Identifier: storyofwashingto00todd (find matches)
Title: The story of Washington, the National Capital
Year: 1889 (1880s)
Authors: Todd, Charles Burr, 1849-
Subjects: White House (Washington, D.C.) United States Capitol (Washington, D.C.)
Publisher: New York London : G.P. Putnam's Sons : Knickerbocker Press
Contributing Library: Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection
Digitizing Sponsor: The Institute of Museum and Library Services through an Indiana State Library LSTA Grant

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population centred there, and was the sceneof a profuse hospitality and of much social gayety.Its owner, however, met a sad ending. His landsfailed to appreciate in value, the city tending west-ward toward Georgetown instead of growing upabout the capital, as was expected. He becamebankrupt and died in 1849, quite poor. DavidBurns, the second largest proprietor, was an il-literate Scotchman, surly and obstinate, who livedin the rude log cabin one may still see at thefoot of Seventeenth Street, half hidden by theonce stately Van Ness mansion. Burns ownednearly half of the capital site adjoining George-town, including the square on which the Treasuryand White House now stand, and he was ex-tremely reluctant to sell—indeed tradition says that f0Wf^^, .. \, -; -. , y-.mr^ - . ^^\:n->^ . r.v=f =^i3:~ V- ->-^ ■,■.. =, ■ - -^^ ^\^ -^, :r. - --- ^^^ ; ■ *--. %(?»; V^ : c^~Ci_=;^ ;^^-vv;-^-4; ■- iP-^i. % :^h si- ^^\ 11 rJB^, s^- -^.- - ,- ^^ V -=4^^. i?^. h V v- •--.^- ■
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24 THE STORY OF WASHINGTON. the President and commissioners found a greaterobstacle in him than in all the other proprietors com-bined. The negotiations continued throughout thewinter, and toward the close of February, 1791, wereconcluded satisfactorily. On the third of March,1791, the President was able to write to Jefferson : The terms entered into by me on the part of theUnited States with the landholders of Georgetown andCarrollsburg are, that all the land from Rock Creekalong the river to the Eastern Branch, and so upward toor above the ferry, including a breadth of about a mileand a half, the whole containing from three thousand tofive thousand acres, is ceded to the public on conditionthat when the whole is laid off as a city (which Major L *Enfant is now directed to do) the present proprietorsshall retain every other lot; and for such parts of theland as may be taken for public use for squares, walks,etc., they shall be allowed at the rate ofp^25* an acre.Nothing is to be allo

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