▁support ▁the ▁bill . ▁Some ▁time ▁prior ▁to ▁May ▁ 2 7 , ▁ 1 8 8 6 , ▁Captain ▁F . A . ▁Mah an , ▁U . S . ▁Army ▁Corps ▁of ▁Engine ers ▁assistant ▁to ▁the ▁Commission ers , ▁drew ▁up ▁new ▁plans ▁for ▁the ▁bridge . ▁ ▁The ▁un anim ity ▁of ▁the ▁D . C . ▁Commission ers ▁was ▁broken ▁on ▁April ▁ 1 , ▁ 1 8 8 6 , ▁when ▁Colonel ▁William ▁Lud low ▁replaced ▁Major ▁Gar rett ▁J . ▁Ly de cker ▁in ▁city ▁government . ▁A ▁group ▁of ▁E W CA ▁members ▁now ▁began ▁personally ▁lo bb ying ▁Congress ▁for ▁the ▁bridge . ▁This ▁group ▁consisted ▁of ▁George ▁Francis ▁Daw son , ▁newsp ap erman ; ▁A . F . ▁S per ry , ▁as ▁former ▁newsp ap erman ▁and ▁now ▁a ▁United ▁States ▁Department ▁of ▁War ▁cl erk ; ▁M . I . ▁W eller , ▁owner ▁of ▁W eller ▁& ▁Rep etti ▁real t ors ; ▁J . W . ▁Bab son , ▁editor ▁of ▁the ▁gaz ette ▁of ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Pat ent ▁Office ; ▁and ▁Dun can ▁Thompson , ▁resident ▁of ▁the ▁area . ▁The ▁E W CA ▁lo bb y ists ▁met ▁personally ▁with ▁the ▁D . C . ▁Commission ers ▁on ▁December ▁ 5 , ▁ 1 8 8 6 , ▁to ▁ur ge ▁their ▁support ▁for ▁the ▁project . ▁Most ▁of ▁the ▁con gression al ▁lo bb ying ▁was ▁done ▁by ▁W eller , ▁who