davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1917-10-28

!antic that they form the smoothest
and safest Of waterways. The surface
Of Lake Superior is less than fifty feet
nboN" the aluminium tip of the Wash
.uston Monulnent and only Il trifie be
low the level of the roof OF the Singer
building. on Ero2away. New York. The
i,ude is only 90 feet. and the most
O this descent is made in the Niagara
and st. lawrence riEetS. The fail from
The head of Lake SuEe! ior al Buiut h
10 the foot OF Like E,Sie at Buffalo is
only t!,.rty-siX feet. and of this drop
o. twenty feet occurs at the Sault Ste
Marie canals. This leaves only siXueea
feet OF 4 fan from Du!uth to Buffalo,
:; Distance of almost . thousand miles.
or less than one-ffth Of an inch to the
m:Ie. T. is so small that there is no
percertibl" od.rent ard practica lty. no
change Of steam is reeded in making
tn" way bac1. and forth.
! have been travelling over these lakes
for the past fe~ weeks The canals
remark able interest, In passing from
Lake Erie into Lake Huron | went
through the Detroit river and from
there into the st. Clair, which cuts
hundreds of litt1e Islands upon which
are summer homes that remind one
OF the floating houses il the Menam
river al Bangkok. Siam. The cottages
have Yer Cd3S hanging out over the
channels. and the babies play there
within I fsw irctes of drow n;ns. one
can fish out of his parlor o. kitchen
window, and catch a mess Of black
bass q almost any hour of the dar.
The ST. Clair river is as long as from
Baltimore 10 Philadelphia; and as YOU
Sa through it YOU are on the boundary
between Canada and the United States.
part of the way is through the st.
Clair flats. where the government has
dee pened the channel Farther on. the
stream is narrow and the land slopes
up on both sides. Inc farms lining. the
Sh f.
ing from the houses and patrol boats
are moving about. guarding the waters
In the Detroit river. lust below YOU
pass between Windsor Canada and the
city OF Detroit The latter is Shrouded
in the smoke of its thousand factories
You ride for some miles by great in.
dustrial works. and out Of the fog and
smoke you can see enormous grain ele-
Evening star., 1917-10-28

of Canal street-which takes it's name
from the old canal-and at point
near Canal street and South Capitol
street turned south. looping and zig
the Eastern branch. which it entered
between Greenieaf Point and the set
tlement of Carrollsburs. That stream
was ST. lanes creek, which finally came
to be called simply James creek.
These creeks pointed the way to the
canal projectors as the best route
through the new city from the Po-
tomac to the Eastern branch. At its
beginning in the Botanic Garden s..
James creek was a very small and mud
dy branch but south of the Capitol sew
eral streams originating in Jenkins
Hill, the old name for Capitol Hill. and
the highland to the east. Joined it.
James Creek canal has been filed in
square by square during the past forty
years until now it extends only from
y street to the Eastern branch. There
was spur of the James Creek canal
which left the main stem at South Capt.
tol and | streets and travelled south
east to the Eastern branch. entering it
near the navy yard. That part of the
canal has been obliterated.
The commercial and reclamation
project was steadily under discussion
by the first residents of Washington.
but it had to divide attention with
many other plans for city making. and
while public spirit was plentiful, money
in. 1895 authorized the holding of lot
terry for the purpose of building the
canal. The canal plan first took on
legislative form in Congress in 1902.
Evening star., 1917-10-28

and the Eastern branch, with its deep
channel close 10 the shore, was going to
be the most important section of the
new capital
Tiber creek, otherwise Goose creek.
as shown on very old maps. started
near the eastern edge of Robert Peters
tract called Mount Pleasant, in the
ridge north of Florida avenue at about
9Th street. 1t flowed southeast across
the east side of Samuel Biodgets tract
east corner of John Davidson's tract.
Port ROYAL. and into Motley YoUngs
land. called the Mill tract.
There it crossed the line of North
Capitol street at about New York
avenue. flowed south to about North
nue.. slanted to the southwest. crossed
Pennsylvania avenue at about Sd
street, running down to about the mid
die of the park between Maine and
Missouri avenues, Sd and 4th streets.
There it bent to the west as far
eth street. turned north to Pennsyl-
vania avenue. and then flowed west to
the Potomac. After turning to the
west on the line of Pennsylvania ave-
nue. between 9th and 7th streets it be-
came quite a wide stream and with it's
marsh borders was about as wide
city block. Into Tiber creek flowed
number of branches that had their
source in springs in the highlands now
covered by Petworth. Soldiers Home.
the Catholic University. the Conway
Glenwood cemetery. Whitney close.
Howard University. Pleasant Plains.
lie proit Park. lexington and Bloom
ingdale. {
of the Botanic Garden. a stream struck
off from Tiber creek toward the south
east. crossed Maryland avenue at
about Sd street. flowed along the line
Evening star., 1917-10-28
The Commission.

