Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-11
FIRST NILE STONE ON SOUTHWEST LINE
FE.WOODWARD In REAR,
S9M

teresting facts along with his collection
of pictures. For instance, a previous
writer on the boundary stones says OF
one that lit was broken off below the
twenty-five feet away from the base.
When Mr.. Woodward made his search
he found the stone upright and in proper
position. But the previous statement was
not proven a fallacy. for a CARLOAD OF
stones showed where some one who re-.
allied the value of the boundary. mark
ers had carefully reset the stone.a An
other stone is spoken of as having fallen
with a caving bank" lay for some time
where it fell. and finally disappeared
This stone has been found and reset, not
in its original place, but near 1t.
There is another bit of interesting fact
concerned with this particular marker.
From this point the view of Washington
is particularly beautiful. March -. 1871.
Cen George Washington, accompanied
by the three commissioners. Daniel Car
roll. DIR. David Stuart and also Thomas
Johnson and Maj. Pierre Carries l. En-
FAINT and Maj. Andrew Ellicott. rode over
as much Of the line could be readily
reached. When the spot was reached
where this marker stands, approximately
speaking. Maj l. Enfant said to Gen.
Washington as they refined in their
horses:
Sir. the line crosses where We are now
standing. Look at the prospect"
And there in full view, stretched
Georgetown. evtn then half a century
old. surrounded by hills.
Nor has Mr.. Woodward's task been de-
void of the queer experience. During
the time he was locating and photo
graphing the stones bordering on rtlfts
Virginia side there was a humorous con.
sensus Of opinion. All the men With
whom he talked regarding the position. OF
the stones were of the opinion that he
was surveying the line for the purpose
of taking the Virginia portion back into
the District again. while the women were
OF the opinion that survey was being
made for the purpose of building another
electric road into Washington.
But perhaps the most unusual occur
renee connected with the entire project
was a charge which was made against
Mr.. Woodward following his trip ever
those stones bordering on the Maryland
line. He discovered that the north corr
ner stone. at Woodside Nd, was 116 feet
out of the proper meridian. being too far
to the west. The charge against him
was that he had proven Illegal a mar
riage performed more than twenty years
ago. 1t seems that couple DESTROYS OF
being wed had secured minister who
could perform the ceremony only on
Maryland soil, and the party had, there
fore, gone to the north boundary stone.
the ceremony tdhcu pAoSC vi Sio
stone itself. Unfortunately for those con-
cerned, Mr.. Woodward mad proven the
marriage performed within the District
limits at the same time he had discovered
the marker out Of an exact alignment.
The accumulation Of the data ccncernr
ing these stones by Mr.. Woodward rep
resents about three years OF work LuCs
ing all that time Mr.. Woodward devosed
his spare time to hunting up the bounui
airy marks. making several trips to the
same spot when the stone eluded ms
search. In thai time he not only deyei-
oped a very keen pleasure In his task
but as keen an enthusiasm Ioday ne Is
an enthusiast on the subject, and more
than anything else hopes to see all the
stones either renewed or fenced in Win
sure their permanent preservation for the
generations to come.
Particularly in the matter of the Jones
point stone. the initial one, is he inter-
ested. After entering into the matter
with the lighthouse board and the Engi-
neer Corps of the War Department he
obtained permission 20 dig out the stone
now buried under the sea wall. L q only
two conditions impo sed were that the
money be furnished from some source
than out of the funds of the two bodies
and that no damage be done the wall.
MIR. Woodwards idea is that niche
could be dug around the stone in such
a way as to make it visible, after which
and II necessary, an iron plate be laid
above it as additional strength to the
wall overhead. This, according to Mr..
Woodward, would require but little
money and in no way damage the sea
wall itself.