situated on Georgetown Heights, and is 
 peculiarly arranged on a series of terraces rising from the western 
 bank of Rock Creek. It is unique and beautiful ; noble oaks cover 
 its ground, and exquisite taste has been used in its adornment. Here 
 is the Van Ness mausoleum, containing the remains of General Van 
 Ness and family. Here Lorenzo Dow is buried, and here also John 
 Howard Payne rests at last in his native land, no longer an exile 
 from the “ Home, sweet home,” he sang of in immortal words. 
 
 About $340,000 is annually appropriated for the police force of 
 Washington. The force is known as the Metropolitan Police, and 
 consists of a superintendent with the title of major, who receives a 
 salary of $2,600 ; a captain at $1,800, two lieutenant-inspectors at 
 $1,500 each, ten lieutenants at $1,320 each, twenty sergeants at 
 $1,140 each, and two hundred and fifty-five privates at salaries 
 from $900 to $i ,080. There are also seventeen station-house keepers 
 who are paid $720 each, and numerous clerks, messengers, and 
 laborers. There is a mounted force of twenty-seven men. Tlie 
 police duties extend throughout the District of Columbia. 
 
 The lire department is sustained at a yearly expenditure of $100,- 
 
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, ETC, 
 
 265 
 
 
 000. There are eight en- 
 gines, and other fire ap- 
 paratus. The chief en- 
 gineer has a salary of 
 $1,800, and the assistant 
 engineer, $1,400. There 
 is a force of eighty-four 
 men, who receive from 
 $720 to $1,000 each. 
 
 Connected with the de- 
 partment is an efficient 
 telegraph and telephone 
 service in charge of ex- 
 pert electricians, the su- 
 perintendent receiving a 
 salary of $1,600. 
 
 The white military or- 
 ganizations are the Wash- 
 ington Light Infantry, of 
 four companies, the In- 
 fantry Cadets, the National 
 Rifles, the Rifles Cadets, 
 the Washington Light 
 Guard, and the Union 
 Veteran Corps. There 
 are three companies of 
 colored infantry, and the 
 Capital City Guard, con- 
 sisting of two companies 
 of colored men. 
 
 Connecting Washing- 
 ton with the outer world 
 are the Baltimore and 
 Potomac, and Baltimore and Ohio railroads, extending from New 
 York via the Pennsylvania Railroad, with branches south and west. 
 In the depot of the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad, President Gar- 
 field was shot by Charles J. Guiteau on July 2, 1881. On the wall, 
 directly above the spot where Garfield fell, the railroad company has 
 placed a marble tablet as a memorial to the martyred President. 
 There are various steamboat lines on the Potomac River to southern 
 
 GARFIELD MEMORIAL CHURCH. 
 
 {^Christian Disciples,') 
 
266 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 ports. The city has five distinct street railroad companies, whose 
 lines traverse all the principal sections. 
 
 The water supply of Washington is obtained from above the 
 Great Falls of the Potomac, and the aqueduct which conveys it 
 to the city has been declared “ a triumph of civil engineering.” 
 The aqueduct is nearly twelve miles in length, and on its course 
 passes over six bridges and through twelve huge tunnels. The 
 water is received in a reservoir a short distance west of Georgetown, 
 whence it is conveyed in great mains to Washington, crossing Rock 
 Creek by an aqueduct bridge. The water-works were constructed 
 at a cost of about ten million dollars. 
 
 CHAPEL AT OAK HILL CEMETERY. 
 
CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 THE ENVIRONS — HOWARD UNIVERSITY — COLUMBIAN UNIVERSITY — WAYLAND 
 SEMINARY — NATIONAL DEAF MUTE COLLEGE — GOVERNMENT HOSPITAL 
 FOR THE INSANE — GEORGETOWN — THE COLLEGE OF THE JESUITS — GREAT 
 FALLS OF THE POTOMAC — CHESAPEAKE AND OHIO CANAL — ARLINGTON — 
 THE GREAT NATIONAL MILITARY CEMETERY — ALEXANDRIA. 
 
 T he environs of Washington have many charming scenes and 
 interesting objects. From the hills encircling the city one 
 can obtain extended views of the District and the two neigh- 
 boring states, spreading out in luxuriant fields and woods ; 
 of the Potomac, curving gracefully to the southward ; and of the 
 beautiful capital itself lying for miles along a wide, irregular valley. 
 On one of these bold eminences stands Howard University, the well- 
 known institution for the higher education of the colored race. It 
 has a conspicuous location north of the Capitol, a short distance 
 above the boundary line of the city, adjacent to the Seventh Street 
 road, and is on a plateau comprising thirty-five acres, part of which 
 is laid out as a park. 
 
 The university was established by special act of Congress in 1867, 
 and named after Gen. Oliver O. Howard, who was its president for 
 six years. Although more especially designed for colored students, 
 it is open to all, without distinction of race or sex, and among its in- 
 structors and students are white and colored persons of both sexes. 
 There are four hundred students from all parts of the United States, 
 and six departments — theological, medical, law, college, normal, and 
 preparatory, and the courses are from two to four years. The medi- 
 
268 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 cal department is largely attended, the classes having the benefit of 
 clinical instruction in the Freedmen’s Hospital. There is an able 
 corps of instructors, and tuition is free in its preparatory, normal, and 
 college departments, and very low in the others. The general man- 
 agement is vested in a board of trustees. Congress yearly makes an 
 appropriation for it. 
 
 The main building is of brick, is four stories in height, and at- 
 tractive in design. It has ample accommodations for the lecture and 
 recitation rooms, the chapel, the library, the museum, and offices. 
 The library has 8,000 volumes, and in the museum are valuable col- 
 lections of minerals and curiosities. On the grounds are two large 
 buildings used as students’ dormitories, one known as Miner Hall, 
 and the other as Clark Hall. The buildings and grounds are valued 
 at $600,000. 
 
 Columbian University is situated on Meridian Hill, near the north- 
 ern terminus of Fourteenth Street. A new college building is to be 
 erected in the city on the corner of Fifteenth and H streets northwest, 
 which will be occupied probably in 1888. This institution was estab- 
 lished in 1822, and incorporated as a university in 1873. Besides its 
 collegiate departments, it has those of law and medicine. It is under 
 the direction of the Baptists, has many students, and is in a prosper- 
 ous condition. 
 
 Wayland Seminary, which was established in 1865 for the educa- 
 tion of colored preachers, is located near Columbian University. It 
 has academic, normal, and theological departments, and is supported 
 by contributions received by the American Baptist Home Mission So- 
 ciety. It occupies a handsome edifice, erected at a cost of $35,000, 
 and has accommodations for two hundred students. 
 
 The Columbia Institution for the Deaf and Dumb is situated on 
 Kendall Green, a plot of one hundred acres near the northern terminus 
 of Seventh Street east. It was established in 1857, and is now con- 
 ducted under government auspices. Here the deaf-mute children of 
 the District of Columbia, and those whose parents are connected with 
 the army and navy, receive free education. Its collegiate branch, 
 known as the National Deaf Mute College (the only one of the kind 
 in the world), was established in 1864. Students are admitted to 
 this college from all parts of the country. It has numerous instruct- 
 ors, and every necessary appliance for the thorough education in the 
 higher branches of the unfortunate class for which it was designed. 
 
HOSPITAL FOR THE INSANE. 
 
 269 
 
 ARLINGTON HOUSE. 
 
 {Formerly Residence of Gen. Robert E, Lee.) 
 
 The central building is of Gothic architecture, and all the buildings 
 are spacious and conveniently arranged. 
 
 On high ground on the south side of the Anacostia River, near 
 the point Avhere it mingles its waters with the Potomac, is the Gov- 
 ernment Hospital for the Insane, which was erected in 1855, at a cost 
 of nearly $1,000,000. It has a commanding site, overlooking the 
 city of Washington, and from its grounds the finest view of the Capi- 
 tol can be obtained, the majestic edifice showing clearly and fully 
 from this locality, with nothing to diminish its grandeur. The grounds 
 are four hundred and nineteen acres in extent, and the building, with 
 its buttresses and parapet, has been likened to a great feudal castle. 
 
270 
 
 picturesque WASHINGTON. 
 
 it has a four-storied centre, with long connecting wings, and is seven 
 hundred and fifty feet in length, and two hundred feet in width, and 
 has nearly six hundred apartments, with accommodations for one 
 thousand patients. It ranks among the prominent institutions for the 
 insane in the world. The insane of the army and navy, and of the 
 District of Columbia, are treated here. 
 
 Georgetown, or West Washington, as it is now called, was in- 
 corporated as a town in 1789. It is situated on the western border 
 of Washington, and is separated from it by Rock Creek, a narrow 
 stream spanned by three bridges. It lies as the base and along the 
 sides of steep hills, and contains many old family mansions, as well 
 as many modern residences of people doing business in Washington. 
 It has a number'of fine business blocks, and several large churches 
 and school-houses. The most important edifice is the Georgetown 
 College, or College of the Jesuits, which is situated on the crest of a 
 hill in the western part of the town, its grounds covering an area of 
 one hundred and seventy acres, comprising heights and valleys of 
 rare beauty. 
 
 The old or original college building was erected in 1792, and 
 work on the new one — a palatial structure — was begun in 1877. 
 The new building is one of the largest devoted to college purposes 
 in the United States, and is of the type — the Rhenish-Romanesque — 
 which is usually selected by the Jesuits in Europe for their institu- 
 tions of learning. The material is gray freestone, finely hewn blue- 
 stone, and blue gneiss. It has a high central tower, and several 
 lesser ones, is many storied, with a bold, deep roof, and stands out 
 upon the bank supporting it with a grand appearance. 
 
