Evening star. [volume], September 29, 1940, Page C-4, Image 46

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

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Thomas Jefferson, who aided Alexander Hamilton in secur
ing the passage of the Residence Act of July 16, 1790.
—— " —■—.- 4
Great Number Attended
Original Federal Event
Ceremonies Under Masonic
Auspices Echoed by Oldest
Inhabitants of Present Day
By John Clagett Proctor.
There may be many days in the
coming year worthy of commemo
rating and celebrating, but there
Is one day in particular that we
should not fail to observe, and this
Is the day upon which the corner
stone of the District of Columbia
was placed at Jones Point, at the
mouth of Hunting Creek, Va„ near
Alexandria, which took place on
April 15, 1791, and therefore April 15
next will be particularly significant,
because it w’ill mark the 150th anni
versary of the birth of the 10-mile
square wherein was placed the Fed
eral Capital.
The so-called Residence Act, passed
by Congress and approved by Presi
dent Washington on July 16. 1790,
while Congress was meeting in New
York City, confined the territory
to be selected for the Capital "on
the River Potomac at some place
between the mouths of Eastern
Branch and the Connogocheague,”
and it was not until after the
passage of the amendatory act of
March 3, 1791. that President Wash
ington was in a position to include
Alexandria and what is now’ Arling
ton County, Va„ in the District of
Columbia, but which, however, was
retroceded to Virginia in 1846 by a
vote of the residents of 763 to M2. ,
The act of July 16, before men-'
tioned, passed the Senate by the
narrow margin of 14 to 12 votes, and
in the House by only three votes
or 32 to 29. Indeed, the locating
of the Capital and the funding bill
were two of the knottiest problems
before Congress, and the residence
bill, as finally passed, required the
greatest amount of strategy on the
part of such men as Alexander
Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson.
Difference in \ lews.
Just how wide the difference of
Views was on locating the Capital
may be seen by the vote on the four
amendments offered to the bill:
First, to substitute the Delaware
instead of the Potomac, ayes 22,
noes 39; second, to locate it in
Pennsylvania, including German
town, eyes 22, noes 39; third, to
place it between the Susquehanna
and Potomac, ayes 25. noes 36; and,
fourth, to locate it in the State of
Maryland, including Baltimore, ayes
26. noes 34.
Hamilton was one of the brainiest
men of the new Republic, and he
was also a brave and gallant soldier
and a man of rare financial ability.
In this latter connection, like so
many Congressmen today, he had a
pet measure, and this embraced the
idea that the United States as a
whole should pay off the foreign
debt, amounting to something like
$12,000,000. and assume the state
debt, totaling $21,500,000.
The Northern States were keen for
this legislation. Pennsylvania alone
possessed $4,000,000 on which it
would draw interest, and in addi
tion to this the citizens held $15,000.
000 upon which they would secure
payment. However, Hamilton’s mo
tives were not prompted by this fact
at all, since he eloquently main
tained that the public debt was “’the
price of liberty.”
Wanted to Satisfy All.
The South was not in favor or the
funding bill as proposed by Hamil
ton. which had been defeated in
the House. Hamilton knew that
the South wanted the Capital City
located within its midst; the North
did not. Hamilton’s bill meant more
toward the salvation of the United
States than did the locating of the
Federal Capital, a fact the Secretary
of the Treasury was also well aware
of, and he proceeded in a states
manlike way to satisfy both parties,
and, above all, to put the newly
formed country in a good light
before the world. He was willing
to locate the Capital anywhere to
secure the passage of his bill and
he so informed Morris and Jeffer
son.
Of this Jefferson says;
"As I was going to the Presi
dent’s one day I met him (Hamil
ton) in the street. He walked me
backwards and forwards before the
President's door for half an hour.
