greatest of care. On the left, as one enters the patio through the vestibule, is the "Peace Tree," which was planted by President Taft and Mr. Carnegie on the occasion of the dedication of the building, and has flourished from the day it was placed in its present position.

In the rear of the patio is a wide corridor which is used for exhibits of the products of the Latin American countries, while still further back is the main reading room and reference library of the Union. This contains a large relief map of Latin America, which is one of the largest of the kind in the world and gives an excellent impression of the size and the physical features of the republics lying to the south of the United States. The offices of the Union extend along the southern and northern sides of the building, and are capacious, sanitary and well lighted. In them some fifty employes bend their energies to the work of the institution. On the north side is also a stack room with ultimate capacity of two hundred thousand volumes. It now contains about twenty thousand volumes, which is the nucleus of a collection known as the "Columbus Memorial Library," and it contains an excellent collection of the official records of the Latin American republics and of books of history, description and travel of those countries.

Ascending the grand stairways which, on either side of the patio reach with gradual and easy marble steps from the first to the second floors, the visitor finds himself in the gallery of national standards and patriots. Suspended from the ceiling are the flags of all the American republics, placed there by their governments to remain forever as historical records of the American nations that existed when the building was constructed. On either

side of this and along the walls of the galleries branching at right angles from it are the busts of the patriots and heroes of the constructive days of the American nations, including Washington and Blaine, Bolívar, of Venezuela; San Martin, of Argentina; Juarez, of Mexico; José Bonifacio, of Brazil; Mora, of Costa Rica; Morazán, of Honduras; Herrera, of Panama; and Dessalines, of Haiti.

Opening off the south side of this gallery is the office of the Director General; adjoining is the reception room for visiting officials, and beyond, in the southeast corner, is the office of the Assistant Director. In the northeast corner is a special committee room for the use of the members of the Governing Board.

This gallery in turn opens through four portals into the large assembly hall or auditorium, known as "The Hall of the Americas," which is said to be the most beautiful room of its kind in the United States. The large windows in the rear, looking out upon the terrace, carry the coats of arms and colors of the various American republics, and are draped with curtains of royal purple. This room is over one hundred feet in length and approximately seventy feet in width. One thousand persons can be easily seated within its limits. At the southern end of this hall is the room of the Gov erning Board, which, in some respects, is the most interesting room in the building. It is here that the representatives of the twenty-one America republics gather once a month to consider the welfare of the Union. The large table is made of mahogany from the Dominican Republic. The chair carry the names and the coats of arms of the respective republics. Th bronzes ornamenting the walls of the room were done by Mrs. Sally Jame Farnham, of New York, and are considered remarkable pictures of the mythology and early history of the American republics. Among the scene depicted are: South side-Bolívar leading his troops over the Andes; th Conquest of Peru by Pizarro; the meeting of San Martín, of Argentina and O'Higgins, of Chile. West side-Champlain negotiating with the Huron and Algonquins prior to his attack on the Iroquois. North side-Columbu discovering America; the Conquest of Mexico by Cortes; Balboa taking possession of the Pacific Ocean in the name of Spain. East side-Kin John, of Portugal, landing at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1810.

In the basement of the building is the large mailing room, in which ar handled annually one million pamphlets and letters. Under the patio is a elaborate arrangement for throwing electric light through the waters of th fountain, enabling it to show the colors of the American republics.

The building is located in a plot of ground covering five acres, and it the intention to improve these eventually with a sunken garden in the rea and with other artistic landscape effects.

PENSION BUILDING.

1H Pension Building is in Judiciary Square, at F and Fourth streets. Open from 9 A. M. to 4 P. M.

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ORE eloquent than the storied frieze of the Parthenon is to an American the sculpture of the Pension Building, with the marching hosts of the Boys in Blue. Infantry, cavalry and artillery-now keeping buoyant step to the drumbeat and now lagging with weariness, the strong supporting the weak-here they are pictured marching on, as the world saw them march, in the years when men bore arms for their country. Many a veteran has felt his pulse quicken at the sight of the old familiar scenes, and to many a younger man the story of the '60s has been made more real by these speaking groups.

Within the immense building-for it covers an area of 200x400-ft.-one finds a vast court, with lofty roof of iron and glass. It is a veritable bit of outdoors between four walls. Gallery rises above gallery, surrounding the court, and tier upon tier of offices. The roof, of iron and glass, is supported by great columns which appear to be marble, but are brick55,700 bricks to a column. They rest on foundations 18-ft. below the floor, and from the floor to the roof they are 75-ft. in height. The building was completed in 1885. Some notion of its magnitude may be had from the fact that at the Inauguration Balls, which are held here, 18,000 people have been gathered within it. The floor space is filled with rows upon rows of cabinets, in which are filed the hundreds of thousands of documents relating to pensions. So perfect is the system that within five minutes after inquiry the entire record of a pension case may be put before one. Among the 2,000 clerks here may be noted many an old soldier wearing the bronze button; and there may be seen, too, many an armless sleeve.

