Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-07
Capital Sidelights

the Potomac River west of George
town, which has been one of the most
popular routes to Great Falls, has
aroused interest in the history of this
old bridge.
Search of the records shows that a
bridge was built across the Potomac
River at Little Falls in 1897, which
was destroyed in 1904. Another bridge
was erected shortly thereafter, but
this also was destroyed. Four years
later bridge supported on chains was
erected and destroyed about two years
later.
On February %, 1911, Congress au.
thorized the directors Of the George
town-Potomac Bridge Co. to rebuild
the bridge and empowered that COM
pany to call a general meeting of the
stockholders with view to levying
an assessment to meet the cost of re-
construction. 1t was over this bridge
that President John Quincy Adams
rode with Gen. Lafayette When they
drove out to Oak Hill for a visit with
former President Monroe at his new
home, beyond Aldie, Va. 1t was then
a toll bridge, with the toll collector
booth on the Virginia end. Not recog-
| nizing the President the collector
stopped the presidential coach and Mr.
Adams paid the fee. AS they were
driving up the hill some one told the
collector who they were, and he ran
up the road calling after them to give
them back their money.
were under control of private parties,
but on March Of that year Congress
appropriated $150.000 to aid the citi.
zens Of Georgetown to purchase and
make free for traffic the then existing
bridge over Little Falls. Acts of the
Georgetown board of aldermen and
common council approved March IL,
1888, provided for the purchase of the
bridge and for declaring the same
free.
1t should be noted that at that time
the approaches to the bridge and the
abutments on both sides of the river
were in Federal territory, as it was
not until 1916 that an act Of Congress
provided for the retrocession to the
State of Virginia of that portion of
the District of Columbia formerly
coded by that State.
An act of Congress, approved March
8, 1853, making appropriations for the
civil and diplomatic expenses of the
Government, appropriated 100000 Tor
the coming fiscal year to be expended
under the direction of the President
of the United States for the construc-
ton Of a bridge across the Potomac
River at Little Falls.
Another act of Congress, approved
June 10, 1872, appropriated 100000
for rebuilding the then existing bridge
and provided that this bridge should
be rebuilt as a substantial iron struc-
ture under plans to be approved by
the chief engineers of the Army and
under his supervision. The bridge so
authorized was constructed under a
contract between the United States
and the Phoenix Bridge Co. in 1874
and is now known as the Chain Bridge.
Congress, in making appropriations
for the fiscal year 1880, carried an
item Of $1,000 for the care of the Ben
ming, Anacostia and Chain bridges and
an appropriation of $4,000 for re-
planting and painting the Chain
Bridge, since which time the District
Of Columbia has contributed towards
it's maintenance. 1t Is assumed that
from 1854 until 1880 this structure
was maintained solely as a Federal
bridge.
If professional ethics allowed ad-
vei Using, one Washington dentist
could start an advertising campaign
not to be outdone by a well known
brand Of cigarettes. When men,
bers Of the United States Senate
make frequent trips during their
Summer recess from legislative
duties back to Washington to have
,%aI fvn De-, &Nof -
in the cap of the Capital dentist.
During the past week Senator David
I. Walsh Of Massachusetts, was pur-
sued here by the ever vigilant Wash
ington correspondents, only to find
that his trips here are for a session
with his dentist.
The oldest Government library in
the country Is now in the Army War
College, having been removed there
from the War Department 10 years
ago. The State Department library is
the only competitor for age. These H.
braries were started when Philadel-
phia was the temporary National Cap
ital. It. contains the priceless Civil
War collection Of negatives and photo.
graphs and some of the most valuable
of early congressional documents, in
GLIDING the Journals Of the Cont
mental Congress and the Proceedings
Of the Constitutional Convention.
\ X X
The writer Of this column has been
asked to direct several readers where
they can find famous panegyric on
tobacco once delivered in Congress.
Evidently the writer's refer to the
speech made by a former Repre-.
sentative from Virginia, Peter j.
Otey, during discussion Of the wa
revenue reduction bill in 1900, in a
whimsical and humorous style, typical
Of utterances that won for him q
wide reputation as a congressional
humorist.
Mr.. Otey cited authorities-Hariot
who Joined Sir Walter Raleigh in
1854 and who wrote of the new.
found land Of Virginia, and Of "up-
powee," later called tobacco; Fair
holt. to show that it was the sanitary
effects Of tobacco that led to it's in.
PRODUCTION into England: he quoted
the old poets on the mental satisfac.
ton of tobacco, and other authorities
to prove that tobacco encourages the
how Of the digestive juices. He con.
cluded with an idealistic vision OF
the effect Of tobacco to stimulate the
patriotic services Of the soldiery.