He painted pathetically the temper
Into which the Legislature had
been wrought; the disgust of those
Vho were called the creditor States;
the danger of the secession of their
members and the separation of the
States. He observed that the mem
bers of the administration ought to
act In concert; that though this
question was not of any depart
ment, yet a common duty should
make it a common concern; that the
President was the center on which
all administrative questions ulti
mately rested, and that all of us
ihould rally around him and sup
port with joint efforts measures
approved by him.
“I proposed to him. however, to
dine with me the next day and I
would write another friend or two,
bring them into conference together,
and I thought it Impossible that
reasonable men, consulting together
coolly, could fail, by some sacrifices
of opinion, to form a compromise
which was to save the Union.
"But it was finally agreed that,
whatever importance had been at
tached to the rejection of the propo
sition, the preservation of the Union
and of accord among the States was
more important. But it was ob
served that this pill would be par
ticularly bitter to the Southern
States and that some concomitant
measure should be adopted to
sweeten it a little to them. There
had been before propositions to fix
the seat of government either at
Philadelphia or Georgetown on the
Potomac, and it was thought that
by giving it to Philadelphia for 10
years, and to Georgetown perma
nently afterward, this might, as an
anodyne, calm, in some degree, the
ferment which might be excited by
the other measure alone. So two of
the Potomac members, White and
Lee—but White with a revulsion of
stomach almost convulsive—agreed
to change their votes * * * and so
the assumption was passed," as was
the Residence Act.
Alexander Hamilton was a great
man in many ways, and not only
did he handle the Residence Act
with skill but proved of great help
in framing the Constitution, of
which he once said:
"Now, mark my words: So long
as we are a young and virtuous peo
ple, this instrument will bind us
together in mutual interests, mutual
welfare and mutual happiness, but
when we become old and corrupt it
will bind us no longer.”
Provisions of Act.
In the Residence Act of July 16.
1790. the President was "authorized
to appoint and by supplying vacan
cies happening from refusals to act
or other causes to keep in appoint
ment as long as may be necessary
three commissioners, who. or any two
of whom, shall under the direction of
tiie President, survey and by proper
meets and bounds define and limit
a district or territory, under the
limitations above mentioned; and
Dr. Elisha Cullen Dick, who,
as master of Lodge No. 22,
F. A. A. M. of Alexandria, Va.,
conducted the services at the
laying of the cornerstone of
the District of Columbia.
the district so defined, limited and
located shall be deemed the district
accepted by this Act for the perma
nent seat of Government of the
United States."
In accordance with this provision,
the Chief Executive, on July 22,1791,
appointed for this purpose Thomas
Johnson and Daniel Carroll of
Maryland and David Stuart of Vir
ginia.
“Thomas Johnson,” as has been
said, “was a resident of Frederick.
Md., and an old friend of President
Washington. Prior to the Revolu
tionary War he had been interested
with the latter in the project of
rendering the upper Potomac and
its tributaries navigable by a series
of improvements in the channel
and the construction of canals
around the Great and Little Falls.
As one of the Representatives of the
State of Maryland in the Conti
nental Congress, he had nominated
Washington to be commander in
chief of the Continental Army and
he had later served under Gen.
Washington in the Army. After the
Revolutionary War he had taken
an active part with Washington in
reviving the project of improving
the navigation of the Potomac, and
after the organization of the Potow
mack Co. for that purpose in 1785
had given special attention to the
supervision of the work which the
company undertook. He had been
the Governor of his State and at the
time of his appointment as commis
sioner was its chief justice. Shortly
after his appointment as commis
sioner President Washington ap
Jones Point Lighthouse near Alexandria, Va. fat top), where
the cornerstone of the District of Columbia (shown in close-up
just above) was laid April IS, 1791.
pointed him to the Supreme C6urt
of the United States to take the
seat vacated by Mr. Rutledge. He
continued to serve as commissioner
while holding his place on the Su
preme Bench. He was of a brusque,
impetuous temperament, and was
strongly addicted to swearing,
though he is spoken of as generous
and warm-hearted.
Man of Capacity.
