"January 6, 1770. To All Seafaring Gentlemen. "Richard Blake, Captain of a sloop bound to the West India Islands left Potomac River three years next August. And there being various reports that he is yet alive and under confinement in the Bay of Honduras in Hispaniola or in some part of the Spanish Main, and could have been ransomed for Twenty Five Pounds. We, the undersigned, do certify that he has an estate of his own worth some Hundreds of Pounds in Calvert County, Maryland, therefore his own obligation is sufficient surety for any Gentleman what will be good enough to make Enquiry for him, and procure his enlargement should he be in confinement. We do also beg all Seagoing Gentlemen to enquire in their Travels if they can hear anything of the said Capt. Richard Blake or of John Wilkinson his mate to be alive or dead to give intelligence by letter to Mr. Charles Graham in Lower Marlborough on the Patuxent River, Maryland, and the Favor will be acknowledged by Thomas Blake Joseph Blake William Dare" This advertisement is in The National Intelligencer, March 6, 1809: "Twenty Dollars Reward. "Runaway from Subscriber's 'Plantation near Lower Marlbro' in Calvert county, about the 15th of January, a Negro man by the name of Cuddy; Whoever takes up said Negro and ** * * secures him so that I get him again shall receive the above reward, if taken upwards of 20 miles, if under 20 miles, 10 dollars. "Thomas Blake." Dr. Blake located in George Town. He purchased, November 3, 1795, the lot on the southwest corner of Congress (Thirty-first) and Gay (N) streets. Thereon he built a residence. It is so altered that aught of the external original cannot be seen. In 1800, he removed to Colchester, Fairfax county, Virginia. Colchester is on the north bank of the Occoquan River just opposite Woodbridge in Prince William county. The R. F. D. runs by the place which now consists of a few scattered houses whose outside brick chimneys look defiant of time. "But now the sounds of population fail, No cheerful murmurs fluctuate in the gale, Goldsmith. Colchester is a veritable deserted village. That it was a village with a main street and a street midway at right angles, a thoroughfare to the ford of the Occoquan, appears by Count de Rochambeau's plat exhibiting the surface proportions of each house therein as on the sixteenth day of July, 1782. Rochambeau's auxiliary French forces encamped on the border of the village. Dr. Blake indulged his bent for governmental affairs and was approved of by a constituency of Fairfax County to represent it in the legislature. The records at Richmond show that he attended the sessions of 1806-7 and 1807-8, and that for 1806 he was allowed three dollars per day for fifty-one days attendance with sixty cents per mile for travelling and fifty cents for each ferry crossed. Dr. Blake returned to the District of Columbia in 1809. Dr. Blake was elected to the First Chamber, Ninth Council, 1810; and held over the ensuing year because of informality in the election. The boards, June 14, 1813, convened to elect the Mayor. The first, second and third ballots, Mr. Brent and Mr. Rapine each had ten votes. Dr. Blake was substituted for Mr. Brent, and he and Mr. Rapine each had ten votes. Then by lot Dr. Blake drew the mayorship. At the joint meeting, June 13, 1814, Dr. Blake had all the votes. The Intelligencer, editorially, had, June 2, 1815: * * "We have received a communication recommending to the attention of the citizens at the coming Election, the name of Col. William Brent for the office of Mayor for the next term. We must observe, that we have heard of no objection to the reelection of our present worthy Mayor, James H. Blake, who, we hope and have no doubt, will again be honored by the city's choice." The councils met, June 12, and James H. Blake had 11 votes; William Brent 7; Samuel N. Smallwood 1; blank 1. At the election June 10th, the following year, Dr. Blake had 13 votes; Benjamin G. Orr 6; Daniel Carroll of Duddington 1. The Mayoral messages of Dr. Blake are comprehensive and concise and comprise the affairs important in all cities. Quite natural was his first expression and first recommendation: "Of all the gods of this World, Health is the most durable; it is the Soul which animates every enjoyment." "I beg leave to submit to you, whether it may not be expedient to appoint a Health Officer; whose particular duty it shall be to superintend the health of the city generally, and in case of the appearance of any malignant disease, to visit such infected persons; and report from time to time the state of the health of the City to the Board of Aldermen and Common Council; correct information from such a source, would prevent many idle and exaggerated accounts, too often propagated to the disadvantage of our City." He in the first message advocated schools on the Lancastrian system, and a reformatory. That there was no police at that time is indicated by the paragraph in that message: The number of idle and disorderly persons that are in our streets at every hour of the night, disturbing the repose of the inhabitants and in many instances pillaging them-render it unsafe for the peaceable Citizen to pass along the street. With a view to check this growing evil, I will suggest the establishment of patroles." In other messages Mayor Blake urged the office of Health Officer and in result it was created. The Act of the Councils providing for street improvements, October 16, 1813, indicates the greater value of a dollar at that period for the appropriations are from $25 to $250 and for improving Fourteenth street west from Pennsylvania Avenue to the northern boundary of the city, the amount was $100. |