The Washington times., 1915-09-20
The District Of Columbia happened be-

The District Of Columbia happened be-
| cause Of a dinner.
Probably many Of the statesmen, later
plunged into the National Cspitars gay
round Of dinings and winnings. and made
10 realize that the gastronomie peril Is
one OF the kravest dangers Of Washing
toms official life. did not know this.
But It is only one of the many Interest,"
Ing sidelights thrown on the founding
an ana the building ;Is up Of Washinston in
Washington" by Francis E. Leupp, for
mer indian commissioner. and more re-
Gently newspaper correspondent.
whose home still Is in this city.
claims Of ready-nade cities 10 be the
seat Of government Thomas Jefferson
invited leaders Of the factions from
North and South who each claimed the
rlRht to this honor to dinner. The soup
course saw Philadelphia claims blasted.
perhaps the Ash course saw Richmonds 4
aspirations 60 glimmering. New York
and other claimants were disposed of,
ana along about the salal course the
IDEA OF made to order Capital. the only
one In the world except Petrograd. was
given birth.
Has Many Incidents.
Mr.. Leupp does not encro,ch upon
the province of the many Histories Of
Washington in his volume. B.t he
has tracked down many Illuminating
Incidents. and brought to life. by
relation OF personal traits ami sig
nifcant anecdotes, incilrr:s worth
recording Of the city's growth. Lester
q. Hornby. with sketch book in hard.
followed In the trail OF Mr.. Leuppes
narrative. and contributed a score Of
Illustrations OF historic poin:s about
How Washington barga.nei with a
canny Scotchman for the land that
now Is the site OF the White House,
how a lottery. with a superb hotel'
boom real estate. how six Cabinet
members with the entire equipment
OF all their departments in a dozen
large packing boxes arrived for work,
why the Capitol and the White House
are n mile apart. and why the White
Rouse was faced toward the south
thoush nine out of ten would cali
Its Pennsylvania avenue entrance It's
ircEt. are some Of the lacts Sc. forth
In The chapter dealing with the dis
couraging business of creating a
tai't made Capital.
Washington is so much taken for
granted now that many realize the
narrow escapes 1t has had. Oncc
measure to remove the Capital from.
US tnen dreary and unsettled site
Almost passed Congress. in the war
British. and in the civil war Lincoln
himself directed a defense Of the city
only fifteen miles from its center
which all but permitted the Confed.
crates to enter its gates
Cows on the Mall.
Long after Congress and the Execu-
tive departments came here the mall
was used for pasturing cows. the fish
inR was excellent on the north side Of
PcDnsylvania avenue from Sixth to
Thirteenth. persons going to the White
House had to be conveyed in closed
carriages to keep from being splashed.
and early first ladies of the land, be-
cause OF the pollution Of the waters
about that mansion. had to send 20 a
spring in what il now Franklin Park,
half mile away. for drinking water.
The freedom Of the press was a vari-
able quantity in those days The first
daily newspaper here. the National In
telligencer. was not mclested, but when
Mrs. Ann. Royal. pictured by John
enchanted armcr," tried to run A week
lv known as The Huntress," she was
indicted by n grand jury as a common
scold and threatened with a ducking.
As late as 1850 not a street was paved.
only Pennsylvania avenue was lighted
at night. pigs roamed freely about tho
streets. all a public utilities commission