The Coolidge examiner., 1932-12-02

with an enthusiastic endorsement. The Presi
dent thought 1t admirable and said 1t combined
grandeur, simplicity and convenience" He
wrote TO the commissioners, requesting them to
adopt Thornton's plan in preference to Halates
but charged them to do 1t with delicacy." I'm
mediately the commissioners informed Hallate
Of the change and upon his examination of
Thornton's plan. the Frenchman declared that
Thornton had stolen the idea from his (Ha-
late's) original designs.
The result was an acrimonious dispute be
tween the two men which lasted for several
months but in the end the commissioners ac-
cepted Thorntons plan and awarded him the
first premium AS a sort Of consolation prize
they gave Hallate a premium of $3.50 and ap-
pointed him as one of the architects of the Cap
tol with an annual salary of $1,000.
AS supervising architect for the Capitol a tai
ented young Irishman named James HOban,
whose plan for the Presidents house" had al
ready been accepted was appointed and it was
decided to construct the Capitol of Virginia
sandstone, instead of brick as was first pro-
posed, and the stone was obtained from quar-
ry ON Aqua creek. On September IS, 1893. the
cornerstone of the Capitol laid and from
that time on the work of construction was car
ried on energetcally.
In the meantime congress was meeting in
Philadelphia and had made an appropriation
of $46,923 ''for the necessary expense of the
removal" of the government TO Washington. In
June, 1900, all the records, papers, Office furni-
ture, etc. of the various federal departments
we're loaded on packet sloops at Philadelphia
and despatched for the new city on the banks
of the Potomac. The officials and clerks, num-
bering in all not more than two hundred went
TO Washington in numbering stage coaches ar
irving after long, tiring journey of nearly a
week
Mrs. Adams, the wife of the Vice President,
has left US a record of her adventures on that
trip. She says: after leaving Baltimore we
wandered about for two hours without finding
guide or a path Woods are all you can see
from the time you leave Baltimore until you
reach the city, which is so only in name Here
and there is small hut, without a glass win
dow. interspersed among the forests. through
which you travel for miles without seeing a
human being"
After enjoying the luxury of life in New York
and Philadelphia most of the government Off
cials looked with dismay upon this wilderness
city set in a mudhole almost equal to the great
Serbonian bog" as one of them described the
new Capital
1t was in such an environment as this that
the Sixth congress began its second session on
November II, 1900, the first session held in
the new Capital. The north wing of the Capitol
in which the session was held was in a very in
complete condition, and both houses were
crowded into narrow, badly arranged quarters
On the opening day President John Adams
appeared before a joint session of the two
houses and made the following impressive ad-
dress:
81 congratulate the people of the United
States on the assembling of congress at the
permanent seat of their government; and con
gratulate you, gentlemen on the prospect of a
residence not to be changed. Although there
is cause to apprehend that accommodations are
not now so complete might be wished, yet
there is great reason to believe that this incOn-
venience will cease with the present session.