 This college is the oldest and most prominent of the Jesuit insti- 
 tutions in the United States, and came into existence through the 
 efforts of the Rt. Rev. John Carroll, the first Catholic bishop of Bal- 
 timore. It began its work in an humble way, and in 1815 was 
 raised to the dignity of a university. It has a large number of 
 students, mostly from the South, a learned corps of instructors, and 
 bears a high reputation. In its extensive library are many ancient 
 and rare volumes, and sundry relics of great interest and value, one 
 being the dining-tahle of Lord Baltimore, around which he and 
 the council of the Maryland Colony have often sat discussing ques- 
 tions of state over the walnuts and wine. The table was originally 
 
THE GREAT FALLS. 
 
 271 
 
 brought from England, is of solid mahogany, and of enormous 
 weight. 
 
 The Great Falls of the Potomac, some fourteen miles above Wash- 
 ington, possess an indescribable grandeur. The Potomac rises in a 
 spur of the Alleghany Mountains, and several streams are combined 
 with it in its downward course. Forty-seven miles below the gap at 
 Harper’s Ferry, where the river bursts through the mountains, are the 
 Great Falls, formed by the waters impetuously forcing a passage 
 through a stupendous ridge of granite which here restrains the cur- 
 rent from side to side. The river gradually narrows as it approaches 
 the barrier, until it is only about three hundred feet wide, and then 
 
 NATIONAL MILITARY CEMETERY AT ARLINGTON. 
 
272 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 with a mighty effort rushes over the granite walls, making a descent 
 of forty feet into hollow rocks. It then continues its course with 
 amazing velocity, dropping foot by foot in a series of cascades, until 
 its “perpendicular pitch” is eighty, feet in a distance of about two 
 miles. On the Virginia shore huge masses of rock stretch upward 
 for seventy feet, and on the Maryland shore are ledges and boulders, 
 over which the waters dash in great billows of foam. Ten miles 
 below the Great Falls are the Little Falls, a succession of rapids with 
 a total descent of twenty feet. Leaving these rapids, the river glides 
 calmly toward Washington with nothing to obstruct its passage. 
 The scenery around the Great Falls and Little Falls is very wild and 
 picturesque. Cabin John Bridge, a notable example of bridge build- 
 ing, crosses the river between the two series of falls. It conveys the 
 aqueduct of the Washington Water Works. It is four hundred and 
 twenty feet long, and has an arch of two hundred and twenty feet, 
 which is said to be the largest in the world. The bridge is con- 
 structed of massive granite blocks, and cost $237,000. 
 
 The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, by means of which immense 
 quantities of coal are brought to Georgetown from the mines of West 
 Virginia and Maryland, and grain and produce from the West, ex- 
 tends to Cumberland, Md., a distance of one hundred and eighty- 
 four miles. For the first fifty miles from Georgetown, it is sixty feet 
 in width ; then it has an average width of fifty feet to its terminus, 
 with a depth of six feet. On its course are seventy-five capacious 
 locks, eleven aqueducts, and nearly two hundred culverts. Water is 
 supplied to it from the Potomac by numerous dams. The canal was 
 first chartered in 1784, and constructed as far as the Great Falls. 
 In 1828 another charter was obtained from Congress, with the inten- 
 tion of extending the course to Pittsburg, a total distance of three 
 hundred and sixty miles. Work upon the extension was continued 
 until 1841, when Cumberland was reached, and, for various reasons, 
 it was made the terminus. The construction was exceedingly diffi- 
 cult, and cost $13,000,000. Congress appropriated $1,000,000 for 
 the great enterprise, and Washington subscribed $1,000,000, Mary- 
 land, $5,000,000, and Alexandria and Georgetown, $250,000 each. 
 From Georgetown a considerable part of the coal and produce re- 
 ceived by the canal is shipped to Soutliern cities. 
 
 At the Georgetown canal terminus is an aqueduct bridge, 1,446 
 
THE NATIONAL MILITARY CEMETERY. 
 
 273 
 
 ALONG THE WHARVES AT GEORGETOWN. 
 
 feet long, connecting with the Virginia shore, which carries the Alex- 
 andria Canal across the Potomac. The bridge is constructed on 
 huge granite piers of sufficient strength to resist the shock of the 
 masses of ice which come sweeping down the river in the early 
 spring. The canal was incorporated in 1830. 
 
 Crossing the aqueduct bridge on to the soil of Virginia, a drive 
 of a mile southerly will bring one to the National Military Cemetery 
 at Arlington — a vast field of the Nation’s dead. Here, under the 
 shade of noble oaks, are buried 16,264 soldiers of the Rebellion, 
 their last resting-place graciously cared for by the government they 
 died in defence of. The cemetery covers two hundred acres on Ar- 
 lington Heights, which rise two hundred feet above the Potomac 
 River, and command a fine prospect. It has an eastern frontage of 
 3,500 feet on the Alexandria turnpike, and extends westward for 
 nearly one-half mile. A handsome rubble-stone wall encloses the 
 grounds, and near the southern end of the front is the main entrance, 
 over the gateway of which is a large arch formed of marble pillars 
 from the portico of the old War Department Building. The larger 
 portion of the burials are made in the southwest section of the cem- 
 etery, which is very nearly a level plateau covered with groves of 
 
 18 
 
274 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 ancient trees. The graves are arranged in long parallel rows, and 
 each grave of the 11,915 soldiers who were known, bears a small, 
 white marble head-stone inscribed with the name, company, regiment, 
 and date of death. The graves of the 4,349 unknown soldiers who 
 lie here are suitably inscribed. These burial-fields have a calm, 
 mournful beauty ; there is no sound save the song of birds and the 
 wind sighing through the lofty trees, and one can imagine the long 
 lines of white head-stones to be a vast, silent encampment — an en- 
 campment indeed, waiting the final order of the Great Commander. 
 
 The main avenue passes by the side of an extensive garden, and 
 between the avenue and the garden are forty-five graves of Union 
 officers. To the west of the garden is a large vault containing the 
 remains of 2,211 unknown Union soldiers gathered after the war 
 from various battle-fields. Over the vault is a massive granite sar- 
 cophagus surrounded by four field-pieces on their carriages, with piles 
 of cannon-balls between them. Here and there on the borders of 
 the burial-fields iron frames are placed, each one bearing a poetic 
 inscription in large letters. The following are some of the inscrip- 
 tions : 
 
 “ No rumor of the foe’s advance 
 Now sweeps upon the wind, 
 
 No troubled thoughts at midnight haunts 
 Of loved ones left behind.” 
 
 “ The neighing troop, the flashing blade, 
 The bugle’s stirring blast. 
 
 The charge, the dreadful cannonade. 
 The din and shout are past.” 
 
 “ Rest on, embalmed and sainted dead, 
 Dear as the blood ^’e gave : 
 
 No impious footstep here shall tread 
 The herbage of jour grave.” 
 
 “ No vision of the morrow’s strife 
 The warrior’s dream alarms : 
 
 No brajing horn, no screaming fife. 
 At dawn shall call to arms.” 
 
THE NATIONAL MILITARY CEMETERY 
 
 275 
 
 “The muffled drum’s sad roll has beat 
 The soldier’s last tattoo; 
 
 No more on life’s parade shall meet 
 That brave and fallen few.” 
 
 “ Your own proud land’s heroic soil 
 Must be jour fitter grave; 
 
 She claims from war his richest spoil, 
 
 The ashes of the brave.” 
 
 The entire Arlington estate consists of 1,160 acres. It was origi- 
 nally part of the vast landed possessions of Edmund Scarburgh, who 
 was surveyor-general of Virginia in the early colonial period. Later 
 it came into the possession of John Custis, a wealthy planter, whose 
 only son, Daniel Parke Custis, married “the beauty and belle ol 
 Williamsburg,” Martha Dandridge, and inherited the estate. Martha 
 
 THE COLLEGE OF THE JESUITS, AT GEORGETOWN. 
 
276 
 
 picturesque WASHINGTON. 
 
 Dandridge Custis, after a few years of happy married life, was left a 
 widow with two children, and in 1759 wedded to George Wash- 
 ington, then a colonel in the Virginia militia. The widow Custis 
 “ was fair to behold, of fascinating manners, and splendidly endowed 
 with worldly benefits.” She held the Arlington property for her son, 
 and eventually her grandson, George Washington Parke Custis, be- 
 came the owner of it. He erected the fine mansion now standing 
 on the eastern portion of the grounds, and lived in it until his death, 
 in 1857. Arlington passed to his daughter, Mrs. Lee, the wife of 
 Gen. Robert E. Lee, for life, and afterward was to descend to her 
 son, George Washington Custis Lee. The Lee family lived on the 
 estate until the beginning of the Rebellion, leaving it forever in April, 
 1861, when General Lee removed to Richmond. 
 
 The United States took possession of the estate soon after the war 
 began, and under the direct tax act of 1862 a tax was assessed 
 against it. As the tax was not paid, a sale was ordered, and Presi- 
 dent Lincoln directed that the estate should be bid in for the use of the 
 government, which was accordingly done. It was decided to take 
 part of the land for a military cemetery, and the first interments were 
 made in May, 1864. Arlington was subsequently claimed by George 
 Washington Custis Lee, on the ground that the tax sale was defec- 
 tive, as a tender of the tax might have been made but for a rule of 
 the tax commissioners which required that the tender should be made 
 in person. He brought a suit of ejectment against the United States 
 officers in charge of the estate, and judgment was given in his favor. 
 A writ of error was taken to the Supreme Court of the United States, 
 which court affirmed his judgment. He then offered the estate to 
 the government for the sum of $150,000, which offer was accepted 
 by Congress, and Arlington is now in undisputed possession of the 
 Nation. 
 
