Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-12-13

WIN the C0lSDIdLlOu OI me Ole
hundredth anniversary of the removal
of the national capital from Phila.
delphia to Washington on December L
next it is interesting to recall the
changes which have occurred in this
city during the dying century. A hun
dred years ago it was described by a
poet as this famed metropolis where
fancy sees squares in mOrasses
obelisks in trees" Another cynical
writer prophesied that as soon Us
Washington died ''the city which is to
be the bOasted monument of his great
ness will also be defunct." The wife
of the president who succeeded Wash
ington (Mrs. Adams) was very un-
happy in her first impression of the
capital city, describing it as ga place
of brick kiIns and laborers' huts. "
Pennsylvania avenue. now. as every
one knows, the principal street of the
city, was deep mOrass covered with
alder bushes. The streets" and ave
nues" were merely indicated by cuts
through the woods. The white house,
although planned on a grand scale,
was in a totally unfinished condition,
and Mrs. Adams experience in house
keeping was anything but satisfactory
to herself, although she evidently tried
to make the best of it. After she had
been there a short time she exclaimed:
eff they will put me up some bells and
let me have wood enough to keep fire |
will be pleased Surrounded by for
ests, can you believe that wood is not
to be had because people cannot be
had to cut and cart it? We have in
deed come into a new country" Not a
single room in the white house was
ready for occupancy; not even the
stairs were put through the house.
On Monday the white house wash was
hung to dry in the east room. Incl
dentally it may not be known to all
that the white house was named for
the old colonial estate where the young
widow GUSTS was living with her two
little children when Gen. George Wash
ington first paid her his court.
Magnificent Distances.
Looking retrOspectiVely at the CAPT
tai city as it was in 1900 one can al
most excuse the poet Moore for call
ing it in derision the city of magnifi~
cent distances" referring probably to
the fact that the houses were a long
way from each other. It's population
was then about 5000, and it contained
only 100 brick houses and 253 frame
dwellings. Through the intelligence
of the people and their absolute faith
in the permanence of the capital one
is now able to appropriate Moore's
expression and apply to it a meaning
which was quite foreign to his mind.
The present capital city is now known
the world over as a city not only of
me efficient distances, but as one of
splendid climate, superb streets, hand
some residences and cultured society
The Program.
The program for the celebration is
as follows:
10 a. m.-Reception at the white
house by the president of the United
States to governors of states and
territories. Col. Theodore A. Big
ham will make some remarks in con-
nection with the display of the model
of the new white house and Com
missioner Macfarland will present q
historical sketch of the District of
Columbia during the past century.
Suitable responses will be made by the
governors of two states.
p. m.-Military and naval parade
from the executive mansion to the
capitol
2 p. m.-RcView Of parade at east
portico of the capitol by the president,
cabinet. senators and representatives
governors of states and territories and
other officials.
p. m.-COmmemorative exercises
will be held Jointly by the senate and
house of representatives. The speak
er of the house will call the assembly
TO order and introduce the president
pro tempore of the senate as presiding
officer. Addresses will be made by
Senators John w. Daniel of Virginia
and Louis E. McComas of Maryland
and by Representatives Serene E.
Payne of New York and j. D. Richard
son of Tennessee.
p. ma formal reception and CO.
lonial ball will be rendered by citi-
zens of the District of Columbia.
The following story of the selection
of the permanent site for the capitol
is instructive, going, as it does, a lit
tie more into the Legislative detail of
the transaction:
If the first congress (Which was
called upon to legislate concerning
the establishment of the permanent
seat of the federal government had
not had under consideration at the
same time an act for funding the fed
eral debt and assuming the debts con-
tracted by the several states during
the revolutionary war perhaps the can
ital Of the United States would have
been permanently located somewhere
farther north. And it happened thus:
Virginia was especially antagonistic to
the assumption of these state debts.
for her own was safely funded at 6
per cent. After a struggle the "as-
sumption bilr' was on April IL, 1870,
defeated by a vote of IS to 90.
by well known system of '1og-
rolling this bill, although it had moth
ing IN common with the selection of a
permanent site for the federal govern
ment, became involved with it. Mem
bers OF congress from the eastern
states wanted the assumption bill"
passed, but had no great hope of OBJ
tanning the capital The members
from the middle states wanted the
federal government established in
Philadelphia or near by These fac.