DEVELOPMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 1 77 



to empower the Board of Health to clear the streets of animals. 

 Those citizens who had fenced in their parkings and the citizens 

 generally were constantly annoyed and their property subjected 

 to damage, but the city government either had no wish or no 

 power to carry out the suggestions made to it. The tradition is 

 that the cackle of a goose set Rome free. This tradition finds 

 its parallel in an actual fact, under which it might be stated that 

 the rooting of a pig did much to bring Washington out of the 

 chaos of the past. The Board of Health, as 'stated, did not or 

 could not act with any force. One of the prominent citizens of 

 Washington, who came here in 1847, has related to me an inci- 

 dent showing how little things sometimes result in bringing 

 about great improvements. A distinguished Senator, according 

 to my informant, who had the courage to erect a residence, was 

 very much annoyed one morning after completing his terrace to 

 find that the pigs had rooted it up, and although he promptly 

 shot one of two of them, he was nevertheless very much exer- 

 cised ; and in going to the Capitol that morning he met my 

 friend, who had endeavored to secure through the city govern- 

 ment the removal of the nuisances of which the Senator com- 

 plained, and stated to him that he proposed to introduce a bill 

 that morning for the removal of the capital. He said that the 

 capital of the United States ought to be located in a city where 

 the municipal government had some public spirit and force 

 enough to make it a place suitable for a residence for the Presi- 

 dent and Congress. My friend begged him to do nothing of 

 the kind, but suggested that instead he secure the passage of a 

 bill which would give the Board of Health proper power. The 

 Senator agreed to introduce the bill if the gentleman referred to 

 would draw the same, and this was done. So there is found 

 in the act providing a government for the District of Colum- 

 bia a provision for a Board of Health, whose duty it was to de- 

 clare what shall be deemed nuisances injurious to health and 

 provide for the removal thereof; to make and enforce regula- 

 tions to prevent domestic animals from running at large in the 

 cities of Washington and Georgetown, etc., etc. This became a 

 part of the organic law of the new government, and the action of 

 the Senator referred to had much influence in securing that act. 

 Pioc. Wash. Acad. Sci., December, 1S99. 