 Arlington House consists of a large centre building with two 
 wings, the whole having a frontage of one hundred and forty feet. 
 It is constructed of brick covered with stucco, resembling freestone. 
 There is a central portico, the pediment of which is supported by 
 eight ponderous columns. The house is occupied by the superintend- 
 ent of the cemetery, and the lower story can be inspected by visitors. 
 
 About seven miles from Washington, down the Potomac, is the 
 ancient city of Alexandria, which was founded in 1748, and for 
 
THE CITY OF ALEXANDRIA. 
 
 277 
 
 HOWARD UNIVERSITY. 
 
 some years was called Bellhaven. In its early days it was a thriving 
 port and had a large foreign trade. The Virginia planters shipped 
 great quantities of tobacco and flour from its wharves, and received 
 supplies for their plantations. Its warehouses, most of which are 
 now empty and dilapidated, were then filled with goods, and for a 
 time it was an important commercial rival of Baltimore. So thrifty 
 and enterprising was the town, so promising seemed its future, that it 
 was even proposed to locate the national capital in it. But the prom- 
 ise of its youth was never fulfilled, and to-day it is chiefly notable for 
 what “ might have been.” 
 
 The city lies on the sides of a range of hills, and is in the centre 
 of a fertile agricultural district. It has nearly fifteen thousand inhab- 
 itants, one-third of whom are colored. The city hall is in a fine 
 building used in part as a public market, and there are a number of 
 large business structures. An object of interest is Christ Episcopal 
 Church, erected in 1765, which was attended by General Washington, 
 who was a member of its vestry. 
 
MOUKT VERNON, FROM THE POTOMAC RIVER, 
 
CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 MOUNT VERNON — PRESENT APPEARANCE OF THE VENERATED HOME OF 
 GEORGE WASHINGTON — THE GROUNDS AND MANSION — WASHINGTON’S 
 TOMB— THE CHAMBER IN WHICH HE DIED — APARTMENTS OF THE MANSION 
 — THE FIRST PRESIDENT’S LIFE ON HIS VIRGINIA PLANTATION — HOW THE 
 MOUNT VERNON ASSOCIATION ACQUIRED THE HISTORIC PROPERTY. 
 
 W HILE the homes of most of the illustrious men who 
 founded the American Republic have been suffered to 
 decay, and finally to disappear from the earth, the home 
 of George Washington has been fortunately preserved. 
 That home to which he brought his lovely bride in the blithesome 
 days of youth — those days of pleasant company, of country merry- 
 makings, of riding to hounds, and the sports of the field, of sweet 
 domestic bliss ; that home whence he departed to fight the battles for 
 his country’s freedom and independence, and to which he returned 
 crowned with more than the laurels of Miltiades ; that home whence 
 again he departed to guide the Ship of State on its untried course, and 
 to which he returned when he had relinquished his great office, never 
 more to depart from until death claimed him — that beautiful Mount 
 Vernon is to-day in almost as substantial a condition as it was when 
 the First President sat under the venerable trees, or walked the broad 
 piazza of the commodious mansion a hundred years ago. 
 
 This cherished spot, the home of Washington, is situated on 
 the western bank of the Potomac River, in Fairfax County, Vir- 
 ginia, and is sixteen miles from the city that bears his name. 
 The steamer “ W. W. Corcoran,” Capt. L. L. Blake, makes daily 
 trips, leaving Seventh Street Wharf at lo o’clock, a. m., and re- 
 turning at 3.30 o’clock, p. M., and visitors are permitted to ex- 
 plore all portions of the historic estate, and to wander at will 
 over the mansion. The association in whose charge it is provides 
 
28 o 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 a guide, and the various objects of interest are explained in an 
 intelligent manner. Thousands of people from every section of the 
 United States, and even from foreign lands, visit Mount Vernon 
 yearly. In 1876, the centennial year, there were forty-five thousand 
 visitors. As the river steamers approach the hallowed grounds 
 they slacken speed, toll their bells, and go “ slowly sailing, slowly 
 sailing, past the tomb of Washington.” 
 
 The Mount Vernon mansion stands near the brow of a sloping 
 hill which rises one hundred and twenty-four feet above the river, 
 and can be seen from a great distance. A spacious lawn extending 
 to the river, and majestic trees, give it a setting of rare beauty. At 
 this point the Potomac is two miles in width, and its course is west- 
 erly until it borders the estate ; then it makes a sudden, sweeping 
 bend to the southward, displaying a long stretch of glittering waters. 
 The mansion overlooks the river as it flows south, and the thickly 
 wooded Maryland hills on the opposite bank, for many miles, and 
 the prospect from its piazza and upper windows is most charming and 
 picturesque. The grounds adjacent to the mansion are covered with 
 an extensive variety of shade-trees, most of which were planted by 
 Washington, and many of them have remarkably luxuriant foliage, 
 In one flourishing thicket are hemlocks, lindens, chestnuts, and 
 beeches, all of which Washington planted when a young man, and 
 carefully nourished. The estate in his time comprised eight thousand 
 acres — a princely domain, even in those days of vast landed posses- 
 sions. More than one-half of it was wood land, and the remainder 
 was divided into five farms tilled by several hundred negroes. Each 
 farm was devoted to special crops, the principal ones being wheat, 
 Indian corn, and tobacco, and was in charge of an overseer who made 
 weekly report to a general superintendent, who in turn reported to 
 Washington. After the death of Washington the lands were sold by 
 his heirs, from time to time, nothing being retained except the home- 
 stead or “mansion-house farm,” which now consists of two hundred 
 acres. 
 
 Around the mansion is a lawn of ten acres, laid out in the olden 
 style of English landscape gardening, and on one side is an orchard 
 of about twenty acres, filled with peach, nectarine, apricot, plum, 
 cherry, and apple trees. Twenty acres are devoted to grains and 
 vegetables, and the remainder are wood and pasture lands. The 
 farm is considered one of the best in that section of Virginia, and is 
 very skillfully managed by its superintendent. Adjacent to it quite 
 
MOUNT VERNON. 
 
 281 
 
 THE MANSION HOUSE AT MOUNT VERNON. 
 
 a village has grown up, and a post-office for the residents is located 
 on the Mount Vernon grounds. 
 
 The main portion of the wharf at the river-landing was con- 
 structed by Washington, but within a few years additions have been 
 made. Here vessels were laden with great quantities of tobacco, 
 and also with flour ground in the Mount Vernon mill, each barrel 
 bearing the widely-known brand, “ George Washington, Mount 
 Vernon.” The old flour-mill is located about three miles from the 
 landing, but it is now only a heap of ruins. A short distance above 
 the wharf, on the path to the mansion, is the decaying stump of 
 the once magnificent and famous “ Washington Oak, ” in the grate- 
 ful shade of which the illustrious farmer was accustomed to rest 
 
282 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 when returning from directing his shipments. The tree was twelve 
 feet in circumference, and was supposed to be more than two hun- 
 dred years old. It was blown down during a severe storm on the 
 8th of August, 1882. Pieces of it have been taken as relics to most 
 every part of the world. 
 
 The mansion fronts to the northwest, and that portion of it seen 
 from the river is the rear, or, as it may be called, the southeastern 
 front. It is constructed of wood, cut m blocks and painted in imita- 
 tion of stone, is ninety-six feet in length and thirty feet in width, and 
 has colonnades at its sides. It has two stories and an attic with dor- 
 mer windows, and on its peaked roof is an octagonal cupola crowned 
 with an ancient weather-cock. On the river front is a piazza extend- 
 ing the entire length of the mansion, and which is fifteen feet wide 
 and twenty-five feet high, with a roof supported by eight pillars and 
 surmounted by an ornamental balustrade. The piazza has a paving 
 of well-worn flag-stones imported from the Isle of Wight. When the 
 weather in winter prevented Washington from taking his habitual 
 horse-back rides over the plantations, he would frequently walk on 
 this piazza for an hour or two at a time. The central portion of the 
 mansion was built by Lawrence Washington, the half-brother of the 
 General, and the first to reside on the “Hunting Creek Estate,” as 
 Mount Vernon was then called. When the estate descended to 
 George Washington he re-named it in honor of Admiral Edward 
 Vernon, of the British Navy, in whose fleet Lawrence Washington 
 had performed service in the West Indies. After the Revolutionary 
 War he added north and south extensions to the mansion, thoroughly 
 refitted its rooms, erected out-buildings, and greatly improved the 
 estate. 
 
 Extending from the northwestern front of the mansion is a half- 
 mile circular drive-wav, which terminates at an arched gate opening 
 into the high road. In 1759, a few weeks after their marriage, 
 Washington brought his wife through this gate to her future home ; 
 and in 1799, forty years afterward, his funeral cortege solemnly passed 
 through it. On the line of the drive-way is a luxuriant flower-garden 
 and a new conservatory, and the ruins of the original brick con- 
 servatory, constructed by Washington, wliich was destroyed by fire 
 on Dec. 16, 1835. There are also the old brick “ cook-house,” 
 or family kitchen, in which the food for the family was prepared ; 
 the butler’s house, and servants’ quarters. On the south is a barn 
 with a long slanting roof, erected by Lawrence Washington in i 733 < 
 of English brick. The mansion and out-buildings appear in a good 
 
MOUNT VERNON. 283 
 
 state of preservation, and, as great care is taken of them, are likely 
 to stand for many more years. 
 
 A few 3'^ards from the mansion, down the sloping southern bank, is 
 the old family tomb in which the body of Washington was deposited 
 for nearly thirty-one yea,rs, or until the new tomb was constructed. 
 It has recently been restored, and made to look as it is believed to 
 have appeared in former years. Here the bodies of Washington 
 and his wife, and those of other members of the family, rested until 
 April 19th, 1831, when they were conveyed to the new tomb. 
 In 1825, when General Lafa^^ette made his last visit to Mount 
 Vernon, he went into this old vault, and lovingly kissed the coffin of 
 the hero who had been almost as a father to him in his }’outh. 
 
