The Washington herald., 1909-04-17
WASHINGTON CHAT.


honor 10 Charles / Eneant. who laid out trs
Capital. His remains are 10 be removed
from the place that has given them hos
pitality for the better part OF a century
and VIII lie in state In the rotunda Of the
Capitol on the morning OF April 2s. and
VIII then be ~sinterred a. Arlington.
such dtlatory recognition Of his services
would provoke laughter II Il were not for
the fact that republics are proverbialiy
ungrateful, for it is more than a hundred
years since he sketehed the plans which
makes Washington one Of the most. II
not the most. beautiful city in the world
These plans. which are now universally
praised. were laughed al. aeFi5ed. and set
aside as being too expensive and 100
ambitious al the time they were made; but
IL IS 10 TEafants adherence 10 his orig
inal idea and his belief in the future
greatness Of his adopted country that the
beauty OF the city is due.
Uncomplainingiy he accepted derisi0a,
neglect. ingratitude. and died unhonored
and in poverty now posterity is en-
deavoring 70 atone Tor the sins OF he
past, very much as France atoned a0r
her iugratitude toward the Little Cor
poral Tbs Capital. which Is to-day
practically as he planned IT, viii always
remain his most enduring monument. a
monument that viii put % shame the
meager memorial for which Congress ap-
pr0priated 5000 ia its last session
LEnfant's story is wen known. Almost
every schoolooy can tell OF his appoint
ment as the engineer Of the Capital his
disgrace and deposition, the poverty and
hardship OF his cid age. when ne was
forced % live upon the charity Of friends,
and few years back there were people
stIll living who remembered him as a
( pathetic figure IN the streets Of Washing
ton. Among these were the late W. W
4 Corcoran. who Was a Lad In TEnfant' S
old age, and described him as q quaint
figure, in a suit OF hunter green, with
q spike-tailed coat adorned with silver
buttons. a Waistc0at OF the same hue
which partly concealed q much berufled
shirt. and a cooked hat which was always
dGsty and the worse f0r wear These
shabby clothes, however. covered a
proud heart. and. although he was de-
4 pendent upon charity, Maj, IEnfani
/ refused 70 accept the pirtance which Con-
( gress finally voted him
u Is wen 20 set down here. BOW that
I TEnfaBt Is being 80 much exploited, 9
( word about MS birth, parenIage, and
{ career. He was born Ia France ia 100,
I OF bourgeois family. and served IN the
French army before he decided 20 try has
fortune in this country Indeed. he had
already reached the rank Of lieutenant
when in 1I7. al The age OF twenty-five
De emlgrated 20 the United states and
offered his services 20 the young requb-
lie He was made captain Of engineers
the following year. took a gallant part %
the siege OF Savannah, where De was
wounded. and be had been in tie servic.
only I'VE years when ne was maGe maJoi
/ CT engineers
\ AT the close Of the Revolution tn
commission having in charge th
), founding OF the Capital of which JET
ferson was the chief. appointed him q
llay out the Federal city. There was n'
J question regarding his ability OF his taste
{ but he was in no sense a diplomat ans
managed TO pick row with every on
. with whom his work brought him 10 con
tact His whole service was marked b
discord and inharm0ny. and his associate
were relieved when he was finally re
tired
1T is much TO be regretted" write
: Gen. Washington. "that men who posses
( talents which fit them for peculiar pur
poses should almost iuvaTiably be ul1e
{ the influence OF an untOward disposition
p ] have thought that for such enpl0ynen
D thar be is now engaged IN for prosecutin
B public works and carrying them into e-
Z than sny person who had come within ID
p knowledge in this country, OF, ludeed.
Z any other I had no doubt az tire SAN
= time that this was Ihe UghV ir whicl
2 considered himself" And later on Je1e,
e son wrote 10 the commissioner III ha1
= iag been found impracticable 90 empIO
n Maj. IEnfant about the E'ede-al city
r that Ge-ree If sIborGination which va
o lawful and proper. he has heen noride
that his services are at an end X
now proper that he should receive tf
reward Of his past services. and The Wis
that he should have no Just cause ~ diI
content suggests that IT should be Hbe-a
TIE President thinks o. $3.50 Or $50
/ bat leaves the determination 90 y0u- Ell
colt is 10 go or and finish laying or tl
plan on the ground and surveying az
plotting the District But the mons
EIaL-4ie SaE-e>Le. was never EGl-. q
though. Ike the late Mr.. Smlthneyer. q
architect Of the Lihary ~ COngress. wl
was also iuGdcqu1rely rewarded. he W
= constant petitioner 10 Congress Ma
rEnfanJ's old age was passed on the FAR
Of Mr.. Digges which IS In Prince Geor.
County, some ten miles from the Capita
and there he Died ard was buried.
This property subse eQUently passed in
the hands Of the late George Riggs, va
built a chapel as a memorial 10 the oil
tinEUished. II unappreciated, Frenchma
LErfant's first quarrel with the cor
missioners was in regard 70 the destru
tion Of "Duddington." the home Of Da
iel carroll which he had built in q
middle OF New Jersey avenue. crect
under the Capitol This house interior,
with lEnfants plans and he ordered
raZed 10 the ground The commissioner
| however. interfereG and his orders We
not obeyed. whereupon FEnfaut Sook q
matter In his own hands and himself
rected a gang Of Ia5orers. who pulled
down in a single night. The seltime
Of to-day would indOrse his highland
measure, but il made TEnfant impOssfl
at that time. and was really Tesponsit
Tor his discharge.
How the Sugar Trust Wins.
Frosa che Roehester Herald