The settlement of this section of the city was at that date problematical, and no serious attention was given to the change in plan. The area was marshy and was a popular place for hunting snipe. This fact explains the meandering of Florida Avenue to the northwestern boundary line of the old city. [Illustration: THE ELLICOTT PLAN] [Illustration: TRANSCRIPTION OF NOTES INSCRIBED ON ELLICOTT PLAN] In an overlay of the two plans of L’Enfant and Ellicott, prepared with great accuracy by the hydrographic section of the Navy, only the main east-west and north-south axes of the Capitol and White House coincide. An examination of this drawing shows that the art of surveying had not at that period reached present-day accuracy. [Illustration: THE DERMOTT OR TIN CASE MAP OF THE CITY OF WASHINGTON, 1797-98] Several suppressed sections of the L’Enfant plan were restored in the engraved plan. Maryland Avenue was carried through to the “Grand Avenue,” and South Carolina Avenue extended to New Jersey Avenue and the “Town House” site. The plan of James R. Dermott, the officially approved plan, had many more city squares, and consequently more lots for sale. It is known as the Tin Case Map, because about 50 years later it was thus found preserved. The cry of grasping owners and voracious speculators was for more lots; and L’Enfant’s letter of warning to President Washington dated August 19, 1791, against this evil proved more than justified. This city plan also indicated the names of the avenues. What is known as the King Map was made by Robert King, a surveyor in the office of the Commissioners of the District of Columbia, and published in 1818. [Illustration: THE KING MAP] The map is of interest in that we note in it the word _Judiciary_ in what is known as Judiciary Square. We learn from L’Enfant’s Memorial addressed to Congress on December 7, 1800, that L’Enfant intended the third coordinate branch of the Government, the Judiciary, be located there. To-day the Square is largely occupied by court buildings. [Illustration: VIEW OF EARLY WASHINGTON] CHAPTER VI EARLY WASHINGTON While Major L’Enfant drew the plan of the Federal City, it was Andrew Ellicott who afterward carried it out. The building of the city attracted many speculators, who invested heavily. Robert Morris, James Greenleaf, Thomas Law, John Nicholson, and Samuel Blodgett were among those who lost thereby. When Washington became the seat of government in 1800 there were 109 brick and 263 frame houses, sheltering a total population of about 3,000. The early years of the city’s development were difficult and too much praise cannot be given the men who carried the burden. The departments of the government that existed then were State, Treasury, War, Navy, the Office of the Attorney General, and the Postal Service. They employed a total of 137 clerks.