 MOUNT VERNON. 
 
284 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 The present tomb of Washington is situated on the road from the 
 river-landing, a short distance south of the mansion. In his will 
 Washington stated that “ the family vault at Mount Vernon requiring 
 repairs, and being improperly situated, I desire that a new one, of 
 brick, and upon a larger scale, may be built at the foot of what is 
 called the Vineyard Inclosure, on the ground which is marked out, 
 in which my remains and those of my deceased relatives (now in the 
 old vault) , and such others of my family as may choose to be en- 
 tombed there, may be deposited.” But his heirs, strangely tardy, 
 allowed more than thirty years to pass away before they erected the 
 new tomb. 
 
 The tomb consists of a large vault, extending into a bank in a 
 thickly wooded dell. It is enclosed by a brick structure with a high, 
 arched entrance, in which is a gate fashioned of iron bars. Within 
 the enclosure, and plainly to be seen through the gate, is a massive 
 marble sarcophagus, impenetrably sealed, containing the coffin of 
 Washington, and bearing on its top only the coat of arms of the 
 United States upon a draped flag, and the name, “Washington.” At 
 the side of this sarcophagus is another, similar in construction, which 
 contains the coffin of Mrs. Washington, and which is inscribed: 
 “ Martha, consort of Washington. Died May 21st, 1801 ; aged 71 
 years.” Above the door of the tomb are the words : “ Within this en- 
 closure rest the remains of Gen. George Washington.” The sarcoph- 
 agi are covered with choice flowers, which are continually renewed. 
 
 The vault at the rear of the enclosure contains the remains of 
 Judge Bushrod Washington, and other members of the Washington 
 family. It is closed with a solid iron door, over which is inscribed : 
 “ I am the Resurrection and the Life. He that believeth in Me, 
 though he were dead, yet shall he live.” In front of the tomb are 
 two marble monuments erected in memory of Judge Washington, and 
 John Augustine Washington. 
 
 In a small room in the second story of the Mount Vernon mansion 
 which he had used for a bed-chamber for many years, the Father of 
 His Country died on the 14th of December, 1799, between the hours 
 of ten and eleven at night. After his death the room was closed for a 
 long time. The bedstead on which he lay in his last hours has been 
 preserved, and the room is now arranged in much the same manner as 
 it was on that sorrowful night. The bedstead is of mahogany, dark 
 with age, is six feet square, and has four high posts. It was manu- 
 factured in New York in 1789, and was used by Washington during 
 
MOUNT VERNON. 
 
 285 
 
 the eight years he served as President. It stands between two long 
 windows opening on to a balcony from which a delightful view of the 
 Potomac can be obtained. The room has a spacious fire-place, in 
 which are the andirons in use on the night of Washington’s death. 
 Several small pieces of furniture then in the room also have been pre- 
 served. There is a closet containing various articles of the great 
 soldier’s campaigns, and placed here and there are other mementoes. 
 
 After her husband’s death, Martha Washington occupied a room 
 in the attic, from the narrow dormer-window of which she could view 
 the old tomb. The tradition is that she never left this room during 
 the eighteen months of her widowhood, and that she would see no 
 one except her two grandchildren and a favorite serving-woman. This 
 gracious gentlewoman is said to have spent the time in gazing at the 
 tomb containing her husband’s body, and in lamenting her loss. For 
 forty years man and wife, loving, tender, and true, the peerless couple 
 were not long separated by death. Mrs. Washington’s room now con- 
 tains but one article of furniture she used — a mahogany wash-stand ; 
 but the bed, the bed-hangings, the carpet, etc., have been carefully 
 reproduced in close imitation of the originals. 
 
 The interior of the mansion is constructed in a strong yet ele- 
 gant manner. It is wainscoted in the style prevailing at that 
 period, and has elaborately carved cornices, and heavy shafts. It 
 is nearly as substantial as it was when occupied by the Washing- 
 ton family, the decaying parts having been thoroughly repaired 
 within a few years. A wide central hall extends from the front 
 door to the rear, and there is a spacious staircase to the story 
 above. On the front door is the huge brass knocker used by the 
 guests of Washington to announce their arrival. A prominent 
 object in the hall is the Key of the Bastile, presented to Wash- 
 ington by Lafayette in 1789, soon after the famous French prison 
 was destroyed. There are six apartments on the ground floor, 
 namely : the banquet-hall, the music-room, the west parlor, the family 
 dining-room, Martha Washington’s sitting-room, and the library- 
 room. The Mount Vernon Association has furnished the rooms with 
 ancient pictures, tables and chairs, and other articles, some of which 
 were the property of Washington. 
 
 The banquet-hall, or the state-parlor, as it was frequently called, 
 is a fine large apartment in the north extension, which in its day was 
 richly adorned and furnished. It has a high ceiling with designs in 
 stucco, and its walls are painted gray and have a wide frieze. At 
 
286 
 
 PICTURESQ_UE WASHINGTON. 
 
 THE OLD TOMB AT MOUNT VERNON, BEl'OKE THE RECENT RESTORATION. 
 
 one side is a fire-place, around which is a beautifully carved mantel of 
 Carrara marble, wrought in Italy, it is supposed by Canova. It has 
 three panels in which are scenes of agricultural life. It was presented 
 to Washington by an English gentleman, and it is related that the 
 vessel bringing it to the United States was captured by pirates. When 
 they learned that the mantel was intended for Washington they for- 
 warded it to him uninjured. Extending across the western end of 
 the apartment is a colossal painting by Rembrandt Peale, entitled 
 “ Washington at Yorktown,” which was presented to the Mount Ver- 
 non Association in 1873. In a glass case is a model of the Bastile, 
 the gift of Lafayette ; and in the apartment is also the celebrated 
 arm-chair which “ came over in the ‘ Mayflower.’” In this old slat- 
 back oaken chair more than 100,000 visitors to Mount Vernon have 
 sat. One short sitting is usually enough, as the chair is very hard 
 and uncomfortable. Several pieces of antique furniture, portraits, 
 
MOUNT VERNON, 
 
 287 
 
 THE TOMB OF WASHINGTON, MOUNT VERNON. 
 
 and the military equipments used by Washington while serving in 
 General Braddock’s army, are disposed about the apartment. 
 
 In this grand hall Washington gave his state dinners when enter- 
 taining the distinguished men and women who visited him ; and many 
 a brilliant reception, followed by a ball, also has been held here by 
 Martha Washington. If the old walls could speak, what interesting 
 tales they might tell of the scenes they have enclosed — the entertain- 
 ment of Lafayette, Rochambeau, and the French officers; of the 
 illustrious American generals of the Revolution ; of Franklin, of Jef- 
 ferson, of Hamilton ; of the heroic men and the stately dames of the 
 Old Dominion in those far-off days when the mansion was bright 
 and cheerful with the highest social life. 
 
 There still remains in the music-room the harpsichord Washing- 
 
288 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 ton gave his charming adopted daughter, Eleanor Parke Custis, on 
 her wedding-day. It is a fine instrument, with two banks of one 
 hundred and twenty keys, and cost $i,ooo. The furnishing of this 
 room is a faithful reproduction. 
 
 The library is a square room in the south extension, with windows 
 opening on to the portico. It has a large fire-place with a wide 
 hearth-stone, and on three sides are many small closets, some of them 
 mere panels, in which silver-plate and china, valuable papers, etc., 
 were kept. When it was used by Washington it contained numerous 
 fire-arms, swords, and military accoutrements, and his private collec- 
 tion of books. These books were all stamped with his book-plate, 
 and also bore his autograph. Many of them were purchased in 
 1849 by the Boston Athenaeum. Here Washington was accustomed 
 to sit in the afternoon, attending to his correspondence and business 
 affairs, and often of a winter evening the family gathered around the 
 glowing fire-place. None of the original furniture is now here. 
 
 In the second story, and in the attic, are numerous chambers fur- 
 nished by the Mount Vernon Association with antique articles and 
 revolutionary relics, and mostly named after different states. The 
 one known as “ Lafayette’s room,” at the head of the first landing, 
 was always occupied by the gallant Frenchman whenever he passed 
 a night at Mount Vernon. The only original piece of furniture it 
 now contains is the bureau, but it has been reproduced nearly as it 
 was when he used it. Near this room is the one occupied by Miss 
 Custis, all the furniture of which , is a reproduction. One of the 
 rooms has a case of relics of Washington. 
 
 The mansion contains little of the original furniture, from the fact 
 that there was a sale by the heirs of the entire household effects, not 
 disposed of by will, soon after the death of Mrs. Washington. The 
 most notable articles were purchased by George Washington Parke 
 Custis, and taken to his mansion at Arlington, but a good part of the 
 ordinary furniture was scattered throughout Virginia and Maryland, 
 and is doubtless now in the possession of old families in those states. 
 Mr. Custis presented a number of relics to the government, some of 
 which are in the National Museum, and those he retained were in- 
 herited by his daughter, Mrs. Lee. When the Lee family departed 
 from Arlington at the beginning of the Civil War, they had the val- 
 ued memorials conveyed to a place of safety. Afterward, members 
 of the Lee and Lewis families contributed the Washington articles 
 at present in the Mount Vernon mansion. 
 
 The title to the Mount Vernon estate originated from a patent 
 
MOUNT VERNON. 
 
