The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1909-04-08
WASHINGTON LETTER
Especial Correspondence

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hazard. hit and miss fashion, but is
proceeding along lines carefully
thought out by Il commission assigned
to the duty by authority of congress.
This commission had us its chairman
Daniel Fl. Burnham OF Chicago, the
other members having been Augustus
st. Gaudens. Charles Mckim and
Frederick Law Olmstead. First pre-
pairing sculptured model Of the city
as it existed in 1902. they then caused
TO- be made a model showing the city
as it should be built according to an
ideal plan.
| The Future Washington.
In one of the rccms Of the magnifi-
cent library Of congress may be seen
the plans of Washington as the COM
! mission found it in 1902 aud as they
hope 10 have it appear to the genera
tons Of the future. And the plan Of
the city to come is not merely dream.
Already the work is in hand.
improvements Planned.
The preliminary plans for many
groups of new public buildings. nota-
bly, that Of the bureau Of engraving
and printing. on which is to be ex-
pended $2.OOO.OOO have also been ap-
proved. Avenues more magnificent
than those of which Major rEnfant
even dreamed are already in their
| formative state. and it will not be
many years before the inaugural pa
rades will forsake the great thorough
fares Of Pennsylvania avenue and pass
from the capitol directly west to the
great monument along boulevard the
like of which has not yet been seen.
Bureau Of Republics.
an institution supported by twenty
one republics of the Americas for the
promotion Of commerce and trade and
for the cultivation of peace and
friendship. At the present time it is
housed in budding on Pennsylvania
avenue near the White House, but it
has in process of construction white
marble building south Of the Corcoran
gallery, on the grounds of the old Van
Ness place.
A Historic Mansion.
For a long time the Van Ness man.
sion was one Of the historic buildings
of the city. 1t was built by Latrobe,
one Of the architects of the capital,
for General John p. Van Ness, who
married Marcia Burns, daughter of
Davie Burns, one of the original land
holders of the city. "Crusty Davie
Burns" lived In a rude cottage near
the river and cultivated q large plan
tatiOn extending over the spot where
the White House now stands. The
demand for his land made him
wealthy. and his only child, Marcia,
was known as the beautiful heiress of
Washington. For some time Burns
was opposed to the projected transfer
of land to the government. and the
president and commissioners had sew
eral conferences with him. On one Of
these occasions the choleric Scotchman
answered one Of Washington's argu-
ments by this outburst: Il suppose.
Mr.. Washington, you think people are
going to take every grist from you as
pure grain. But what would you have
been If you hadn't married the rich
Widow Custis?'
Legend Of the White Horses.
General Van Ness. a well born New
Yorker, was one Of many suitors for
the hand Of Marcia Burns. He be-
came a resident Of Washington. living
at first with his bride In the old cot
tage, which she would never permit to
be taken down. He became mayor of
the city. His portrait was painted by
Gilbert Stuart. The mansion erected on
the Burns estate was one of the finest
in the country and the resort Of the
distinguished people Of Washington.
In Oak Hill cemetery Van Ness had
erected tomb in Imitation of the tenn
pie Of Vesta. On each anniversary of
his death the legend has it that his
favorite troop of six white horses
make a ghostly midnight gallop
around the old mansion. Whether the
bureau Of American republics will in
herit the ghostly horses with the site Of
the ancient mansion remains to be SEEN
Down the Potomac by Trolley.
In these days of trolley cars and in
terurban connections it is no longer
necessary to sail down the Potomac to
reach Mount Vernon, although that is
always pleasant trip. The Washing
ton, Alexandria and Mount Vernon
trolley cars carry passengers along the
rivers wooded shores. pass through
quaint old Alexandria and on to an
entrance Of the estate leading to the
rear Of the mansion house. The train
crosses bridge which has replaced
the famous old Long bridge over which |
the Union army marched in the sixties. !
4 privilege denied the Confederate
troops.
Mount Vernon In Spring.
On a misty. mild spring day Mount |
Vernon, with its century old trees. its
formal English gardens. its hedges of |
lockwood. its deer park. it's sundial |
it's old fashioned barn. its outbuildings |
for the servants-the kitchen. the but |
ler's house. the laundry, the spinning |
hOuse-its kitchen fireDlace bio enough |