The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-10-06
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THE AMERICAN CAPITAL

THE AMERICAN CAPITAL
of the Commissioners and take min
utes of the squares from the certificate
of surveys returned into this office !;
from thence plat the squares. He is
| also desired to perfect, as soon as he
| can, the plat of Hamburg, with that
part of the city which it covers"
On June Is, 1895, Gustavus Scott
White, were then the Commissioners,
| directed 'Mr. Dermott to prepare a
plat of the city with every public ap-
preparation plainly and distinctly
| delineated, together with the appro-
| priation now made by the Board for
the National University and Mint"
| Public Appropriation meant the land
| reserved for public uses. Mr.. Dermott
prepared s'the plat of the city" and To-
| Gated thereon the public buildings as
| we now have them.
When the territory was selected as
the site of the Federal City, the land
owners decided one-half of their land
to trustees who were to make con-
veyances to purchasers and to the
Government. The half they retained
it was believed would, when sold by
lots, fully reimburse the owners for
the half they had decided to the Gov
eminent The result was that nearly
all these land owners were impover-
ished because sales were not active.
On March 2, 1897, at the close of Wash
ingtons administration, he executed
an Act of Congress directing the Trus-
tees of the City of Washington to con-.
vey to the Commissioners the streets
of the said city and grounds which
were appropriated to public use.
Owing to the press of business, Der
motifs plan was not annexed to the
order of President Washington. On
June 81, 1898, the Commissioners sent
it by Mr.. Nourse, with the original
Act and a draft of another Act, deemed
proper to be executed by President
Adams, in order to remove any objec-
ton to a compliance with the request
of President Washington, arising from
the omission to attach the plan of.
Dermott. AS these Acts were 'the
authentic documents of the title of
the public to the lands appropriated,
Mr.. Craik or some other gentleman
would take charge of their return
rather than trust them to the mail.
The Tin Case Map.
July %, 1898, President Adams
signed the Act transferring the land
from the Trustees to the Commission
ers. Dermott's map was sent from
Washington City to Philadelphia and
returned in a tin case, and is known
as the ''tin case map"
July 81, 1898, the Commissioners
wrote President Adams, sending him
the Act authorizing the conveyance of
the streets and public land from the
Trustees to the Commissioners and
Halso" the last plan of the city made
by Mr.. Dermott and referred to in said
Act. :
On June %, 1898, the Commission
ers wrote Mr.. William Craik, that
''some days ago we sent the plan of
the City of Washington to the Presi-
dent. We request the favor of you to
bring it with you on your return"
The plan of the City of Washington
was delivered by Mr.. Craik to the
Commissioners August 81, 1898. On
February %, 1899, in reply to the Com
missioners, Mr.. Dermott wrote: Il
understand by Ellicott's plan, the
printed one, all the alterations and
changes, except a few blank squares,
we're made by the Ellicotts. Freeman,
Ralston and Nicholas King, Surveyors,
before my plan was made. My plan
was made for the purpose of connect
ing the channels of the Potomac and
Eastern Branch with the squares of
the City. 1t was made from official
documents from the surveyors in the
field, agreeably to regulations made by
the Commissioners at April meeting,
1898. These returns are still in your
Office and still testify my assertion.
Dermott's plan of the City of Wash
ington and the Acts, signed by Presi-
dents Washington and Adams, at
tached to it had, by 1854, become
very much disfgured and torn by the
unrolling and rolling of the plan"
Commissioner Jos. Elgar detached
them to prevent their destruction
On March 80. 1854. he made affidavit
to these facts.
ElIicctt and Dermott.
The Commissioners in a letter to
President Washington state: Major
Ellicott's military achievements did
not recommend him to the head of
the Surveying Department, nor did we
enquire whether Mr. Dermott was a
man of courage as a necessary qualifi-
cation for the division of the squares,
but we should have thought before! the
2Sth of lastmonth the Majors idea Of
Mr.. Dermott's powers was corrected,
nor is the Major better grounded in
his charge against Dermott OF habitnal
drunkenness. We were unwilling to
take his malice as the mounting of
some people Of Georgetown as the