Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1915-08-03
AS OTHERS SEE US"
WHAT WESTERNER SAW
On Visit to the City by the Severn
Which He Says Cannot be
Called River.
WHAT ROE SAW" AT ANNAPOLIS
First Of Series Of Pen Sketches Writ
ten for the Greenfield Argus III.

ten for the Greenfield Argus III.
Visitors TO this city see strange
things copy of the Greenfield Ar
gus, published at Greenfield. Green
county. H.. under date Of July 10, has
the following:
THE following pen sketch is the
first OF a series Of articles Z. n. Mid
dleton intends TO prepare for The Ar
gus on what he saw" on a recent
trip 10 Annapolis. Nd
We often sec the name Of Annapolis
in connection with the Naval Academy
which is situated there. but we only
think OF ii in this way, and II we
visit this quaint little city situated on
the banks OF the Severn river we are
brought back TO our school days and
seem to again be studying the history
of the Revolution, for everywhere we
are surrounded by objects which bring
us back TO the early settlement OF this
country; for. in and around this place
were many of the most stirring scenes
of the nations childhood days.
F." AS you know, Annapolis IS situated
on the Severn river, near its mouth,
but the Severn can hardly be called a
river as il Is no more than an arm of
the Chesapeake. It possesses no cur
rent except that of the tide. and is
only nine miles in length Annapolis.
outside of the Naval Acadcmygrounds
does not cover more space than that of
Greenfield but in this space is CON
tanned a population Of eleven thous-
and. From this you will readily see
that the houses are packed closely. in
fact most Of them join and come flush
up to the street
g" The Severn passes on the north of
the city and from this arm of the bay
is another arm called Spa creek, which
passes aroun dthe east side of Annap-
oils and winds around on the south,
then further west on the Severn an
other arm extends down on the west
side OF the city and almost reaches the
head of Spa creek. From this. one will
see that the city is almost an island.
Annapolis was settled by ten families,
in 1919, ana was named Ann Arunde-
town, after Princess Ann. IN 1894,
the State capital was moved from St.
Marys To Annapolis.
Three state houses have been built
there since that tirae. the last being in
1772, and is in a good state of preser-
vation. the brick used in it being
brought from England.as well as those
Of st. Ane's Church, which still stands
and Is in use at the present time. Also
the Brice Mansion is still well pre-
served and Occupied by families. The
mansion was erected in 17G8 for Brice.
the last English governor Of Maryland
The streets of Annapolis are very
intricate for they radiate from the cir
Gle around The capital. building and to
make matters more intricate, there are
two other so-called circles, which lead
adjacent to the State Circle, called
Church Circle, and Governors Circle.
Thus il will be readily understood that
with the intersection of these streets
many peculiar angles are formed and
streets run in all directions of the
compass
Master Jack johnson, a very in
telligent 13-year-old boy, who accom-
panied me in many rounds Of research
said: Mistah Middleton, when they
laid out Annapolis. they took bunch
Of pigs up on the State House hnI
and frightened them and then mawked
out the streets in accordance with the
ways the pigs ran. Many streets are
longer than a block and a half. while
others pass entirely the length of the
city Very few Of thee citizens can
give you the exact direction Of the
compass. In the business part Of the
city, the sidewalks are just fair, gen
orally built OF concrete. but in other
parts the sidewalks are brick and in
bad condition.
There is one feature that is very
annoying to one who is used to our
western cities; the houses are built
flush with the sidewalks, and the steps
often run over way cross the side
walk, so that one often only has abou'
two feet Of it TO use. Many antique
articles kept in the city, for example
in the old stateHouse is kept the chair
in which George Washington sat when
he resigned his generalship Of the
army on December %, 1883. The
chair is covered with hair cloth and Is
in very good state Of preservation
his old desk is also on exhibition
The above articles are known 10 be
genuine. but there are many beds
around Annapolis in which George
Washington is said 70 have slept, anC
I a citizen told me that 4 Mr.. Washing.
ton slept in ali Of them he surely was
good sleeper.
Here is also situated st. Johns
College, which is the outgrowth ofIIime
Williams School, which was charter.
ed during the reign Of William and
Mary. This building is now used fol
one Of the preparatory schools for ths
Naval Academy On the campus oi
this old college stands a tulip tree
which is over six hundred years old
n measures over thirty-three feet II
circumference. The tree had begun
10 rot, and there was very large hoI.
low IN It extending even into some ot
the largest branches. A few years
ago wealthy banker Of NewYork city
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