The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1900-12-09
AMERICAS YEAR OF A HUNDRED
YEARS.
to concur.

formal transfer Of the national capitol
to that point took place, the centennial
IL which Is to be elaboNtely celebrated
on December Il, Along until the time
that Washington was selected Tor the
seat Of government OF the United States
this country had almost dozen capi-
tails. The meeting place of the centen-
NAL congress during ;he revolution tiit-
ted almost as actively as did the head
quarters Of the army's commander It's
location was often determined by the
cxigencies Of war ami the necessity for
keeping Il out OF the hands Of the Brit
ish. Washington. as the first president,
was inaugurated At New York, though
the constitution was framed at Phila-
delphia, which was the capital AZ that
time, l7s7. as it became the capital lat
er on. In 1870 the present site on the
Potomac was selected. When the sixth
congress closed its first session on May
"a. 1880. In Philadelphia. it adjourned TO
meet in the new city Of Washington
and the second session opened there on
November II Of that year. The transfer
Of the seat Of government from PhIla-
delphia to Washington hundred years
ago is the event which is to be cele-
brated at the national capital on De-
cember L.
Nothing in the rise and development
OF any other nation in history is at all
comparable with the transformation
which has taken place in the United
States in the century which has passed
since the seat of government was first
located at its present site, The nations
first chief magistrate, for whom the
capital city was named. had died few
months earlier; John Adams, then pres
ident. was about to leave that office
third OF year later. and Jefferson.
the then vice president. was to take his
place, and start the era OF democratic
supremacy in the national government
which continued. with two short
periods Of interruption. down to the eve
Of the war Of secession. John Eager
Howard. OF Maryland. the most distin-
guished member Of his family in Amer
lea, was chosen president OF the senate
few days after congress met for the
first time at Washington. and Theo-
dore Sedgwick. OF Massachusetts. was
speaker Of the house. The senate had
thirty-two members then and the house
1875. Among the senator's who were then
distinguished or who became so later
were Humphrey Marshall Of Kentucky.
q member Of a family well known in
the annals Of that state down to the
eivil war days; Howard. Of Maryland.
already mentioned; Jonathan Dayton.
Of New Jersey: GOuyerneur Morris. OF
New York, one Of the most prominent
of the trainers OF the constitution;
Charles Pinckney, Of South Carolina.
and Jefferson's close friends, Stephens
Thompson Mason and Wilson Cary
Nicholas, Of Virginia. The well-known
included Levi Lincoln
and Harrison Gray Otis, Of Massachu-
setts; Harper Rutledge and Sumter. Of
South Carolina; Matthew Lyon. Of ver-
mont. and John Marshall, Of Virginia,
who resigned before the session was
completed to take his place as chief jus
tice of the supreme court.
The governors Of all Of the states are
to participate in the festivities at
Washington which are to mark the
completion Of the hundred years since
the transfer Of the national capital to
that site. While there were only six
teen states in the union then. there are
forty-fve now The country's popula-
tion has grown from 100000 at that
time to 100000 today. Less than 5OO.-
900 Of this population of 1900 was west
Of the Allegaenies. The country's ter
ritory extended only TO the east bank
Of the Mississippi then, and not all
Of that bank belonged to US. Spain
owned Florida. with a strip Of terri
tory stretching from the western end Of
the present state Of Florida onward to
the Mississippi along the southern ends
Of today's states OF Alabama and Mis-
sissippi and the eastern projection Of
the state Of Louisiana. The archives
Of the government when they were
transferred from Philadelphia to Wash
ington were conveyed by sloop. The
members Of the executive and the leg
islative branches Of the government
reached the capital by wagons or on
horseback. Steam for purposes Of navi-
CATION was a dream Of Rumsey. Fitch
and few others whom their contem-