TABLE OF CONTENTS. The Earliest Free Public Library Movement in Washing- ton, 1849-1874. By W. Dawson Johnston.. William Duane. By Allen C. Clark.... The Rise of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the District of Columbia. By Arthur S. Browne.... Curious Customs of the Past as Gleaned from the News- papers in the District of Columbia. By Allan B. Our Postal System. By Francis C. Huebner. PAGE. Extract from an Address to the people of the United States on the subject of the Report of a Committee of the House of Representatives appointed to ex- amine and report whether monies drawn from the Treasury, have been faithfully applied to the objects for which they were appropriated, and whether the same have been regularly accounted for (Report presented to Congress April 29th, 1802), by Oliver Wolcott, late Secretary of the Treasury, dated at Litchfield, Connecticut, July 12th, 1802.... Also extract from Report of Committee appointed to make examination of such expenditures, including an account of payments made at the Treasury for removal of the officers and clerks of the several Ex- ecutive Departments to the seat of Government; also 305607 I. The Southerner, Built 1845-46; the first Steamboat to carry II. Page from Franklin's Ledger of Postal Accounts, showing the 126 III. accounts of the Georgetown and Bladensburg Post Offices. 132 164 IV. The "F Street Tavern ". 198 V. The Southwest Corner of 13th and F Streets, Northwest,— December, 1905 200 VI. Dr. Jesse Torrey, Jr.. 204 VII. View of the Capitol of the United States after the con- flagration in 1814.. 206 THE EARLIEST FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY MOVEMENT IN WASHINGTON, 1849–1874. BY W. DAWSON JOHNSTON. (Read before the Society, January 9, 1905.) Influenced by the establishment of the Boston Public Library, Mr. George Watterston, former Librarian of Congress, on the tenth of February, 1849, published a letter in the National Intelligencer urging the establishment of a free public library. "It has struck me, said he, "that this very desirable object could be obtained by calling upon the citizens to make a small contribution towards its formation in money or books, as might best suit their convenience. A room in the City Hall sufficiently spacious might be assigned for this purpose, and the nucleus of a large and valuable public library immediately formed. There is at present what is called a City Library, owned by private stockholders, to which I believe none have access but those who own stock in it. From my knowledge of the liberality and public spirit of those gentlemen I feel assured that they would not hesitate to aid in the accomplishment of so useful an object by placing their library gratuitously, or for a small equivalent, in the hands of the corporation for the purpose I have mentioned. This would form an admirable foundation for an extensive library, which might be increased from year to year by donations or purchase, till it became a library creditable to the nation as well as the metropolis. The want of such an institution, I need scarcely say, is seriously felt by citizens as well as strangers, who, if at all literary, often find themselves considerably at a loss to pass |