THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT COMPLETED. 505 



August 7, 1880, the first stone above 150 feet from the foundation was laid, 

 and to this date Mr. McLaughlin has superintended th§ whole of the work. 



Since the commencement of work on this monument the States cf California, 

 Oregon, Minnesota, Kansas, Nevada, Nebraska, and Colorado have been admitted 

 into the Union, we have chronicled the history of nine political administrations, 

 witnessed the birth and death of political parties, and passed through a terrible 

 civil war and four financial strains, and established the best banking system in the 

 world. The great republic in the meantime has grown from 23,000,000 to 

 55,000,000 people, and in material wealth from $7,400,000,000, or $320 per 

 inhabitant, to $57,000,000,000, or about $1,000 per inhabitant. When the 

 National Monument was begun Great Britain possessed five times the wealth 

 owned by the United States, and while the wealth of the former country has only 

 doubled within the past four decades, that of the latter has increased twelvefold. 

 As to the constituent factors of American progress in their aggregate in the four 

 decades they are sufficient to buy up the whole Austrian Empire several times 

 over, or pay for the aggregate value of the "effete" monarchies of Italy, Holland, 

 and Belgium almost three times over during that period. Our tilled acreage 

 has increased from 50,000,000 to 170,000,000 acres, the crops have increased in 

 value from $415,000,000 to $2,500,000,000, and the cattle have increased in value 

 from $380,000,000 to $18,400,000,000. Our imports have increased from$i78,- 

 000,000 to $668,000,000, and our exports from $152,000,000 to $836,000,000.- 



The work is by no means completed now, for it will take many months, and 

 perhaps several years, to complete the pedestal and finish up the surroundings. 



The joint commission in charge of the monument has recently submitted to 

 Congress a report showing its progress during the past year. The report shows 

 the weight of the monument is 81,120 tons, and it has cost $1,187,710, of which 

 Congress appropriated $887,710. In relation to the completion of the monument 

 the engineer in charge of the work submitted a report with that of the commis- 

 sion. He says : "Two methods of treating the terrace at the foot of the shaft 

 have been suggested. * One method proposes to erect a retaining wall of the most 

 beautiful marble around the terrace, which wall is to be surmounted with marble 

 balustrade. At the centre of each face is to be setoff", broad double stairs extend- 

 ing from the general level of the esplanade, which is to be paved with marble tiles 

 of approved patterns. The other method of finish proposed, is to fill earth about 

 the present terrace, and extend this filling as far from the monument as to fade 

 the slopes of the embankment gradually into the surrounding surfaces, and this is 

 to be done with so much skill as to give the mound an appearance as far from 

 artificial as possible. This mound is then to be planted with trees and shrubs, 

 and paths are to be laid out. A pavement is to be put around the foot of the 

 mound, far enough to prevent storm waters from washing out the filling. If the 

 marble wall is decided upon, an appropriation of $612,300 is asked to complete 

 the entire work. If the second proposition is adopted but $166,800 is desired. 

 The joint commission favor the latter method. 



The Congressional Commission tO' arrange for the dedication of the monu- 