“President Washington probably
was moved by a number of consid
erations to name Mr. Johnson as one
1 of the commissioners. He knew that
the latter's residence near the loca
tion of the new city and his inter
! est in the Potowmack Co. would give
I him a strong incentive to push the i
development of the city. He knew
! from observation of Mr. Johnson's
| efforts in directing the work of the
I Potowmack Co. that he was a man
CHEVY CHASE AGAIN IN HISTORY
Washington Suburb Gives Life to Old Tradition Which Inspired
Poetical Talents of Writer Who Observed Warriors’ Clash
By Ben Pearse.
The casual stroller walking along
the peaceful, shaded avenues of
Chevy Chase on a Sunday after
noon, even less the householder
and average resident, native or
otherwise, would never suspect that
Washington’s quietest suburb was
named after one of the bloodiest
battles in history.
In fact, some of the founders of
the original company who laid out
the broad streets leading from the
circle on the Maryland side of
Connecticut avenue were a little
vague as to just how Chevy Chase
got its name and the streets theirs
when the question of renaming
streets in that area came to the
fore recently. Only piecemeal did
the grim facts emerge. One seemed
to recall that Chevy Chase was a
place famous for something in Eng
land. or was it Scotland? Another
seemed to recollect that ‘‘chase’’
was the English (or was it Scotch?)
name for hunt; therefore Chevy
Chase would be a hunting course,
something like Warren ton (Va.)
Hunt.
A third came a little closer witn
a memory of a battle somewhere at
some time or other, but the gory
details were revealed only after
Edward S. Northrop, secretary of
the Chevy Chase Citizens’ Com
mittee and custodian of the keys of
the now defunct Chevy Chase
Library, undertook a little research
on. his own account. The name,
Clrcvy Chase, according to an ac
count of the town's founding, first
appears in the Maryland land re
cords in 1731 in a grant from
Leonard Calvert. Lord Proprietor,
better known as Lord Baltimore, to
one Col. Joseph Belt, a founder of
.Rock Creek Parish and officer in
j the Prince* Georges County militia
during the French and Indian War.
It was spelled "Cheivy Chase’’ then
and the farm of Joseph Bradley,
from which most of Sections 1 and
2 of Chevy Chase were carved when
the subdivision was established in
1890, was part of it.
Celebrated in Poem.
Further investigation revealed
that Cheivy or Chevy Chase was
immortalized in an English lay
| dating back before the 15th century,
which does not explain why a
1
Scotsman like Col. Belt should
have chosen the name. For va
riety's sake, perhaps, it is also
spelled "Cheuy Chase" in the .poem.
Although not listed among those
usually classed as the 10 greatest
battles of history, it may have been
one of the bloodiest, according to
the bard, who reported:
Of twenty hundred Scottish speeres,
Scare fifty-five did flye.
Calculated on percentage basis,
casualties on the side of Erie
Douglas, then, were more than 97
per cent, while
Of fifteen hundred Englishmen
Went home but fifty-three;
The rest in Cheuy Chase were slaine,
Under the greenwoode tree.
There were no wounded, missing
or prisoner classifications in that
battle, which the bard euphemis
tically introduces as "a woeful
hunting.”
One day. apparently lor laca
of something more exciting to do,
stout Erie Pearcy of Northumber
land announced he would spend
three “sommers days” hunting in
the Scottish woods. From what
follows, the stout was a reference
to Erie Pearcy’s heart, not his”
figure. Those were fighting words
to Erie Douglas,
Who sent Erie Pearcy present word
He would prevent his sport;
The English erle, not fearing that,
Did to the woods resort.
Every Man for Self.
Arriving one Monday morning
with “fifteen hundred bowman
bold,” Erie Pearcy started hunting
before dawn and long before noon
had slain 100 fat bucks. The
Scottish opposition had not ap
peared and the hunt went on after
a midmorning lunch. The English
were beginning to tire of the sport,
especially since Erie Douglas had
not appeared to try to stop them,
and were about to go home in dis
gust when finally Douglas arrived
with “full twenty hundred Scottish
speeres” and things looked up.
