Show pocketbook POCKET BOOK SCRAPS our correspondent on the streets of washington THE government A vi it to lie on alie tip of also monument nationiel editor ENQUIRER is pronounced to be the mot mo t beautiful city in the union it well deserves its fame as any person will really concede by guin through and round about her broad and well paved avenues skirted with contina ous 1 ns of trees ever clear and repair encourage the strangers to explore them colossal public buildings of magnificent architecture no business blocks thousands of elegant residences parks largo and small with flowers fountains and statuary make a city often dreamed of but seldom seen government buildings and public places are open during reasonable licurs liours to visitors questions are answered and courtesies shown without fee or expect tation of any uncle sam tries to make his children feel at home of course I 1 visited the capital A person must really see it in order to appreciate preci ate its size and grandeur the total length of the whole edifice is feet four inches while the dome rises feet lour above the level of the grounds in the rotunda are magnificent paintings by alie mosi eminent artists costing thousands of dollars representing scenes in the history of this country in fact the walls of the various rooms and corridors are every where adorned with portraits of eminent statesmen of america together with historical and allegorical pictures and statuary I 1 viewed the senate chamber hall of representatives supreme court room the library of which shows the tribute of much art skill and money lastly I 1 climbed the great dome by its steps one for each day of the year and had a fine view of th e city A trio to the top of the washington monument will never be forgotten several of us made the journey by stairway which consumed nearly fifteen minutes of hard climbing the climb waa the fact that ohp interior walls are ornamented by the insertion of numerous specimen pieces sent from all parts of the world the shaft is feet high the walls being fifteen feet thick at the base and grad bally tapering at the rate of one fourth inch to the foot on alie outside the inside of the wall is perpendicular and the enclosed space if twenty feet square for feet when the wall is enlarged to thirty one feet six inches square and this is its size lo 10 the top the base is fifty five feet square from the port holes at the top can be seen all of the city with its suburbs and the country for miles adjacent the prospect of the broad potomic irom this point of observation is wonderfully der fully effective the descent by the steaba elevator took nine minutes which gave opportunity to see the ii options on the walls the whole i bior is lighted by electricity being nt of gneiss and marble nothing jut an earthquake will ever throw it dowland dow nand for many generations yet to it will keep alive the memory of the immortal washington the national museum is an immense structure covering nearly two and a half acres of land it contains gifts from thousands of person besides collections made by agents of the government in all parts of the world montha of time might be profitably spent here 8 numerous are the specimens jhc thc department of and pan steal geology claimed most of my limited time the department of agriculture is an interesting spot about thirty six acres an included in its boundaries never before had I 1 seen tho pine apple growing here are palm groves orange trees with the fruit ripening and other tropical plants in delightful profusion A walk through these and the horticultural grounds remind one of the dream of paradise where fountains play where birds sit and where flowers ever bloom thousands of different trees and plants are growing luxuriantly I 1 saw even our native sunflower and wild mountain grape both showed the effects of cultivation the navy yard the patent office the treasury building the bureau of engraving the pension building the white house and many other places of I 1 note well repay the time spent ing throughout them the fourth was not celebrated save hy the small hoy with firecracker fire cracker at attachment the weather is distressingly warm and many are leaving the city for the summer resorts J B K washington D C july 5 ISOO |