 289 
 
 issued by Lord Culpepper in 1670, to John Washington, the founder 
 of the Washington family in America. He was of English parent- 
 age, and had settled in Virginia in 1657. His son, Augustine, mar- 
 ried two wives : the first, Jane Butler, bearing two sons, Lawrence and 
 Augustine ; and the second, Mary Ball, a member of one of the 
 prominent families of Virginia, bearing five children, of whom George 
 Washington was the oldest. At the death of the father in 1743, 
 Mount Vernon descended to Lawrence Washington, and at his death 
 to his only child, an infant daughter; George Washington was the 
 guardian of this child, and at its death he inherited the estate. He 
 was born Feb. 22, 1732, and when he had barely reached his 
 twenty-first year, became the owner of Mount Vernon, and also of a 
 fine estate on the Rappahannock, and took a position among the opu- 
 lent landholders of the Old Dominion. 
 
 Until 1758, when he closed his service with General Braddock, 
 Washington was constantly engaged in military campaigns, and 
 passed but little time on his plantation. When the young soldier was 
 freed from the toilsome duty of camp and field, he became a member 
 of the Virginia House of Burgesses, and for a number of years per- 
 formed legislative work. On Jan. 17, 1759, married to Martha 
 
 Dandridge Custis, a widow with two children. She was young, beau- 
 tiful, and accomplished, and the possessor of $75,000 in her own 
 right, as well as the guardian of a large fortune for her children. 
 Then began a gladsome domestic life at Mount Vernon, extending 
 through sixteen tranquil years — Washington as the lover and atten- 
 tive husband, as the farmer profitably engaged in crops, as the fox- 
 hunter and fisherman in his hours of leisure, as the gay, liberal host 
 in a social community, his “ bruised arms hung up for monuments,” 
 as he thought, forever. 
 
 But it was not so to be, for in 1775 the war for American Inde- 
 pendence began, and Washington was appointed as the Commander- 
 in-Chief of the Continental army. During the war he seldom visited 
 Mount Vernon, but when it was over he resumed his life on the estate, 
 and for five years the mansion was continually full of distinguished 
 guests, who came to pay homage to the patriot and soldier who had 
 achieved the liberty of his country. He became once more the active 
 farmer and the profuse Virginia host. In a letter written to Lafayette 
 in 1784, Washington said: “I am become a private citizen on the 
 banks of the Potomac, and under the shade of my own vine and fig- 
 tree, free from the bustle of a camp and the busy scenes of public 
 
 19 
 
290 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 life, I am solacing myself 
 with those tranquil enjoyments 
 of which the soldier, who is 
 ever in pursuit of fame, the statesman, 
 whose watchful days and sleepless nights 
 are spent in devising schemes to promote the welfare of his own, per- 
 haps the ruin of other countries, can have very little conception. I 
 have not only retired from all public employments, but 1 am retiring 
 within myself, and shall be able to view the solitary walk and treail 
 the paths of private life, with a heartfelt satisfaction. Envious ol 
 none, I am determined to be pleased with all, and this, my dear Iriend, 
 being the order of my march, I will move gently down the stream ot 
 life until I sleep with my fathers.” 
 
 But again it was not so to be, for on the 14th of April, 1789, a 
 messenger rode up to the door of the Mount Vernon mansion, bear- 
 ing the ollicial intelligence that Washington had been unanimously 
 elected as the First President of the United States, and that he was 
 requested by Congress to immediately assume the ollice. 1 wo days 
 later, Washington dejiarted for New York to be inaugurated as Presi- 
 dent, and on his journey thither he was the recipient of ovations in 
 
 WASHINGTON’S BED-CH AMBER. 
 
MOUNT VERNON. 
 
 291 
 
 MARTHA Washington’s red-chamber. 
 
 the towns and cities through which he passed, and his entry into the 
 metropolis was made the occasion of a grand jubilee. He took the 
 oath of office on the 30th of April. 
 
 Then followed eight years of the honors and duties of the Presi- 
 dency, relieved now and then by short visits to the Virginia home. 
 A few days before he finished his official career he celebrated his 
 sixty-fifth birthday, and on the 4th of March, 1797, he attended 
 the inauguration of John Adams as President, and soon after de- 
 parted from Philadelphia for Mount Vernon. Throughout his long 
 public life he had been faithful to the trusts confided to him, and no 
 taint of dishonor had ever sullied his character. 
 
 During the two years and nine months which passed between his 
 retirement from office and his death, Washington never went twenty 
 miles from home. Occasionally the cream-colored chariot he had 
 used while President would be brought out, six blooded horses 
 attached to it, and, with servants in livery, away would go the hero 
 and his wife to pay ceremonious visits in the neighborhood, or to 
 
292 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 Alexandria, or to the new capital city slowly and toilsomely being 
 prepared for the use of the government. But usually, day by day he 
 was busy with his farming operations, with improving his property, and 
 putting his long-neglected affairs in order. He had a host of farm 
 hands, and their little cabins dotted the estate ; he had nearly one hun- 
 dred horses and mules for heavy work, and a stable full of steeds in 
 whose blood and beauty he took considerable pride. He had more 
 than three hundred head of cattle, and great numbers of sbeep and 
 swine, and raised bountiful crops of the staples. He relinquished 
 the field-sports of his earlier life, saw less company, and was very 
 methodical in the disposition of his time. 
 
 His habits and tastes were simple. It was his custom to rise 
 early, to shave and dress himself unattended, and after a frugal 
 breakfast of Indian cake and tea, to mount his horse for a long ride 
 round his plantations. He would closely inspect the work of his la- 
 borers, consult with his managers, and be entirely absorbed in the ex- 
 tensive agricultural operations. Dinner was served at three o’clock, 
 after which he would employ himself in the library with his private 
 secretary for two or three hours. The evenings were devoted to 
 amusements with the family. He was free and kindly in his man- 
 ner, was always in a cheerful mood, and frequently laughed heartily 
 at the jokes and pleasantries of his adopted children and relatives ; 
 and, as his nephew has said, “was so agreeable to all that it was 
 hard to realize that he was the same Washington whose dignity had 
 awed all who approached him.” On his cheeks was a clear, healthy 
 flush, and he had retained much of the grace and comeliness of 
 youth. In height he was two inches over six feet, and was slim 
 and straight, and he had remarkable muscular power and endurance. 
 
 Thus, in congenial occupation, and by the side of that sweet and 
 affectionate woman who had been his constant companion for two- 
 score years, the last days of the eventful life of this greatest of Vir- 
 ginia planters glided peacefully away. 
 
 A circumstantial account of the death of Washington, written by 
 Tobias Lear, who was his private secretary for nearly fifteen years, 
 is preserved. It appears from this account that on the afternoon of 
 the 13th of December, 1799, Washington was engaged in surveying 
 the lawn round the mansion, and marking some trees he wished felled. 
 He had taken a slight cold the day previous while riding in a storm 
 of sleet and snow, and had remained in-doors on the morning of the 
 13th, but as the sun shone warm in the afternoon, he went about the 
 surveying. That evening he complained of hoarseness, but sat up 
 
MOUNT VERNON 
 
 293 
 
 later than usual, reading the newspapers that had just arrived, fre- 
 quently reading aloud to the family, in spite of his hoarseness. About 
 two o’clock the next morning he woke his wife, saying that he felt ill, 
 but would not allow her to rise and attend to him for fear she should 
 catch a cold. At daybreak, when the servant came into the chamber to 
 build the fire, she was sent to arouse Mr. Lear, who immediately re- 
 sponded to the call. Horses were saddled and servants dispatched 
 at once to Alexandria and Port Tobacco for physicians, as it was seen 
 that Washington was seriously ill. He was bled, and when the phy- 
 sicians arrived they repeated the bleeding, and used their utmost skill 
 to relieve him, but he lay in pain and distress all day, breathing with 
 great difficulty, and scarcely able to speak at times. Toward night 
 he said to his attendants: I feel myself going, I thank you for 
 
 your attentions, but I pray you -take no more trouble about me. 
 Let me go off quietly ; I cannot last long.” 
 
 Mr. Lear says: “About ten o’clock he said to me, ‘ I am fast 
 
 THE HALL AT MOUNT VERNON. 
 
PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 294 
 
 going. Have me decently interred, but do not let my body be put 
 into the vault in less than three days after I am dead.’ I bowed as- 
 sent. He then looked at me again and said : ‘ Do you understand?’ 
 
 I replied, ‘ Yes.’ ‘ ’Tis well,’ said he. About ten minutes before he 
 expired (which was between ten and eleven o’clock) his breathing 
 became easier. He lay quietly ; he withdrew his hand from mine 
 and felt his own pulse. I saw his countenance change. I spoke to 
 Dr. Craik, who sat by the fire. He came to the bedside. The 
 General’s hand fell from his wrist. I took it in mine and pressed it 
 to my bosom. Dr. Craik put his hands over his eyes, and he expired 
 without a struggle or a sigh.” 
 
 “While we were fixed in silent grief,” continues Mr. Lear, “ Mrs. 
 Washington, who was sitting at the foot of the bed, asked with a firm, 
 collected voice, ‘Is he gone?’ I could not speak, but held up my 
 hand as a signal that he was no more. ‘ ’Tis well,’ said she in the 
 same voice ; ‘ all is over now. I shall soon follow him. I have no 
 more trials to pass through.’” 
 
 In this manner passed from earth this pure spirit, this patriot and 
 sage, before he had completed his sixty-eighth year. The cause of 
 his death was acute laryngitis. 
 
 Washington never had a child of his own, but at the death of 
 Major John Parke Custis, the eldest son of Mrs. Washington by her 
 first husband, he adopted his two younger children, Eleanor Parke 
 Custis, afterward Mrs. Lawrence Lewis, and George Washington 
 Parke Custis, and they lived at Mount Vernon until after the death 
 of their grandmother. As his wife was amply provided for, having 
 a fortune of her own, and as the Custis children inherited their 
 father’s large estate, Washington bequeathed Mount Vernon to his 
 nephew. Judge Bushrod Washington. He also made bequests to all 
 his relatives, and directed that his slaves should be liberated and 
 provided with the means of obtaining their livelihood. Some of the 
 descendants of these slaves still live in that portion of Virginia. 
 