After a few preliminaries, “our
English archers bent their bows”
and let fly. At the first volley,
“fourscore Scotts they slew.” From
then on. it was every man for him
self and devil take the hindmost.
During the melee, Erles Pearcy
and Douglas met and “made a
cruell fight.” In fact, they “fought
until they both did sweat," even
“till blood ran downe their cheekes
like rain.” They were beginning
to talk appeasement when the battle
ended in an anti-climax. A stray
arrow killed Erie Douglas, where
upon one of his followers "through
Erie Pearcy’s body then . . . thrust
his hateful spere with such a
vehement force and might (that)
the staff ran through the other
side a large cloth-yard and more.”
Disturbing Thought.
What Charles M. Jones, chairman
of the street renaming division of
the Maryland-National Capital Park
and Planning Commission, fears
most at the present time is a sec
ond battle of Chevy Chase, however
it is spelled. One of his most dis
turbing thoughts nowadays is that
tradition may rise up to balk him
when he tries to shuffle the names
of the elm-shaded Chevy Chase
streets so that persons other than
natives or long time residents can
find their way around without a
map. The tradition of the street
names, all of which from Grafton
to Bradley are to be found in
Burke's Geneological and Heraldic
Dictionary of the Peerage and Bar
onetage at England, Scotland and
Ireland, probably came from the
late Senator Newlgnds of Nevada,
one of the founders of Chevy Chase.
Burke's dictionary relates that
Sir Thomas George Fermor Hes
keth, Bart., of Ruflord Hall, County
Lancaster, honorary colonel of the
4th Battalion, the King’s Liverpool
Regiment, succeeded his brother as
seventh baronet in 1876, and in De
cember, 1880, married Florence Emily,
daughter of William Sharon, United
States Senator from Nevada. Omit
ted from this record was the fact
that Senator Newlands married an
other daughter, Rose (of) Sharon,
which may account for the coinci
dence of Hesketh and Newlands ap
pearing cn the Chevy Chase street
register.
Tradition or no tradition, there’ll
be some street name changes made,
Mr. Jones declared, borrowing from
the old song. However, he is defi
nitely against a second battle “under
the greenwoode tree” or fighting
“upon his stumpes.” and heartily in
favor of settling the whole question
around the council table.
a
of great energy and executive
capacity. He knew him to be an
astute lawyer, thoroughly grounded
in the Maryland laws, and he doubt
less anticipated that such a man
would be invaluable as legal adviser
to the commission, and particularly
in preparing the conveyances which
would be required in carrying out
his scheme for acquiring the site
for the proposed city and in draft
ing such 'legislation as would be
needed to facilitate the work of the
commission.
“Daniel Carroll was a resident of
Carroll Springs. Montgomery Coun
ty, Maryland. He was bprn at Up
per Marlboro, and with his brother,
John Carroll, had received a finished
education abroad. His brother en
tered the priesthood and later be
came the first Catholic Bishop of
Baltimore and founder of George
town Academy—afterwards George
town University.
"Daniel Carroll had been a mem
ber of the Continental Congress and
of the Constitutional Convention
and at the time of his appointment
as commissioner was a member of
the United States House of Repre
sentatives from Maryland. On this
account he declined to accept the
appointment as commissioner until
the expiration of his term in Con
gress on March 4, 1791, when a new
commission was sent him. He was
commonly spoken of as Daniel Car
roll of Rock Creek to distinguish
him from Daniel Carroll of Dud
dington.
"David Stuart was President
Washington's family physician, and
a resident of Alexandria, Va. He
had married the widow of John
Parke Curtis, the son of the Presi
dent’s wife. He had long been the
trusted adviser of President Wash
ington whose correspondence dur
ing the early years of his presidency
contains numerous letters to Dr.
