The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1928-11-09
BY ELMO SCOTT WATSON

!. I. !. !: !. ]. 6. !. ]. ].
~ V<93 ITH the federal build
TA ing program for our
1fEA4 national capital now
~ w under way at full
NV " speed and every indi-
w cation that it will be
carried forward unin-
terruptedly to COM
pletiOn in time for the
great celebration in 1882 of the TWO
hundredth anniversary of the birth of
George Washington, the century-Old
dream of Pierre LEnfant, is nearing
its realization. Few Americans know
anything more about L'Enfant than a
somewhat vague idea assOciating his
name with the phrase 1.-The founder
of Washington" Yet had the advice
of this young French engineer been
followed, the United States of America
would have now the most beautiful
and impressive capital city in the
world. Even though the nation al
lowed him TO die a disappointed man.
his goai unreached, yet he dreamed
and planned to such good purpose that
not even hundred years of blindness
to beauty and neglect of the Oppor-
tunity at hand have been sufficient to
dim his vision splendid, and the United
States may yet have the wonderful
capital that he planned for it.
Pierre Charles L'Enfant was born
August ., 1904, somewhere in sunny
Ia Nr-nC -, %lr
French army in 1777 when he came to
this country and offered his services
TO the Continental congress- BY his
ability he rose to the rank of captain
and then to major. He planned and
built Fort Mifflin and Fort Washing
ton, fought through the remainder of
the war, was wounded at the battle of
Savannah, taken prisoner by Sir Henry
Clinton in 1850 and paroled three
years later. With the war at an end,
L'Enfant decided to remain in this
country and continue his career as an
engineer and architect. The city of
New York presented him with a testi-
mOnial for his services and his repu-
tation was so high that President
Washington selected him in 1871 to
lay out the new capital which was
planned ON the banks of the Potomac,
declaring that "Major L'Enfant is as
well qualified for the work as any man
living" TO this Thomas Jefferson.
secretary of state, added the indOrse-
nent, Il am happy the President has
l,ft +Io ,oin % fIn .I,
good hands,"
Certainly it needed the hand of
genius to transform the dismal ham,
Jet Oh the Potomac" into a city be-
fitting the dignity of the capital of
nation. For when President John
adams transferred the seat of govern
ment from the Old-established and gay
Philadelphia to this raw wilderness
town, he found it place of thirty or
forty nuts scattered around in the
woods and swamps and the beginnings
of the public buildings, described by
congressman in Adams party as fol-
lows:
"One wing of the capitol only has
been erected, which, with the Presi-
dents house, mile distant, both con.
structed with white sandstone, were
shining objects in dismal contrast
with the scene around them. Instead
of recognizing the avenues and streets
portrayed in the plan of the city, not
one was visible, unless we except a
road with two buildings on each side
of it called the New Jersey avenue
The Pennsylvania avenue, leading, as
laid down on paper, from the capitol
| TO the Presidents Mansion, was then
! nearly the whole distance deep
morass, covered with alder bushes
which were cut through the width of
the intended avenue during the then
ensuing winter"
L'Enfant's plan called for connect
ing the Presidents House and the Con