, 1873-03-25

Washington Haw tho spiritual outlines Of tho
fair white Capitol soon to ho embodied t!,oro.
Flowing down into tho plain, md extending
bacls oyor tho hill Of Lilo Capitol, 1io rcalizot
0 Of 7ss az to % phaq Ss S On "o oad se
day look down: mil nll tho 1niulating Hpaco ho-
tween tic bluo l,oightB OF tho Anacostla and tho
heights Of Georgetown. from tho river hack to
tho nod ny yanft, amothor .r,si, ,esiSn,t'r ,n'i
and march with music to honor tho founder Of
thia virgin Capital.
1layl1g ,lamoa tho t1lroo civil Commissioners
to whom CongreBs-.wfaor than Uongressoa Of q
Inter period d-co1nmlttnd tho bnanoas Of Capital
making, Washington sot out from Philadelphia,
TO CONFER WITH THEM ON THE SPOT.
It Is characteristic Of Maryland ronla III thoBo
days, IN March, that the President drove down
tho Eastem Shore, Of Maryland, Instead Of
from Hockall to Annapolis. At tho latter
place. ho reBtcd nil Baturdny, receiving hospital
ity; ind, on Sunday, continued his journey by
Quoon Ann to Dladensburg, whero no dinott nttt
alcpt., Noxt morning, ho took breakfast at
having occupied one wcek In 1atiguing anti
porilouH travel from philado1phia.
From tho heighta Of Georgetown, Washington
could look over tho half-1ncultty1tod tract;
wl,ero lie Commissioners Ind plotted q pnrt Of
thor survoya for tho Fodoral City, and Ponnsyl-
yania avonIo was then pnth through m Older
swnmp from Georgetown to Carrol!sburS,
On Tuesday, 4 misty aud diangreeanlo daY,
Stuart Daniel Carroll, and Tl,onlas Johnson, the
threo Commissioners, and with hlr. Ardrow ELL
colt and Afaj. L'l5nfant, who woro surveying the
grounds mud projecting the streotp OF tho city.
ton, !" from tho reviow;" !" md this wo cnn readily
suppoAo from our prosout knowledge Of whit
might bo tho condition Of tho soil Of tho Diarict
II the spring of tho year, on damp day, with
contonding with oach othcr by tho way. will! tho
humorous uninvitcl illors pressing aftor, and the
crude and tangled nature Of the region.
That night, at o'clock, Washington endoaVor-
Goorgotownors and Carrollsburgora; md It WINS
probablya at this tme that ho lad roason to desig-
| nate Dnvy Burns, tho Scotch farmor and father
to the future horoHa Of tho city, rs tho ohetin-
| ato N1r. DurnB." Ho dncd that night at Col
Torrents, with largo company. Tho next day,
tho contending landho]ders
AGREED TO wAau1NuroN'B SUGGESTIONS,
and entered into articles to surrender half thoit
lots whom surveyed; and, having, given some Of
his chnraetorstieally pTociso Instructions to tht
Potomac In the ferry boat, ls oquipage follow.
ing and dined ut Aloxa1drla. and Blopt tha
night at Mt Vernon, his homestead.
Thoro Ia Btntue Of Washington in ono of thu
| him On terrified stood doing battlo-duty; but
| Il LOCAL TREATMENT or THE SUBJECT
would l,avo beon more touching mud thoughtful
tho victorian Of war and politics, worn down will
pority, riding through tho marshes md folds o
Washington, on tho brink Of his Goth yoarr, tt
give tho foundling government ho had reared ar
honorable homo. Could 4 finer subject appoa
to tho artist or to tho municipality Of Washing
ths grontoBt Of founders Of cities since 1somulus
surrounded by tho two ongincors, tho throe Com
missionors, and certain courteous denizens, an
seeking to reason tho nccessiticH Of tho Stat
and tho prido Of tho country into tho finty sou
Of Dayy .Durns TINT successor Of Dogborry,- 10
he Is snid to have boen magistrnte2
Tho now city was
ONE or THE PLAQUES
Of Gon. Washington for tho remainder Of ut
days. bccan6o llo wag yoly eonsitlyo as to ita sue
coss md it Ind to nuffcr the concentrated fir
Of criticism md wittlriNsn, domestic and foreign
as we'll 40 moro aerous financial adyersity. Il
neyor bolleld any Of tho glory Of IT.; and tho fae
that ho had been Responsible for it, and had sol
tlod It In tho noighborhood Of hs estatos, prof.
obly woshod somewhat upon his apirits III til
midat Of that Light ropnrteo which grave nRt!lr
cannot answer. Creator ia ho who keepotl iii
temper than him WHO buidoth 0 city. Thu
Washington did both we'll, the lator century ca
plan Of Araj. L'Enfant has not boon vindicatc
11,util now, WHOM tho hnbitations Of 100, 600 pee
plo begin to develop upon tho plano Of his mal
iiilcolce: Tho neighbors of Cen Washing
| Ton uMu IQ ENlhClty Il! klhV 1dA4y AA
to congregato in cities, md tho Ieder'
eito had to wait Tor q U ylugasous tlosninatio
and period Of comparative wealth.. It ia X
to DO tested wl10thor tho ornamontation Of til
city Ia to conduco to an equally Republican rll
with that Of moro aqunlid times; for, Nc
York excepted, Washing gton is now the doarc!
city In America.
TIRE TRUSTEES OF THE FEDERAL CITY,
In whom at law nouina1ly rcpoEcd tho couyeye
property woro Thomas Dcail md John n. CANT
Tho CHIEF owners Of tho site wero David Burn
Samuel Davidson, Motley Young, and Dalsi'
Carroll.
THE COST OF THE GROUND
on which Washington City stands was truly il
significant as compared with the renarknb
municipal expondituren of tho years lS7l~'72 =
The fow property-hollors agreed to convoy
the Government out Of thoir farni~landB as 1nue
ground "a would bo required for streots, ave
etc., and to surrender, also, ono-half OF tho r
manning land, to bo sold BY tho Unitod Statoa
it might decm ht,-rcceiYiug, however, at II
, rnto Of s25 per acre for tho public grounds, b.
, nothing for the streets. In other words, tt
Government, through it's three Commissioner
, was to plot out tile Federal City in tue first plac
, delinoatiug MI tho grounds required for bull
, inga and reservations, and surveying tho part
/ nblo lots equally between itself and tho Inn
! holders, and soil its own lots when, md on VIII
| prices md terms, it pleased. aud, out Of tt
, proceeds Of suoh sales, to mako its payments f
= the NATIONAL grounds and reservations.
t LII this way the Government took 6eventct
] great parcels Of ground out Of the general pla
' auch as now surround the Capitol, the Pres
I dont's House. oto, md tho uamo amounted
5l1 acres. At SGG.G0 per acre, this yielded
' tho farn,-holders s3G,099,-a worry small sunni
I deed If We compute intorcst upon it, and Bill
i tract principal and interest from tho prose
vaiuo Of tho ground.
t Tho building lots assigned to tho Governno
n numbered 10, l3G Tic amount Of saios OF the
lots, up to tllo year 1854, was 2741 ,02l.46 and
: | n1eosstnnnt 11tlnu TIM 11fsnfd lots mntle Mt til