 After the death of Judge Washington in 1826, Mount Vernon de- 
 scended to his nephew, John Augustine Washington. He died in 
 1832, and his widow, Jane Waslungton, was the next heir. In 1855 
 her son, John A. Washington, was tlie last of tlie family to hold pos- 
 session of tlie estate. He had not tlie means to keep it in proper 
 order, and in i860 disposed of it through the State of Virginia to the 
 Mount Vernon Association for the sum of if?200,ooo. This associa- 
 tion was incorporated for the sole purpose of acquiring Mount Ver- 
 non, and by the terms of its charter the estate can never pass from its 
 
MOUNT VERNON. 
 
 295 
 
 possession. Virginia retains a super- 
 vision over it, and appoints a board of 
 visitors whose duty it is to examine the 
 property annually and report if the char- 
 ter conditions have been faithfully observed. 
 
 The project to purchase Mount Vernon, and preserve the home of 
 Washington from decay, originated with a Southern woman named 
 Famelia Cunningham. When its last proprietor announced his in- 
 tention of selling the estate, this devoted woman quickly obtained the 
 refusal of it for a certain time. She first appealed to Congress for 
 the purchase-money, but without success, and then, under the title of 
 “ The Southern Matron,” caused to be circulated a strong appeal to 
 the women of America for aid in the patriotic work. She secured a 
 charter from the Virginia Legislature, organized an association, of 
 which she became the Regent, appointed vice-regents in the various 
 states, and began to collect the funds. Contributions, large and 
 small, were received from all parts of the United States. Edward 
 Everett, by his writings and lectures, contributed over $68,000, the 
 largest single contribution. In one way and another the full amount 
 was obtained, and Mount Vernon was saved to the Nation. 
 
 THE STATE PARLOR, 
 MOUNT VERNON. 
 
CHAPTER XX. 
 
 HINTS AND SUGGESTIONS TO VISITORS TO THE NATIONAL CAPITAI A GOOD 
 
 WAY TO SEE AND ENJOY THE PRINCIPAL OBJECTS OF INTEREST IN A SHORT 
 TIME — THE HOURS TO VISIT THE CAPITOL, THE WHITE HOUSE, AND THE 
 DEPARTMENTS— GENERAL INFORMATION RELATING TO THE CITY AND ITS 
 CUSTOMS. 
 
 T O become well acquainted with the National Capital, and to 
 thoroughly enjoy its many distinctive features, an extended 
 visit is necessary. It is a spacious city, branching out in all 
 directions, and everywhere within it are numerous objects of 
 interest and beautiful localities which will repay careful and repeated 
 inspection. But as hundreds of visitors are pressed for time, and yet 
 desire to see as much as possible, and the most interesting things, a 
 few hints and suggestions may be of service. 
 
 A good way to begin sight-seeing when limited as to time, and 
 perhaps when not limited, is to take a carriage with an intelligent 
 driver, or one of the many hansom cabs, and leisurely ride through 
 the centre of the city — the northwest quarter. A ride like this will 
 enable a stranger to obtain a general view of the prominent localities 
 in a short time, and serve to fix them in tlie memory. The route 
 should be taken through the central portions of Pennsylvania Avenue, 
 and Seventh, Ninth, and F streets, and afterward through the 
 fashionable West End. 
 
 By riding the entire length of Connecticut Avenue from Lafayette 
 Park to Dupont Circle, then by extending the route through George- 
 town, up Georgetown Heights, passing Oak Hill Cemetery out on 
 the Tennallytown Road may be seen Oak View, the residence 
 of President Cleveland ; by such route, returning by the way 
 of Woodley Lane through Massachusetts Avenue, much of the 
 “ palatial section” will be traversed. Again, by continuing the ride 
 on Seventh Street, below Pennsylvania Avenue, the grounds of the 
 Mall can be inspected, with the Smithsonian Institution, the Na- 
 tional Museum, the Department of Agriculture Building, the Bureau 
 
HINTS AND SUGGESTIONS 
 
 297 
 
 The Capitol should 
 be thoroughly inspec- 
 ted, even if other ob- 
 
 jects of interest are the senator bayard mansion. 
 
 slighted. It is the 
 
 grandest edifice in America, and in many particulars in the world. 
 No picture can do it j'ustice ; no hasty inspection will reveal its mani- 
 fold wonders. The time taken to carefully examine its massive and 
 splendid architectural features, and its interesting special depart- 
 
 of Printing and En- 
 graving, and the 
 W ashington Mon u- 
 ment. In fact, a ride 
 over such a route will 
 enable one to see in 
 rapid succession the 
 White House, the 
 Treasury Building, 
 all the department 
 buildings, and many 
 of the finest churches, 
 mansions, institu- 
 tions, parks, squares 
 and circles, and busi- 
 ness structures. Af- 
 terward the ride might 
 be continued to the 
 Capitol and through 
 its grounds, and then 
 down East Capitol 
 Street as far as the 
 statue of Emancipa- 
 tion, returning by way 
 of NorthCarolina and 
 Pennsylvania ave- 
 nues. A good view 
 of Capitol Hill can 
 thus be obtained. 
 
298 
 
 picturesque WASHINGTON. 
 
 ments, will be well spent, and the intimate knowledge gained will 
 be much appreciated afterward. The Halls of Congress should be 
 closely studied, and if an opportunity is afforded to attend a night- 
 session of Congress, it should be improved. By no means fail to 
 ascend the dome of the Capitol, even if it does require rather severe 
 exercise. A guide can be profitably employed in the building, as it 
 is one to easily “ get lost” in. 
 
 The White House is open to visitors from 10 a. m. to 2 p. m., 
 every week-day. The East Room can be entered at any time dur- 
 ing these hours, and at short intervals an attendant escorts visitors 
 through the other state parlors. The President is usually “ at home” 
 to those who desire to pay their respects to him, but being a man of 
 many important affairs, he frequently keeps his visitors waiting for an 
 hour or two before he can receive them. While calling on him it 
 would be well to bear in mind the old adage about “ short visits.” 
 
 The department buildings are all open to visitors from 9 A. M. to 
 4 p. M. The State, War, and Navy Building has innumerable finely 
 furnished apartments, but few objects of special interest. When a 
 visitor has walked through one long corridor, and looked into two or 
 three of the apartments, particularly those occupied by the Depart- 
 ment of State, and taken perhaps a glance at some of the ancient 
 historical documents in this department, the building will be “ done” 
 well enough for ordinary, hasty sight-seeing. Of course if a visitor 
 has plenty of time an entire day might be spent in this great building, 
 and the luxurious appointments of the three departments carefully in- 
 spected. In the Treasury Building the cash-room, the money-vaults, 
 the counting division, and the Secret Service office, are about all the 
 places worth paying much attention to. In the Patent Office the Model 
 Museum, and in the Post-Office Department the Dead-Letter Office, 
 are of interest, but the remainder of these buildings can be very 
 quickly disposed of. The National Museum should be thoroughly 
 e.xamined, as it is a great “world’s fair,” and full of attractions. 
 The museum in the Department of Agriculture, and the Army Med- 
 ical Museum are replete with interest. An hour or two may be 
 agreeably spent in the Government Printing-Office, and in tlie Bureau 
 of Printing and Engraving, where the government currency is printed. 
 Visitors will find the department employ(^s very courteous as a rule, 
 and there need be no hesitation in applying to tliose stationed in the 
 
HINTS AND SUGGESTIONS. 
 
 299 
 
 corridors of the buildings for information, as in most cases it is part 
 of their duty to attend to persons seeking information. 
 
 A spot which is of great interest to visitors is the new Garfield 
 Circle, where the Garfield Monument is located, at the intersection 
 of Maryland Avenue and First Street, west of the Capitol, and ad- 
 joining the Capitol grounds. It was erected by the members of the 
 Society of the Army of the Cumberland, on May 12th, 1887. It 
 represents Garfield standing, and in the act of delivering his in- 
 augural address as President of the United States. The statue is 
 cast in bronze, and stands upon a circular pedestal of granite. At 
 the base of the pedestal are three bronze figures, each in a reclining 
 position. One of these figures represents a student, one a w^arrior, 
 and the other a statesman, each being typical of the three important 
 stages in Garfield’s life. The granite pedestal is inscribed upon 
 three sides with suitable inscriptions, and the whole monument is 
 one of the most tasteful and pleasing in the city. It cost $65,000. 
 
 THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. 
 
300 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 The Navy Yard is open daily from nine to four. Visitors, by 
 applying at the office of the commodore in charge of the yard, can 
 obtain a permit to inspect the naval museum, the monitors and ships 
 of w'ar, and the great work-shops. The cars of the Washington and 
 Georgetown street railroad, and the herdics I'unning on Pennsylvania 
 Avenue, will convey visitors directly to the Navy Yard entrance. 
 
 The Marine Barracks and the United States Barracks are open 
 to public inspection every day. The cars of the Seventh Street line 
 go to the entrance to the grounds of the United States Barracks. 
 
 In the Smithsonian Institution will be found many curious and 
 interesting objects. The institution is open daily from nine to four, 
 and its collections of natural history can be freely inspected. 
 
 Persons are frequently allowed to ascend to the top of the Wash- 
 ington Monument. Application for a permit should be made to the 
 official in charge of the monument. The view from the top is exceed- 
 ingly beautiful. 
 
 The best time to visit the great Center Market is early in the morn- 
 ing, or on Saturda}" evening. The Northern Liberty Market is also 
 worth a visit. 
 