"A SENATOR congratulated on his
IN conversion 10 the government 5
war prograri said ii: a luncheon:
Germany started th!s %"r 20 obtain
world heg.mony. World heGemony
seemed within her Grasp. and then --
And then-hif' 1t was like the
Young artist
"A struggling young artist. YOU know.
stood N the Grand Central station
when a millionaire came up and shook
him warmly By the hand
Z" Brush. my boy the millionaire said.
i've got a commission for you.
Have you?' said Brush. and glad
light beamed in his eye.
Yes said the millionaire. Can YOU
accept it?'
Can /? You'd better bet | can said
Brush.
We'll. them sad the millionaire
my mother-in-law is arriving here on
the i:l7 express, and ! want YOU Ia
meet her at the exit and escort her to
my wife's club. VIII your"
Evening star., 1917-10-28

lack Frost locks the upper lakes tight
in the arms of the winter. Within the
past season the steamers have carried
down the lakes 66oe0.oco tons Of iron
ore. and more than 2.00g $50 tons have
been transported each r,onth. There
are 500 steamers now carrying such
freight.
The James A. Farrell is of tie best
type of these steamers. 1t is one OF the
largest OF all that ply the lakes. and il
is in service da: and night. week days
and sundays. from one end of the
season TO rhe other. The vessel was
built at the Cleveland shi, yards in
1913. 1t is made of steel throus hout.
II is a great steel she'll almost 500 feet
long. about sixty feet wide, and SO
large that is would fill the roadway of
a city street from ore end of the block .
to the other rising to the height OF the
third stor. of all the buildings. There
engine houses and SnoEeStackS at.
the stern and pilothouse at the prov,
which extends rsiderably higher:
but the main part of the vessel is the
great ho,d more than SEQ feet long
and over 20 feet deep. which carries
it's vast cargo of ore. This hold is en-
three great compartments all of which
are filled every trip When outside the
harbor the matches are closed. and the
main part of the deck is a long expansa
of steel. absolutely free of rigging or
any obstruction whatever
The vessel is more like a great barge.
than a modern steamer, and one would b.
never imagine its fine machinery and
wonderful efficiency. The engines
which were made at Cleveland. are Of
triple expansion and of $500 horse -
power. They send this ten-thousand-
ton ship through the water at a speed
Of thirteen miles an hour. and that at.
the expenditure of only about two and
one-fourth tons of coal. The ship.
makes the round trip from Lake Erie
to Duluth and back in seven days. and :.
within that time it loads and unloads
its cargo of 1900 tons Some of the
vessels on the Atlantic use as much
coal in one day as this ship does in a =.
week and they carry less freight, The
larger of the Atlantic greyhounds con-
sumo upward OF 500 tons OF coal in one
FRANK G. CARPENTER. -.
Evening star., 1917-10-28

people never agreed. but. then. that was
forty-three and more Years ago. Henry
n Cooke of Georgetown was governor
from February. 1871. to September. 1873.
and Alexander K. Shepherd from that
date to june 20. 1874 The secretary to
the governor was DIR. William Tiudall.
the surveyor. William FORSYTH: the at
torneE, William A. Cook, and the col
lector w. H Slater. vino was succeeded
in 1878 by Lewis Clephane.
The first secretary of the District
was Norton +. Chapman. who was sue
ceeded by Edward l.. stanton. succeed :
ed by Richard Harrington. The board
of public works was appointed March
Is. 1871 and consisted of Gov. Cooke.
a 5 chairman by virtue of his Office: S. +.
Brown of Washington. A. h. Mnllett of
Georgetown. \. r. Shepherd of Wash
ington and James A. Magruder of
Georgetown. Adolph Cluss succeeded
Mullett and was himself succeeded by
John B. Blake. Henry A. Willard sue
ceeded S p. Brown. In the board OF
health were Or. \. 5. Lincoln. Or. T. :.
Verdi. II. \. Willard John NJ. Langston
and John Marbury. jr.. of Georgetown.
DIR. c. c Cox succeeded Mr.. Willard and
DIR. u. w. Bliss succeeded DR.. Lincoln.
Norton T. Chapman was elected as the
Districts delegate to Congress April
Il 1871 and was reelected October IA,
1873. serving until the end of his term,
March l. 1875. The Legislative assem-
bly, consisted of the council and the
house of delegates. and there were four
a assemblies. one for each of the years of
the territorial government. Among
those legislators whose names old
Washingtonians will remember the
Rambler recalls William Stickney, A.
X Browne. Samuel Cross. Frederick
Douglass. who resigned and was sue
ceeded by his son. Lewis II. Douglass:
John A. Gray. George Gulick, John W.
Thompson. Charles l.. Hulse. solomon
G. Brown. William II. Cassin. John r,
20 I'M tIt.l-S
Thomas +. Lloyd. John w. Mcknight.
Frederick y. Boswell John Hogan.
Evening star., 1917-10-28

