Evening star., 1904-02-29
spokes of a Wheel.

Spokes of q Wheel.
washington, then, with the assistance OF
l. Enfant, proceeded to lay out the city or
Washington. He made, the streets to run
north SOUTH, east and west, but across
them, diagonally northeast and southwest,
and northwest and southeast. he ran ave-
nues All of these thoroughfares he made
of extraordinary width. All the city was
to be reckoned from the Capitol. The
streets are numbered from the Capitol east
and west and lettered from north to south
From the Capitol these streets and avenues
radiate as the spokes from the hub of
great wheel. Between the Capitol on one
hill and the White House on another hill,
about mile and a half away, he ran Penn
sylvania avenue, familiar, of course, to
every one who has ever visited Washington
1t was down this thoroughfare, then little
more than a cowpath through jungle of
smartweedS, that the British went When
they destroyed the Capitol in 1912. 1t was
down this historic old street that the boys
of 81 rushed to the defense of the nation.
and where they again marched through the
mud at the close of four years of fighting
in their last grand review Down this thor
oughfare went Thomas Jefferson on horse
back unattended to take the oath of office,
and down it also the inaugural parade of
every President has led.
1.-THE plan which George washington laid
looked upon by many as visionary. 1t con-
templated an enormous exphnse and great
city to sustain it or need, itas The city was
unpromising. although perhaps for this she
was not to blame. The uncertainty of the
permanency of the capftar until after the
civil war gave little heart9to the residents
to improve Washington But after Appo-
mattox all uncertainty rfwas removed.
Washington was to continue forever the
seat OF government of the American re-
public. To be sure therp-Was no public
edict to this effect, as indeed there could
be none, but the verdict was rendered in
two millions Of hearts ana minds in the
last grand review. Foursy years of warfare
haa more Intimately acquainted the people
with the historic significance of Washing
ton It's defense and preservation by the
heroes in blue had endeared 1t to every
northern soldier, and the verdict was seal
ed. silently but effectuaHy. and from that
time all effort to remove It has ceased.
Territorial Government
I'm 1871 Congress established a govern
ment for the District giving 1t a governor
and delegate in Congress and providing for
popular elections. At this time and under
the impetus of this first real attention that
Congress had given to the development of
the District the first move of any conse-
quence for the Improvement Of the city was
made. Several millions OF dollars fprobably
about thirty mi1licns) were expended by the
administration of affairs In opening up the
streets and In extending the city. But popu-
lar government soon demonstrated itself to
be failure. at least the people of the Dis
trict evidently thought SO, for they united
In a request to Congress in 1874 to establish
a government other than one dependent
upon elective franchise Of the people OF the
District.
This may be the first time that people
have asked that their consent be taken
away from them In governmental anairS