 On Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays there is no charge for 
 admission to the Corcoran Gallery of Art. On other days tickets of 
 admission are twent}^-five cents. The gallery is open from lo a. m. 
 to 4 P. M. 
 
 It will be necessary to take a carriage to the Soldiers’ Home, and 
 to the Arlington Military Cemetery, as there are no regular convey- 
 ances. They can both be visited in a morning’s ride, and ought to 
 be included in the list of things worth seeing. On the way to the 
 Soldiers’ Home an inspection can be made of Howard University, 
 and on the way to Arlington the Georgetown College and Oak Hill 
 Cemetery can be inspected. 
 
 The Government Hospital for the Insane is open to visitors only 
 on Wednesdays from 2 to 6 p. m. A private conveyance will be nec- 
 essary. 
 
 No one should leave Washington without visiting Mount Vernon. 
 The steamboat leaves the wharf, foot of Seventh Street, every morn- 
 ing at 10 o’clock, and returns to the city at 3.30. The fare is one 
 dollar, which includes admission to the grounds and mansion. Visi- 
 
HINTS AND SUGGESTIONS. 
 
 3or 
 
 tors have little more than two hours in which to inspect this most 
 famous of America’s historic treasures. 
 
 The fare in the street cars and the herdics is five cents, or six 
 tickets for twenty-five cents. Cab rates are, by the trip, fifteen blocks 
 or less, each passenger, between 5 a. m. and 12.30 noon, twenty-five 
 cents ; between 12.30 noon and 5 a. m., forty cents. By the hour, 
 for one or two passengers, between 5 a. m. and 12.30 noon, seventy- 
 five cents ; between 12.30 noon and 5 a. m., $1.00 ; and hack rates 
 are nearly the same. Special rates are made for excursions. 
 
 The city post-office is located on Louisiana Avenue, near Penn- 
 sylvania Avenue and Seventh Street. The money-order office is in 
 the second story. 
 
 The three regular theatres, Albaugh’s Grand Opera House, the 
 New National Theatre, and Harris’ Bijou Opera House, furnish ex- 
 
30 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON 
 
 cellent entertainments during tlie dramatic season. They are con- 
 ducted in a first-class manner. 
 
 There are many hotels in the city, and visitors can easily suit 
 themselves as to prices, etc. Persons intending to remain for several 
 weeks can secure pleasant rooms in private families, with or without 
 board, at reasonable prices. There are many good restaurants 
 throughout the centre of the cit}'. 
 
 Washington is a progressive city, and is continuing to have a 
 great development, with every promise of still greater prosperity. It 
 will develop in art, in taste, in business facilities, and in all those 
 things which make a city I'eally prosperous and delightful. Beautiful 
 and attractive as it is at present, its beauty and attractions are likely to 
 be greatly enhanced. No one is jealous of its growth and increasing 
 prosperity — no one would stay its progress ; for it is the Nation’s city, 
 and reflects the grandeur and importance of the American people. 
 
o5 » 4 
 
INDEX 
 
 Adams, John, 147. 
 
 John Qiiincy, no, 152. 
 
 Agriculture, Department of, 227. 
 
 Commissioner of, 22S. 
 
 Museum of, 231. 
 
 Alexandria, 276. 
 
 Ancient Archives (Department of State), 170. 
 Aqueduct Bridge, 272. 
 
 Architects of the Capitol, 70, 71, 74. 
 
 Patent OfHce, 214. 
 
 Post-Office, 205. 
 
 Treasury, 175, 176, 
 
 Architect of the Department of Agriculture Build- 
 ing, 230. 
 
 State, War, and Navy Building, 16S. 
 
 White House, 138. 
 
 Arlington Military Cemetery, 273. 
 
 History of, 275. 
 
 House, 276. 
 
 Army, Generals of the, 192. 
 
 Headquarters, 192. 
 
 Medical Museum, 194. 
 
 Pay of Officers of the, 192. 
 
 Arthur, Chester A., 166. 
 
 Attorney-General, The, 225. 
 
 Auditors of the Treasury, 181. 
 
 Barracks, United States, 198. 
 
 Marine, 202. 
 
 Benton, Thomas Hart, 116. 
 
 Benevolent Institutions, 262. 
 
 Board of Public Works, 50. 
 
 Botanical Garden, 84. 
 
 British Invasion, The, 38. 
 
 Buchanan, James, 160. 
 
 Bureau of Education, 223. 
 
 Engraving and Printing, 184. 
 
 Indexes and Archives, 170. 
 
 Indian Affairs, 222. 
 
 Military Justice, 193. 
 
 Navigation, 201. 
 
 War Records, 193. 
 
 Yards and Docks. 202. 
 
 Buren, Martin Van, 116, 156. 
 
 Burning of the Capitol, 72. 
 
 Model Museum, 216. 
 
 Post-Office, 206. 
 
 Burning of the Treasury, 175. 
 
 White House, 149. 
 
 Burns, David, 31. 
 
 Marcia, 32, 
 
 Cabin John Bridge, 272. 
 
 Calhoun, John C., 116. 
 
 Canal, Alexandria, 273, 
 
 Chesapeake and Ohio, 272, 
 
 Capitol, The, Architects of, 70, 71, 74. 
 Bronze Doors of, 78, 80, 
 
 Burning of, 72. 
 
 Central Portico of, 78. 
 
 Corner-stone of, 71, 75. 
 
 Cost of, 74, 86. 
 
 Crypt in, 91. 
 
 Description of, 77. 
 
 Design of, 70. 
 
 Dome of, 81. 
 
 Extension of, 74. 
 
 Grand Staircases of, 120, 121. 
 Grounds of, $2. 
 
 Historical Paintings of, 90, 120, 121. 
 History of, 69. 
 
 Rotunda of, 89. 
 
 Statuary Hall of, 92. 
 
 Statuary of, 77, So, S3, 84, 94, 120, lai 
 Carroll, Daniel, 30. 
 
 Center Market, 260. 
 
 Chinese Legation, 172. 
 
 Churches, 254. 
 
 Circles, 62. 
 j Civil War, The, 46. 
 
 Soldiers and Sailors in, 217. 
 Classified Clerkships, 247. 
 
 Clay, Henry, 113. 
 
 Cleveland, Grover, iC6. 
 
 College of the Jesuits, 270. 
 
 Colored Population, The, 247. 
 
 Columbia Institution for Deaf and Dumb, 2 
 Columbian University, 26S. 
 
 Commissioner of Agriculture, 22S. 
 
 Customs, 187. 
 
 Education, 214. 
 
 Indian Affairs, 214. 
 
 Internal Revenue, 187. 
 
 Land Office, 214. 
 
3o6 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 Commissioner of Patents, 2i', 
 
 Pensions, 214. 
 
 Railroads, 214. 
 
 Comptroller of the Currency, 1S6. 
 
 Congressional Cemetery, 264. 
 
 Congress oflhe United States, The, 123. 
 
 Cost of Sessions of, 123. 
 
 Early Customs of, loS. 
 
 Famous Members of, i;o. 
 
 First Session in Washington of, 107. 
 
 Halls of the Houses of, iiS, 120. 
 
 Library of, 100, 
 
 Lobbyists and Claimants in, 132. 
 
 Methods of Legislation in, 124, 12S. 
 
 Record of, 133. 
 
 Representatives in, 124. 
 
 Connecticut Avenue, 240. 
 
 Convent of the Visitation, 258. 
 
 Corcoran Gallery of Art, 251. 
 
 Cottage of David Burns, 32. 
 
 Crawford Bronze Door, So. 
 
 Death of Lincoln, 47. 
 
 Washington, 293. 
 
 Department of Agriculture, 227. 
 
 Justice, 225, 
 
 State, 167. 
 
 The Interior, 213, 223. 
 
 Diplomatic and Consular Service, 173. 
 
 Director of the Geological Survey, 314. 
 
 Mint, 1S7. 
 
 Distribution of Seeds (Dept, of Agriculture), 330. 
 District Court House, 226, 
 
 District of Columbia, The, iS. 
 
 Boundary stone of, 27. 
 
 Explorations of, 20. 
 
 First Commissioners of. 27, 
 
 Government of, 55. 
 
 Indians of, 20. 
 
 Manufactures of, 55. 
 
 Schools of, 256. 
 
 Settlement of, 21. 
 
 Duddington House, 30. 
 
 Dupont Circle, 62. 
 
 Ellicott, Andrew, 2S. 
 
 English Legation, 174. 
 
 Etiquette, Official and Social, 100, 142, 146, 174. 243. 
 Explorations of Upper Potomac, 22. 
 
 Farragut Square (Statue of Farragut), 59. 
 
 Federal Territory, The, Selection of, 23. 
 
 Fillmore, Millard, 159. 
 
 Fire Department. The, 264. 
 
 First Comptroller of Treasury, 180. 
 
 First Proprietors Washington land. 29. 
 
 Fleet, Henry, Explorations by, 20. 
 
 Foreign Legations, 172. 
 
 Franklin Square, 61. 
 
 Freedmen’s Hospital, 202. 
 
 Garfield, James A., 166. 
 
 Memorial Church, 256. 
 
 Memorial Tablet to, 265. 
 
 Monument, 299. 
 
 General Land Office, 219. 
 
 Post-Office, 2 c 6. 
 
 Geological Survey, 223. 
 
 Georgetown, 270. 
 
 College, 270. 
 
 Laying out of, 22. 
 
 Gonzaga College, 25S. 
 
 Government Clerks, 244. 
 
 Employes, Number of, 53. 
 
 Hospital for Insane, 369. 
 Printing-Office, 236. 
 
 Grand Review of Volunteer Army, 47. 
 
 Grant, Ulysses S., 165. 
 
