Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-17

~oNGRESS' appropriation Of Sl.Gn
for the removal Of Pierre Charles
n L'Enfant's remains 10 Washing
~ Ton and the erection above
them Of a memorial stone are
ro.thur,ous contradictions Of the pre-
citation which pursued him through life.
ana which. Ia the last. ne continued to
resent.
OF the carly history Of the man who
figured 81 prominently in tho establish
mcnt Of the republic nothing is known,
saya that lie was born in Paris. August
/. r734 where he was trained as ar
,nitect and engineer in the best military
schools Of the city In 1177. his sympa-
1hi.e being aroused for the oppressed
coloniStS. h emgrated to America. where
he fought throughout the revolution IN
the French contingent under Count d rs
1ainr being wounded and falling into
the enemy's hands.
Won Washington's Praise.
His gallantry. with his services in
locating and erecting Notifications. at
tracted the attention of Washington and
at his instance. at the close of the war
he was bravcted majo Of engineers III TIE
fedora! army When the French troops
returned home. therefore. he remained
I'm America remodclinS Federal Han IN
New York where. i'll March liS' the
first Congress under the Constitution or
the United States assembled, ana. the
following April. Washington was lnausu-
rafsd Tn" design Of the building was
such rs TO elicit the thanks OF the cor
poraticn. The cost however. lnNo.Ned
iaa city in embarrassment. ana the
CAPITAL being removed to Philadelpha.
ard the interest in il waning. the ar
chirect received almost nothing for ms
trouble I.'Enfant also designed the
badge for the Order of the CINCINNATI
the manufacture of which carried him TO
Paris For the manner of its execution
the society drew up complimentary reso-
1utions. accompanied by small cAeck'
but unwilling 10 concur in All underVall-
alton of his services. this was never used.
This proud indepe ndence of spirit-cal-
aeterized by Washington as an unto
wardness of disposition = continued TO
distinguish him. and did more I" mar
his life than did unfortunate circum-
stances Of the injustice Of others.
AT that time Philadelphia was the
corntry's most f1ourishing city. 1t was
the seat Of the United States bank. the
founder of which, Robert Morris. em7
rloyed LEnfant to erect for MIN resi-
dence surprising in splendor anything
that the new world had ever seen 1t
was Of white marble. reaching from
Chestnut street in front to Walnut IN
the rear. and nI!ing In the space betNttH
18TH and 10Th streets.
Opportunity of His Life.
The bare foundation cost immense
sums. and the protector. becoming in
vo!ved suggested modification of the
plans This L'Enfant refused to make.
and before the building was completed
Morris was submerged in debt. 1t was
found too. that the architects emolu-
nents were invested in bank shares aud
all went down in the general wreck. "A
bachelor. however. and Injured to habits
Of French economy. L'Enfant could live
on little and this disaster was soon for
gotten in an offer which seemed TO EN-
body the opportunity of his life. Maj. |
Andrew Ellicott. a Philadelphia engi
neer. had been commissioned to lay off
on the Potomac district ten miles
square for the use of the government. |
and while thus engaged Washington
wrote asking l. Enfant to join him. and
prepare a plan for the federal city.
There were many details TO be settled. !
and for weeks Washington went daily TO
Suffers tavern, Georgetown. where he dis