The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-09-22
THE MERIDIAN-STONE.
SET ON MERIDIAN HILL AS ORDERED
Nv GEORGE WASHINGTON.
An obeiisk of Freestone-The Meridian.
Stone on Its Iravels-Lost Sight of for
Withdrawing as q Hitching Post VI
Last in Front Of a School.

Washington, It is reported, said to his
cabinet in the later days of his administr;l-
ton that the Independence of the UGi.et
States from all authority would not he com.
pate till we should cut hose from tirgrrv i.-h
and establish our. own meridian. We can
really suppose his profession as a surveyor
made him the first TO fix his mind on the com
summation Of this project, now that the loca-
ton Of cur capital was established and its
foundations laid. The place designated for
the sctting.rp Of t!Ie meridian Stone was the
2minence immediately in front of the door Of
the executive mansion. Washington did not
live TO see this survey ms'c or the stone set
up, however, and it was left for Jefferson 10
perfect his plan.
The final report of the surveyor was filed
in the Office of the secretary of state AMI ad-
dressed TO the president of the United States
on the 18th of October, 1904. There are eight
pages d this ancient paper. quote one or
two sentences only: "ln running the meridian
line ] first ascertained the place Of the star
in the tail Of the constellation UrSa Minor on
It's greatest clngation, and thon continuing
the vertical circle to the surface of the ground
to tho instrument, etc, etc, | planted an
obelisk of fre,stone two mikes north of the
presidents door, on the height The
afex Is the true meridian, etc"
Eight pages OF this impressive report is
heavy reading, however, and | conclude
with tho report by saving that the line runs
directly through the White House to the sum
NIT Of Meridian hill, to a stone where line
from the center of the donsc of the capitol III
torsects the meridian line This stone is still
standing, and Is within few rods of the
Washington monument A third and very
important stone, with many signs and figures
cut on it, and standing still nearer to what
was then the front door of the White House,
has been entirely lost. But of course the
merillan-stoDe, the enc set on Meridian hill,
IS Washington had ordered, is the one of
most importance, and the one which set out
to write about
orr MERIDiAN-SToNE ON ITS TRAVELS
Commodore Porter-I mean the elder COM
moiurs-when he left the sea settled down OF
Meridian hill, with his mansion facing the
White House. and this meridian-stonc in his
very dooryari. Years swept on, and the
commmlore's spacious mansion was left with
out master. | look out of my back window
here in my cabin as | write and see a tall and
lonely monument of gray sandstone 1t is
battered and scared by n thousand bullets.
But YOU can read the name and date dis
tinctly. 1t was reared to the memory of ono
Of the commodore's family.
As the venerable mansion began to fall to
decay i'll stranger hands all the city below
began to swell and reach out for room to |
grow. y street came tearing through Mcr- |
idtn Hill. The great house was overthrown;
the ignorant and unthinking contractors, not |
knowing or caring at all about the import |
ence of the meridian-stone, and perhaps he |
lieving it To he a part of the mansion, under |
mnodit, and tumblng it among mass of |
other stone. it was lost sight of entirely
The soldiers graves at Arlington heights |
were in need of fences AMI eate-poSts Tons |
nf these nd-hani stones found their place |
there i'll the course of time, as improve |
mentS Were carried forward II is not GER
tain, but there is some evidence that this
at one time served as gate
post to the federal burying- ground on the old
Lee property across the Potomac. II this be
~, Washington's meridianstone was serving
as a fence-post to the grounds OF his family |
sstates.