The Cameron elm, one of the old trees in the Capitol grounds, south of the south wing of the building, is made notable from the circumstance that Simon Cameron, of Pennsylvania, while a member of the Senate Committee on Public Buildings, intervened in its behalf and prevented its destruction. In the Botanic Garden are planted a large number of trees, memorials of men prominent in the Nation’s history. These trees are both evergreen and deciduous, and a number of them are splendid specimens. There is the Crittenden tree, an overcup oak, planted in 1863 by J. J. Crittenden, of Crittenden compromise fame. The acorns for this and a companion tree planted at the same time by Robert Mallory, a personal friend of Crittenden, were brought from Kentucky by them. Mr. Mallory’s tree was planted on what was, prior to its incorporation in the Botanic Garden, the towpath of the old Washington Canal. The Garfield tree has this novel history: At the funeral ceremonies of President Garfield a small seedling branchlet of acacia was placed on his coffin by a member of the Masonic fraternity. After his burial this seedling plant was brought to Washington, and planted in its present location. Near this tree, on the opposite side of the walk, an acacia tree has been planted as a memorial to Albert Pike, for so many years the central figure of the Masonic fraternity in the United States. The Hoar and Evarts memorial trees are two handsome specimens of the cedar of Lebanon, planted by Senators Hoar and Evarts, close together. The Holman tree is a superb Crimean fir, planted about thirty-eight years ago by the Indiana economist, who is now almost forgotten. There are two Wahoo, or winged elm trees, planted by Lot M. Morrill and Justin S. Morrill during their terms of service in the United States Senate. These somewhat rare trees are now handsome specimens of the garden. A Chinese oak with a novel history grows near by; many years ago a friend of Charles A. Dana, travelling in China, picked up a number of acorns under a tree growing by the grave of Confucius, and brought them to America for Mr. Dana, who planted them in his grounds. This tree was grown from one of these acorns. There are also a number of other memorial trees planted in these grounds; among the most notable are a British oak commemorating the settlement of the Alabama claims, and two American elms, seedlings from the Washington elm growing at Cambridge. And there are many more. _Evening Post, N. Y._ ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS LETTER FROM BENJAMIN HAWKINS TO GOVERNOR CASWELL