The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-05-04

SITE or TIE NEW LAFAYETTE MONUMENT
and Typographical suggestivcness. Beau
tiful and interesting as the monument Is
said 10 be. 10 cannot awaken more OF our
curiosity and Effectiveness than the site
which IL is 10 occupy.
There are here in this park forest mon
nrchs whose days 20 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 Dayy Burns, the
Scotchman who had farm here. goodly
farm. which he did not want spoiled by the
creation upon il Of a national capital
Burns was as stubborn rs he was sturdy,
md tradition has il that IL was IN tins Gu
grove and orchard, Burns fayorite walk
ing place. that he and George Washington
nj last came to terms about the surrender
Of the farm for the city. Perhaps II was
right here that Davy spoke up with his
famous words. and reminded the some
what testy and, 10y 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
mark directly in front of the presidents
house. Old Davy 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 It's
share Of fortune hunting. From the site
of this new monument one may look past
the White Housed 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-iiye 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
or three places could the course of streets
he discerned by the buildings which skirted
them. The presidents house was uniin.
ished. and Lafayette park, then known a.
the Burns orchard, was part park and part
cemetery. One corner Of il was occupied
by the first church in the capital-a church
which still stands and is daily used and
passes for Young church, az churches 90,
not vet interesting for its antiquity. Where
ii
WAS then clump of cherry trees, from
which the boys of the first school in Wash
ing,on, hard by used TO steal the tempting
fruit. -.
4 few yards north Of the Lafayette mon
ument is the jackson pranclng horse
memorial which the multitude admire and
the critics condemn a. absurd and impos
sible. Here also are the brass guns cap
tured by jackson from the British ut the
famous battle of New Orleans. 1t is mani
fest that both monuments cannot remain.
The stronger will overshadow the weaker,
and the fine effects Of both will be sadly
marred. It is not yet determined what
shall be done with Jackson, but probably
be will be banished to some other park or
circle
LAFAYETTE will 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 guest
of the wealthy planter cambridge, who
owned that magnificent estate before 1t lei
into the hands of the WashingtOns and
the Lees Near by are the treasury aud
the war, state and navy buildings. ut
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. skirted with handsome mansions,
and alive with the gay equipages OF the