Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1909-1915, 1909-10-08
washington letter
Especial Correspond nce.l
- 2 IS; 81 !

us: Especial Correspo dence.1
d President Taft In his next annual |
message probably will recommend to-
congress that the old boundaries of the
District Of Columbia be restored. Sass
The legal points involved In a trans
fer from Virginia to the United States
Of that part OF the district receded to |
Virginia In 1916 are now being In
yestigated. # is probable that q joint
resolution VIII be introduced III the
beginning of the next session Of con-
gress directing the attorney general to
report the steps that should be taken
to secure the restoration Of. this ter
ritory. sf{$y T s., ss 81 ,ssssiiss |
May Restore Old Boundary. ne
For the Information .ofs those; Inter
ested it might be said that this viz
ginia portion Of, the. original District
Of COLUMBIA comprises some thirty odd
square miles, now. Alexandria county.
The constitution having called for a
plot ten miles square, the balance Of
the District comprises some sixty odd
square miles. The 'one-third, now part
Of Virginia, President Taft thinks
ought to come back. = !: a ". sEs',, ,
That President Taft was prophetic
In his suggestion the lost third should
be recovered is generally conceded. 1t
is felt that It will not be long before
the government will need it for various
institutions. Already it has bought back
part Of it for the. Arlington, national
cemetery, Fort Myer and other prof
ects. And as soon as the beautifying
of the north side of the Potomac river
is finished eyes will be cast to the
other shore with view to making it
less unsightly.
Tho Original District. AK
The act! Of congress approved July
| 16, 1870, provided for a location on the
river Potomac between the mouth Of
the eastern branch OF the Connoc-
colleague, to be determined by three
commissioners to be appointed by the
president, "who shall, under the d.
rection Of the president, survey and
by proper metes and bounds define
and limit the said District. This vir-
tually left the selection to President
Washington.
General Washington ignored q pro-
hibition OF congress and included Alex
andria In the District, which, made
necessary an amendmentEt to tia orig
inal act Of location, which congress
subsequently adopted. -
The Retrocession. g3sG-
As the occupancy by the government
Of the District did not occur until
1900 the territory ceded5 by Virginia
and Maryland remained until that date
under their respective Jurisdictions,
the citizens voting ins the presidential
election In 1900. AS soon as the law
enacted by congress in 1901 brought
i them under tha exclusive legisIation
of congress- they tuan,ailiately tSan ia
lament their loss Of political rights and
1ors =:
Tshis movement culminated ID 1876
Eby tbs rssTocess5on 81. Aexandriacoun,,
! ~. Va, oyhleh sNas ag1tated by the
people: Of the city Of Alexandria, the
country people being satisfied with
things as they were. The attitude oa
the Alexandgtapa was ~ striking con.
fFagt With that q, their aneestow In
, seemed willing % mare any saascsfsiAce
sl ta obtain 81 ebe eapata, seg thar section.
!41 od5 10 Exseeieai esuaparrs~s. "a =
Tha eemiannqal clearing ct birds
nests from the new District building
, shas aalnaH place. and halt. a cart load
II o&stW1gs. leaves and ,horsehairs. woven
: together i1 &teculass paasaass aontEap
: lions, was removed from tlfes maal
! ;;'entfanca, to. the building and from ths
= noeks sand creyices on Ito front and
! sides and relegatad TO the scrap heap.
+ Hundreds Of tiny birds, most Eo1
!. i them English sparrows, were captured
C t:bye theu force of cleaners during theil
> work sqe teaasEaanlg down The nests. i
nearly every instance the birds wert
feathered and were able to fly away. !.
2lH Captain Strain. commander Of TIKI
watch. said that in the, future the pest
will be- removed every three weeks
/ The sparrows. he said, are industrious
creatures and will rebuild torn down
colony in twenty-one days. fS5s
l. ,.,.,., Fallen Tree. Replaced. 1s
| During a recent storm which swept
over Washington, one Of those semi
tropical tornadoes which are prevalent
| here at certain seasons Of the year, 4
fine old tree in the capitol ground.
was blown down, It's roots washer
free Of soil. and great hole in til
y earth showed where it had stood. ssz
> Elliott Woods, superintendent Of th,
y, capitol, was loath to have This grea