THE SOLDIERS' HOME.

SITUATED three miles north of the Capitol. Reached (best route) by the 9th street cars. Open daily, from 9 to sunset.

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WO landmarks are conspicuous upon the hills which encircle Washington-the colonnaded portico of Arlington House on the heights of Virginia in the west and the white tower of the United States Soldiers' Home on the rim of the hills on the north. It may be said that they mark in the west and in the north the geographical range of interest for the visitor in the Federal City. Neither of them should be omitted from one's itinerary.

The Home is beautiful for situation; its Norman tower is a distinctly pleasing feature of the landscape, and in turn the grounds give a much admired prospect of Washington, with the Capitol, the new Library, the Monument and the windings of the Potomac. A lovelier site would have been sought long in vain.

The Soldiers' Home is for the benefit of men who have been honorably discharged from the regular army after twenty years' service, or who have been disabled by wounds or disease. Inmates are received for life, or for a shorter term.

Of the five dormitory buildings, the principal one is the Scott Building, named in grateful memory of the founder of the Home, Gen. Winfield Scott. It is of marble, with Norman battlements and a clock tower. The Sherman Building is named in honor of Gen. W. T. Sherman, and the Sheridan Building after Gen. Philip H. Sheridan. The Anderson Building, named for Gen. Robert Anderson, in recognition of his early efforts in behalf of the Home, is popularly known as the President's Cottage. Several of the Presidents have spent the summer months here. The King Building is named after Surgeon B. King, who was long stationed here. There are Officers' Quarters, a Library, the Chapel, the Hospital and other buildings. Near the Chapel is a monument erected by the enlisted men of the army in memory of "Henry Wilson, the Soldiers' Friend." The grounds comprise 512 acres of diversified lawn, slope and ravine. One view which is much admired is that from the knoll on which stands Launt Thompson's bronze statue of Gen. Scott.

National Cemetery. Just north of the grounds, in the National Cemetery, with its headstones in orderly array of nearly 7,000 soldiers, is the monument erected by the soldiers of the Home to the memory of Gen. John C. Kelton, Governor in 1892-93.

MOUNT VERNON.

MOUNT VERNON is on the Virginia shore of the Potomac, 16 miles south of Washington. It is open to visitors daily except Sunday from 11 to 5 in the term from May 1st to November 1st, and from 11 to 4 from November 1st to May 1st. An admission fee of 25 cents is charged.

The all-rail route is by the Washington-Virginia Railway (trolley) from station, 12th street and Pennsylvania avenue. For Schedule see advertising page.

The all-water route is by the Mount Vernon and Marshall Hall Steamboat Company, Ltd. (Steamer Charles Macalester) from wharf foot of 7th street, S W. For Schedule see advertising page.

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vane.

HE Mansion House of Mount Vernon occupies a beautiful site overlooking the river. It is of wood, cut and painted to resemble stone. The building, 96 x 30-ft., has two stories and an attic with dormer windows; the roof is surmounted by a cupola, with antique weatherIn front extends a piazza 15-ft. deep and 25-ft. high, with square pillars, and a floor tiled with flags from the Isle of Wight. Two kitchens are connected with the central building by colonnades. In front of the house are shaded lawns, and a deer park below; in the rear are lawns, gardens and orchards; and disposed about the grounds are the outbuildings of a Virginia farm. The main hall of the house extends through from front to back; the six rooms on the first floor are the Banquet Room, Music Room, West Parlor, Family Dining Room, Mrs. Washington's Sitting Room and the Library. But before noting the rooms and their objects of interest, we shall do well to review briefly the story of Washington's home and its preservation by the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association of the Union.

History. The house was built in 1743 by Lawrence, half-brother of George Washington. The name of Hunting Creek Estate was changed to Mount Vernon in honor of Admiral Vernon, under whom Lawrence had served against Spain. On the death of Lawrence and of his only daughter, Washington inherited the estate, and came to live here soon after his marriage in 1759. Here he conducted his farm until called to the field; to Mount Vernon he returned after Yorktown, and again after his terms as President; and here he lived in dignified retirement as a private citizen until his death in 1799.

Mount Vernon Ladies' Association. The associations of Washington with the place during his lifetime and the presence of his tomb here made Mt. Vernon a shrine of patriotism. When in 1855 John Augustine Washington, being without means to maintain the estate, offered it for sale, a patriotic daughter of South Carolina, Ann Pamela Cunningham, resolved to save the Washington home as a permanent shrine of patriotism. With a high courage, which in its very daring augured success, she devoted herself to the tremendous task of raising the sum of $200,000 required for the purpose. In 1858 the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association of the Union was organized, with Miss Cunningham as Regent and Vice-Regents representing twelve States. Contributions were solicited and popular support was