Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-06-09


Ith sketched the progress
!: ! !: ): :: !: !; :
'(NK made by the Com
I'M SNk missioners of the Dis
.REA4aAy=E 6S trict in the erection of
TYI3nEEG n D. AZ the public buildings
x41AST M k''N and Improvement of
raj rkG the city up TO the
-vA->SNV1. summer of l793, and
the complications in
SsRE which they had been
S8 involved by the lot
~ terry schemes of Ar.
BIodgett
Having severed all connection with him.
they opened negotiations with parties Of
wealth and influence, In the hope Of inter-
esting them in the federal city. Among
these were James Grecnleaf and Robert
Morris. Greenleaf was a native OF BOSTON,
who had resided for some years in Amster-
dam, where he had married into q wealthy
family, and had been appointed United
States consul In that city WASHINGTON
gave him letter of Introduction to the
commissioners, in which he said: lie has
been represented to me as a gentleman of
large property and having the command
or much money in this country and in
Europe. but / can say nothing on this head
from my own knowledge. l have reason to
believe that II You can find it consistent
with your duty to the public to attach Mr.
Greenleaf to the federal city he will be a
valuable acquisition" 1t was generally
understood that Greenleaf represented large
capitalists in Holland. who were DESTROYS
OF investing In real estate In this country
and that he visited Washington for the
purpose of examining the prospects of the
new capital. His investigation seems to
have impressed him favorably. and on the
I'D of September, 1893, he ente cred into an
agreement with the commissioners for the
purchase Of 5000 lots. Robert Morris Of
Philadelphia at that time was a United
States Senator from Pennsylvania and we'll
known. both in this country and in Europe
He had been the superintendent of finance
under the Continental Congress, and his
credit had supplied the revolutionary army
with food. clothing and munitions of war
He was on the most intimate terms with
Washington. who declared that the purse
Of Morris had been the salvation Of the
country. A native of England. he was
brought to America when a child by his
father, who settled at Oxford. on the east
ern shore OF Maryland At the age of
fourteen he was sent to Philadelphia where
he entered a commercial house. He showed
ability and became a merchant Of promi-
hence before the war When hostilities be-
gan he engaged In blockade running, and
fitted out a number of privateers The risk
OF capture was great, but the profits were
enormous. and he soon became known as
the richest man In America. After the
war he Invested largely in the certificates
OF indebtedness OF the several states. and
when, in 119l, the federal government as
stunned the payment Of this Indebtedness
the certificates rose greatly in value, and
Morris was supposed to have made a great
deal OF money. Greenleaf made overtures
TO Morris to join him in his investments in
Washington. and they formed a syndicate
for that purpose. Morris afterward declar-
ed that Greenieaf had agreed to furnish
all the money that might be required for
its operation. On December q. 1913. Green
leaf and Morris made q contract with the
commissioners by which Greenfears former
contract was enlarged, and they agreed
s 80 parf iss $50 esS lots averaging gin SzcS
81, 200 square feet, to be paid In six an
nual installments. beginning May 1, lI94
Thus the commissioners at one time dis
posed OF more than half Of the whole num-
Der Of lots owned by the government OF
the 6,OOO lots so purchased. Morris and
Greenleaf were to have the privilege OF
selecting $500 northeast of Massachusetts,
avenue and 100 southwest Of 1t, excluding
water lots. and reserving q square north
east Of the avenue to be selected by the
commissioners for the site Of
National University.
SO IT appears that the idea OF such an
institution was clearly fixed even at that
early day. Washington's correspondence
with the commissioners shows that it was
one Of the most cherished features OF his
plan for the greatness of the national CAPT.
tai. In January. l794 he wrote them
1T has always been q source OF serious
reflection and sincere regret that the
youth of the United States should be sent
to foreign countries for the purpose of
education" He says that he fears 1.-The
danger OF their contracting principles un-
friendly to republican government" and
that he has greatly wished to see a plan
adopted here by which the arts. sciences
fullest extent, and which, by assembling
the youth from the different parts of this
rising republic, would contribute from
their intercourse and interchange of infor-
nation, to the removal of pre1udfces which
might. perhaps, sometimes arise from local
circumstances" And In another letter:
1.-The federal city. from its centrality and
the advantages which In other respects it
might have over any other place in the
United States ought to be preferred as a
proper site for such an university" As q
practical evidence Of his interest In the
n after he adds that IF a suitable plan can
be adopted and put into execution he will
give fifty shares of stock in the Potomac
Navigation Company toward its endow-
ment" Thus encouraged, the commission
ers went so far as TO select site and open
subscriptions. They reported their action
the following year: I'VE have chosen a
piece of ground. which. II approved by you,
is intended for the site. Some donations
have been subscribed. and we doubt not
when the subject under consideration is
more matured we shall find many persons
literally disposed to forward this national
concern" Other more pressing matters and
the financial endorsements that soon over
clouded the prospects of the city seem to
have suspended indefinitely the execution
Of this project, but Washington never lost
sight Of 1t. and in his will left the fifty
shares of the Potomac stock to his execu-
tors, with directions to invest their pro-
ceeds TOR the benefit Of the university
whenever it should be established.
Provisions for improvements.
In their contract with the commissioners
the syndicate bound themselves to build
twenty brick houses each year for seven
years, and not to convey any Of the lots
before January 1, 1875. except upon condi-
ton that the purchaser should build upon
every third lot conveyed.
The commissioners having full confidence
in the ability Of Greenleaf and Morris to
carry out their contract, were greatly
pleased at having made an arrangement
that promised the rapid improvement Of
the city. Gen. Johnson, their chairman
wrote Washington: Things are now Sc
cured, think, to carry on the public build
ings to a considerable length under the