Evening star., 1943-11-21
Capital Sidelights
By Will P. Kennedy.

Extracts from old land patents, dating
back more than 200 years, are quoted
by George Watterston, who was en-
ployed as chief clerk in the construction
of the Capitol and later first librarian
of Congress, in his washington Guide"
published in 1912, explaining the title
of Pope Of Rome" who owned Capitol
Hill. They attest surveys on June s,
1863 for Francis Pope Of land called
Room" and for Capt. Robert Troop of
land called Scotland Yard" A subse-
quent instrument dated July S, 1851, re-
fers to patent granted to William
Langworth for tract of land described
as The Widows Mite"-and they all
mention "a bay or inlet called Tiber"
or said river called Tiber' George
Washington denominated it Goose
Creek in defining the boundary of the
Federal City William Tindan, in his
History Of Washington published in
1914, explains that Robert Troop called
his farm Scotland Yard and it COM
prlsed what is now Southwest Washing
ton. Francis Pope named his place
Rome and called a stream at the foot
of the hill Tiber River" Watterston. in
his handbook, says: The Widows Mite
appears to have been the farm after
ward owned by David Burns. one of
the original proprietors of the land now
occupied by the City of Washington"
1t pleased Francis Pope to be called
The Pope of Rome on the Tiber." He
predicted greater Capital than Rome
would occupy that palatine hill and
.ater generations would command great
and flourishing country in the New
World. He related that he had a dream
or vision in which he had seen a Splen-
did parliament house on the hill now
known as Capitol Hill, which he pur-
chased and called Rome in prophetic
honor of the great Capitol to be-
w. B. Bryan, in his History of the Ma
tional Capital" published in 1914, SAYS
that the tract of land best known as
Widows Mite lay beyond the original
boundary of the city, north of Florida
avenue, extending from Seventeenth
street west to Rock Creek. This came
into the possession of Anthony Holmead,
an Englishman, at an early period. His
nepheWs name appears in the 179l
agreement between the Commissioners
and the original proprietors In 1795 he
sold part Of this property to Commits
sioner Gustavus Scott. The plot subse-
quently passed into possession OF Joel
Barlow, who gave it the name Kalorama.
In 1907 Barlow purchased from William
Augustine Washington the finest place
in the region and called it Belair. The
first letter of Robert Fulton in the "Jef-
ferson Papers" is dated "Belair," Decem-
ber 8, 1907. The first dated "Kalorama"
is of February 8, 1909. Fulton was con-
Quoting campaign to win governmental
recognition for his invention, the SUBJ
marine torpedo-and he wrote to the
President: II have invited some men,
bers Of the Senate and House, at Kalo-
rama next Sunday, pm, to see the ex-
periments of harpooning and investigate
the principles of torpedo attacks" These
experiments were in Rock Creek. Presi-
dent Jefferson called Barlow "our first
poet" Mrs. Samuel Harrison Smith con-
sidered him "the greatest poet of our
country" In 1911 he was appointed
Minister to France and his beautiful
Kalorama estate was leased by the
French Minister, Seurrier.
Just century ago the National House
of Representatives had 242 members and
delegates instead of 435 members,
2 delegates, and two Resident Commis-
sioners as today. The compensation Of
both Senators and Representatives
then was 50 . day during the period Of
their attendance, without deductions In