An aged claimant for a pension, who served in the war of 1812, residing in Illinois in December, 1871, wrote to the Office as follows: “Oh! can it be true that I am going to get $100? That news is too good! I’m so hungry, and I love coffee so, but I can’t get any! All I have to eat is corn-bread and sour milk. I can’t believe that I am to get so much money, but I pray God it may be true.” It is needless to say that this claim was made “special,” and the octogenarian had “coffee” for his Christmas breakfast.
A Captain B., of Havre-de-Grace, Maryland, a claimant for pension under Act of 1871, for services in the War of 1812, had his claim rejected, it appearing that he served less than sixty days, as required by that Act; whereupon the Captain grew wrathy, and wrote as follows:
“N. B.—Any man that will say that I was not a Private soldier in Capt. Paca Smith’s company before the attack of the British on the City of Baltimore, and during the attack on said City in Sept., 1814, and after the British dropped down to Cape Henry, I say he is a dastard, a liar, and a coward, and no gentleman, or any man that will say that I got my Land-warrant from the Hon. Geo. C. Whiting, for 160 acres of Land, for 14 days’ services in Capt. Paca Smith’s company, is the same, as stated above, and I hold myself responsible for the contents of this letter; and if their dignity should be touched, a note of honor directed to Capt. Wm. B——, Havre-de-Grace, Harford Co., Md., shall be punctually attended to.
“Wm. B——.”
CHAPTER XL.
TREASURES AND CURIOSITIES OF THE PATENT OFFICE—THE
MODEL ROOM—ITS RELICS AND INVENTIONS.
The Patent Office Building—Grace and Beauty of its Architecture—Four “Sublime” Porticoes—A Pretty Large Passage—The Model Room—“The Exhibition of the Nation”—A Room two hundred and seventy Feet in Length—The Models—Recording our Name—Wonders and Treasures of the Room—Benjamin Franklin’s Press—Model Fire-Escapes—Wonderful Fire-Extinguishers—The Efforts of Genius—Sheep-Stalls, Rat-Traps, and Gutta Percha—An Ancient Mariner’s Compass—Captain Cook’s Razor—The Atlantic Cable—Original Treaties—The Signatures of Emperors—An Extraordinary Turkish Treaty—Treasures of the Orient—Rare Medals—The Reward of Major Andre’s Captors—The Washington Relics—His Old Tent—His Blankets and Bed-Curtain—His Chairs and Looking-Glass—His Primitive Mess-Chess and old Tin Plates—The Old Clothes of the “Father of His Country”—Military Relics of Well-known Men—Original Draft of the Declaration of Independence—Washington’s Commission—Model of an Extraordinary Boat—Abraham Lincoln as an Inventor—The Hat Worn on the Fatal Night—The Gift of the Tycoon—The Efforts of Genius—A Machine to Force Hens to Lay Eggs—A Hook for Fishing Worms out of the Human Stomach—The Library of the Patent Office.
The lawful fees for issuing patents having accumulated into a considerable fund, Congress added an appropriation, and directed that the whole amount should be invested in a new building to be called the Patent Office.
From that double fund has arisen the majestic structure which, next to the Capitol, is the most august building in Washington. The southern front of the Treasury is of superlative beauty, and from several other points its architectural grace cannot be surpassed; but its whole effect is marred by the dingy, unbroken outline of its Fifteenth-street side. The advantage of the Patent-Office is, that from any point which you choose to survey it, it impresses you as supremely grand. Occupying two blocks, or an entire public square, standing upon a prominence, it spreads and towers into space incomparable in mass and majesty. You may approach it from four opposite directions, and on each side you lift your eyes to four sublime porticoes towering before you. They are supported by double rows of Doric columns, eighteen feet in circumference, made of gleaming crystallized marble. The entire building is of pure Doric architecture, strong, simple and majestic. Its southern front is an exact copy of the Pantheon at Rome, and the eastern portico is modelled after that of the Parthenon at Athens.
The length of the building, from Seventh to Ninth streets, is 410 feet, and its width, from F to G streets, 275 feet. Its original design was made by Mr. William P. Elliot, at that time surveyor of the City of Washington. The plan was largely executed by Mr. Mills, architect of Public Buildings; while the grand northern portico has been consummated under the superintendence of Mr. Edward Clark, the present architect of the Capitol.
We enter the eastern door of the basement-story, into a spacious passage running from east to west, the whole length of the building. Through it, large-wheeled machines can be drawn. On each side of this hall are rooms for the deposit of fuel, large and heavy models and department offices. In the centre springs a semi-circular stone staircase, with three flights of steps, which ascend to the second, third and last story. The corridor in the first story is like the one that we entered below, and on each side of the hall, doors open into commodious apartments for the accommodation of the commissioners, examiners, clerks, etc.