Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-14
avng Of District Corner Stone Remembered Anniversary

tween the successive stones vary con-
siderably from exact miles, ana In no
single instance can milestone be found
placed at exactly a distance Of one mile
from its neighbor. The nearest ap-
preach to an exact mile Is between Nos.
/ and 2 on the southwest line. near
Benning, and between Nos. and on
the northwest line, near Chevy Chase
Circle, each Of which measures DTS
feet. or one foot short Of a mile.
"These errors in measurement amount
to as much as 40 feet over q mile ~
one instance and to 1873 feet short IN
another of the various intervals, and
these discrepancies apply to these
spaces which are supposed to BE exSct
miles and not to certain spaces which
were intended to be either more or less
than a mile, and are so marked.
'It is still further discovered that
MANY of the stones are out OF alignment
and that the original lines limiting the
territory are not at the proper angles.
For instance, the southeastern LIE,
which was intended to bear north %
degrees east, or true northeast, Is &C
tually north As degrees minute Ss.9
seconds, or nearly two minutes out oI
the way, while the southwestern Inc
which was intended to bear 40 degrees
west, or true northwest, IS actually
north A degrees SO minutes 246 sec
onds west, or nearly one-half minute
out of the way"
A S you are no doubt aware, the IN
dependent City Of Alexandria and
Arlington County, Va, was until 1886
a part of the District of Columbia.
Prior to the retrocession, which occur.
red during that year, all that part OF
the District lying south Of the Potomac
was known as Alexandria County, d. Q.
At that time the City Of Alexandra,
and the county as well, had just as
much franchise as we have today. True,
they had their own separate mayor, but
the National Government controileo
their finances and to an extent dlc-
tated just what they could do ana wnat
they could not do.
Alexandria was port OF entry prior
to being merged into the District. IL
was very old town, originating as
Hunting Greek Warehouse, and chang
ing its name to Bell Haven even before
becoming Alexandria.
It had enjoyed many privileges which
were taken away from IL when. 1t be-
came a part Of the District. Indeed,
few of the golden eggs 1t was promised
were ever laid, and If laid, according to
its belief. went to that part Of the Dis
trict of Columbia north of the Potomac.
Burdened with debt nearly reaching
a million dollars, on the brink OF bark
ruptcy, with its frequent appeals to
Congress for relief usually falling upon
deaf ears, poor Alexandria was at last
forced to beg to be permitted again to
become a part Of Virginia, and Con-
gress acquiesced.
In Alexandria's memorial to Congress
1t automatically set forth, as best it
could under the circumstances, q very
good argument In favor Of again join
ing Virginia. However, some Of the
things it then said not only applied at
the time to the rest Of the District, but.
indeed. still apply to citizens who are
left behind to hold the bag and carry
on. Alexandria deplored its position
and did not mince words In saying so,
Here are excerpts from its memorial:
we maintain that all government
| politically considered) but self-govern-
ment Is bad and that without some
| radical change, time, instead Of making
a bad government better, will make L
CONTINUED on Seventh Page.l