Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-05-21
Atisteltameuas geading.
wAsHINGTON's BEGINNING.
How a Lottery Aided In Putting Up
the Capitol Itself.

How a Lottery Aided In Putting Up
the Capitol Itself.
Efforts to provide more descent
and reputable quarters for the chief
executive and his corps recall many in
teresting facts in the early history of
some of the public buildings in Wash
ington.
It was not until 1796 that the tempest
tossed congress of the 13 colonies saw
the first evidences Of the Federal citj'
that excited the mirth Of the wits, the
forebodings of the timid. The circum-
ference Of the city as 1t now spreads
out under the great dome is greatly
contracted from the imposing dimen-
sions originally laid out by the engin-
eer L'Enfant. Where the superb pat
ent office now stretches in marble ma
jesty the poetic Frenchman, inspired
by recent events in Paris, had marked
the site for a national tabernacle,
where national events were to be re-
ligiously commemorated, where nation
al obsequies were to be celebrated, and
the dead honored by the country were
to be buried and their monuments per-
petuated-a sort Of Pantheon to the
glories of the republic. But the French
mans hopes and plans were early nip
ped, for even in those early days 'jobs"
and rings" found their account. He
was beset on all sides by venal legis-
lators and self-seeking jobbers, and
practically coerced into throwing up his
commission in disdain, leaving the city
to be completed by Andrew Ellicott.
In 1882. $500 in gold was offered, with
out restriction as to calling, to the
citizen who should send in the accepted
design for the presidents house. Five
hundred dollars and lot in the new
city, or a gold medal were offered for
the best design Of the Capitol. To a
generation that has become familiar
with the sums annually appropriated
and voted for postoffice and custom
houses, our forefathers will seem thrifty
indeed, embarking upon city building
with a grant Of $4,000 from the states
of Virginia and Maryland.
This, however, was supplemented by
national lottery, for which $4,000
tickets were sold and Of which 16,73O
were to draw prizes. the capital one
being q hotel which was to cost $4,000.
The price of the ticket was 81, and the
prizes ranged from $40 up to the hotel.
Nor need the student Of current NOR
ais and manners, depressed by the
laxity Of our times, wholly despond
when he reflects that the lottery was
made use Of not only in the building
Of our national Capitol. but churches.
schools. colleges. even Harvard itself.
were indebted to the wheel Of money to
secure their usefulness.
In 1896 the presidents house and the
Capitol were the only evidences Of a
city where the traveller now sees
squares and monuments. ediflces and
gardens and parks that eclipse Paris
and Vienna in beauty and taste. When
the lottery failed and the sums voted
nv Virginia and Maryland gave out,
Washington was less Of a city than
Cahaba. down in Alabama. which was
once the capital Of that state and was
sold for taxes. Three hundred thousand
dollars were asked by the commission
ers to go on with the work, and the
country was distracted by such pro-
fligate outlay. The press Of the time
thundered against such extravaganza
Washington Times.