The Wilmingtonian., 1886-10-23
Post Office Site.

ing minor details, such as contginity t"
railroad depots, availability of property etc,
thele may be little hesitation in asserting
that what is most desirable to the citizens OF
Wilmington in regard to the erection of tht
new Post Office is that whether of the num-
erous sizes that are offered be chosen, thf
front entrance to the building should be OF
Market street.
Taking an independent and fair view OF
the question the present location is not q
central one That feature will not be mend
ed in the future either as both the centre OF
population aid that of business is not trend
ing in that direction. The latter point is C.
the West of the presen' post Office site, NOV
ing steadily westward, while the centre Of
population of Wilmington is declared by th'
best statistical authority Of Wilmington, IN
regard to such matters, the opinion Of j. t,
Heald & Co., stands just now at Seventh
and Market streets. its movement tendency
showing Indications in any direction but that
one of the present post flee site on KIM
street. The lines OF Seventh aud Market
streets, running North aud South, East ana
West divide our city almost with mathemat
ical exactness iuto four equal buIks of pop
ulation, the difference in enumeration show
ing the re,nai kably small difference of but
yery few hundreds one way or the other,
Among the various arguments put for
ward none appear so strong as the oldest ont
namely that of establishing the post Office
upon some one or other of the good sites up
on Market street.
There cannot be much of a mistake mad,
in the choice of lot between Sixth street and
Teuth. Pelhaps as matter of choice were
the condition Of the architectural beauty OF
our streets to be weighed along with that o.
business requirements j ist award would
place the new site rather above than below
Seventh street upon Market.
The incidental history Of the gaining OF
the appropriation of $3.50, 000 for the Federal
Building, including Post Office, Fedeial
courts, ETC., is quite interesting Of itself.
1t will be remembered that in the Fall Of
's4 when Mr.. Lore informed the citizens OF
Wilmington that the claims Of this city fo
Federal Building had positive likelihood
Of favorable consideration at Washington
he told us also that it would be necessary
to have Immediately passed at Dover an act
granting consent of the State of Delaware
to the purchase by the United States OF cer-
tain lands for the purpose of the erection OF
Federal building here.
Accordingly everything was done at Dover
to facilitate the project and the necessary
State legislation gained April 10, 1885.
The urgency Of that action may DOW b.
seen in the fact that had not Mr.. Lore been
possessed OF the Dover enactment, and thus
been enabled to afford the necessary assul-
ances to Government, the pu chase and cree
tion of the new post office would have been
delayed another two years, till 1888. The
Federal and Dover legislatures adjourued
last fall about the same time, and as FEEDER
al law demands previous cessiun OF land,
and jurisdiction over them prior to any ap
preparation being made in Washington, tn,
industrious foresight used by our Congress-
man enables matters to be pushed forward
to their present status of gratifying reallza,
tiou.
Tie Dover enactment upon this matter
possesses some interesting points, and per
haps may be worth while reproducing at thu
moment.
1t reads as follows
SECTION /. That The consent of the State
of Delaware is hereby given to the purchas,
by the United States OF one or more pieces
OF land situated in the City OF Wilmington
not exceeding three acres in gu ntlty, Oh
which to erect Government Public Buildings
for the accommodation of the Uuit, d State.
Cnutts, Post Of1lce aud other government
offices and the sad United Siatrs shall
have, hold. use occupy and own the sai'
land ur lands when purchase aud exercise
Jurisdiction and control over the same aut
every part thereof, subject to the restrictions
hereinafter mentioned.
SECTION .. That h jur sdction of t I
State Of Delaware in and over the said Lane
or lands mentioned in the foregoing sect oi
when purchased by the United States shal
be, and the same hereby is, cedtd to tn
United States but surh jurisdiction shal
continue 10 longer than the said unitet
States Shall OWL the sad land OF lands.
SECTION 8. That the said consent is give
and the SAID jurisdiction ceded upon the ex
press condition that the State Of Delawat
shall retain concurrent jurisdiction with III
United States in and over the said land O
lands, So far as that all civic process in a
cases and such criminal nr other process Il
may issue under the laws or authority of til
State OF Delaware against any person
charged with crimes U1 misdemeanDis con
m tied within said State may be execute
therein in tho same way and manner as
such consent had NOT been given or jurisdi