The Young Surveyor’s Dream—A Vision of the Future Capital—The United States Government on Wheels—Ambitious Offers—The Rival Rivers—Temporary Lodgings for Eleven Years—Old-Fashioned Simplicity—A Great Man’s Modesty—Conflicting Claims—A Convincing Fact—The Dreadful Quakers—A Condescending Party—A Slight Amendment—An Old Bill Brought to Light Again—The Future Strangely Foreshadowed—A Dinner of Some Consequence—How it was Done—Really a Stranger—A Nice Proposal—Sweetening the Pill—A “Revulsion of Stomach,” 21 CHAPTER II. CROSS PURPOSES AND QUEER SPECULATIONS. Born of Much Bother—Undefined Apprehensions—Debates on the Coming City—Old World Examples—Sir James Expresses an Opinion—A Dream of the Distant West—An Old-time Want—A Curious Statement of Fact—Where is the Center of Population—An Important Proclamation—Original Land Owners—Well-worn Patents—Getting on with Pugnacious Planters—Obstinate David Burns—A “Widow’s Mite” of Some Magnitude—How the Scotchman was Subjugated—A Rather “Forcible Argument,” 31 CHAPTER III. THE WORK BEGUN IN EARNEST. Washington’s Faith in the Future—Mr. Sparks is “Inclined to Think”—A Slight Miscalculation—Theoretical Spartans—Clinging to Old World Glories—Jefferson Acts the Critic—He Communicates Some Ideas—Models of Antiquity—Babylon Revived—Difficulty in Satisfying a Frenchman’s Soul—The Man Who Planned the Capital—Who Was L’Enfant?—His Troubles—His Dismissal—His Personal Appearance, Old Age, Death, and Burial Place—His Successor—A Magnificent Plan—A Record Which Can Never Perish—An Overpaid Quaker—Jefferson Expresses His Sentiments—A Sable Franklin—The Negro Engineer, Benjamin Bancker—A Chance for a Monument, 38 CHAPTER IV. OLD WASHINGTON. How the City Was Built—“A Matter of Moonshine”—Calls for Paper—Besieging Congressmen—How They Raised the Money—The Government Requires Sponsors—Birth of the Nation’s Capital—Seventy Years Ago in Washington—Graphic Picture of Early Times—A Much-Marrying City—Unwashed Virginian Belles—Stuck in the Mud—Extraordinary Religious Services, 51 CHAPTER V. THE CAPITAL OF THE NATION.