Stuart explaining the President's
Maj. Andrew Ellicott, who
surveyed the District of Co
lumbia and was present at the
setting of the cornerstone.
attitude on public questions, in
quiring as to the state of public
opinion and soliciting the Doctor's
views and advice. In a sense the
doctor may be regarded as having
been the President's personal rep
resentative in the commission.”
Rapid Action Needed.
Realizing the slim margin by
which the residence act had passed
the two houses of Congress, the
President decided to act rapidly
after the amendatory act was signed,
and so, on Monday, March 28.
Washington arrived in Georgetown
and dined at a public dinner at
Suter's Tavern, where he also
lodged, and while here met the
landowners, examined the survey
ings made by Maj. Andrew Ellicott
and the works of Maj. L'Enfant, and
left his lodgings for Alexandria and
Mount Vernon two days later.
As evidence of the desire of the
commissioners to place the corner
stone as soon as possible, we find
that upon this occasion a temporary
stone was used, and that it was not
until June, three years later, that
the permanent one, or the stone
we see today, was put in position.
When we stop to consider that this
event occurred a century and a half
ago. and also take into account the
interest in the exercises at that
time, we cannot but realize that
those taking part in the laying of
this stone must have realized that
they were performing an act of
historic significance.
The exercises connected with the
placing of the stone were conducted
under the auspices of Lodge, No.
22. F. A. A. M., of Alexandria,
chartered under the grand jurisdic
tion of Virginia, April 28, 1788, arid
of which Gen. Washington became
the first worshipful master, and the
President of the United States on
April 30, 1789—just two days more
than a calendar year from the first
date. This lodge is now known as
Alexandria-Washington Lodge, No.
22. and thousands of tourists an
nually visit Its lodge room to see
the Masonic relics connected with
the life of the first President.
Ignored Superstition.
Some folks do not look upon the
number 13 and the week day Fri
day with favor and avoid both
when possible, feeling that they are
associated with ill luck or failure,
or both. However, our forefathers
were not so superstitious, as in
dicated by the fact that they were
willing to start the Nation off with
13 States and even to lay the corner
stone of its national territory on a
Friday, the day upon which the
15th day of April happened to fall,
that year. It was the second oc
casion upon which Lodge No. 22
was called to perform a similar
Alexander Hamilton, who was largely responsible for the
passage of the bill locating the District of Columbia where it is
today.
► -
Site Chosen for Capital
Included Historic Area
Birth of Ten-Mile Square in
Days of Infant Republic Has
Place in 1941 Commemoration
ceremony, the first being the laying 1
of the comer stone of Alexandria
Academy.
There is an abundance of litera
ture extant regarding the laying of
the District's corner stone, and just
what sort of a day it was can only
be assumed. Evidently it was a
clear and pleasant April day, such
as we are accustomed to have in
this vicinity, for otherwise the
chronicler would likely have men
tioned it. Such is the attitude of
our visitors even today. If they '
should encounter, upon coming here,
one bad day in a month they
usually return home and speak of
the rotten weather they have in
Washington, where, as a matter of
Weather Bureau statistics, it is one
of the finest and most dependable
climates in the world.
Dr. Elisha Cullen Dick, who was
worshipful master of Lodge No. 22,
and who officiated as such at the
corner-stone laying, was a close
friend of President Washington,
attending him in his last llness.
making arrangements for his funeral
and even finally performing the
interesting ceremonies of the
Masonic order at his funeral.
Accompanying Dr. Dick to Jones
Point, upon this memorable oc
casion. were, in addition to the
officers of the lodge, the mayor
and common council of Alexandria
and a large number of "citizens
and strangers.”
Account of Event.
Arriving at this point. Rev. James
Muir. D. D., chaplain of the lodge,
delivered an address. A thoughtful
writer who happened to be present
contributed to a Philadelphia paper
the following interesting, though
brief, account of the event:
"Alexandria. April 21,1791.
"On Friday, the 15th instant, the
Hon. Daniel Carroll and Hon. David
Stuart arrived in this town to super
intend the fixing of the first corner
stone of the Federal District.
