The Washington herald., 1909-03-05

+ ture Of the Potomac. slow widening 70
meet the sea. can see distant bluffs. the
heights and woEderous velleys Of Rock
+ Creek. and across the river the glories OF
( Arlington. And in the spacious amphi-
theater that nature has designed the
fair white Capital. youthful and strong
and viriIe, its dignifed monument 10 its
+ founder reaching 70 the heavens and its
+ magnificent distances marked with
spouesS buildings Of architectural grand
eur that vie with those Of the Greeks OF
old
owes Much To Mai. TEnfant.
/ But next 20 Washington, who chose the
site and endowed the city with his name
the Capital owes most TO Major Pierre
. Charles iEafant one Of that band Of
+ gallant Frenchmen who espoused the
/ American cause: one who remained be-
+ hind when Lafayette and his friends
sailed home. TEnfant who had fought
+ for America. planned for her also. over
one hundred years ago he saw that q
Capital must be designed not for t1ir-
& teen States and three million people. but
for fifty States and for FIVE hundred
million people II does not matter urCI
/ TO the gecerati0n to-day that before ne
could complete his work TEufant was
Dismissed from Office. His plans held.
and he lived here tiI his death in 49,, "a
bitter and disappointed old man-but he
+ left q glorious legacy to all Of rs His
grave at Bladensburg remains unmarked,
+ but this city to-day the cynosure Of all
eyes; gay with bunting. proud in itself.
and given Up 20 joy and merriment and
s-s.- .r.-.-
5 Gus monuments ever reared 60 the mem
+ ory of a man and his work.
RedoIent of Memories.
! Foreign visitors 10 our shores have got
into an evil habit OF excusiug what 20
them seems strange and Unaccustomed by
declaring that we are so Young a coun-
I try. The statement Is true enough. but
/ it is not ali the truth. and here in Wash
ington the thinking man best may realize
( Il The Capitol 81 redoleut Of memories
since first Congress met there on Novem-
/ Der Il. ISo. Il soon became apparent
that Il was too small for the proper con
duct of the public business. Great Brit
ain helped US in gettins the magnificent
T structure that now crowns Capitol Hill
With lis stately Indian facing 20 the East.
+ It was in August. 1914. that the British
under Ross and COCkbu-n marched into
+ Washington. the President and the heads
F of the departments having fed. and the
soldiers fired volleys into the windows cf
the Capitol But soon they forced their
way into the legislative halls.
shall this ha-50r of Yankee democ-
/ racy be burned All for it say 'Ay.' %
yelled COckbuTn. Rockets and OtEer com
( bUs;ahles were applied. the flames soon
+ did their work, and at the end Of an hour
only the walls We're left Of the structure
+ that up jc that time had been our pride.
+ Then IL was. too. that the White House
was burned; the Treasury fred. after
which the soldiers camped on Capitol
/ HiN and rested against the destruction
/ on the morrow. Next day there was
more burning until only the Patent Office
and the jail of all the public buildings,
were left Nor was this all for the ele-
ments added TO the waste of money In
/ the afternoon Of August = a cyclone
( burst and buried many OF the remain
I ing houses in ruins.
Historic OctaEOn House
Il was through this war Of 1872 that an
other hisoric house was added to Wash
ington. for the White House being de-
stroved. President Madison took up MS
official residence in the Octagon House.
/ which still stands in good preservation
at the northeast corner OF New York
( avenue and Eighteenth street. Il is a
house that may well he regarded as an
integral part Of the city. for its bUilder
! Col Tayloe was counted the richest Nir-
+ ciniaE Of his time and until his death IN
IS2S. the Octogan was the center Of al