Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1909-05-08
WASHINGTON LETTER
[sneeIaI Corresnondence.l


terry. The designer of the plan of the
capitol spent his last days in pov.
erty as the guest OF William Dudley
Digges at Green Hill, Nd and he was
buried there, At its last session con
gross appropriated $1,000 to transfer
the body to Arlington and to erect a
memorial over the grave, Brief scrv-
fees were held In connection with the
reburlal, and Vice President Sherman
and the French ambassador, NJ. JUS
serand, made addresses.
Services Of L'Enfant Doubtful.
In connection with the revival of
plans for the Identification of Wash
ington much sentiment has grown up
regarding the services Of Major En-
FAINT. Nobody knows precisely what
he did in designing the city of Wash
ington. though 1t Is matter Of record
that he tried the temper Of Washing
ton and jefferson beyond endurance,
But congress always is long on senti-
ment and made the requested appro-
priatIon without batting an eye. And
maybe 1t was right, though congress
Itself doesn't know.
Washington Planned Capital.
L'Enfant was Twenty-Five year-od
provincial officer when he came to
America from France to join the Con-
tinental army. lie was commissioned
captain Of engineers, and after the Rev
olution he remained In America as n
civil engineer and architect When the
time came to plan the federal city
L'Enfant was commissioned to draw
up the design. Both Jefferson and
Washington were In constant consuIta-
| tion with him. and 1t Is reasonable to
suppose that they were more response
bic than the engineer for the final plan
| Washington had natural gift for lay
ing out grounds, as his Mount Vernon
estate proves. Moreover he had grand
IDEAS using grand" in its finest sense
and he believed that the original de-
sign should provide for a city Of half
million or more inhabitants. With
out such powerful backing 1t is fair
inference that LEnfant would not
have ventured to plan on such vast
scale as he did.
Jefferson an Able Adviser.
In jefferson he had an accomplished
adviser. jefferson had culture enrich
ed by foreign travel. He had seen far
more of the world than the provincial
French officer, who left Europe at
twenty-five. Indeed, one Of his letters
to L'Enfant is preserved which shows
the sort of help he gave. He says:
in compliance with your request
have examined my papers and found
the plans Of Frankfort-on-the-M Or
leans, Carlsruhe, Paris, Amsterdam,
Strassburg, Bordeaux, Lyons, Montpel-
lier, MarSeilles, Turin and Milan, which
l send in roll by post. They are on
large and accurate scale, having been
procured by me while in those respec-
tive cities myself. AS they are con
nected with notes | made on my tray
els and are often necessary to explain
them to myself | will beg your care
of them and to return them to me
when no longer useful to you"
An Erratic Genius.
Nobody could get on with L'Enfant,
and President Washington dismissed
him. For his years work he was Of.
fered $4,000, about the salary of a cabi
net officer Of that day He felt this
was not enough, and there were end
less chickering's between him and con-
gress.
The general scheme of the city was
worked out by L'Enfant. To him is
due the plan Of radiating avenues, the
location of the presidents house and
the capitol and the mall between them.
He seems to have been regarded by
the men of his time as having marked
artistic ability, but erratic and without
the practical gifts necessary to carry
ing out the great enterprise.
Site For Jones Statue.
After q visit to several suggested
sites the commission, composed of Sec
rotary Dickinson, Secretary Meyer and
Senator Wetmore Of Rhode Island, has
decided to erect the statue Of John
Paul Jones in Potomac park, at the
foot Of Seventeenth street The com
missioners were accompanied on their
trip of inspection by Charles Fl. Me
haus Of New York. the sculptor, who
was awarded the contract for design
Ing and erecting the statue.
Officiadom Worried.
The completion of President Taft's
plans for his summer outing has filed
the brains of hundreds of Washing
ton officials with burning inquiries as
to what the summer has in store for
them. President Roosevelt did not eX-
pect much of his official subordlnates
during the heated term. The moment
he hurried away to Sycamore Hill his
cabinet officers went scurrying hither
and thither with thoughts Of little else
than attending to matters that were
absolutely imperative.
Accordingly between July / and Oct.
big linen covers have been spread
over scores of official desks in Wash
lngton Assistant secretaries of the
departments were quite as Jealous as
cabinet officers in giving Washington
A wide BERTH not only for the term Of
the months vacation which the law
gives them, but for two or three
months.
Departments to Be Busy.
There will probably be less Of that
his year The treasury department
people, for example. will have to be
N the job right through the hot sum
ner The new tariff law will go into
)DprntiOn when congress nd iOurns and