IN canada. He knows the United States
h"fN We'll. since he is near neighbor
lie VIII find himself quite at home il
ashlngton and is sure to be welcome
Australia Is so much farther away
fhan Canada that il is not possible to
determine just what currents of public
opinion nave been floating which may
iestd TO the appointment of 4 sDecial
commissioner to Washington. The in
tIh1ation is given. however. that it may
nave no special significance for the
United States since il is proposed te
nave commissioners to other countries
also. Canada also may have a similar
purpose. but that does not diminish the
s'enlhcance of the appointment of 4
trade commissioner to reside in Wash.
inSfon. Nor will the importance of tn.
designation of an Australian trade com
missioner To Washington be lessened hS
the appointment Of trade commission
erS To other Countries.
The mutual markets of Australia and
the tinted States are NOT large. Vel
they are large enough To ne Of conSe-
n.entc ia both countries Australia
hIE Il preferential tariff similar 10 tina,
"L ahada IN which Great Britain and
VARIOUS british colonies are given .r
advantage over tn. United States and
"ther countries. This policy. i, is ex-
pected. viii be continued after The war
-SeNerthcieSS. the United States which
ships harvesting machinery to Ans
lralia' VIII continue to ship it. and this
trace is expected to increase
ne United States now takes all the
Australian wool il can get hut since
the Tnt.re wool crop was bought by
me brilIsh government its allotment
- subject to the military situation
men peace comes. the United States
may want more Australian wool for
mixing with the domestic product in
It's textile mills, bur there is more. bu~i-
ness than harvesting machinery on one
SIDE and wool ON the other
II is announced from london thai
Sir George Reid. former high curl,r}is-
SSioner !"r Australia in London. who
IS now member of tn. British par
llainent, - coming to this country fof
= visit. The nature Of his visi; is not
known. but il is $nrmis-d that I may
nave something I" do with the appoint
ment OF trade commissioner i!e was
mere At the meeting of the Iut,rna-
'lonai Chambers OF Commerce in Bo.-
Ton in 1912. He is an authority on
Australi lian trade. ard it is not inrproh-
able that tho Australian government
desires the benefit of his Suggestions.
When Il" vas prime minister of Aus
tfaiih ne was very aEEresSjy. in his
advocacy Of an Australian prlic,. re"-
pie who net him during his previous
visit TO tots "o''n'ty Nee i no nsscd
y ith his fcrcefulness.
NJ the he"innira Of h"e'ill,f"x Aus
liz showed much irritation heca ug g
the United States did not NJ or"s. plunge
into the war us an.aliy. Snrpt tl'-
friendly trade measures were proposed
as . means OF showing re sertm, al. Th.
ili-fe"linc died "'lt, a". even h"for@
the United States cut d tho p-ar thrT.
vas q kindlier a;tjtrdc II il poS>ih bic
that the Gp"oin'nant Of - sncciaI com
missioner would De con$ido ed W .tuS-
iralia as "nc means of showing: 1t
conyi"'ion Jhat future relations vita
tho l'"itcd states are hourd 10 10.
f.jerGlier thrH in the "aSt III" chi.f
Significance however would 5", as in
Evening star., 1917-10-28

pers Ferry and Seneca and had built
n short canal with locks around Great
Falls and one around Little Falls.
Rarges were being poled down from
Cumberland. Most of the people of
Washington are familiar with the ruins
of those works at Great Falls, and
traces of the works are to be seen at
Little Falls. Thomas Jefferson favored
canal from the Little Falls which
would pour its traf1ice into Washington
through the Washington canal. The
railroad was not, of course thought of
then. and canal carriage of commerce
was so much cheaper than horse and
wagon transportation that the canal
system was in the minds of all pro-
gressive Americans. When George
Washington had his conference with
the landholders of the site of Wash
ington he presented to them the com
mercial advantages Of the canal.
y
There was another side to the canal
proposition which might be called the
health side. One purpose of the canal
was TO drain two of the most objec-
tionabye marshes within the site of
Washin gton. These were the marshes
of Tiber creek and St James creek. II
was not seen how the Grand avenue
connecting the Congress House and the
Presidents House could be developed
without Kidding the Avenue region of
the marsh that bordered Tiber creek.
WaSfiin gton south of Congress House
and to the Eastern branch wanted to
get rid of the marsh that bordered St
James creek. for most of the early
corners to Washington and the specu-
lators in lots saw very clearly that the
part OF the city between the Capitol
Evening star., 1917-10-28

