Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1908-05-09
Julia Randolph Spofford. }

congress to locate the seat of our
government along the beautiful Po-
tomac--or "Potowmak,' as the In
dams called it, which, in their pro-
phetic language means 1.-The river OF
the meeting of the tribes
A decision of such moment must
necessarily have disappointed those
who had favored New York or Phil
adelphia for the location Of Wash
irgton City, and human nature be-
there were those who censured
Washington for using his influence
ir congress to guide Its choice of a
site only 16 miles from his landed
estate, Mount Vernon, and David
Burns, who owned $50 acres in the
heart of this site. called the wild
ow's mite" became angry because
he had to relinquish his broad acres
for the public interest. and he said
to President Washington:
''If it had not been for the Widow
GUSTS and her niggers, you would
never have been anything more than
land surveyor. and a very poor
surveyor at that"
While we should not take Burns
angry words too seriously, there. are
no doubt circumstances and events
which could be recorded between
the lines of history which would
IA tp1,t ho ANT
of characters. and which would
show causes which led up to great
historical events Now If the
widow Custis'' did ent'ce the
young land surveyor into the path
which led to lasting fame. and If
later she did exert powerful in
fuence in shaping her husbands
bri' liant career. I think we should
give LADY Washington the credit
due her, just as we praise the moth
ers Of illustrious men for having
| brought up their some in the way
they should go.
The site for our national capital
| having been located, it became the
next concern of President Washing
ton to secure plans for its construc-
ton and upbuilding; and though
| Thomas Jefferson-who had been a
worldwide traveler-submitted his
| plans and others their designs,
Il, President Washington. favored the
magnificent plans of Major Charles
| Pierre L'Enfant, who had been our
benefactor in the Revo' ution, and
as Washington. willed, SO willed his
/ assoc ates.
L'Enfant drew his principal in
spiration from his beloved Ver-
sailles, city remarkable for Its
regularity and beauty of it's con-
struction; for it's magnificent boule-
wards, vistas and parkings. The
French genius located the capitol
grounds upon the most slightly hill.
top, and its white dome is now the
first pleasing site to greet the eye
of those approaching the capital
city by land or by water. L'Enfan,
plated some of the principal ave
nues to run out from the capitol like
the spOkes Of wheel, commandinf
1t as to fortress, and the rectillin
ear streets to cross these broad bou
levards so as to form circles an,
triangles to be used for parking; h
laid out the botanical gardens an,
the agricultural grounds and mum
erous large public parks and reser
vations, and he arranged beautiful
and ample sites for governmental
buildings. In short it was LEnfant'
wonderful genius that makes on
national capital scarcely less beauti
full than any other CITY in tn
world.
1t seems only natural that LEN
FAINT should have taken a jealuo
pride in his original plans, an
have taken upon himself the super
vision of their being carried out ae
cording to his own ideas. But grea
revenue was expected to accrue fror
the sale of city lots, and the Frenc
engineer was supposed to allow TIL
public to inspect his plans, and thi
the jealous designer refused to d.
giving as his reasons, which seer
sincere, that he feared purchaser
would Immediately leap upon hi
best vistas and agricultural square
and erect "huddles of shanties.
After L'Enfants refusal to displa
his plans to the public one Davi
Carroll-a parsonage in those day
took occasion during the French
mans absence from the city to con
mence the erection of buildin
upon one of L'Enfant's street site
and upon his return he completed
demolished the structure, withor
waiting to resort to course of Law
This last act was considered b
President Washington too great
breech of discipline, and so with
Martinet's regard for law and orde
he summariIy dismissed L'Enfar