Evening star., 1921-05-14
|NOTED MORSE ELM
|NOW MERE MEMORY
Century-0Id Tree, Named for
Inventor of Telegraph, Falls
Before Axman.

One OF the most picturesque land
marks OF the National Capital passed
out OF existence last night when city
Iaborers chopped down the old Morse
elm tree, which stood for a hundred
years on the northwest corner OF lith
street and Pennsylvania avenue.
Today this relic OF early Washington
lies secluded in the nursery Of the
trees and parkingS department OF the
District. Although removed from its
place OF honor. whore scores of
!, tourists have admired il daily. the old
tree is not to be forgotten.
The Association of Oldest Inhabitants
OF the District OF Columbia. through
Or. William Tindali. one OF the vice
presidents. will ask Clifford Lanham,
superintendent of trees and parklngs.
for piece of the trunk TO be mad.
, into a table. 1t probably will be one
| Of the features OF the collection Of
| relics in the headquarters of the asso-
citation at 18th and II streets
slowly Loses Vitality.
For several years life has been
| slowly ebbing out of t.he old tree. and
| despite the efforts Of Mr.. Lanham s
men. its foliage has grown less each
summer. II permitted ~ remain the
| tree would hardly have. been more
! than leatiess pole this year.
! Hundreds of men and women on
: their way 10 work this mhrnGnE no
! tic"d that there was something un-
usual IN the appearance Of that busy
corner. At first they wondered what
was lacking and then glanced toward
/ the Willard Hotel and they saw d small
! block Of fresh brown earth. standing
out more conspicuously than theStree
itself had been.
Nonng Tree to Re Substituted.
! Within a few weeks a young tree
| probably will take up sentinel duty
/ where the Morse elm stood. The old
! tree was named for Samuel Morse, the
man who flashed the first telegra ph
message from Washington to BaltI-
more, What hath God wrought"
| The Morse elm is the last OF the
! trees that were planted along the
/ Avenue in 1920. when the two rows
of Lombardy poplarS were removed
| from the center of the thoroughfare
between the Capitol and the Treasury.
! In October. 1890, the board Of alder
men and common council passed the
following resolution:
BE it enacted by the board Of alder
! men and board Of common council of the
city of Washington. That for defraying
| the expense necessary to be incurred in
! the preservation of the trees on Pennsyl
! vania avenue from LIST street was to
| 18th street west and for planting such
{ as may be necessary. the sum of $500
, De, ana the same lS hereDN, appropriated,
/ to be paid in just proportions out of the
funds of the second and third wards. and
! to be expended under the direction OF the
mayor"
Noted Gathering Place.
: According to DR.. Tindall. unofficial
I historian of the District. the Morse elm,
/ planted under The foregoing authority.
! became the gathering place for out-of-
] town newspaper correspondents who had
! their headquarters on 14th street.
! They would assemble around the tree
and discuss the burning questions of the
; day The story is handed down that one
! day Morse was passing down the Ave-
I nue. with little wood box tucked under
his arm. The correspondents began to
joke with him about the box and he told
them, he story goes that with that box
F., he proposed to talk across the country.
/ From that incident. the tree is said to
! have derived its name.