Lemuel Bursley. Madison Davis. Peter
Campbell, Q. S. b. Wall. William r.
Collins. Samuel r. Bond. Arthur Shep-
herd, William K. Hunt. John F. Murray,
John w. Baker. John II. Brooks. Samuel
Gedney, George w. Dyer. S, $. Smoot,
Matthew Trimble. William "a. Claggeti.
J. W. Taliaferro. NJ. r. Urel, w. E.
Nermiliion. c. J. Brewer. Elphonzo
Younes. Robert |. Fleming. Joseph q.
Carroll, Albert II. Underwood and
Josiah l.. Nenable.
The canal a feature of Washing
ton appears on the LEnfant map OF
l19i entitled plan of the city intend
ed for the permanent seat of govern
ment of the United States projected
agreeable to the direction of the Presi-
dent of the United States in pursuance
of an act of Congress passed the 10Th
of July, MDCC\C. TO establish the per
manent seat on the bank of the Potow-
mae. The canal was wanted for bust
ness and health and for the adornment
of the city. On the business side of the
undertaking ii would connect the Po-
tonac and Eastern branch by passing
through the city and save merchants
the wagon haul from the river front
1t would permit the products of the
west to enter Washington by water
without transshipment and would at
tach Washington to the developing
commerce of the Allegheny country
the OHIO valley an dthe great lakes
region, The Potomac River Improve
HlsHt company. chartered by Maryland
and Virginia in 1884. was to make the
Potomac navisable from the foot of the
Alleshenies to tidewater. In connec-
tion with this plan was one to dig
canal from the great lakes to the ohio
river. utilizing rivers best adapted to
the end. For crossing the Alleghenies
there were two plans. one for a canal
and one for national road or noun
tain portage
When the seat Of government was re-
moved to Washington the Potomac
River Improvement Company had cut
a way through the obstructions at Har-
Evening star., 1917-10-28

wears In 1904 october u, the terms
of the charter We're extended for fif-
teen years and II was provided that the
city council should consist of Two
chambers of niEe members each to be
separately elected by the people. 1t
was by act of Congress May 4. 1872.
that the two chambers of the CITY coun-
ell were designated as the board OF
aldermen and the common council and
the right to elect the mayor of the city
was given to the city council In lS2o.
under the provisions of the act of Con-
GresS approved May Is, the mayor was
to be elected by citizens qualified to
vote for members of the city council.
That form of government. with sundry
changes. particularly in the direction of
the extension of the elective franchise.
continued until 1871. when the territorial
form was adopted. That continued until
July /. 1874. when a temporary govern
ment by d board Of commissioners was
instituted. end on July |. lS.N. the per
manent commission government. under
which we now live. Went INTO ERECT. me
story of the canal winds itself through all
these forms of government. and that
story is not complete Vet. for something
more than a mile of the ancient canal
still persists from y street southwest to
the Eastern branch between BuZZard ana
Greenleaf points.
The canal question a live topic
with the people of Washington during
the periods 1So.-1sl5. 1S25-lSS5 and ISL
1874. In the first period the people were
agitated about how they could get the
canal. and in the last they We're agitated
over how they could get rid of it
Before leaving this phase of the sub
iect it is pleasant for old acquaintance
sake to recall the names of those men
white and colored. who were prominent
in the administration Of the territorial
hos
Evening star., 1917-10-28


