The morning times., 1895-10-13

bent, Major Charles F. POWELL
Commissioner West was succeeded by
Samuel E. Wheatley, and the Others, who
have filled the office, are William b. Webb,
Col. J. w. Douglas, L. ]. Hi1e, NJ. NJ: Parker,
]. W. Ross and Col. George Ttuesdell, the
latter two with Major Powell Composing the
present board. y,e
1t is, perhaps, but small reflection, but
certainly no tribute to their memory to say
that even the names of the original owners
of the territoryupon W bich thecity of Greater
| Washington has grown and expanded are
seldom recalled, but except they be dis
covered in some document in the archives, or
| receive mention, i'll stray transcription,
their fame reposes as securely in oblivion as
does their mortal clay in mother earth.
=, The land on which the city now stands
belonged to Notely Young, Daniel Carroll,
| David Burns, and Samuel Davidson, and
upon its transfer for the use of the govern
ment was decided to Thomas Beall and
John Mackall Grant, trustees, who re-
conveyed the same to three Commissioners,
| Thomas Johnson, David Stuart, and Daniel
Carroll, appointed by the President under
act of Congress approved April 5th, 1871,
| and they and their official successors
became its legal custodans FOR and in be-
half OF the United States. forever
THEN AND NOW
There are possibly but few of the resi-
dents of this wonderful city of magnificent
distances; this city of broad avenues, well
paved, and of elegant buildings of costly
mold and modern architecture, who pause
long enough in the rush of business to
reflect upon the inlmensity OF the expendi-
ture of money and energy by the agency
OF which 1T has deen developed from the
miserable, struggling village into which
| the national government was ushered In
! the year 1900.
1t Is not alone upon memory, however,
that the fame of many principal actors in
Washington's early history depends, and
among these is Major Charles lie Enfant,
to whom was confided the task of laying off
| the city. 1t is somewhat singular, neyerthe-
| less, that his successor, Mr.. Andrew Elliott
and the circumstances of his appointment
remain in the shadow in most recitals and
the man whose page in history is suIlied by
''stubbornDess'' is oftener the subject of
eulogy.
When Congress first assembled at the new
| Capital City. subsequent to the aba ndonment
| of Philadelphia, it was but miserable sub
| stitutc for the coDipa ratively sumptuous
| quarters afforded at the Quaker City One
wing only of the Capitol had been erected,
which, with the ''P residents House" ;"
| one mile distant, both constructed of white
sandstone, were, in the estimation of one
who then viewed the landscape, "shining
| objects in dismal contrast with the scene
| around them"
Instead of recognizing the avenues and
| streets portrayed on the "plan," not one
was visible, with the single exception of
road with two buildings on each side of it,
| called New Jersey avenue"
Pennsylvania avenue, which, as described
on paper, should have extended from the
Capitol to the Presidential Mansion, was
then, nearly the entire distance, deep
morass covered with alder bushes, which
| We're cut through the width of the in
tended avenue during the then ensuing
winter.
THE SIX BUILDINGS.
Between the Presidents house" and
Georgetown a single block of houses had
been erected, which were then called, and
possibly may be stll remembered by the
Oldest inhabitants. as the ~six buildings"
Two other blocks. consisting of two OF
three dwellings each, in other directions,
with here and there an Isolated wooden
dwelling, constituted the city, whose re-
naming surface was covered in large part
with shrub oak bushes''
There appeared then 10 be but two really
comfortable habitations, in all respects,
within the bounds OF the corporation, one of
which belonged to Dudley Carroll, the other
to Motley Young. ,s1N
The roads" in every direction were unim-
proved, with the exception that In one
instance n sidewalk had been Ia attempted"
by a covering formed OF ofthecfips o fthestones
which had been hewn for the Capitol. 1T
extended but little way" wrote COM
mentator, land was of little value, for in
dry weather the sharp fragments cut our
shoes, and in wet weather covered them with
white mortar"
Who that now looks abroad upon the wide
swecpofsplendid thoroughfares, and obtains
a view of the many solid structures by which
they are graced, can recognize that the fore
going sketch correctly portrayed the EN-
bryonic stage from which our beautiful and
compactly built city was evoluted? Re
Numbering the elaborate menu of his last
entertainment at either of the modern hos
telries with which the Capital is equipped
who, in this fin de steele period, can realize.
from the picture drawn by member" OF
the first Congress that sat here, the exceed
ingly humble accommodations afforded at
the beginning of things?
"Our little party took lodgings with a
Mr.. Peacock" wrote the Hon. John Cation
Smith, of Connecticut, 'in one OF the
houses on New Jersey avenue. with the
addition of Senators Tracy, of Connecti-
cut and Chapman and Paine, of Vermont,
and Representatives Thomas, of Mary
land and Dana, Edmond and Griswold, of
Connecticut
HOW THEY LODGED
Speaker Sedgewick was allowed one
room to himselff, the rest OF us slept in
pairs. To my excellent friend Davenportan and
myself was allowed a spacious and de
Gently furnished apartment with separate
beds on the lower floor.
"A large portion of the Southern mem
bers took lodgings at Georgetown, which,
though of superior order. were three
miles distant from the Capitol, and Of
course rendered the daily employment of
hackney coaches Indispensable
This was written of the washington of a
years growth, nearly a century ago. when
the total population OF the District was
but IA, 600; when Congressional soions
served for a modest per diem, ate corn
pone three times day, used tallow dips for
the night sessions, and of that |
homespun age before the Alexander Island |
race track had gained SO unenviable
notoriety, and before the Lydecker tunnel |
was projected. 1t was descriptive of an !
era when funds for public Improvement, TO |
the amount of 100000 could be OBJ
tanned only through an appeal by the Presi- |
dent of the Republic to Deighborng SUBJ |
ordinate municipality, the State of Mary !
land.
But notwithstanding the somewhat un- |
favorable Impressions formed of the new
Capital, Mr. Smith was not in favor of a
change. He said:
whenever, during the, six years of my
connection with Congress, the question of
the seat of government to some
other place was agitated, and the propo-
sition was frequently agitated, I stood
alone as Northern man in giving my vote
In the negative"
The negative" votes upon that ques-
ton, thanks to the solons, have ever been
in the majority, and the deed made by
Daniel Carroll. Motley Youngs David Burns,