The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-05-08
SITE oF TIE NV LAFAYETTE MONUMENT.

/ ana geographical suGgeStlyenesS. Beau
tiful and interesting as the monument is
said to be, it cannot awaken more Of our
curiosity and reiiectiYeness than the site
which it is to occupy.
! There are here in this park forest mon
archs whose days go back to the arrival Of
/ the first English settlers. Some Of these
/ old fellows were planted or saved from de-
struction by the hand of Davy Burns, the
! Scotchman who had farm here, a goodly
4 farm, which he did not want spoiled by the
creation upon it Of a national capital
Burns was as stubborn as he was sturdy,
and tradition has il that it was in this old
grove and orchard, Burns favoritu walk
/ ing place, that he and George Washington
at last came to terms about the surrender
Of the farm for the city. Perhaps it was
right here that Davy spoke up with his
famous words. and reminded the some
what testy and, by this time, thoroughly
irritated Washington that he, the father
of his country, would not have amounted
to much had he not married the rich
Widow GUSTS
The farm became the site Of the capital
and this old orchard soon found itself q
park directly in front Of the presidents
| house. Old Dayy was thus made one Of
| the richest land proprietors in America,
and his pretty daughter became the first
mark for the fortune hunters of the city,
which has seen perhaps MORE than its
Share Of fortune hunting. From the site
OF this new monument one may look past
the White House and toward the river. and
there see the little old cabin in which testy
David lived, standing Just as it was when
occupied by him, the first citizen of the
capital. Only eighty-five years ago, within
the memory of many men still living,
Washington was simply an OLD field, COW
cred everywhere with green grass and
many bits Of woods, and here and there
with marshes and bog lands. Only in two
OF three places could the course OF streets
be discerned by the buildings which skirted
them. The presidents house was unfin-
ished, and Lafayette park, then known as
the Burns orchard. was part park and part
cemetery. One corner OF It was occupied
by the first church in the capital-a church
which still stands and is daily used and
passes for young church, a. churches 20,
not yet Interesting for its antiquity. Where
the Lafayette monument is TO stand there
was then cluInp of Cherry trees, from
which the boys OF the first school in Wash
ington, hard by, used to steal the tempting
fruit.
a few yards north of the Lafayette mon
ument is thu jackson prancing horse, a
memorial which the multitude admire and
the critics condemn as absurd and impos-
sible. Here also are the brass guns cap
tured by Jackson from the British at the
famous battle OF New Orleans. II is mani
fest that both monuments cannot remain.
The stronger will overshadow the weaker,
and the fine effects Of both viii be sadly
married 1t is not yet determined what
shall be done with Jackson, but probably
he viii be banished to some other park or
circle.
Lafayette viii stand looking at the White
House, which is but a few hundred yards
to the south. The vista before his eyes in
that direction includes the Potomac, the
famous Long bridge, the Washington
monument, Arlington heights, where the
living Lafayette was entertained as a guest
OF the wealthy planter cambridge, who
owned that magnificent estate before it fell
into the hands Of The WashinCtous and
the Lees. Near by are the treasury and
the war, state and navy buildings. 4 lit
tie to the east is the department OF justice,
and the building which was the old United
States bank Far TO the west are seen the
heights of Georgetown the ancient. To
the northwest and the northeast stretch
two noble avenues studded with monu-
ments, sllirted with handsome mansions,
and alive with the gay equipages OF the