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MATILDA SCHWABE : 1910 ORIGINAL SCRAPBOOK AND DIARY OF AN ENTHUSIASTIC STUDENT'S TRIP TO THE NATION'S CAPITOL

8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. On offer is a wonderful, original scrapbook and trip diary created and compiled by West Chester State Normal School student Matilda Schwabe from West Chester Pennsylvania of her senior class trip to the Capitol in the spring of 1910. The book has 52 pages filled with ephemera and handwritten entries. A very charming girl she would mark an "x" or "o" on many of the postcards and then write about what she was seeing. The "x" or "o" was usually where she was standing or sitting at the time the entry was written. She also gets to meet and shake hands with President Taft. The ephemera consists of postcards and other art pieces tipped, pinned or slipped into homemade slots. None are glued. There are 45 postcards and then 18 other pieces of ephemera. The one that really stuck out to me was the two rocks in an envelope which she says…. "We next walked about the grounds and looked in the shed where we saw his coach (George Washington's). These stones came from Martha Washington's flower garden." There are also multi page brochures with numerous pages such as the "Pennsylvania Railroad Guide to Washington" which has 35 pages and a map in the back; a piece of Arlington Hotel Stationery; pressed leaves; ticket stubs and more. Two pieces are engraved brochures showing the Capitol; one the Official Directory for the United States House of Representatives and one a Diagram of the United States Senate. And then there is her narrative. Here are some snippets: 1910 "Thursday morning a five o'clock I began to get ready to set out to Washington. We were given the above card and the tag was fastened to my suitcase (This luggage tag is in this scrapbook) before we left which was at the time stated above……On the way we went through Wilmington and Baltimore and passed the Susquehanna, Brush and Gun Powder Rivers at a distance of about three miles from the Chesapeake Bay. Look for other interesting things on the first pages of the Pennsylvania Railroad guide to Washington on the next page." "We were then taken to the Senate which is in the part marked thus "o" and were given seats in the gallery in the corner opposite the one marked on the next page. Small boys were distributing papers etc. These boys receive salaries of about $90 per month. Senator Penrose of Pennsylvania sat in the seat marked X and Senator Gore of Oklahoma in the one near the door. We arrived for the afternoon session and William P. Frye of Maine opened it with prayer. The Vice President was not there. In giving a motion he would say, "All in favor give their consent by saying aye, contrary no. The ayes have it" without a stop or giving anyone a chance to speak. There were only a few Senators there because it was not very important business which they were transacting…..All those who wished to were allowed to ascend the dome and I went up. The steps were very steep and narrow. We walked around the dome where I have it marked and had an excellent view of the whole city. Bertha and I started down and when we reached half way we saw a young man who seemed to be trying to slide down the banister. When we reached him we saw it was Jack. He was holding on with two hands and was very nervous….." "The Arlington Hotel and Annex. Vermont Ave. and Lafayette Square. Opposite Executive Mansion. The Annex was at one time Charles Summer's residence. Our room was No. 273, fifth floor, the gable windows around the upper end. It contained a large chandelier, two separate lights, a telephone, desk, wash stand, dresser, closet, two chairs, small table, double bed, cot and brass bed. Ruth wanted the brass one, Mary the cot and I slept with Bertha in the large one. The next morning Ruth massacred about ten. I don't think she cared much for the brass bed then. We had breakfast at seven but were up at six. The paper below came from the desk in the sitting room of the hotel." "As we were leaving five cars filled with pupils from the Philadelphia Normal arrived and we gave our yells. They clapped for us. That evening we had turkey and cranberry sauce for supper after which a party of us went to see the Library of Congress at night. It was splendid. The marble shone wonderfully by the light of the many electric light. We packed our suit cases and went to bed….." "We were lined up outside the Presidents office, two by two and had to wait until he had met a number of people before we were permitted to enter. We saw Senator Butler on the steps. Two policemen kept us in line. While standing there a gardener came by and said, "You are very anxious to see him. We are tired looking at him." At last we entered and outside the door of the room in which he stood was a desk from which Sue Kline took rubber bands and gave me the one on the card on the next page (which a piece of the rubber band is still under the postcard). I was about the tenth to enter and Bertha was behind me. He stood by his secretary to whom we gave our names as we passed. He was so little that I passed him and only realized that he was there when Bertha shook hands with him. I extended mine back but thinking it improper I drew it away. He extended his then and we shook hands. He laughed out loud and I did also. The girls said that when the twentieth had passed him he said, "By George there must be a thousand." We were very fortunate because the Philadelphia Normal girls did not get the opportunity of meeting him….." "After dinner we went by trolley to the wharf and boarded a steamer for Mount Vernon. We sat on the top of the steamer and danced when the orchestra played on the deck below. It was beautiful going down on the Potomac and we passed Fort Washington on the way. Mr. Blackburn gave me the above card. The card on the opposite page I bought……Going ashore we were told to return when the whistle blew." "Flowers and Cedar came from Cedarcroft, the home of Bayard Taylor. It is not very far from West Chester and takes its name from the numerous Cedar trees which grow on its lawns. Taylor built it and went in debt. It is now a school for boys. I visited it one Sunday in company with Mable Hedrick and Anna Langrell. The conductor took us to Kennett Square and then had to take us back." Written in a 7 x 8¼ inch Composition Book is overall G.. Manuscript. Book Condition: Good

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