Evening star., 1936-09-06
By John Clagen Proctor.

uLItS - hlUWIl iOCdlly VI IliC HEAL AoA
whom the fort is named. Yet he
was, in his day, one of the country's
most distinguished men and one of
the Nations braveSt soldiers; indeed,
one who even gave his life that this
Government might not perish from
the earth. His name was Isaac In
gals Stevens, and it was most fitting
and appropriate that this fort, upon
which the main attack was made by
Gen. Early's legions, should be named
for him.
Gen. Stevens was a Yankee boy,
born at the old Marble Ridge farm
house, Andover, Mass, March Is,
1918, and when of sufficient age he
assisted on the farm. At the age OF
is he entered Phillips Academy in
hndover, and at II secured an ap-
pointment to West Point, from which
he graduated No. l in his class, and
became a second lieutenant of En-
gineers July l, 1889. A year later
he became first lieutenant. He served
in the War with Mexico, on the staff
of Gen. Scott, and received the brevet
ranks of captain and major for gallant
and meritorious conduct at Contreras
and Churubusco and at Chapultepec.
In the attack on San Cosmo Gate,
Mexico, he was severely wounded.
1t was in 1845 that Gen. Stevens
first visited Washington, when he
attended President Polk's Inaugural
tion. Three years later he came
here to 60 over the reports made by
the Engineer officers engaged in the
Mexican War. At this time, and later,
he boarded with Mrs. Janney (prob-
ably Mrs. E. M. Janney), then on
the north side of Market Space be-
tween Eighth and Ninth streets, the
boarding house being later conducted
by Miss A. Janney at the corner Of
Eighth and Market Space.
While engaged in going over the re-
ports referred to, Maj. Stevens was
assigned in 1849 to Prof. Alexander
Dallas Bache as assistant in charge Of
the Coast Survey Office, which needed
overhauling and brought up to date.
THIS Office came into existence in
1907, when President Thomas
Jefferson recommended it to Congress,
and an appropriation of s50,000 was
made. Ferdinand r. HaSslar, native
Of Switzerland, became the first su-
perintendent. He was a scientist of
marked ability and pioneer in his
particular line of work, and did not
care to be interrupted in his duties.
Hasslar, who spoke with decided
accent, after many setbacks and de-
lays, was finally authorized by the
Government to employ astronomers
and other scientists, in addition to the
officers assigned from the military and
naval services, but, according to the
story as told many years ago, he was
hampered and embarrassed continually
by limited appropriations. His oper-
ations, it seems, were too technical to
be understood, and Congress wondered
continually what it was all about.
Upon one occasion, Congress au-
thorized committee to ascertain just
what was being done, and when the
delegation waited upon him in his
office to inspect his work, the superin-
tendent Is said to have had this to
say:
"'You come to 'spect my work, eh?
Vat you know bout my work? Vat
you going to 'spect?'
"The gentlemen, conscious of their
. ignorance, tried to smooth his ruffled
temper by an explanation, which only
made matters worse.
"'You knows noting at all bout my
work. How can you 'Spect my work,
ven you knows noting? Get out of
here; you in my way. Congress be
Won big WOOL to sent you to 'spect my
work. I ave no time to waste with
such as knows noting vat am bout.
Go back to Congress and tell dem vat
I say
THE committee did go back to
Congress and report, amid uproarious
laughter, the result of their inspecting
interview"
IT Is further said that when Levi
Woodbury. was Secretary of the
Treasury, under jackson, he and Hass-
lar could not agree as to the COM
pensation to be allowed to the super
intendent, and Hasslar was referred to
the President, who began the CONVEX
sation, saying:
$50. Mr.. Hasslar, it appears the
Secretary and you cannot agree about
this matter remarked jackson, when
Hasslar had stated his case in his
usual emphatic style.
NO, sir, We can't
"'Well, how much do you really
think you ought to have?'
"'Six touSand dollars, SIR
"Why. Mr.. Hasslar, that is as much
as Mr.. Woodbury., my Secretary of
the Treasury, himself receives
"'Mr. Woodbury.! screamed Hassler,
rising from his chair and vibrating
his long forefinger toward his own
heart. 'Pl-e-e-n-ty Mr.. Voodburys,
pl-e-e-n-ty Mr.. Everybodys, for Sec
retary Of de Treasury; v-o-ne, v-o-ne
Mr.. HassIar for de head Of de Coast
6urveyp And erecting himself in a
naughty attitude, he looked down
upon Jackson in supreme scorn at
his daring comparison"
And we are told that not only was
Hasslar's demand granted. but that,
at the next cabinet meeting, the
President told the joke to the great
entertainment of all present.
But Hasslar did not happen to be
In charge Of the Coast Survey when
Mai. Stevens was assigned there,
ostensibly for the purpose Of whip
ping things into shape, and this he
undoubtedly did. The office, we are
told, was then housed in "a large
brick block of houses ON New Jersey
awanue. corner of B street, the house
3S the northeast end being the resi-
dence of the professor"
rne Coast Survey offices were, from
lS47 on, located on New Jersey avenue
southeast, between B and G streets,
the first building being erected there
during the year mentioned by private
interests. In 1871 another structure
was erected nearby by the Richard
49,