Year: 1875

done to rescue the city from its threatened
DOOM but much more requires to be done.
How it shall be accomplished Is the ques-
ton which bothers the practical mind.
Evidently Congress must be appealed to,
and the efforts begun in that direction
must not be abated. But there is another
resource, often overlooked in the past and
as often limited at in blind way, which
may serve to relieve US. II is simply the
development of the great manu-
featuring power to be found almost
within gunshot of the Capitol build
ing and stones throw from the District
boundary lines. Untold wealth resides in
this development-wealths sufficient to pave
and repave our streets hundred times.
To throw aside the theory that there shall
be no manufactures here, and to build them
up where nature has SO plainly designed
they shall be built has now become an i'm
perative necessity. We must begin, In
other words, to stand by ourselves and OF
ourselves. 'Iet every tub stand on its own
bottom" is the homely old saying which
we must apply as the remedial motto for
relief from our difficulties.


Probably not one in a hundred of our
citizens is aware of the almost miraculous
strength Of the resources to which we
refer. Accustomed as they are to look
upon the placid waters of the Potomac as
1t winds past the river front of the city,
they have no appreciation of the boundless
power which exists at the Great Falls Of
that noble stream. The ripples Of the
Little Falls may be familiar TO them; but
the series of great cataracts over which
flow endless tons upon tons Of water daily,
and which go to make up the Great Falls,
are unknown to them. The banks of the
river at that point on either side, are
abrupt and rise more than O hundred feet
above low water. The volume Of the food Is
thus confined between natural walls Of hard
stone as firm as the everlasting hills and as
durable as eternity itself. No human cal.
culation can compute this power. Dash.
Ing down one declivity after another the
torrent spends lis giant forces In the roar Of
ccholng solitudes, and Its strength ls wasted
for the simple lack OF energy and enter.
prise 10 utilize Il. All the spIndles In New
England, all the otton factories In tho en-.
tire country, and, In short, one third Of the
manufactures Of tho land, might find sufii.
cient force 10 keep them In constant opera.
tIon In this vast and useless expenditure Of
natural strength. There Is no exaggeratlon
In this statement, and the suggestion In.
stantly arises that It Is criminal TO allow
this colossal gift of nature 10 remain In Its
present profitless condition.


Once utilized, this resource would
Immediately return great profits and
become the incentive 10 q new and pro-
gressive era in our history. Factories to
supply the East, West, North and South
with the manufactured products of tho
whole country would spring up. Thou
sands upon thousands Of people would be
furnished with constant employment, and
the interest OF every State In the Union
would be more or less concentrated upon
this particular locality. The material pros
perity Of every property owner in the Dis
trict would be advanced, and among the
consequent results would be the assertion
of a commanding independence as COM
munity that would not fail TO exalt US in
the opinion Of the public. All that is
requisite to the realization of these happy
distinctions is a concerted effort. The
man who takes the lead in it will earn for
himself undying fame and reputation as
public benefactor which will last as long
as the Government itself. He will assure
the future prosperity of Washington, an
ambition that any good citizen might be
Droud TO entertain