Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1909-06-12

] Icllltulfu
Potomac River Front
The crazy mass Of tumblcdown
structures which ut present mark the
sQuald water front of Washington,
with the exception of Potomac park"
said the commissioner, has been
erected by private individuals or cor.
porations without any general plan
and with but little general Suprrvi.
sion. Wooden docks-if the latter term
can be used to designate these Struc.
tures-jut out in any and all directions,
the mcanest kind of frame crrctions
abut upon the river, and altogether
the spectacle is one which TO Il person
acquainted with the trim and often
elegant and splendid quays of the cap,
itals of Europe cannot fail to arouse
some measure of SURPRISE
There is now a bill before congress
aiming ut Il complete regeneration Of
WNshington's water front. A Supreme
court decision has been handed down
which gives to the national govern.
ment the entire control of the land of
the city facing upon the Potomac The
opening wedge in the general plan Of
improvement was the creation Of PO.
tomac park and drive, which bids fair
to become the playground Of the pco-
pie of all classes of Washington
Wooden Docks to Go.
If Commissioner Judson'S plans are
rendered feasible by means of con
grcssionaI action the tumble of wood
en- docks and Shuntics which now
marks the busiest portion of the river
front will give place to stone or con
crete docks, built according to rrgu
lar plan. This will mean radical
metamorphoSis of the scene familiar
to all inhabitants Of the capital who
travel the river in boats or otherwise
In Memory of a "Signer."
In memory of his illuStrious services
as a patriot philanthropst and throlo-
gian the bronze statue of Rev. DR.
John WithCrspOon, the famous Scotch
Presbyterian clergyman, one time
president of Princeton university,
signer Of the Declaration of indie
pendence and member of the Con
tinental congress. has been erected at
the junction Of Connecticut avenue and
Eighteenth and n streets. in front Of
the Church of the Covenant
Famous Words In Bronze.
The statue is mounted on marble
pedestal, upon the front of which is
written in bronze letters. "John With
eTspoon, 1922, Scotland; 1874, Prince
ton" On one side is inscribed Pres
byterian minister" and on the other
"Signcr of Declaration Of Indepcnd-
enCe."
On the back of the pedestal is
bronze plate bearing the following
quotation from the famous speech of
Wtherspoon:
"For my part of property | have
some, of reputation more. That repu-
tation is staked. that property is
pledged, on the issue of this contest,
and. although these gray hairs must
soon descend into the sepulcher, |
would infinitely rather that they de.
scend thither by the hand of the exc
cutioner than desert at this crisis the
cause of my country"
Government Frog Farm.
Uncle Sam is going to start a frog
pond and Il turtle farm-that is, George
NJ Bowers, United States fish com
missioner. the man who has saved the
New England lobster from extinction.
prevented the dying out of the shad
and the Blue Point and held out Il
helping hand to the craven clam, now
plans to give first aid to the CASTRO ,
monte ambitions of mankind by stop
ping the gradual humiliation of the !
back and the bullfrOg
North Carolina is to be the scene of
the governments efforts to save these ,
two delicacies. Heretofore efforts of +
the commission to propagate diamond |
back terrapin have not proved SUCCESS 1
full. Now a new effort is to be made ,
a turtle farm will be located at Beau !
fort. a picturesque little sea town on |
Rogue sound. North Carolina The
bullfrog nursery is to be located at |
Edenton
First White Messenger
John lille. who recently died here, is
said to have been the first white mes
senger boy ever employed in the Dis
triCt Sixty years ago messages were
always carried by colorcd people.
When this practice was abolished lille
accepted Il job as messenger and made
good" While thus employed he Wis
tied the homes of cabinet officers, dip.
omnts and other distinguished men,
and in this way he became acquainted
with the people who were his patrons
when he began the manufacture of
footwear.
Bootmaker For Society.
About the time of the civil war John
lille WAS the leading boot and shoe
maker of Washington. and the foot
wear turned out from his shop cover
ID the feet of the society bellies and
eadlng men of the day. stephen A
Douglas. Edwin NJ Stanton the elder
Booth. Edwin Forrest and other dis
inguishCd men of that day all wore
Iohn HiIes boots, and it is said that
IL made several pairs for President
lincoln.
He was regarded as the bootmakeF
or society, and the belle of civil war
lays who did not wear Hile's shoes
II slippers was distinctly out of the
oCial swim in ballroom and society
of that day.
CARL SCHOFIELD.