Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1869-02-09
IL PRNrsyIyANrA avvrrv

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IL PKSNsYLvASIA AVENUE WHITING -
Win the growth of the CITY northward busi
ness Is tending in that direction Ten yers
ago pennsylvania avenue did most of the busl-
ness OF the city; now il has TO DIVIDE with
Seventn street, Ninth street and street. Sew
entn street. narrow, compactly built. and tn /,
great thoroughfare from the country to the
river. already presents a more bu sting look to
me eye than the Avenue. + street with its
handsome new pavement, its comfortable street
care, ard its bright, tidy, attractive appear.
ance. seems destined to be q formidable rival
o Pennsylvanta Avenue, especially a street
ior fashionable shopping. And by the way,
We all remember how some OF the property
holders on + street kicked against the cost of
the pavement that has been the m akinR of the
street.
For various reasons Pennsylvania Avenue
has not kept pace ir improvement with the
parallel and intersecting streets north Of it, A
number Of fine buildings have be en- erected on
n, but these only serve to make their surround.
InEs appear more mean and So ualid by con.
tract. 1t ought to be the finest street in the
world. with its magnificent proportions, and
forming the great high way between the Gap.
itol and the White House. But its width, with
IT'S present wretched pavement tells against II .
Dust clouds in summer mud in winter. Bould-
cers and Iuts, was there ever such 8 small
poxy looking surface,
No light carriage can cross its execrabl
cobbie stones without involving a trip 70 the
carriage mender. A gentleman OF our ac-
Gusintance had valuable rse badly injured
Dy breaking a hoof in q hole on the Avenue
few days ago. He has registered a VOW he
says, that the wife of his bosom shops no more
with team of his upon Pennsylvania avenue
Is II any wonder that shopping vehicles desert
Pennsy lyania avenue If the plague Were
here, and seek smOo' her streets The property
holders on the Avenue could better afford to
pave every foot of u at their own COS: than to
allow its business supremacy to slip away, as
At inevitably must, unless II Is made less repui-
sIve 20 customers.
And shabbiness in one way leads 10 shabbi-
ness in another. The shabby pavement Is in
a concaisnation according with the shabby
intersectiEg streets south of II, frowzy with
ssrsw, oyster shells, ash heaps, Stops, and all
scTts OF rubbish. Then there is the indescribabIe
shsbbiness of the market sheds and accompa-
EInents For one-third of its length on mar
kst Gays Pennsylvania Avenue is used as a
cow-yard, and as stamping ground for all
the miserable dyseniery afflicted horses thar
Montgomery and Prince George send here
propped mp in the fills OF their market carts
ON the other three days OF the week the market
rubbish, ofal, and manure floats about the
Avenue, and lodges lovingly in Its ruts and
cutters, ft accompaniment for the shabby
pavement
These drawbacks put the Avenue a. a great
disadvantage with the cleanly, entsrprising
streets above il in the growing part OF the city.
Let her property-holders and business men
tske note before IL Is too late.
How much q prOsparity IF a stroa, danana.
upon ITS pavement l shown in the case of
Michigan Avenue and Wabash Avenue par
allel adjoining streets in Chicago Michigan
A venue was the fashionable drive of the CITY
until wabash Avenue put down the wool
YayemeBt- The result IL - shooting i'm
rnersely ahead of rs neighbor, and Is now Ia.
drive and promenade of the city
Were Pennsylvania Avenue covered win a
vell-iaid wood pavement, smooth and noise
less- free from dust and mud, IT would be the
finest drive and promenade in the country il
Eot the world. IL would b. filled. especially
OF an afternoon, with handsome vehicles that
now snun It's horrible ruts and protuberanees
Its sidewalks would al the same time be
thronged with promenaders- Like the Pa
risian Boulevards, 1t would be the great pop
uiaI open-air resort The value OF property
would be increased fifty per cent and the
amount Of business done on il would be
doubled, il is safe TO say, almost from the mo-
ment such pavement was laid. As a mat
ter OF self-interest, the property holders
should exert themselves to secure the pas
sage Of the bill before Congress pro-
viding for paving Pennsylvania avenue.
The bill divides the expense equirably between
the Government. the Corporation, the Rail-
road Company, and the property holders
Probably no fairer way could be devised OF
dividing the cost II is safe to say that II the
Avenue Is ever paved, ii Will be by some such
division Of the burthen. Perhaps some of the
property holders still indulge a lingering hone
hat Government viii pay all the expense of
paving 1t. They may as well dismiss it for
ever. That Is the kind of hope deferred that
maketh the heart sick. The utmost that we
can expect from Government is that il will
pay portion Of the expense; and il the Ave-
nue. business men are wise they will not let thu
opportunity 60 by for getting al SO little cost to
themselves an Improvement upon which their
prosperity so much depends. The cost will
really b no more 70 them than property-hold-
ers on other streets are required to nav for
similar paving improvements under the pres
ent law.