The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-07-26
A TALK WITH j. e. CLEMENTS.
The Memorial Bridge and the Arlington
Estate-The Governments Duty.

The Memorial Bridge and the Arlington
Estate-The Governments Duty.
Concerning the proposed memorial bridge
across the Potomac, from near the foot of
New York avenue to Arlington, MIR. James
E. Clements, of 1891 F street, and formerly
Commonwealths Attorney of Alexandria
County, said: THE Government should build
a bridge at this point so as to connect the land
owned by the United States with the District
of Columbia, and to shorten the distance from
the National Capital to the Arlington Gene
terry, the Mecca Of the Union dead. Then every
soldier and person visiting Washington,
might visit this sacred spot by crossing the
river which is not over three-fourths of a
mile wide, instead of having to pay exor-
btant hack hire and drive a roundabout way
for four miles to reach the cemetery" With
reference to the status of the Arlington estate
Mr.. Clemenes further said
"The Government has most valuable as
well as historical tract of land In this estate;
it contains 100 acres. The cemetery proper,
where the Union officers and soldiers are
buried, contains about sixty acres. The
Secretary of War has during the last year
Enclosed about $50 acres more, and Fort
Myer occupies about 100 acres, leaving about
go acres going to ruin and running into
large gullies, except the portion occupied
by Freedmen's Village. Congress paid
Sl50,0o0 of the peoples money for this
should put 1t to some use. If the Govern
ment don't want it then / think they should
sell the surplus land to private persons who
would improve it; it would bring from $500 to
$1,000 per acre in open market. From 1867 to
1884 the County Of Alexandria schooled the
children, fed and maintained the paupers,
kept up the roads, maintained the peace and
good order at cost of nearly 100000,
besides the withdrawal of this large estate
from taxation, which was great loss to the
L. AE l. H..
State OF Virginia ceded all jurisdiction over
the tract to the National Government then
this land was not considered part of the ter
ritory OF Virginia, the tax collector of Alex
andr1a county ceased to collect taxes from the
persons who resided upon said estate, and the
State of Virginia and County Of Alexandria
ceased to maintain schools or to consider in
any way the residents thereon as citizens of
Virginia. The State courts, for want of juris-
diction, refused to prosecute for offences COM
mitted on the estate, and this land was declar-
ed in law no part of the State of Virginia.
Since then many of the colored persons have
bought homes of their own and moved off
this reservation. In 1888 board OF apprais-
ers was appointed by the Government and
the improvements put thereon by the colored
people were estimated, and the report was
printed and submitted to Congress, and an
appropriation of 900 was asked to pay off
these colored people for said improvements
But so far Congress has failed to pass the bill
these people should be paid in accordance with
the valuation for their improvements, which
they are all willing to accept, and the Govern
ment should put to some good and useful
purpose this convenient and valuable tract of
land. The Government goes north of the city
and buys land for national purposes; it goes
northeast and rents land at a high rent,
while it owns nearly 1000 acres of vacant
land in full view of the city, for which it has
paid large amount of money, running to
waste, and being occupied in an unls wful man
ner. The bridges on the estate are now dan
gerous, and the roads, except what is called
the Military road, are almost impossible. If
the Government intends to allow these people
to remain there, then a public school should
be established on the estate. 1t certainly
seems inconsistent with Americas boast of
free education to see some 200 children grow
ing up in utter ignorance right in sight Of the
National Capital. 1t has been suggested,
time and time again, that this surplus 500
acres OF land be converted into an expert
mental garden farm under control of the
Secretary Of Agriculture. This is what should
be dore, and employment in beneficial cause
TO the nation would be given to many of these
very people, who would move off and buy
homes somewhere near by. After taking
enough land from this estate for cemetery and
fort purposes there would still be left enough
to make beautiful and serviceable agricul-
tural experimental farm. l believe that the
farmers in the next Congress will urge that
an Institution of this kind be established there,
and the soldier element will no doubt demand
that the long-talked of Memorial bridge be
built. This bridge might be called the Peace
Memorial bridge, for it would connect the
North with ihe South.