"The Mayor and Commonalty, to
gether with the members of the
different lodges of the town at
three o'clock waited on the com
missioners at Mr. Wise's, where
they dined, and drank a glass of
wine to the following sentiment, viz:
“ ‘May the stone which we are
about to place in the ground re
main an immovable monument of
the wisdom and unanimity of North
America.’ The company proceeded
to Jones Point in the following
order:
“First—The town sergeant.
“Second—Hon. Daniel Carroll and
the Mayor.
"Third—Mr. Ellicott and the re
corder.
"Fourth—Such of the common
council and aldermen as were not
Freemasons.
"Fifth—Strangers.
“Sixth—The master of Lodge No.
22. with Dr. David Stuart on his
right and the Rev. James Muir on
his left, followed by the rest of the
fraternity, in their usual form of
procession.
“Lastly—The citizens, two by two.
Placing of Stone.
“When Mr. Ellicott had ascer
tained the precise point from which
the first line of the District was to
NEGLECTED STONE LIES IN PARK
Arlington Memorial Span Represents Development of Series of
Demands for Symbol of Union Among States of America
By Francis G. Knight.
The original corner stone for the
Arlington Memorial Bridge lies for
gotten in a remote section of West
Potomac Park nearly six blocks from
the famous structure for which it
was designed.
In 1902 the Stonecutters’ Union of
Washington designed and cut a
block of the finest sandstone,
measuring 6 feet wide and 3 feet
deep, for the corner stone of the
then proposed bridge to connect the
North with the South. It was dedi
cated on October 9, 1902, by the
Grand Army of the Republic at its
36th annual encampment, to be the
comer stone for a bridge to span
the Potomac as a symbol of the
firmly established union of the
United States.
Prom the date of its dedication
until the spring of 1918 the stone
occupied a position at the north
east comer of Pennsylvania avenue
and Madison place, directly oppo
site the statue of Gen. Lafayette
in Lafayette Park. The construction
of the Treasury Annex on this site
caused the stone to be transferred
in April, 1918, to a secluded section
of West Potomac Park at the closed
portion of Water street and the un
opened line of Twenty-fifth street.
There had been efforts to build a
bridge across the Potomac at Wash
ington prior to the Civil War as a
symbol of unity between the States.
President Andrew Jackson is cred
ited as the first to propose such a
memorial to link the North with
the South.
Daniel Webster, in his efforts to
smooth the growing breach between
the Northern and Southern States,
attempted to obtain approval of
Congress for building such a bridge.
In the Senate on July 4, 1851, Sena
tor Webster said:
“Before us is the broad and beau
tiful river, separating two of the
original 13 States, which a late
President, a man of determined pur
pose and inflexible will but patriotic
heart, desired to span with arches
of ever-enduring granite, symbolical
of the firmly established union of
the North and the South. That
President was Gen. Jackson.”
In 1932 the proposed bridge be
came a reality. It was completed
in that year as a part of the Arling
ton Memorial Park. The plans for
the structure were made in accord
ance with President Jackson's de
sire, which was that the bridge be
made of granite.
Officials of the National Capital
*
Parks say that the corner stone was
not used In the bridge because it
was sandstone and therefore would
not be in keeping with the granite
used in building the span and other
structures in the Arlington Memo
rial Park.
In Good Condition.
The unused corner stone is still
in excellent condition and lies at
the northern edge of West Potomac
Park. Its location is slightly west
of Naval Hospital, on the former
Observatory Hill. The forgotten
monument is in plain view from
Water street.
Incised on the front of the comer
stone are the insignia of the Grand
Army of the Republic and the Stone
cutters’ Union. The following in
scription is cut upon the face of
the stone:
Designed and presented by the
Stonecutters’ Union of Washing
ton, D. C., as the cornerstone of
the Memorial Bridge, which, in
connecting the Nation’s Capital
with Arlington, shall ever stand
as a monument to American pa
triotism. Dedicated the Ninth
Day of October, 1902, during the
36th National Encampment of the
Grand Army of the Republic.
k.
proceed, the master of the lodge
and Dr. Stuart, assisted by others
of their brethren, placed the stone.
