Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-04-09
JEFF DAVIS NAME
WILL BE RESTORED

WASHINGTON, April To-day propos-
ais were opened at the office of the en-
gineer in charge of the Washington aque-
duct for restoring the name OF Jefferson,
Davis to the stone tablet on Cabin John
bridge, six miles west of the city, from
which it was expunged during President
Lincoln's administration.
The name is to be restored in accord
ance with orders given by President
Roosevelt on Washington's birthday, less
than two weeks before he left the Office Of
chief executive. Although the amount of
work 10 be done is comparatively small
and the cost very little. yet it took con-
siderable time to get the orders through
the various channels to the officer d.
rectly in charge of the work who at once
went about completing the necessary de-
tails.
The bridge is a high structure and con-
siderable scaffolding has had to be erect
ed where the mechanics will do their
work. The restoration of Mr.. Davis name
TO the tablet will mark the elimination
OF many efforts with that object in view
which. however, will finally be accom-
plished without the immediate appeal of
any organization or individual, but by the
direct orders of Mr.. Roosevelt himself
An allotment Of $3.50 was made for the
work by the engineers office. The specifi-
cations asking bids for the restoration of
the name read as follows:
Restoring the name of Jefferson Davis
on the granite tablet on the west abut-
ment Of Cabin John bridge by remov-
ing the entire face of the stone about
3 feet by IL feet to a depth approximate
ly one inch or sufficient to form a new,
clean. smooth pushed surface and re-
cutting the legend now upon the tablet
he. ~ fha TaR
Davis as shown upon the rubbing with
w cut letters. The present ogee marginal
border around the tablet is TO be pushed
TO a clean bevel cut l 1-2 inches wide"
Two stone tablets are built in the bridge,
one on either aputment Csouth face) One
bears the inscription:
Union Arch
Chief Engineer. Capt. Montgomery c.
Meigs. U. S. Corps of Engineers.
Esto Perpetua.
The other:
Washington Aqueduct
Begun A. ID. 1853 President of the L. s.
Franklin Pierce. Secretary of War
- Building A d 1851. Presi-
dent of the U. S. Abraham Lincoln.
Secretary Of War Simon Cameron"
The blank space i'm the above descrip-
ton indicates the place formerly filled By
Mr.. Davis name. Its absence from the
tablet all these years has always stimulat-
ed curiosity on the part of sightseers
who made inquiries as to why the space
was blank and whose name, II any, had
filed il. The presence of the name there
as an army officer pointed out today, will
put Mr.. Davis name I'm the same cate
CORY as the others now on the tablet
which. because of its comparatively in
conspicuous position, will not attract the
attention that IL heretofore has and will
relieve the ubiquitous guide of one of his
subjects for comment and an object Of
interest TO be pointed out 10 tourists.
IL will probably take a workman two
weeks to do the work required by the
specifications. The use Of the "V'' shaped
letters to be chisled in the tablet is les 4,
expensive and less laborious than the
square cut letters usually adopted, but at
the same time they are now conspic-
uous.
Nine bids in all were submitted for re-
storing the name of Mr. Davis TO The tab
let. They ranged from $1475O to s., $50. An
award viii be made in a few days.