Evening star., 1924-11-30
Story of Meigs Property
Involves Historic Names
Rambler Interesting to Official.

II neaQlns mention was made of
Return J. Meigs, father and
i son. and today the Rambler will
recall these men, to Washing
tonians. Before telling you more of
the Meigses he wishes you to read a
few paragraphs relating to John
Addison Smith. to whose memory a
large part of last Sundays "Ramble"
was given.
You were told that Mr.. Smith came
TO Washington about 1914 and died
here in 1868. The Evening Star, in
Its account of the death of Mr.. Smith,
said, He filled the position of deputy
clerk of the Circuit Court of this Dis
trfct for many years under Col. Brent,
and on Col. Brent,s death Mr.. Smith
was appointed clerk OF the Circuit
Court, which Office he filled until the
reorganization of the courts in 1863"
John A. Smiths will, witnessed
April 1. 1857, and probated July IA,
1868, devised his estate of every
class "to my dear wife Sally for
the term of her natural life with full
power to sell, convey and bequeath
the same or any part and for such
interests as she may think proper
and appoint tht~same among my chill
dren after her demise and make such
modification Of the derises to them
herein contained as to her may seem
proper
He left his dwelling on c street
between &hird and Four-and- a Half
the Rambler behaves that its site
is occupied by the Arizona HoteD
with all its furnishings and house
keeping appurAnances to Walter S.
Cox and Thomas c. Cox, their heirs
and assigns. ito hold in trust as a
home for my daughters, who may re-
main unmarried during their joint
lives or the life of the survivor"
The remainder of the estate was
left in trust to Walter S. Cox and
Thomas c. Cox to divide in six equal
parts, between four daughters and
two sons. The names of the children
do not appear in the will. The wit
nesses were Margaret c. Grant, 3.
Thompson and ]. NJ. McCalla, jr.
You were shown last Sunday a deed
in 1888 from John A. Smith to the
United States, conveying title to Cool
Spring, on his farm north of the
Boundary and east of Seventh street,
that water of the spring might be
piped to the Capitol. 1t was the in
PRODUCTION of running water to that
building. In The Stars obituary &C
count of Mr.. Smith it was written
that ''he was possessed or consider
able property and for years
resided on and worked the farm
on which Howard University Is in
course of erection, he having dis
posed of it TO the university year
of two since
The Rambler has found in the re-
corder of deeds office scores of deeds
to and from Mr.. Smith, recorded be-
tween 1914 and 1868, but has not seen
his deed conveying his farm to How
ard University, but he came upon
trust deed made May %, 1867, from
Howard University to Walter :. Cox
and Thomas c. Cox, to secure pay
ment by the university of It's debt
to John A. Smith, for which Smith
held notes of the university.
In this trust deed the farm IS de-
scribed as SITUATE in the County OF
Washington, lying east of the Wash
(inston and Rockville turnpike tthe
|s~wrrrt street road) and north OF the
boundary line fthe City of Wash
ington, being the farm on that part
of the ancient demesne of Mount
Pleasant known as Efsngham." Wit
nesses to the trust deed were .. O.
Howard Gen. Howard). j. M. Browne
and Richard Smith.
x x x
Mr.. SMITH bought the farm Effing-
AVl ham from heirs of David Peter.
I will show you an abstract of a deed
for 33 acres. 1t is dated October y,
1892; is from George Hamilton Peter,
and tho consideration is $594. George
Hamilton Peter sells his undivided
interest as heir and deyisee of David
Peter, and also as one of the heirs
of William Peter. who was one of
the heirs of David Peter, to that tract
being part of the tract of the said
David Peter called Mount Pleasant
and which was detached and cut off
from the main tract of the said David
Peter by the turnpike road leading
from Washington to Rockville, bound
ed as follows: On the north by the
lands of Anthony Holmead, on the
east by the lands of John A. Smith,
which he purchased from Thomas
Peter. on the south by the property
of John Hoover and on the west by
the said turnpike road leading from
Washington to Rockville" Witnesses
to this deed were William Hewitt and
George Naylor.
Let us turn now to Return Jona-
than Meigs. who succeeded John A.
Smith as clerk of the court. He was
born April Il, 1901, in Clark County.
KY, near Winchester. At 81 he was
licensed to practice law, moved to
Nashville, Tenn, and was a friend
of Gov. Andrew Johnson. On the
opening of the Civil War he moved
to New York City and was there until
he secured appointment as clerk of
the Supreme Court Of the District of
Columbia. March %, 1863, on the re-
organization of that court.
1t is said that President Lincoln,