Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-04-10

more to bring ABOUT JNe dSCVi'PiiS"
ment of the plan than any other
man ,.-... &c
the purposed avenue from Washing
tom TO Mount Vernon, from its IN,
ception to the present day. You Will
recall that I was a deputy treasurer
of Alexandria City when you were
Treasurer, in the year 1885 or 1885
when. in a conversation in your OF
fee. at which I was present, you
stated that you had for some months
been considering the advisabllity OF
asking some publisher to give pu>
blicity to your views upon the con-
struction of a memorial highway 10
he two hundred and fifty feet wide,
beginning at the City Of Washington,
the CITY which bears the name OF
the immortal Washington, with a
memorial bridge across the Potomac
River. and a highway extending to
Mount Vernon, the tomb where rest
/ his immortal remains. A few weeks
later. YOU asked me to go with you
to see Mr.. (, w Fox, the Editor OF
the Nationa! Republican, a paper
then published in the City of Wash
] ington and circulated in Alexandra.
! The object of your visit was twotoid'
viz to recommend my employment to
Mr. Fox as the Alexandria reporter
for his paper. and to lay before him
YOUR scheme for the construction OF
the memorial highway. | went with
YOU to the Office of Mr. Fox, and
heard YOU unfold to him your ideas
and plans. Mr.. Fox thought the
scheme worthy of the attention of
the American people, spoke of 1t as
patriotic project that ought to be
Immediately promoted. and promised
to give it publicity through the col
umns of his paper Mr.. Fox did all
that he promised to do, and more,
and during his ownership of that
paper, never lost an opportunity to
strike blow in behalf of the pro-
iect. Many of his editorials were
exceedingly able. and from time to
time had the effect of arousing va
rious Individual members of the
House of Representative and the
Senate to patriotic speech endorsing
the project. From that day to this,
there have been many steps taken
toward the construction of this Ave
nue.. all of which have been either
by your initiative, or with your most
earnest cooperation. The charterlng
of the Mount Vernon Avenue Asso-
citation, the securing of the first APP
preparation from Congress for the
plans and specifications for the Me
mortal Bridge and for the surveys
which were made by the Engineer
Department of the United States
Army under Colonel Haines, were all
intimately associated with your IN
dividual efforts.
Since my election to Congress in
1907, | am able to testify that every
effort that has been cXcrtcd by
myself and Others in behalf Of the
project, has not only been in thor
ough accord with your wishes and
views, but with your earnest and
unselfiSh cooperation. | know that
YOU have given, not only abundant
" and laviShly of your time and
energy, but also of your means. and
as | have stated. this letter is writ
ten in order that justice may be
done, and to preserve the testimony
Of a witness familiar with the pro-
iect from its origin to the present
day.
Il do not want to close this letter
without word of commentator,
first, of Mr.. f. W. Fox, the editor
and owner of the National Republi>
can, who was the first to give you
any real assistance in this work; and
also of the late Hon John P Smoot
of the City of Alexandria, Virginia
who was the first President of the
Mount Vernon Association, and who
gave freely of his time, energy and
means to promote the project; and
also Of the late Mr.. Franl, Hume, Of
Alexandria County, who was one OF
the first of the quartettc mentioned
to enthusiastically and industriously
give every aid and assistance in his
power 10 bring about the desired
result. The men who have partici-
pated in latter years, both in and
out of Congress, are all well in the
minds of the people, and it is only
to preserve the memory Of those who
have gone. and who participated in
the early history of the project, that
l find excuse for this letter.
Sincerely yours,
{. c. Carlin.