Evening star., 1951-07-15

way of moving fast. when the oc.
casion warranted it. and he wa.
not taking any chances of having
his plans upset after once having
decided upon the particular loca.
ton of the seat of Government
So in about two weeks from the
time agreement had been reached
with the land owners, the cere.
monies connected with the placing
OF the initial stone occurred. Ir
so big hurry were the commits
sioners in officially laying down
the four boundary lines of the
District that temporary marker
was used upon the occasion of lay
ing the stone at Jones Point, and
it was not until June, three years
later, that the permanent stone
as we see it there today, was put
in position.
The exercises connected with
the laying of the stone were con-
Quoted under the auspices OF
Lodge No %, F. A. and A. NJ. OF
Alexandria, chartered under the
grand jurisdiction of Virginia
April %, 1888, and of which Gen
Washington became the first wor-
shipful master and the President
of the United States on April 80
1789-just two days short of a
calendar year from the first date
This lodge is now known as Alex
andria-Washington Lodge, No. %
and thousands of tourists annually
visit its lodge room and museum
to see the Masonic relics connected
with the life of the first President
DR.. Elisha Cullen Dick, who
was worShipful master of Lodge
No. %, and a close friend of
President Washington, was ac-
companied to Jones Point, upon
this memorable occasion, by the
officers of the lodge, the Mayor
and Common Council of Alex
andrla and a large number of
citizens and strangers"
Arriving at the point, the Rev.
James Muir. D. D., chaplain of the
lodge. delivered an address. A
thoughtful writer who happened
to be present contributed the fol-
lowing to Philadelphia paper:
When Mr.. Ellicoti had ascer-
tained the precise point from
which the first line of the District
was to proceed, the master of
the lodge and DR.. Stuart, assisted
by others of their brethren, placed
the stone. After which a deposit
of corn, inc and oil was placed
upon it and the following observa-
tions were made by the Rev.
James Muir:
"'Of America i may be said.
as OF Judea of old, that it is a
good land and large-a land of
brooks, Of waters. of fountains
and depths that spring out of
the valleys and hills-a land of
wheat, and barley, and vines, and
flg trees. and pomegranates a
land of oil. olives and honey-a
iano wherein We eat bread with
out scarceness. and have lack of
nothlng-a land whose stones are
iron, and out of whose hills thou
maySt dig braSS-a land which
the Lord thy God caret- for; the
eyes OF the Lord thy God are
always upon it; from the Begin
nlng OF the year even unto the
end of the year.
May Americans be grateful
and yirtuous and they shall insure
the indulgence of Providence; may
they be unanimous and Just, and
mey shall rise to greatness. may
true patriotism actuate every
neart; may it be the devout and
universal wish-peace be within
thy walls, o America. and pros
perity within thy palaces. Ami
able it is for brethren to dwell
together in unity; it is more
fragrant than the perfumes on
Aaron's garment; it is more re-
freshing than the dews on Her.
mons HILL"
The City Prior to 1916
AS you are no doubt aware. the
independent City of Alexandria
was until 1846 part of the Dis
trict of Columbia. Prior to the
retrocession. which occurred dur
ing that year. all that part of the
District lying south of the Poto-
mac was known as Alexandria
County, D. C. At that time the
City of Alexandria, and the county
as well, had just as much fran
chise as we have today. True,
they had their own separate
Mayor, but the National Govern
ment controlled their finances and
to an extent dictated just what
they could do and what they could
not do.