Bismarck weekly tribune., 1889-08-30

end stands the greatest Of obelisks. Within
plain view are the executive mansion, the
treasury, the war, state and navy building,
the pension Office, the patent Office with it's
unrivaled display of American inventions,
and all the other seats OF governmental en-
engy. !.
It is a curious historical fact that this pro-
posed site for the Columbus fair was once
watered by the river Tiber. The Tiber was
SO named more than century before Wash
ington was founded, in the belief of the first
settlers that some day upon its banks. would
rise greater capital than was Rome in the;
days Of her glory. This stream once flowed
directly through the mall, emptying into the
Potomac near the monument. In primitive
days the banks of the Nber were lined with
forests, and shad and herring in their season
were caught in it's waters under the very
shadow Of the hill whereon the Capitol now
stands. No trace Of the Tiber remains above.
the surface of the ground. The once pretty
stream, SO proudly named. has become
sewer. .,i
The designers Of. the city planned the mall
for congress garden" down the center of
which was to run grand avenue 400 feet
wide, leading to the equestrian statue Of
Washington. to be placed where the obelisk
now stands. At the statue Congress gar
den" was to connect with the Presidents
park, tract of some thirty acres lying south
Of the White House. This spacious reserva-
tibn, a mile long, was designed for the more
elegant houses of the city, to be used by dip
lomatic representatives Of foreign countries
and high officials of our own government.
Fifteen squares were to be allotted to the
states of the Union, for them to embellish,
within limited time, by the erection of ap-
propriate statues to the heroes Of the revolu-
tion, sto inspire the young" and to ssleave a
grand idea of patriotic interest" Lots were
to be assigned for the. use of churches, col
leges and other institutions, and all build
ings, whether public or private, were to be
constructed in accordance with certain regu-
lations so as to preserve uniformity The
waters of the Tiber were to be used in form
ing cascades and playing fountains for the
delight of the lucky dwellers in this federal
elysium.
Unfortunately, this pretty plan was never
executed. And, unfortunately for Washing
ton. the handsome mall is occasionally sub
jected to the nuisance of an overflow by the
waters of the Potomac Many years ago
the canal in which George Washington took
such deep interest was turned into the chan.
mel of the Tiber, and this low ground, now
filed in, is hotbed of malaria The govern
ment is spending great deal of money in
improvement of the flats which lie between
the mall and the river, hoping to stop the
overflow, but it must be said the prospects
are not flattering. The sewerage system of
the city flows into the Potomac, and when
the rains descend and the foods come the wa
t ter backs up in the sewers, and inficts upon
the dwellers along the low l&nds an intolera.
BILE nuisance. At its best the "Congress
garden is an ideal place for worlds fair,
but it really would be too bad to have an in.
ternational exhibition drowned out and its
visitors subjected to attacks of the insidious
malaria.
Washington is deficient in first class hotels.
Probably two or three Of the great caravan
saries of Chicago or New York accommo.
date as many guests as all the hotels of the
capital But Washington has very large
number of minor hotels. and is famous as a