The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-05-27
4 CAREFUL elder SISTER
The Day When Georgetown Acted
SO for Washington.
A City of Trade and Enterprise he
fore the Capital Was in Ex4stence.
Tobacco Growing md Setting the
Chief Impetus to Business on Rock
Creek-The Towns Organization.

ultlOnS all It's own. me traditions alOn
remain; yet many still living can remem
Der when Georgetown was the kindly eide
sister that nursed its petite brother--lit
tie Washington, rocked its cradle and CAV
1t help when it first essayed to walk alone
Georgetown was the creation of circum
stances. A tobacco warehouse was locate'
at the mouth of Rock Creek to provide
storage for the crops of the neighborhoot
and thence came the town; while Wash
ington, il has been well said. was plante,
with specific Intention and was designed
as the representative, in one view, as tn,
flag was in another view, OF the Republic.
Maryland tobacco made Georgetown.
hamlet gathered about 174s-'4s on the lant
OF George Gordon on the west side of Rocl
Creek near its mouth, to serve the pur-
poses of foreign ships which came ther.
for tobacco, either the sweet-scented kint
or the OrOnko, a heavy tobacco. The
inspection house there was the depot tt
ons, rolled on the road. or f1oated in boats
from the Maryland plantations. The meth
cd by which tobacco was rolled to the CO.
lonial warehouses has been thus described:
Rolling tobacco was bringing It to the
warehouse. The primitive method used
for this transportation was curious. The
tobacco hogshead was actually rolled to the
mud and stream. A long wooden spike
driven into the centre Of each end and pro-
jecfing a few inches beyond served for an
er1s WIS IN
for shafts and extended in the rear Of the
hogshead, forming a sort of footboard or
box, on which was slowed middling or
two Of bacon. bag Of meal, ard frying
pan. an axe, blankets for the men, and COW
cred to some height with fodder for the
Quadrupeds. II the distance to market was
moderate the hogshead was rolled on its
hoops, but II fifty or hundred miles were
to be overcome rough felloes were spiked
on to each end or quarter OF the cask and
these rude tires served to protect it from
being worn through. At night the tobac-
co rollers. kindling fire from his rife
printing. fried his bacon, made his hoecake.
and. with sauce of good appetite, enjoy
ed his meal with as much gusto as the
greatest diner out living The tobacco
delivered at the warehouse and the requi-
site tobacco notes safe in his wallet. he
trotted the horses all the. more briskiy
back that there was no trains behind
them
The two Georges (Beall and GORDON, on
whose land the new town was built. led
to its name. Georgetown: asfurther down
the river about the same time, another
town built on Mr.. Alexandrias land be-
came Alexandria. 1t was provided In .he
act constituting Georgetown to be Mary
land city that all persons who bought lots
thereon should erect, build, and finish
thereon one good and substantial house
that shall cover 400 feet OF ground in the
least, in every respect tenantable. with one
good brick and stone chimney thereto"
The original town comprised eighty lots,
but in 1888 the Rock of Dumbarton," con-
tanning sixty-one acres, was added to the
growing town. In 1888 twenty more acres
boring plantations.
Born ON Christmas Day.
Travel made the town prosper. and as
free government had come to the United
States. free government became a necessi-
ty of Georgetown, and the Christmas Day
of 1889 became the birthday Of the city.
On that day the General Assembly Of
Maryland provided that:
Whereas, Several inhabitants of Fred
erick county, by their humble petition to
this General Assembly, have set forth that
there is convenient place for town on
Potomac River, above the mouth of Rock
Creek. adjacent to the inspection house.
in the county aforesaid. and prayed that
sixty acres of land may be there laid out
and erected into town;
Be it therefore enacted by the right
ha I ra pria and with
the advice and consent OF this Lordship's
Governor, and the Upper and Lower
Houses of Assembly. and the authority of
he same, That Capt. Henry Wright Crabb,
Master John Needham. Master John Clag-
ett. Master Perrie, Master Samuel Magru-
Ter the Third, Master Josias Bealle, and
Master David Lynn, shall be, and are here
By appointed commissioners for Frederick
County foresaid, and hereby authorized and
empowered. as we'll, to buy and purchase
sixty acres, part of the tracks of lands
belonging to Messrs. George Gordon and
George Beall at the place OF aforesaid,
where it shall appear to them or the major
part Of them to be most convenient as to
survey and lay out. or cause the same to
be surveyed and laid out in the best and
most convenient manner into eighty lots,
o be erected into a town.
The mayor recorder and aldermen were
to hold town court with the
;ame jurisdiction as to debts that any jus
ice of the peace in Maryland had, and
.lso in criminal cases concurrent jurisdic
ion with the County Court of Montgomery,
except such as affected life or member.
The court was authorized to appoint in
,pectors Of -four They could impose fines
or violation of corporation ordinances not
o exceed G7 Is currency and to levy town
D- a q
Il property in the town. The trade of the
own grew as tobacco culture became more
productive. and in 1890 arrangements were
made for the reception there Of 10, GOO hogs
leads of the fragrant weed.
1t is notable that while Washington was
uttipg up its Presidents House and Capt.
oil, Georgetown was putting up additional
obacco warehouses. with weight scales
nd prizes These prizes were not offer
ngs par excellence. but heavy iron tools
With which the negro slaves forced open
he hogsheads in order that the interior
obacco might he inspected. The scales
nd weights were no Fairbanks balances
nth arms on which five pound weight
nay weigh 5000 pounds. but were genuine
Id fashioned beams. chains, and platform
n which there was the even balance of
'eights against hogsheads. All the tobacco |
warehouses; had weights scattered on the !
anks Of the Potomac from the Falls TO |
hesapeake, at every twenty miles or so, |
inspection or tobacco warehouses.
An Attentive Nurse.
With all this trade Georgetown, the elder |
lister of Washington was an admirable |
urse OF the young city. Indeed, as letter |
rom Georgetown to Baltimore, dated Oc-
,ber 2S, 1891, relates at first the public |
ales were confined to that part of the |
ity which lies between the Presidents |
ouse and Georgetown. which it is imagined |
ill be the first improved, being so con-
enient to the present seat of trade
Then as Washington grew alnngside The |