The mirror., 1923-02-22
Established 1887

nE and adjacent to Georgetown" The congress
I'LL sitting in Philadelphia directed that the
uk missoners be appointed and instructed them
ILL as to where they should locate the per-
I'LL manent capital Those commissioners named
uE the city for the man who had led the victor
ILL ious armies of the colonies in the Revolution
uR and who was then serving President Many
uH fairy stories have been written about how
Washington personally selected the site for the
capital driving of the surveyors stakes etc.
The unvarnshed truth is that he merely carried out the
will of congress by appointing commission which was
instructed by congress to do certain thing
From the day the tract miles square staked out
Washingtons impress has been in the city and its envi-
rons That impress stands clearer the years pass
More than million persons, Americans by birth
adoption gain inspiration every year merely by
looking upon the material things that connect the days
when Washington moving about there in the flesh
with the present time Thousands of foreigners benefit
in the way There is any pause in the stream
of pilgrims Mt Vernon in the throng that is always
on the way to the top of the Washington monument.
Winter and summer through sunshine and storm, the
homage paying the "Father of his Country goes
Every recurring anniversary of his birth seemingly in
the interest in his memory On these anniversaries
floral decorations invariably piled high in the tomb
at Mt Vernon and neither branch of congress fails
to provide that his farewell address shall be read.
Probably because the point has never been emphasized
many persons have the dea it seems that Washington
lived for short time in the city that bears his
There is also popular belief that the Washingons at
time occupied the White House. Washington
resident of the permanent capital The of
government in Philadelphia when congress voted
locate the capital where it u.s. and Washington had tenn
porary home in that city. On returning from Phila
delphia the close of his second President he
gave considerable attention the early develop
ments of the capital. He frequently rode up from
Mt Vernon his favorite black horse how things
coming
Who would undertake say that he did not visualize
the national capital in such form it stands today
If he did, he in his Imagination the Capitol building
Capitol hill, the Library of Congress with its golden
dome in the of the Capitol, the magnificent Office
buildings for and house of representatives the
pansive Mall extending from the Capitol the Potomac
with the monument to his memory, the
spicuous thing it; and he also the splendid men,
oral Abraham Lincoln and the memorial to U. S.
Grant And who again would say that he did have
vision of the resident section of the city extending far
beyond the White House to the northwest?
Washington never saw the White House occupied. To
some extent it represents his ideas of what combined
home and business office for the President should be
the original idea that the President should make the
house his residence and also his workshop Washington
Mason assisted in laying the cornerstone of the
White House. That formality conducted by
Masonic lodge in Alexandria of which Washington
member.
1t is certain that he deeply interested in the work
of construction. AT the time of his death the house
practically ready for occupancy. The furnishings
being placed in position. Only few days before his
death he and Mrs. Washington through the entire
L,,:lJ
time, keenly interested in every detail of the
place which to be the home of future Presidents