The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-03-03

when the fragrant OdOr of pine and
balsam are in the aiT-a carpet of newest
green under foot, a comfortable feeling
of satisfaction with all the world, boon
companion who is a good traveller and
never grumbles. and a contented mind,
and with these we viii look at the abiding
places of the first stones ever placed 70
mark the outlines of the city of Washing
ton and the District Of Columbia.
The second stone and the end OF the
first mile may be found in an open field
adjoining the premises Of Mr.. Oscar Bag
gett, 1900 Wilkes street, Alexandria, Va.
1t is in good condition, and as our illus
tration shows is not seriously SCARED or
worn. Originally set in garden about
| 100 yards south of the house 1900 Wilkes
street. it was about three years ago dug
up and carried to the edge of the field
/ by the side of a high picket fence about
225 feet from its proper Iocation-at which
place We raised it upright long enough
4 20 photograph its several sides.
/ From this picture one gets an accurate
idea Of the original shape and size Of the
milestones. the lower half being left
rough as il was quarrled, while the re-
naming part Of the stone was accurately
sawed to one foot square. the top being
/ bcveled for four inches. The inscription
on the northeast side is: jurisdiction Of
the United States nile"
/ On the southwest side. Virginia" on
! the northwest side. in very large figures.
/ 1871" the date when the stone was
placed ia position. and on the southeast
side. Var. o. 80 W" this being the
variation Of the magnetic needle at this
/ place in 1871
You viii note the very small size Of the
/ letters on the District side or the stone
/ tCnly about one inch in leRgth), as COM
pared with the same words on many Of
! the succeeding stones, and also the very
! large date figures. This stone is on the
| extreme southwestern limits of the city
of Alexandria. and very close 20 the
shops OF the Southern Railway. With
little effort one can imagine himself IN
! Alexandria, or Bell Haven, as Il was
! then called, in the year 1871. and hear
/ the solitary Waterman blowing his horn
at the street corners as he patroiled the
! streets at night, as q signal that all WAS
we'll
! one quarter OF a mile northwestward
we pass the new and attractive station
/ of the Southern Railway, and climb
/ the long ascent Of Shutters IHl I'm search
1 of Southwest No. p" which however,
has not been found. Ii might be well to
say in passing, that with this exception.
| every one of the forty original milesjOncs
/ have been located, and the whole or frdg-
! mcntS OF them have been photographed.
/ This stone was evidently placed on the
/ east side of. and very close to. the Alex
andria and LeesbuTE turnpike, on the
| eastern slope of Shutters Hin. i'm a sub
division now known as Spring Park,
and within a stones throw OF Fort Ellis
worth, which was built by the Federal
government in May. 1851 At this point
we found a large force Of wOrkmen ana
/ teams engaged i'm carting away loan and
gravel to be used on new roads To our
many Inquiries as 10 the whereabouts Of
! the old stone. we received the same an
swer-nO one remembered the existence
/ of such a boundary. The foreman Of the
Iroadmcn said that q very peculiar con-
ditiCn was known 60 exist there, a move
ment of surface earth which ne called
creeping down hill" and which, II true,
NAV have had something 10 DO with the
displacement Of this ancient landmark.
The county surveyor of Alexandria
County, Afr Roberts, states that he has
no recollection Of ever seeing the stone,
and he is sure that il was not to be
D
/ few years ago. Mr.. Marcus Baker in his
admirable paper on the boundary stones.
published In 1897. says that II was then
thought TO be lost
/ The next stone. IS. ". No. g." stands
/ on the sOuthwester!y side of the Lees
/ burg and Alexandria turnpike in an open
! field or pasture belonging 70 Patrick
/ Cunningham. about three-fourths of 4
| mile from its junction with the Braddock,
/ or old Leesburg, road.
/ We were much indebted TO Mr.. Norman
/ Z. Harris, a carpenter employed by Mr..
Cortland Smith, for his friendly services
/ By means of which We not only located
this and other stones, but pierced the
/ Usage orange thicket and escaped from
! the cruel barbed-wire fence, which, with
/ the tremendous thicket, made access to
/ the stone almost impossible. It is in poor
! condition. very much battered and
/ bruised. the inscriptions being only par
TALLY legible. This was the first stone IN
/ Virginia TO be placed at other than equal
miles, but as the end Of the mile fell in
/ a ravine, the surveyors measured back
/ eighteen rods or poles. and, accordingly.
We find the stone marked - Miles 5g2
/ Poles"
/ One-half a mile westward may be seen
! the well-known Fairfax Theological Sem
mary. and still further westward the
site Of Fort Worth, one Of the Gordon of
/ forts erected by the Federal govern
ment for the defense Of the city of Wash
ington
All that remains Of IS. w. No. e. is a
pillow scratched stump, the entire top hav-
! ing been broken off and lost. Its posi-
/ ton seems to Indicate the fact that it
has never been disturbed, but remains
in the Identical spot where Mai Elllcott
placed il III years ago. It IS broken off
a few inches below the surface of the
ground, and so hidden from view that
few clods OF earth thrown up by the
pillow covers it completely Twice or
thrice we passed It by without seeing it.
Calling into our service the farmer who
said. by gum. I've run the pillow into
that stone times enough 10 know where
il is" we We're finally directed 10 IT,
1t is on a lakeland or plateau on land
Of Mr. Cortland Smith, and in the inn
mediate vicinity of the three Federal
forts which marked the line of the de-
lenses of the city of Washington, 1t
is also exactly southwest from the Capt.
toI building az distance Of six miles.
This stone ike the preceding one is
broken. and the top seems TO be lost.
The entire base with a few inches of
the finished portion, was found lying on
the ground ia approximately the same
spot where it had originally been placed,
If we may judge by the location of the
orfo-ffraf er.r. .,, nIrnvy ETIIfeoff's fret