Daily national Republican. (Washington City [D.C.]) 1870-1872, 1872-10-30
OUR IMPROVEMENTS.
Something Of What Is Being Done
4 nrIse Ovos soms Of tho streets that mr.,
FiuI-hrd.

4 nrISe Ovos soms Of tho streets that nro
Finished.
There are thousands nf good aud sober cltI.
zcns In Washington who perform daily routine
walk from their homes to market or to their
places ur business, and consequently have linn
tied knowledge OF the vast and splendid i'm.
provements that have been made and are now
rapidly approaching completion. To sec those
improvements, one cannot 20 Rmlss In visiting
any portion Of the city. For Instance, from
Louisiana avenue turn into
FOURTH STREET,
and what = few months ago was n road Of mud
and entirely unattrdctive to pleasure see keF
you now md transformed into hard, smooth
and hnely cOncteted drive up as far as street,
aud the work still progressing. There IL an air
Of cleanliness aud thrin about the street that
argues we'll Tor the pride Of us residents and for
the general advancement Of property values.
From Louisiana avenue to u street, Fourth
street Il built up only on one side. On the Oppo.
site is Judiciary square, and when Gen. Bah.
cocke Improvements are completed 10 that II
then becomes not only q healthy, but a desirable
and beautiful place for residences. Emerging
from Fourth street into
NAssACHUsETTs AvRNuE,
one would he, Just now, n little surprised At what
Is an apparent stand still In the prnRress OF a
great Improvement II will be observed that the
avenue Is graded on each side Of the Columbia
railway track up TO new Jersey avenue east,
and wost to seventh street aud the question Is
only natural one, "wnl' II bo paved and the
fooiwalks completed this season ?" And another
question comes up, Why in the world don't
President Mckelden have the railroad track
lowered to the gradet" Tor every body knows that
he has got to do II, aud the quicker he gets ab ut
4 the better for all conceIucdi for, driving up
Massachusetts avenue to Twelfth street, Signs
ot tremendous activity are at once apparent
Tho contractors for paving this avenue are
NEssRs TAYLOR AND FtLBEHT.
a. 4
men, VIM are divided Into two gangs a part
paving towards Sixteenth street from Twelfth,
and tue other towards seventh street, The
pavement IL Of wood treated by the Seeley and
Robbins process. For it, preservation each is
considered equally effective, The avenue was
graded by tue "fhirleonth district working.
mems association and they performed aquiek
and good job. Infinite pains are taken by tho
contractors to thoroughly prepare the road.bod
Tor paving It Is rolled for three or four days by
the immense thiIty.tWO hundred ton steam roller
belonging u the board, carefully puddled and
hammered, and as the blocks, AFTER being set,
are driven home, scarcely an impression IL made
on the bed, One set VI men then wheel In the
gravel and sand, the swecpors are ready with
before the nOOIers, with their great pots Of hot
tar, yulcaniEed by being boiled with sulphur,
make the pavement as black and glossy as a
by next Saturday night II will DO finished to
| Fourteenth street west and to Ninth street east,
II tho weather Is such AS to permit uninter.
| that In a few days the pavement will be wholly
completed FROM Sixteenth street to Seventh.
| Persons living on the avenue east OF Seventh
street can take heart, for at the rate these CON.
petent and energetic contractors are at work II
| will not he long before the whole work Is com.
pleted Then will be opened up one Of the most
magnificent drives In any city In the world. We
DOUBT very much whether the world can afford
one like It, and after the walks and parking
have been completed and the trees set out, Its
beauty and splendor will be concentrate with
he lNfafa aV.NN
TENTH sTREET.
Messrs. FilbeTt h Taylor also have the con.
tract Tor paving Tenth and Eleventh Streets
Both streets are paved with wood. Eleventh ID
finished from + street up to Massachusetts
avenue and the ground Is broken beyond TO o.
They have an Immense amount OF blocks en- route,
aud as soon as the grade is completed and curb
set the paving will follow like magic. Tenth Il
| finished up 10 II street, and will be completed
| early this season to N street. The work on
these streets is being done As thoroughly and we'll
| as on Massachusetts, avenue,
TWELFTH sTREET.
| Mr. Lewis Clephane, tho contractor for paving
| this street with wood, Is making rapid compile.
| ton to the end, It IL finished nov up to a pOlnl
were at work yesterday In doing the little that
remains to be done.
THIRTERNTH STREET.
| Turning into Thirteenth street you hnd q
| most delightful drive. Between NJ aud X
streets It Is very handsomely torraced, and the
neat, trim appearance OF the houses conveys a
most pleasant impression. Driving on down
| between l and q streets, tho parking IL mos
| appropriate In Its general effects, aud even the
| old houses that remain wear u new and cosy ap
| peArancc.
L STREET.
| l. street, between Twelfth and Fourteenth
| streets, so far rs the grading 10 concerned ant
/ the setting OF the curb, II now quite ready fU
the PAYERS. In two weeks more this section viii
be finished, and will be In general comparison
| with all that part OF tue city. And
| more delightful and beautiful creation, II
the way Of streets, avenues, squares and clpeles
than that ornamenting that part Of Washington
cannot he found on the globe. 1t Is no wonder
that the rich, titled and learned Of opulen
cities elsewhere, aud from the Old World itself
are being attracted to the purchase Of propert!
and homes In Washington Every foot Of thesI
improvements II solid argument against al
! opposition, aud now that they have gone 80 Ia
that even the blind see II Is not strange tina
| praise has taken the plsce Of denunclatlun, an
| that scarcely without exception property
holders aud taxpayers cheeTiully meet the JUS
| requirements made OF them.