Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-04-28
CABIN JOHN BRIDGE.
Made Famous BY Erasure of Name OF
jefferson Davis.

/. jefferson Davis.
. BY the introduction in the house yes
lterday of resolution by Representa-
tive Carln Of Virginia 10 restore the
: maine of jefferson Davis, secretary o
war. to the great stone arch whicl
forms Il part of the Washington aque'
duct. and which is commonly knoWr
as Cabin John bridge, interest is re-
vived in the circumstances OF the cut
ting off of the name, which circum
stances are somewhat shrouded with
mystery, writes Zach McGhee to the
Columbia State. Mr.. Carlins resolu-
ton calls upon the war department tc
furnish information to the house as tc
the authority of the cutting off of this
name and the circumstances Of 1t. He
lexpects to follow this up with a bill tc
restore the name.
Cabin John Bridge is on the Wash
lington aqueduct, across little stream
a tributory of the Potomac river, abou,
seven miles from Washington and only
a few hundred yards from the Poto-
Imac. 1t was when built and until
few years ago the largest stone arch In
the world, being 420 feet in length, with
a span of 22O feet 1t was begun IN
1856. while Jefferson Davis was Sec
lretarv of war, Franklin Pierce being
president On a small stone on the fal
side Of the arch about half way up the
| g pinrpp President
Jefferson Davis secretary Of war, ano
one other were inscribed. Who real
Ilv designed this bridge is matter OF
dispute. A writer in Lippincotts mag
aZine some years ago attributed it tc
Mr.. Rives, grandfather or some such
relative of Amelia Rives, the novelist
but this appears to have been a mis-
take. the real designer being Gen. then
Capt.) Montgomery c. Meigs, after
wards secretary of war. 1t appears
also to have been Gen. Meigs who had
the names carved on the bridge.
Cabin John Bridge is one of the
pleasure resorts and sightseeing points
about Washington, though it has been
recently turned over to the negroes
made into a pleasure resort for them
For many years it was one of the
most popular resorts about the city
being a beautiful location, at the end
of the car line and on the aqueduct
road, which is a famous automobile
lthoroughfare. A nice hotel was there
where the best Maryland cooked spring
chickens could be had, all sorts OF
wheels. doll babies to throw at, and
such things were there, and until the
Industrious town Marshal Collins got
busy other various and Sundry things
lare said to have flOuriShed there. The
lredOubtable Collins converted the
place into a nice place for Sunday
school picnicS, but somehow the reVe-
lnueS fell off and the place was aban-
Idoned. 1t is still a point of interest
for tourists though, the sight being
this bridge. And the most interesting
part of the bridge seems to be the
mutilated tablet which makes people
lask whose name was cut off. Indeed
many have said that the name of JEFF
Iferson Davis is more conspicuous by
its absence than it would be by its
presence.
Various attempts have been made tc
have the name restored, not before
ferent ones. always southerners, have
requested the war department to dc
something about it, and numerous
Questions have been asked as to who
had the name cut off. 1t has been
supposed by many that Edwin NJ
Stanton. the irascible and bitter sec
retary of war had it done. Others
have thought that President Lincoln
himself had something to do with 1t
while the viciOuSneSs of Thad Stevens
to which is usually attributed such
lactS. has come in for its share of cen
sure no doubt.
Now il happened this way, and SO fal
las | know. this has not been printed
before: The Washington aqueduct, in
cluding the bridge, was for several
Iyears during the war under the control
mot of the war department, which mac
its hands full of other matters, but OF
the interior department. Caleb Smith
of Massachusetts was a short time
I1S61-62, secretary of the interior. SoOr
latter he came into office, not long after
the bridge was completed, Galusha
Grow of Pennsylvania, who had beer
speaker of the house, having visited
the bridge. came back fiery mad anC
told Smith that the name Of Jefferson
Davis was on the bridge and that i
ought To be cut off Smith quite agreed
; and ordered young man by the name
of Mcintyre. to do it. Mcintyre got {
chisel and mallet. climbed up on Il lad
der and cut off the name. There new.
er was any official order issued, an(
there is no official record Of it, Smith
had no right to order the mutilatiOn O
the tablet, except that same right by
which the present speaker of the house
your Uncle Joe, for instance, adjourn!
the house without recognizing a de-
mand for vote. the right of might
Uncle Joe has the gaVel, and thai
Young man Mcintyre had the Chisel.
The name can not be restored as il
was except by making stone letters
and cementing them on. which would
) be Il difficult task. 4 new tablet could
be made but very few hereabouts care
very much about it. COnfederates, de-
ScendantS of CnnfederateS and of Con-
federate sympathiZers of which the
great majority of people in Washington
consist would rather leave the mutila
ti0n there as Il monument to the vi
ciousnesS as well as the stupidity of
their enemies.