National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-02-15
THE ARLINGTON ESTATE.

Some Facts and Suggestions in Connection
With its History and Management.
bill before Congress, providing for an appro-
priation to remunerate the heirs of the late Gen.
Robert E. Lee for the loss of the Arlington
estate, is reaWakening an interest which has lain
dormant for several years. 1t is claimed that the
title now held by the United States Government
in that property is imperfect, and the bill now
before Congress is intended TO offer compensation
to the legal heirs OF the former owners and
thereby bar them from claiming the restoration
Without entering upon a discussion Of any
claims, just or unjust, which Mr.. Lee may set up
with 1t which render it of peculiar interest to the
Government. 1t is to all intents and purposes
the property Of the Government, and as such Con-
gress can make any disposition Of 1t. The prop
erty was
ABANDONED BY THE LEE FAMILY
on the breaking out of the rebellion. Suisse
uuently the United States came in possession Of
4 by virtue Of tag sale: When, during the war,
dent declaring slaves cOntrabands Of war, this
Arlington farm was converted into a rendezvous
for these fugitiyes, as also for white refugees
Gaping from the States in rebellion. This
"coNTRABAND CAMPn
was improved and enlarged until made the Freed
mans Village, home for freedmen after the act
of emancipation. Upon the close Of the war, and
Freedmen and Abandoned Lands, 1t was made
an asylum for aged and infrm freed-people and
hospital for inValtds. The village contained
large number OF tenement houses, hospital,
church, several schoOl-houses, storehOuses,
blacksmith and carpenters shops, sc. All the
inmates Of the asylum, who were able to work at
ALL were allowed o little plat Of ground for gar
den. There had cOngregated, also, number OF
families who were selEsupportinR, who rented
land each. A large portion Of the land on the
estate was cultivated by the superintendent Of
the village for the benefit Of the hospital and
unproftable, and in 1851 or 1888, by direction Of
the Commissioner of the Freedman's Bureau, un-
der the charge Of the superintendent, the land on
the estate, lying outside ofthe national cemetery,
was
SURVEYED AND sUBDIvIDED
into lots of ten acres each, and these lots were
rented to the selEsupporting freedmen living
upon the estate. These lots are still rented and
worked BY these people. In the fall Of 1858 the
asylum and hospital were broken up, leaving
none but renters upon the estate, and all the
ment the superintendent, foreseeing that the
renting Of the property TO eolored men could not
be remuperatfve to the Government, In making
up his report recommended that the property Dc
turned over to the
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
General Capron, then Commissioner Of Agricul-
ture, entered earnestly into the plan, and Tor
Sress But for some reason, best known TO him
self, Commissioner Capron failed TO ask OF Con
gress such transfer, and the subject has never
IL seems now an opportune time to call It up
and present to the public-and, may be, to Con-
gress-through the columns Of The REPUBLICAN,
The principal arguments which were then used
for the object above mentioned. The Arlington
estate contains about twelve hundred and seven
ty.fye acres Of land. The national cemetery In
closes some two hundred and frty or seventy:hve
acres so that there remain about nine hundred
acres for the purpose indicated. This lies along
the Potomac river for about mile. Inc
GEORGETOWN AND ALEXANDRIA TURNPIKE
..-N-v AWNa NEkh md
SOUTH and parallel to the river and separates the
bottom lands from the uplands.
Upon these nine hundred acres is found almost
all the varieties Of soil found in Virginia and
Maryland, certainly al in this vicinity. On the
river front, for nearly the entire length OF the
estate, are the Arlington marshes now useless,
and cesspool of vegetable muck and miasm.
All this deposit is easily taken out, and can be
utilized for fertilizing the soil. Next to this is
strip Of very rich interYAle land, which is occa-
sionafly flooded by the overflow Of the Potomac.
| Above this, and reaching to the turnpike, Is
fine quality Of alluvial soil, well adapted to the
| Next 10 this are alterations of sandy and clay
soils, just suited to the growth Of fruits Of an
kinds (; and lastly, upon the highest elevations
are spots valuable for the planting Of grape and
| other vines. Nothing in the vicinity Of WASH.
ington can be found so we'll calculated as Is THIS
| estate for an
EXPERIMENTAL YARN.
| The site is one of the most attractive around
Washington, sufficiently near to be easy 81 access,
and 1t costs the Government nothing 70 use IL I1I
this purpose. No land Of SO good quality, 50 well
situated, and so near the city can DC pgrSnnseu
| per acre An excellent road LEADS from the Long
| bridge toit, and another from the Aquelqrc ~
bridge and Georgetown II nsnsrt@eSt tSeT p1
! would very soon be continuation OF the Wasn
| inRtUn and Georgetown railroad across the Aque'
| duct bridge, along the turnpike, through tns
estate, and come into the city again, oy
|. LONG BRIDGE AND FOURTEENTH STREET
| IN PENNSYLVANIA avenue for this railroad com
papy would find It to the interest Of the company
| to construct such extension.
| The present great want of the Agricultural De
partment is an experimental farm LOT the Propa
cation of seeds, and no farm can be found possess
ing SO many important requisites as this.
| For purposes Of adoTnmentit Its beauties could D,
enhanced BY its connection with the nalona
| malarial sickness to the Inhabitants OF Arlington
as well as of Washington, could be dyked SO .
to prevent any further overflow; the peat Or veg
| etable mold could be taken out and spread upol
the SOIL thus enriching IL beyond all preeedenl
the basin could then be kept clean or nlled up .
carting sand or gravel from the adlaeens ntl u
| and the health Of the community thus innnltel
BESIDES these considerations Of utility, Their
| would be added another suburban resort, secon
| in attractions only
TO THE SOLDIERS HOME.
There can be no valid objections raised to tn
plan, There lies the farm, the property OF w
United States, worth at least two hnndrea snoS
sand dollars, source Of no revenue Wnste.e
| and the Agricultural Department suffering ior u
lack Of INST exactIy such an extent Of land.
All the Inhabitants Of the country aDq n =,
| indeed Of all Alexandria county. Wouia nan suS
Ma 1e SOSS g ssy
value and very Objectionable SOCIAL ana Pois
cal element be removed from them. ana EYE y. !
an improvement in full keeping With the progress
Of the city and its other surrounding" "a