The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-15
FEDERAL CITY'S CAREER.
JERSEY MASSAGE AND fsCRAPPLE
KILLED 1T As A NATIONAL CAPITAL.

He tho Fashionable suburb After Com
EresS Voted to Make Trenton the Capital
| Money Not Paid and Federal City Died.
TRENTON. June 14.-Federal City. Mercer
| county. N. j.. In days gone by. was on the
map. but It has been wiped Of The city
| still exists. not as it's founders projected It
| should be. but as fate has decreed. A small
group Of shabby habitations with blacksmith
shop in the centre. few miles from Trenton.
is all that 10 left Of what was TO have been the
greatest city OF the nation. II was to be the
national capital. There are those OF the present
generation. and even those generation back.
who think that this idea Of national Jersey
capital was myth. but IL Ia an interesting bit
OF national history amply corroborated by rec.
ords Another thing proved was that George
Washington was a man Of magnificent appetite
and his contemporaries followed his illustrious
example.
The dread and fear that. II the national capi-
tal should have been settled in this neighbor-
hood. the illustrious mon Of the nation
would have to eat jersey sausage and country
scrspple we're the primary causes why Federal
City. Mercer county. Is no city at ALL but a de-
serted Auburn. with not enough people in IL to
offer regrets for the lapses OF history. Federal
City is too poor to maintain Post Office, and
the local Biographies announce that the two
dozen inhabitants get their mail at Penning-
ton. and they might have added that they get
their liquor at Trenton.
New Jersey was within an ace OF eating tho
national capital. Overzealous press agents
spoiled the whole scheme. At that time it's po-
sition was central enough. particularly as it
was between New York and Philadelphia. but
It's Inequalities were not broad enough to suit
the Southern States. and both Washington and
Adams doubted its shabby hotels and its
ability to supply good square meal At for
great men. New jersey denied the accusation
and put UP q claim that game and poultry
were In abundance. clans. crabs and Holsters
were to be found In every stream. which. in
stead OF soothing John Adams. provoked him
to anger. and Trenton lost what seemed to be
firmly fixed In her grasp,ithe establishment OF
large national reservation ser and { the capital Of
and Raritan Canal. New Jersey ksenly feels
i The Go influential Congress was for some
years on circuit. meeting around wherever
the glad hand Was eT 1sR Tbs BIT
s and home had
S;;a S M a$:: B., Il
by the MA'G mutineers. Caused them to 70
to Princeton, because 1T was central. 1t
because the hotels were humorous but not
comfortable. but business doomed when
Sa hs
wiling to entertain iayGgable pr9pGsiti2ns from
SS jersss Dcke 8s n oss
Einson. the stoOktons. Elisha. Boud mot and
others. who were onR-headed patriots and
az the Nsw Stses and
astrong sentiment Ia Psnnsylyania for Jersey
have sns he Ss6i IT, ThH
ootober. 1883. for Congress to select a perma.
| Massachusetts. the original maker OF gerry
manders. introduced a successful resolution
oa tie % se Of the q
town. The New Jersey Legislature offered to
to start thu buess sna
to determine Just where the r reservation should
that Trenton. the first time In, its history.
ran out OF cider oil. spiced rum and small beer.
NsT snPS fssssi t s%e on tHs
Poohed the nsrrowness Of the Northern
The sew Ens R state. and s Ssa36e
sates wsre Forbsasn
the Commandmsnts. The, ,gontlemen from
Marylsnaa and Virginia rldiouled Trenton
sr. ani s3a pfffdss
aHf Ing Ea nal Sdp
1 i .
| it's porgies and It's bass. Its dairy milk and its
| home made pies. but this had the effect Of in
| tensifyinR the gastronomio revolutions OF tho
The stocktons and the witherspoons sug-
| gested Princeton. promising catfish, trout and
| perch with waffies. loRarithms and Horace on
| the side. Princeton's beautiful scenery was
| admired, but II was unhappily too far from
rescue with Elizabeth. meeting the objections
Of the Southern gentlemen by announcing that
| Elizabeth could furnish live Holsters for brol-
Ing crabs for ga ads. clams for bakes. blue flsh
| and meadow larks. The proposition to hook up
| Southern members determined to break the
| combine. They introduced resolution de-
| marding that Congress tx upon some place
more central. and that In difference to the
southern States | be kept below the Mason
New York and Pennsylvania and outvoted
| them.
On Oct. 10. 1888. Madison wrote to Randolph
| on the proceedings in Congress:
the rvsr
future seat OF the Federal Government unless q
conversion Of some OF the Eastern States car
Mr.. David Cowell offered to give E1o0 Il
| Congress would settle in LambeEton, which
is the lower part OF Trenton. On Nov. l.
| 1884. the Congress moved TO Trenton. and
| the boomers" thought that the capita
| 1874. tho second battle Of Trenton was fought
| almost on tho anniversary Of the first, and the
| Southern Congressman. like the Hessians.were
put to rout. for the resolution to settle In the
SSieinty Of Trenton was pLI, passed and PhiiI
| OF Trenton and Robert Morris OF Pennsylva
! mia, owner OF the tract now known as Morris.