Evening star., 1917-10-28
The Rambler Writes of the Washington Cana

EHHE little old gray stone house
which stands in the southwest
angle of the intersection of
q 17th and streets. the north
east corner of Potomac Park, is a relic
of the Washington City canal. As the
Ramblers memory serves him. there
was a lock at that place and the gray
stone structure was the lockhouse, or
the house in which the lock tender
lived. He not only operated the lock.
but in the early days OF the canal also
collected toll for the boats and carSoos
passing the canal. That canal is stIli
in the minds of Washingt onians whose
memory of the city goes back 10 the
days of the territorial government ana
its board OF public works, ls71-iS1i.
II was during that period that the
making-over of Washington was be
KUN. 1t proceeded with success. but
not without much public clamor be
cause of the costly and radical changes
made Old Washington people think
and speak of that period as the Shep-
herd regime from the fact thar Alex
ander r. Shepherd. for two wears. hve
months nd twenty-seVen days mem
her Of the board of public works ana
for nine months and seven days the
governor of the DistriCs. was the mas
period ths canal throughout the
greater part of its length flled IN.
" having become nuisance IN all
ways. The Rambler does not mean I"
review the discussion preliminary 10
and the execution of that local I'M
provement. but hopes to tell the story
Of why. how and when the Washington
City canal came into existence tie
believes il to be a story OF interest to
old Washington people and of instruc-
tion to Young NashinGtonianS-
But before proceeding with the story
of the origin of the canal. which must
require at least two "rambles. il is
we'll to glance back al the successive
forms of government OF the Federal
Territory. the Ten Miles Square. the
Territory OF Columbia. the Federal Dis
trict and the District of Columbia. the
several names by which the District
has been called.
The idea of the Washington City
canal antedates the oldest form of
government here. Under the act of
Congress of July Is. 1890. establish
ing the temporary and permanent seat
Of government of the United States.
Congress authorized the President to
appoint three commissioners TO sur
vey and define the bounds of the Dis
trict. and in the absence of furtner
legislation on the subject by Congress
these commissioners acted as the gov
erning body Of the district while the
legislatures of Maryland and Virginia
passed number of laws having partic-
ular applica tion to the parts of the
District which they had Ceded to the
federal government. In 1902. May
J. an tc of Congress was approved
which provided that The affairs OF
the City of Washington which have
hArAfnfnrP
superintendence of the said commits
sioners shall hereafter be under the
direction of a superintendent. to be ap-
pointed by and to be under the control
of the President of the United States
Following closely on this. Congress
enacted an act giving corporate exist
ence to the CITY Of Washington. which
provided that there should be It mayor
appointed annually by the President.
and a council of twelve members to be
elected by tn inhabitants qualified to
vote. 1t was set forth that the terms
of this act should continue for two