~ ,.;,.,, ..,,;, , ,o,., ;ror
NJ la'ha"s "i'ieh sup uoN u WI
on the shores OF Lake superior
and spit it out into the steel furnaces
-, ,ta ,,or,s Of 1,l,. ,I;ch;y,, ,pdJale
Erie, "hlle we take account Oh one OK
our greatest national assets. The
s-.o,. l,,-os, .or,,, i. bic, i+a,, /, 1-ccl.
- -
sam : na4dh'e Shee'' ihes are Ni'e iat r
est bodies of fresh water in the world
and n, rheaun.ss of freight and eff
-,
''eh's "i '"-'Sl'o' '''l'n 'hes ate
eQualcd nowhere upon this great round
globe
49,. .. -, ~ $1,000, ,.,
''9' ""N '"eH arr i''ue" wa" ''"'"''
From tn" foot of LAKE Ontario to the
head Of Lake t;,Ine--oi, ,.o11 cannot pet
go. -,
-rho. f7a,..-,l - - -. li r,t
49,, 60 - 80 +, w. -. =; va ~
,f ,torsa,,f - t,,,s So -. -,
~ '4IpG "a i,.i -. lpus: SOLE are prLhs
laS Gown hliiionS OF busheis "i wheat
','s' @ tn,!iio.i" VI t''li re!, "i hohF 70 letu
'"t al M on .Ht other sue o, l'e
'1e'i: ',he'S' liHt ,hat on Which We
.,.,ei ia !i,liE, 'l are nlleo WIN ron ore.
Ni,i,H; f'St aS f'ooii as thlS ietteF is
PupllSho"' WI! nave beeh turned INTO
"r!'ior Piate ipi our Navy ana guns ana
D t'Ies i'' 'ui nisr III me l'ehrhe'. res
. do,n., shi,',,,,.,! :, - a,t "a
upzeh Snlpy afuS turning OUT mer-
i"t'il NSS@eiS VI E'eel anu "ooa TO peat
''!s s""'tldl mes o. our enemies ana the
great cues %nich TORN Their chief
'"r,S. or are "epehdent unon them are
Evening star., 1917-10-28

required the assent of the imperial gov
ernment. While that assent undoubt-
edIy would have been given. although
the agreement contained some things
diStaSteful to British manufacturers
the I.aurier government did not care to
go through this process.
President Taft also had his reasons
for preferriug to submit reciprocal
trade arrangement which could be
made effective by simple majority
vote of both branches of Congress in
stead of putting 1t in the form of a
treaty which could he defeated by a
minority in the Senate.
In putting into effect the maximum
and minimum tariff provided by the
Payne-Aldrich law President Taft sent
commissioners to Ottawa. and as a re-
suit of their visit satisfactory adjust
meut was made. THIS was prelimi-
nary to the negotiation OF a reciprocity
agreement Later. he sent commissions
eFs to ottawa for this purpose After
Evening star., 1917-10-28
Gated by Camada's Appointment
of a Trade Commissioner for Washimgtom

was beaten on the issue. In conse-
auence the reciprocity agreement new
er was enacted into law in Canada.
The reasons for the appointment of
A trade comm .ssioner which would have
been potent had the agreement become
effective were not so strong with 1t IN
effective. although they still existed
But since this had been the plan of an
outgoing government the incoming
government of Sir Richard Borden
hardly could be expected to follow it
up at a period when apparently the
Canadian electorate had decided that
il did not want closer trade relations
with the United States.
Closer trade relations, nevertheless,
is not a question of sentiment. 1t is
one of the facts of geography. Not
withstanding the failure of Canada to
ratify the reciprocity agreement. the
United States and the Dominion con-
tnued to do a good mutual business
and questions requiring adjustment
Evening star., 1917-10-28

Lake Superior within seven days. and
II Will carry down more than $4,000
tons of ore this year.
There are other ships like ii belong
ing to other great companies. and tho
whole forms a fleet of more than 5000,
which does more in less time than any
other feet in the world. The grey
hounds and freighters that cross tfe'
Atlantic work all the year round, but
they lie idle in port half the time to
do their unloading and make their re-
pairs. These ships of the lakes are in
service only seven or eight months.
but they keep up steam from the be-
ginning TO the end of the season. and
their loading and unloading is so rapid
and efficient that IL is one of the
miracles of industrial progress. The
vessels start running as soon as the ice
meits in the spring. their way being
aided by ice-breakers. and they con-
tinue until along in December. when
Evening star., 1917-10-28
Vast Iron Ore and Grain Traffic of the Great Lakes

vators. mighty skyscrapers. and the
spouting smokestacks of steel works
and automobile plants. Here the river
is full of traffic. You pass ore steam
ers long, narrow steel shells, naked OF
rigging, and great vessels. including
an occasional whaleback. carrying
wheat down the lakes. You see coal
vessels going up to Duluth and pas
seuger steamers of one kind or another.
loaded with people. I remember one
boat coming down en- route for Dem
mark. 1t was built in the river and
will pass through the Welland canal out
to the ocean. and take its chance with
the submarines and mines of the North
sea.
After CROSSING Lake Huron you en-
ter the ST. Marys river. which is
the downspout from Lake superior into
Lake Huron. This river is sixty miles
long and it ranges in width from a few