Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-29
BY JOHN CLAGETT PRoCToR.

~ NE Of the downtown historic
sites Of more than passing in
tereSt Is the northwest corner
~ Of Ninth and Z streets north
west, where the Post once
Department took Up its headquarters
when the Federal Government moved
here from Philadelphia in 1900 1t was
not the Post once Department Of to-
day, as one might well imagine. and its
requirements most naturally we're not
very large
Inventions have made conditions con-
eiderably different from what they were
q hundred years and more ago, but
human nature, probably, Is just about
the same. Today II Is just as common
for the chief 70 step aside and let the
assistant attend TO all the hard and
difficult jobs as it was In the early
days Of the Republic And so it was
With the removal Of the Post Office De-
partmeut 70 Washington Postmaster
General Joseph Habersi1am went TO his
home IN Georgia and left TO Andrew
Bradley. his assistant. the responsibility
Of seeing everything safely placed in
the new Capital City, and this Mr.
Bradley did most efficiently by INSTALL
ing his equipment ahead Of all the
other departments and opening his
Office. ready for business, on June H.,
1900.
Al the time the Government was re-
moved 70 the District of Columbia The
first session Of the Sixth Congress had
just been concluded in Philadelphia
where the capital had been located
tia1ee II had adjourned at New York
On August IL, 1890. Indeed prior 10
this the Continental Congress and It's
successor, the Congress of the Confed-
Grafton, had met from 1774 TO 1889 in
eight different placeS-Philadelplli
Baltimore Lancaster, York, Princeton,
Annapolis, Trenton and New YORK.
Naturally, this moving from place 10
place had made IT even more desirable
Tor Congress 70 select some permanent
place Of meeting, and 50, after much
argument and debate, the act Of July
Jss 1880, vas passed. providing for the
removal Of the seat Of government 20
8 district not exceeding 10 miles square
On the Potomac River at some place
between the mouths of the Eastern
Branch and the Connogocheague. 4" and.
IN accordance with this act, whzt Is
row the District Of Columbia represents
9 part Of the territory then selected for
the permanent seat Of government.
The passage Of this act, IL is said,
was due 70 a ghrewd deal between
Hamilton and Jefferson over - dinner
With punch and Madeira and even
With this assistance IL was passed only
b. majority Of two In the House and
three IN the Senate
= y
A s soon thereafter as possible com
nissi0ners were appointed 70 las
out the city and prepare the site foi
- tie several departments Of the Gov.
errhpept. The corner stone Of the
whste House was laid October 10. 1902
anTR on September &c. 1893, the north
win } Of the Capitol, which, IT Is said
by NE Fall Of 1898, had been boarded
stingled and painted" The FIRST
Treasury Department building was be.
gun IN 1893, and was the only execu-
tive Office completed al the time Of the
removal IT the Government. On ~
rolls were 90 persons
For a brief period the State Depart
nlent, with its seven employees, was also
crowded into the Treasury building, bu
soon afterwaro moved into Ons OF thu
Fix buildings on Per- 1sylYania aYenus
between Twenty-nrst and Twenty
. second streets northwest. and IA thu