Evening star., 1936-07-26
By John Claeett Proctor.

even those of us who cannot go back
50 very far are at times astounded
at the gigantic development of the
city. Take, for instance, just one
little section-in the vicinity of the
Lincoln Memorial. known as recently
as Garfield's time as Kidwell's
Meadows, to the south of which were
the slashes. where good cunning was
had in season for reedbirds and ducks.
The Meadows have long since been
reclaimed, and now form the north
western part of Potomac Park, while
the Slashes form the lower part of
this beautiful parkway, with the
Washington channel to the east and
the Potomac River to the weSt-beau-
tiful in Summer with its flowers in
season and gorgeous in Spring when
its cherry blossoms are in bloom.
To the student of local history,
though the present attractiveness of
this park is fully appreciated, yet 1t
does seem strange that this area was
not reclaimed long before the s0s,
when the matter must have been
agitated many years before. Indeed,
the writer has before him little
book entitled Early Recollections of
Washington City, printed in 1866, in
which the author not only urges its
reclamation, but sets forth just the
advantages we are realizing today.
Christian Hines, who thus COM
mitted his "recollections" to print,
was then IS years of age, and had
lived in the District of Columbia since
his father moved to Georgetown in
1790, and he continued to live here
until his death, in 1874. His vision
of Potomac Park was, indeed, very
clear, as many can testify who have
lived to see the great transformation
of this area from mud bars, meadows
and slashes into one of the most beau
tiful recreation centers in the world
MR.. HINES, in discussing the
Potomac fats, has this to say:
"The fiat, or bar, on the south side
of the Tiber, and from the Wash
tngton Monument, in a westerly direc-
ton to near the Potomac channel,
and thence in a southerly direction
to near the Long Bridge, including
within its limits perhaps Is or 18
acres, was, in the early age of the
city, taken up and claimed, so it was
said, by the late DR.. William Thorn
ton, he having, he thought, the best
title thereto. by right of discovery.
hot To-,
time, it would be filled up by deposits
from the Potomac. To cause it to
I'LL up more speedily than it nat
urally would he planted number of
little saplings and bushes along and
near the channel, and in various
parts of the fiat, so as to define the
bounds Of his domain. These sap
lings and bushes remained there for
q number of years, and some of them
until the years 1913 and 1914, when
we were encamped on Observatory
Hill; for remember that we used to
select the largest of them as targets
to fire at when the guards we're dis
charged each morning; but suppose
there is not a sign of any Of them
now.
II was always of the opinion that
this nat was either the property of
the corporation of Washington or Of
the United States-More probably
that of the latter.
Nov my opinion is that, as Wash
ington Is to remain the permanent
seat of the Government of the United
States, Congress should be pretty
liberal In appropriations to improve
and beautify this place, and partic-
ularly the property that belongs to the
Government, and as the above-men-
toned fiat or bar Is undoubtedly the
property of the Government. Congress
ought to take immediate possession
Of it. or part of it, and add it to
Monument Square.
MY plan to do so would be this:
Begin at the unwalled part of the
canal by driving down stakes or piles
in a straight line with the canal
westerly to pretty near the Potomac
channel; then turn to the south and
continue driving piles at about the
distance of 10 or is feet apart, until
you reach the causeway of the Long
Bridge; then plant a young willow
tree on the south side of each pile,
SO as to prevent the ice, ETC., from in
juring them. After having planted
the first row of trees and fastened
them. then weatherboard the piles on
the side next to the Potomac chan
mel; or. If necessary, weatherboard
both sides. Having finished the first
row. then place a good, strong bull
wark at the pile where you COM
menced, so as to ward off large bodies
Of ice, or other heavy matter that
may float down the river. The piles
and the boarding should extend above
high-water mark.
THE two sides of the fiat having
been inclosed, all the deposits
that may come down the river will be
retained within the bounds of the in
closure, and will help to form the new
land, and the sediments or deposits
from the canal. which will be carried
there from time to time, will aid very
materially in filling it up. The north,
or third side, ought to remain open
for q while, so that boats may pass
in and out with deposits etc.
In the meantime, other rows of
piles might be driven in and willow
trees planted beside them in like
manner, as were the others, with but
this difference; that the piles and
trees might be planted farther apart
say about 20 feet. BY this ar
rangement the willows would take
root in q short time and interweave
with each other, so as to form solid
foundation for the future island to
rest upon.
"At times there might be employed
scews, and other boats, in carrying
rocks and broken stone from along
each side of the river, to be placed
along the first row of piles. This
would add considerably to the
strength of the inclosure and would