 Great Falls of the Potomac, 271. 
 
 Great Statesmen, no. 
 
 Greene Square (Statue of Gen. Greene), 60, 
 Growth of Washington, 3S, 43, 44, 46, 50, 53. 
 
 Harrison, William Henry, 157. 
 
 Hayes, Rutherford B., 165. 
 
 Hints to Visitors, 296. 
 
 Hotels, 263. 
 
 House of Representatives, 130. 
 
 Hall of, 120. 
 
 Howard University, 367. 
 
 Hydrographic Office (Navy Department), 201. 
 
 Interior, Department of the, 213. 
 
 Secretary of the, 313, 
 
 Iowa Circle, 62. 
 
 Jackson, Andrew, 154. 
 
 Statue of, 59 
 Japanese Minister, 173. 
 
 Jay, John, Chief J ustice, 9S. 
 
 JefTerson, Thomas, 14S. 
 
 Statue of, 131 . 
 
 Johnson, Andrew, 165. 
 
 Judiciary Square, 61. 
 
 Justice, Department of, 226. 
 
 Lafayette Square (Statue of Jackson), 59, 
 
 Land taken for Washington, 2S. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 307 
 
 Law Schools, 25S. 
 
 L’Enfant, Pierre Charles, 27, 2S, 34. 
 
 Library of Con'jress, 100. 
 
 Lincoln, Abraliam, 162. 
 
 Death of, 47. 
 
 Square (Statue of Emancipation), 60, 
 Statue, 62, 94. 
 
 Lobbyists, 132. 
 
 Long Bridge, 64. 
 
 Louise Home, The, 253. 
 
 Mace, The, in House of Representatives, loS. 
 Madison, James, 149. 
 
 Manners and Customs in Early Days, 43. 
 
 Market Hucksters, The, 249. 
 
 Marshall, John, Chief Justice, 9S. 
 
 Masonic Temple, 263. 
 
 Massachusetts Avenue, 5S. 
 
 McPherson Square (Statue of General McPher- 
 son), 60. 
 
 Military Organizations, 265* 
 
 Monroe, James, 151, 
 
 Mount Vernon, 279. 
 
 History of, 2S9. 
 
 Mansion at, 2S0, 
 
 Martha Washington’s Chamber at, 2S5. 
 
 Old Tomb at, 2S3. 
 
 Possessors of, 294. 
 
 Project to Purchase, 295. 
 
 Rooms in Mansion at, 2S5. 
 
 Tomb of Washington at, 2S4. 
 
 Washington’s Chamber at, 2S4. 
 Washington’s Death at, 293. 
 
 Washington’s Life at, 289. 
 
 National Deaf Mute College, 268. 
 
 Library, 100. 
 
 Medical College, 25S. 
 
 Military Cemetery, 273. 
 
 Museum, 235, 
 
 Soldiers and Sailors Orphan Home, 262. 
 Naval Monument, 84. 
 
 Observatory, 202. 
 
 Navy Department, The, 200. 
 
 Pay of Officers of the, 200. 
 
 Secretary of the, aoo. 
 
 Yard, 202. 
 
 Newspapers, 262, 
 
 Northern Liberty Market, 261. 
 
 Oak Hill Cemetery, 264. 
 
 Odd Fellows* Building, 263, 
 
 Official Society, 242, 
 
 Old Capitol, The, 73. 
 
 Oldest Senator, The, 130. 
 
 Old War Department Building, 190, 
 
 Opposition to the Capital, 37. 
 
 Ordnance Museum, 196, 
 
 Original Landholders, 29, 34. 
 
 Painting, Perry’s Victory on Lake Erie, 120. 
 
 Proclamation of Emancipation, 121, 
 Palatial Mansions, 240. 
 
 Parking System, 5$. 
 
 Parks, References to, 59, 62, 66, 82, ^4, 139, 230, 234, 
 Patent Office, The, 214. 
 
 Library of, 216. 
 
 Museum of Models of, 216. 
 
 Official Gazette of, 215. 
 
 Pennsylvania Avenue, 57. 
 
 Pensioners, Number of, 217. 
 
 Pension Office, The, 217. 
 
 New Building of, 21S. 
 
 Pierce, Franklin, 159. 
 
 Plan of Washington, 28, 56. 
 
 Police Force, 264. 
 
 Polk, James K., 15S. 
 
 Population of Washington, 44, 46, 52. 
 
 Colored, 247. 
 
 Postmaster General, The, 206, 
 
 Post-Office Department, The, 205. 
 
 Contract Office of, 208. 
 
 Dead-Letter Office of, 209. 
 
 Divisions of, 207. 
 
 Money-Order Office of, 211. 
 
 Star Service of, 207. 
 
 Presidents of the United States, The, 147 to 166. 
 President’s Room, Capitol, 1 iS. 
 
 Project to Remove the Capital, 49. 
 
 Property Valuation, 55. 
 
 Public Documents, 135. 
 
 Lands, 220. 
 
 Markets, 259. 
 
 Schools, 256. 
 
 ■Quarters of Washington, 62. 
 
 Railroads, 224, 265. 
 
 Randolph, John, 112. 
 
 Rawlins Square (Statue of General Rawlins , 60. 
 Register of the Treasury, xS6. 
 
 Rogers Bronze Door, 78. 
 
 Sale of Lots, First Public, 34. 
 
 Schools, Public, 256. 
 
 Scott Square (Statue of General Scott', 59. 
 
 Selection of Federal Territory, 23. 
 
 Senate Chamber, 118. 
 
 Senate in Session, 128. 
 
3o8 
 
 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. 
 
 Shepherd, Alexander R., 50. 
 
 Signal Office, or Weather Bureau, 196. 
 
 Situation of Washington, 19. 
 
 Slave and Free Labor, ^o. 
 
 Smithsonian Institution, 233. 
 
 Social Season, The, 242. 
 
 Soldiers and Sailors in Civil War, 217. 
 
 Soldiers’ Home, 19S. 
 
 Solicitor of the Treasury, 226. 
 
 Squares, 59. 
 
 Star Routes (Post-Office Department), 207. 
 
 State, Department of, 167, 
 
 Secretary of, 167. 
 
 War, Navy and Building, 16S. 
 
 Statuary Hall, Capitol, 92. 
 
 Statues from States in, 94. 
 
 Statue of Civilization, 7S. 
 
 Columbus, 78. 
 
 Farragut, 59. 
 
 Franklin, 120. 
 
 Freedom, Capital Dome, Si. 
 
 Greene, 60. 
 
 Jackson, 59. 
 
 Jefferson, 121. 
 
 Lincoln, 60, 62, 94. 
 
 McPherson, 60. 
 
 Rawlins, 60. 
 
 Scott, 59, 199. 
 
 Thomas, 62. 
 
 Washington, by Greenough, S3. 
 
 Houdon, 94. 
 
 Mills, 62. 
 
 Statues in Squares and Circles, 59 to 62. 
 
 Streets and Avenues, 56. 
 
 Summer Residence of the Presidents, 199. 
 
 Supreme Court of the United States, 9^. 
 
 Chief Justice of the, 98. 
 
 District of Columbia, 226. 
 Surgeon-General, Department of, 193. 
 
 Taylor, Zachary, 159. 
 
 Theatres, 262. 
 
 Thomas Circle (Statue of General Thomas), 6a. 
 Tomb of Washington, 284. 
 
 Trade of Washington, 54. 
 
 Transfer ofGovernmcnt to Washington, 35. 
 Transformation of Washington, 53. 
 
 Treasury Department, The, 175. 
 
 Bureau of Printing and Engraving of, 184. 
 Cash-Room of, 1S4. 
 
 Department, Secret Service of, 187. 
 Divisions of, 179. 
 
 Money-Vaults of, »8i. 
 
 ' Treasury Department, Officials of, 178, 180, 181, 186. 
 I Redemption Division of, 1S2. 
 
 i Secretary of the, 178. 
 
 Tyler, John, 158. 
 
 Van Ness, John P., 33. 
 
 Mansion, 33. 
 
 View from Capitol Dome, 86. 
 
 War Department, The, 189, 
 
 Divisions of, 189, 193 to 19S. 
 
 Secretary of, 190. 
 
 Washington Asylum, 262. 
 
 British Invasion of, 38. 
 
 Bushrod, Justice, 99. 
 
 Circle (Statue of Washington), 62. 
 
 Colored People in, 247. 
 
 Designer of, 27, 2S, 34. 
 
 Early Customs of, 43. 
 
 Government Employes in, 53. 
 
 Government of, 55. 
 
 Growth of, 38, 43, 44, 46, 50. 52. 
 
 History of, 27 to 52. 
 
 Monument, The, 64. 
 
 Original Landholders, of, 29, 34. 
 
 Plan of, 2$, 56. 
 
 Population of, 44, 46, 52. 
 
 Schools of, 257. 
 
 Situation of, 10. 
 
 Streets of, 56. 
 
 Trade of, 54. 
 
 Transfer of Government to, 35. 
 Transformation of, 52. 
 
 Value of Property in, 55. 
 
 Water Works, 266. 
 
 Wayland Seminary, 26S. 
 
 Weather Bureau, The, 196. 
 
 Webster, Daniel, 114. 
 
 West End, The, 239. 
 
 White House, The, 137. 
 
 Architect of, 38. 
 
 Burning of, by British, 149. 
 
 Cost of, 13S, 142, 
 
 Description of, 13S. 
 
 Employes of, 143* 
 
 Marriages at, 149, 153, 154. 
 
 Occupants of, 147 to 166, 
 
 Receptions at, 146, 
 
 Room.s of, 139. 
 
 Routine of Business at, 142* 
 
 ** Silver Wedding ** at, 166. 
 
 Young, Notlcy, 33. 
 

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