Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1880-02-27

or, one shoemaker, ono printer, washer
woman, a grocery shop,a pamphlets and
stationery shop, a small dry goods shop, and
an oyster-house."
That was all Three quarters Of a mile
away, near the Potomac, were the two
houses of the original owners of the ground,
with one warehouse on the rivers bank,
perfectly empty, and a wharf without u
vessel. Far away in another direction there
were two rows of unfinished houses build
ing on speculation. Between the Capitol
and the Presidents house there was great
swamp, crossed by causcway, mile and
half long, perfectly straight, the only
practicable path through tho morass. This
causeway, with not single house upon it
or near it, was already called by the magni-
ticent name OF Pennsylvania avenue
"Along that causeway,' says Mr.. Gallatin,
"between the Capitol and the Presidents
house, not single house interviewed, or can
intervene, without devoting its wrctched
tenants to perpetual fever"
Near the Presidents mansion, the public
offices and sixty or seventy good houses
were finished But most Of the members of
Congress were huddled into those seven or
eight boarding houses near the Capitol So
distinguished personals Mr.. Gallatin could
not enjoy tho luxury ola bedroom to himself
Even the President elect lived in one of
these boarding houses until his removal to
the White house--paying for,his board fifteen
dollars week. Mr., Gallatn was with him
at the time, and paid the same.
AT table," wrote Mr.. Gallatin, al believe
we are from twenty four to thirty !; and, was
ii not for the presence Of Mrs. Brown, would
look like a refectory of monks Tho two
Nicholas, Mr.. jefferson, etc, make part of
our mess. AS TO our fare, we have hardly
any vegetables, people being obliged to re-
sort to Alexandria-nine miles distant--ior
supplies"
II was carrying republican simplicity fur
when the President elect, who WAS vice-
President at the time, could not get cabbage
with his corned beef, and perhaps not
bedroom all his own.
1t was no time to think OF coachcs-and-
four; for that long causcway was not paved
nor maeadamzed; and as Washington rests
upon II bed OF rich clay, its condition on the
first Mondy Of wet December, 1901, can be
imagined. Mr.. Jefferson alluded TO this for
lorn state of things in the short note which
he sent to the chairman OF the Senate with
his first message:
"Sir: The circumstances under which we
find ourselves at this place, rendering in
convenient the mode heretofore practised
of making by personal address the first com
munications between the legislative and ex-
scutive branches, ! have adopted that by
message, etc.
Almost everybody seems to have iclt the
propriety of the change. The session was
no longer introduced by a tcn-days' wranglc
concerning the exact terms in which the
House of Representatives should reply TO
the President IL was not, however, the
mud and swamps of the District of Columbia
that induced President jefferson to depart
from the former ways lie had made up
his mind long before to abolish every vestigc
Of royal state that hung about the Office of
President. He held no levees; but threw
open his house to all the world on two days
ofthc ycar--the Fourth ofJuly and the first of
January. lie made no progresses through
the country, laid no cornor-stones opened
no fairs, and utterly refused on all occasions
to be parsonage His idea was that there
was no honor in merely being President
All the honor lay in being good President;
and TO that end he devoted the whole of his
time and strength.