Evening star., 1929-06-30

"on Tuesday evening the 23d OF April, In
Montgomery County Md. by the Rev. Mr.. Tip
petit Mr. Allison Nailor of Washington City to
Miss Rachel Dorsey Moreland Of Montgomery"
RUT to return to the Chesapeake & Ohio
Canal which appealed so much to our
youthful fancy, and even in later days when
everything looked good TO TO which was at
attached the words excursion" or picnic
The first spadefui of earth was dug on July
e. 1928, by President John Quincy Adams,
amidst the shouts of the multitude and en-
livening strains Of music the spade being
handed to the President by Col. Mercer, presi-
dent of the company.
For the purpose of participating in these cere-
monies, a procession was formed at the Union
Hotel on Bridge street, and moved on to High
Street Wharf where 1t is said they embarked
on board the steamboat Surprise and other.
boats, and coursed their way up the Potomac
until they reached the termination OF the old
Potomac Canal, where they landed and march,
ed few hundred yards to the canal boats pre-
pared to receive them. After being seated in
these boats they glided along until they reached
the point of destination where the old powder
magazine formerly stood On landing from the
boats the procession formed a large circle, in
the center of which was the spot for the COM
mencenent of the work" The president of the
canal company addressed the President of the
United States in a brief speech After he con-
ciuded he handed to John Q. Adams the spade
by which the sod was to be turned. The Presi-
dent on receiving the implement, stepped for
ward and addressed the multitude in an eio-
quent and able speech which follows:
"Rriends and fellow laborers: We are in
formed by the Holy Oracle of truth, that at
the creation of man. male and female. the
Lord of the Universe their Maker. blessed them,
and said unto them: Be fruitful and multiply,
and replenish the earth and subdne it, To sub
due the earth was, therefore. one of the first
duties assigned to man at his creation: and
now, In his fallen condition it remains among
the most excellent of his occupations. To sub
due the earth Is pre-eminently the purpose OF
the undertaking to the accomplishment Of
which the first stroke Of the spade is now to be
struck. That 1t Is to be struck, by this hand,
invite you to witness
1t is said that by the Fourth of July. 1891,
the water was let In from the FIRST feeder TO
the Columbian Foundry.
THERE are In all 7s locks on the canal,
measuring 100 feet long and Is feet wide,
with an 8-foot lift. They are built of cut stone.
and laid in cement. Money was not as plentiful
in the United States then as 1t is now. and
Richard Rush was empowered by the citizens Of
Washington Georgetown and Alexandria Is bor-
row for the purpose 81 100000 and this amount
Mr. Rush secured from I1i>and In 1895 this
Indebtedness was assumed by the Federal Cow
ernment.
On the second day of June of last year, an
elaborate celebration of this event took place
at the approximate spot where the canal had
been begun 100 years before.
One Of the projects which resulted from the
building Of the canal was the construction Of
the Aqueduct Bridge, in order to provide q
passageway for the canal boats direct TO Alex
andria incidentally. 1t was the building of this
artificial waterway that finally caused Alexan-
dria County-as that part OF the District Of
Columbia given by Virginia was then called
to request the permission of Congress to return
to that state.
However we may look upon the legality of the
question now, there Is no question but then
Alexandria was thoroughly justified in its seek
ing retrocession, since. for third of q century
of the first years of the District, the only Fed
eral money spent there was for the erection
Of jail in connection with the court, which
was Federal as well as local, while during that
same period not dollar had been spent In
Georgetown, and, 1t is said, the only benefit
Washington received was from the money exc
pended upon public buildings which was usu-
ally spent here. and from such other money ~
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