'50 



THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



your population niay have become. That 

 is the reason why you should think about 

 these things now and make your prepa- 

 rations for the future. The only man 

 who seems to have foreseen the great- 

 ness of this city, so far as I can learn, 

 was George Washington himself. 



Although he died before Louisiana was 

 purchased and long before you acquired 

 territory on the Pacific coast, he ap- 

 pears to have realized that this was go- 

 ing to be an enormous country and ought 

 to have a grand capital, and you ought 

 to go back to his ideals and render the 

 greatest tribute you can render to his 

 immortal memory. 



What you have got to do is to make 

 the nation feel that it has a real living 

 interest in Washington. Make the man 

 from Maine and from Minnesota and 

 from Florida feel that Washington be- 

 longs to him. It is not those only who 



live here in ^^'ashington that are the 

 owners of Washington, but these men 

 also who dwell all over the country. 

 ]\Iany of them, and all their representa- 

 tives, come here every year, and as they 

 are proud of the nation they ought also 

 to feel proud of their nation's capital. 



Having lived in this city among you 

 with so much happiness and enjoyment 

 during the past six years, it is with deep 

 regret that my wife and I are now pre- 

 paring to depart from you. But, re- 

 membering the unceasing and unvarying 

 kindness we have received from all of 

 you here in Washington, we shall recall 

 those six years with constant pleasure, 

 continuing to cherish the recollection of 

 our Washington friends, and our hopes 

 and wishes will always be with those 

 who are striving to make Washington 

 beautiful, and a capital worthy of the 

 majesty of this mighty nation. 



I'holu by Albert G. Robinson 



A sce;nu in rock crej^k park, in tiii; nation's capital 



