Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-01-03
DAILY EVENING STAR.
CITY ITEMS.


The Memories of the Metro Polis.-A pamphlet on
the above subject consisting OF discourse aeh'ereo
ON rn,nksgiyinz Day, by the Rev. Byron Sunder-
land has been lately published, from which we have
condensed the following items; -s i,
The original patents and the lines Of the first sur
vevs of t,e sround on which the city of Washington
now stands, were made out hundred years before
the city survey undertaken, for Richard Primer,
william Langworth, Captain Troop, and Francis
Pope The latter, with prophetic eye, as IT Were,
m The future exatedness Of bis farm, called bis estate
and the stream that watered IT, by the august names
Of Rome and the Tiher.
On the 18th Of April 1871, the corner stone OF the
District of Columbia, was set up below Alexandria
and in the public concourse, the Minister OF the
Cross pronounced the prayers OF the infaht hauoh
shortly AFTER the other corner stones were set, and
the soil thus measured consecrated thencefor'h
and forever to the cause of American greatness and
N the religion Of God. Then followed a decade of
xearS pr-Iimnary to the coming Of Congress, and
full establishment of the Government in the year
1900.
The individuals who marked out the site of the
future city, and planned its public edifiees, were
Johnson, Stewart, and Carroll, the commissioners
L'Enant and Ellieou, the engineers Hohan, Thorn
and HalIet the architects. In September, l1s3,
Washington laid the stone Of the Capitol, and
was succeeded by Adams and Jefferson, At which
time tie population amounted to 1900 souls. In
1902 the act OF incorporation took place. the name
of the first mayor of the city being Robert Brent
From This time may be dated the of the city's in
creasing prosperity. The old ferry boat which once
Piled from this tn Alexandra, was succeeded by
nobler vessels The scany stores of Stettinius and
Sommervilie, were superseded by long, magnificent
blocks adorned and filed by all the heraldry of mcr-
chantmen. The straitened inn Of the stammering
and eccentric Pitt could no longer accommodate the
slran.e,s; and there came in its stead, one after
another, the spacious boarding. houses and the
splendid hotels, rising upon the avenues The spirit
Of enterprise fresh blown from the battle of freedom
was abroad on every breeze, and inspiring every
motion. You may remember the inscription on the
sign OF Peter Rodgers: "Peter Rodgers, sadder from
the green fields of Erin and Tyranny, to the green
streets of Washington and Liberty. See Cop..nlla-
sen-view the seas-'ii. all blOckade-tis all a
blaze. The seas shall be free, Yaakce Doodle,
keep ii up
on went the young city in wealth, in trade, in man
ufacture-but more than all, in public institutions,
IN monuments Of elegance, and taste, and refinement;
ia foundations of charity, Of science, Of chivalry
Tine geutiemen OF the press came. The ministers of
the Cross came. The Presidents came. The Casi-
nets came. Congress succeeded Congress. While
public edifices were reared and pleasure grounds
laid out. sarnished with the immortal creations oi
such minds Csnsici, CapelIano, Persico, Green
ou:h, TTumbull, and Mills Little now does The
giddy maiden, whose tiny foot scarce touches the
pavement which she skipe, flushed out in all
c latest style ut fashon-ad little does the dapper
Young gentleman, in his cravat, and boots fresh
made Of patent leather, as he goes roisterng from
billiard-rOOr. and restaurants, wot of the things
here done by the consuming labor OF hand and
brain, where but little ago the grey heron and the
ditern lowered about the poole, and the fshermr1
spread their nets 10 dry in the BOor- day sun. But
thus the cys life unfolded, through all the times OF
transformation and of progress, with difficulties
daily overcome, and real effort to make the future
better than the past has been than the present
while in this advancement the woods were cleared,
the bitches dug the hills down, the banks erect
ed-and Time, and sweat, and money were poured
Oat like water, till on the new arena no man can
look without just enthusiasm bearing him away
delighted from this eonse c! aied spot, and in the
wrapt vision of all the sovereign States which circle
round, causing him to exciam, in the language Of the
patriotic muse al
Lives there a man with soul so dead,
Who never 20 himself hath said,
This il my own, my native landr'