After which a deposit of corn, wine
and oil was placed upon it and the
following observations were made
by the Rev. James Muir:
‘“Of America it 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 fig trees, and pome
granates—a land of oil. olives, and
honey—a land wherein we eat bread
without scarceness, and have lack
of nothing—a land whose stones are
iron, and out of whose hills thou
mayst dig brass—a land which the
Lord thy God careth for: the eyes
of the Lord thy God are always upon
it: from the beginning of the year
even unto the end of the year.
“ 'May Americans be grateful and
virtuous and they shall insure the
indulgence of Providence; may they
be unanimous and just, and they
shall rise to greatness: may true
patriotism actuate every heart: may
it be the devout and universal wish:
peace be within thy walls. O Amer
ica. and prosperity within thy pal
aces. Amiable it is for brethren to
dwell together in unity: it Is more
fragrant than the perfumes on
Aaron's garment: it is more refresh
ing than the dews on Hermon's hill.
“ ‘May this stone long commem
orate the goodness of God in those
uncommon events which have given
America a name among nationr
Under this stone may jealously and
selfishness be forever buried. From
this stone may a superstructure
arise, whose glory, whose magnifi
cence. whose stability unequalled
hitherto, shall astonish the world
and invite even the savage of the
wilderness to take shelter under its
roof.’
"The company partook of some
refreshments and then returned to
the place from whence they came,
where a number of toasts were drunk:
and the following was delivered by
the master of the lodge (Dr. Dicki.
and was recovered with every token
of approbation:
“’Brethren and gentlemen: May
jealously, that “green-eyed mon
ster,” be buried deep under the work
which we have this day completed,
never to rise again within the Fed
eral District.’”
Among Those Present.
In addition to the lodge officers
mentioned, the following persons
are included among the names of
those present:
John Allison, Joseph Greenwav.
Benjamin A. Hamp, Michael Mad
den. Col. Dennis Ramsav, Col
Charles Simms. Thomas West, Jesse
Taylor, jr.J John Harper, Peter Wag
goner. James Taylor. Capt. John
Hawkins, Jonathan Swift, Robert
McCrea, William Hodgson, John
Dunlap, William Herbert, Robert
Sanford, William Hunter, gr.; Ed
ward Harper, William Hunter, Jr;
Charles Turner and Michael Gretter
Back in 1855 the Government
deemed it advisable to erect at
Jones Point at the mouth of Great
Hunting Creek, on the west bank of
the Potomac, a lighthouse, for the
protection of navigation and in
doing so found it necessary to In
close the District's cornerstone in
the seawall surrounding the struc
ture placed there 64 years before,
and in this way it was obscured
from view for many years. About
30 years ago it was located and
enough of the wall removed so that
it might be visible at all times,
and a few years subsequent to this
it was protected with an iron grat
ing placed there by local members
of the Daughters of the American
Revolution.
Childhood Recalled.
To ever so many Washingtonians
of mellow age, Jones Point Light
house means much. For, In their
childhood excursion days, when
gliding down the Potomac on the
"fast and commodious steamer
Mary Washington,” they always had
to pass this old landmark. Indeed,
if they only went as far as Fort
Foote, which was almost opposite
Alexandria, they still came in full
view of the lighthouse.
If, however, the boat went as far
down the river as Glymont or per
haps to Lower Cedar Point, how
glad we tired tots were when we
could see in the distance, upon re
tiffning home late at night, the
light from Jones Point!
/Since it takes time to prepare for
si celebration of any kind, an early
start should be made by the local
organizations generally, and nearby
bodies, to commemorate in some
way the laying of the District cor
nerstone. The Association of the
Oldest Inhabitants has already ap
pointed a committee for this pur
pose and Invites others to Join in.
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