Page:Architectural Review and American Builders' Journal, Volume 1, 1869.djvu/44

 24 Sloan's Architectural Review and Builders' Journal. [July, Matthew Vandusen, Si, was still stand- ing, almost immediately upon the town side of the river road, above Hanover street. In their arrangements for con- structing vessels, the brow-stage reached within some forty or fifty feet of the op- posite or river side of the river road. When they came to lay the ways for the frigate, they ascertained that they had not room enough to build her between the usual brow-staging and the water. Accordingly, as all thoroughfares have to admit obstructions in the exigencies of building, whether for sea or on land, without troubling themselves to secure a permit from the District Commission- ers, they built a new brow-stage, quite to the river side of the road, the slope of which terminated perpendicularly at the height of a man, and afterwards filled in both sides of the road with timber, leaving only a single cartway open between the brow-stage of the frigate and the front fence of Fairman's Mansion. This infringement on the public road incensed Franklin Eyre, who threatened to ride over Mr. Tees the first time he should see him, although, shortly afterwards, the latter purposely -gave an opportunity, which the former did not take. One object of Mr. Tees was to constrain the District to pay for and remove the F airman Mansion, long- doomed to destruction, for the opening of Beach street, directly on which it stood, and reaching within two or three feet from one side to the other. Mr. Eyre, much better-natured than his threat, probably thought no more of riding over anybody, much less a friend and neighbor ; but, bent on having bet- ter roadway, next directed his wrath against the front fence of the mansion, which he insisted should come down, in spite of every thing and everybody. Matthew Vandusen, Jr., Washington's older brother, being then away in the South, cutting live-oak, Mr. Tees vowed that it should not, until the District had first paid the family the proper damages, the matter already having remained so long unadjusted that it had become very doubtful whether they would ever receive one cent. Afterwards, upon the return of Matthew, Jr., then young and fiery, high words passed between him and Eyre about this dispute, though nothing further occurred. The house had been torn down during Matthew, Jr.'s, absence; but Mr. Tees had suc- ceeded in having twenty-five hundred dollars allowed for it. The river road, or rather the mere curved turn-out around Fairman's Mansion, had been vacated, and Beach street had gone through on the present lines. This was in 1824-5, A little after, Mr. Tees, operating alone, built a corvette for the Mexican government, upon the same ways. This vessel's Mexican name was the"Tip'eyak," (probably "Tepeaca;") but while here, waiting in the stream a long time, unrigged, she was called the " Kensington." With her appointments and armament, she was to cost $250,090, but the ship-builder's contract price was $190,000. Her style of "Kensington" was devised to secure her builders, until she should be settled for and de- livered. The Mexican government of that day really sent enough funds to pay for her, but it was supposed that, some- what in the manner of some modern office-holders, the Mexican minister at Washington reserved a slice, and the Mexican consul at Philadelphia secured a slice, and the two Mexican commis- sioners, charged with the superintend- ence of the construction of the corvette, obtained slices ; and so, while their government disbursed the funds, they dispersed them, and the vessel was not paid for. At length, inquiry came from the Mexican government concerning the requisite residue of the purchase-money. The answer was returned $115,000, so that only $75,000 had been paid to the builder. Her government then aban- doned her to the latter, who ultimately disposed of her to the Russian govern- ment, although he never learned her Muscovite name. Mr. Tees's object in