Daily national Republican. (Washington City [D.C.]) 1870-1872, 1872-01-10


Uuder the above caption "De1ier," the
Washington correspondent Of the Troy TIwtS
writes as follows;
II presents ono Of the toughest municipal
problems Of tho age, Nature was very ktnd
10 II In tho beginning, and has been very crnci
ever since. The city dOes not exist that 70
better located 10 oil respects. But the Mary.
land mud and the Maryland dust continue to
tyrannlze over Il and its lnhabltants, In spite
Of all they can do, and all they can epcnd.
Il is the fashion to Tidlcule Washington. The
jealousy Of Philadelphia and New York was
the starting point Of the fashion, aud At the
first II had good foundation In other things
more TO the point But the day for that sort
of thing Is psasing away. II "a over seventy
years since some wag. with view 10 poking
fun, called Washington the city Of magnin-
cent distances. The epithei IL accepted now,
not as q slur, but az an honor. He might
have added, Il he had had agraln Of prophecy
In him, that Il was also city Of lnnnlte pos
sibillees. This statement Il 50 wholly at va
Rance with the common opinion that Il re-
qulres an explanation 10 stand.
WHAT - IN STORE FoR IT.
believe that the lapse of twenty-five years
will R1d Washington the finest city In Ameri.
ca. can Justify the belief from la past "a
well ~ from It's present. InlSO0 IL was q hog.
We read that snine shooting was excellent on
pennaylyanlA avenue now q street without
lts superior. In 1876 ltwas IS ragglng village
OF scarcely ten thousand people, chiefly no
tlceablc for wide, empty, impassable ,treets,
and for Government buildings 30 wholly lao
lated that they looked like great marts. To
day II has permanent population OF l20, 900;
buildings are growing up like mushrooms In
every dlrectioni real estate 10 Eteadlly rielng
In value; business ls thriving and multiplying
many refined people are yearly choosing Il
for their home. Finally, the people have all
Of = sudden, and with a jerk, awakened from
| a sleep that was akin TO municipal death.
You have heard about that four millions OF
dollars. II came hard. but the taxpayers are
beginning to see that II will be money well
speut, which they did not see at all At the
atst. Il shows all over the city. Four mil
lions will grade, pave, and beuutify great
many streets. No city In the Union, which
Il equivalent 10 saying no city 10 the world
ever carried forward gront scheme OF publls
improvements with more rapldlty than Wash
lngton has done during the last Ave months
| When Congress assembled, q month ago, hal
| OF these streets were blockaded and impassa
bic. To-day not halt dozen arc In this con
ditlou. In lieu Of II, we have Nicholson ant
composite paycments, which are fine enough
to make horse Jockey out ot . saint.
WHAT MUST sTiLL M DONE.
Very much remains TO be done. But jus
here q where my prophecy gets legs to stan,
on. There Ia no city which equals Washing
ton In opportunities for Improvement. Thes
wide streets opening into each other with al
the regularity Of ageOmetrlcal figure, thes
superb curves and roomy squares at ever
junction have not their like on tho continent
Il was the custom 20 laugh 1t tho plan OF the
city whom tho plan was all there wa OF tn,
city. The time has already c,,me when pee
pie coniess that no other plan would hay
suited the wants OF the capital city OF Ia
nation, city which Is expected to keep ste
with the growth OF the nation itself. Ther
are still intermittent hurtles II exeltemeu
over this removal Of the capital, ~ there Al
ways havo been since was llrst located here
don't sec II, and good mAuy generations
come won't see IL. Cincinnati and 81. LOU
may suspend their harps on the willow
They weru built for different purposes. Whe
the capital docs migrate, Il must cit ltsel
down In the wilderness, as II did In 1900, an
start at the very beginning again. IL won
do to coop Il up In narrow streets
WHAT coN0REss SHOULD no Anouf IT
Until geographical laws do lnRliy prevail
| shall not lose my faith In Washington.
will grow faster lu the next tWeuty.ay
years than II has In tho last. II has but {
grngross at lta present rate, 10 come out
1900 without m equal on the continent.
will never be q great business cent G, but
will thrive In every other way. The Coz
eminent ought to come speedily TO the al
OF the cltiZeDa In the work OF beautlfyln
the city. Aud the hrst thing Il ought |
do-whAt IL should have done years ago
TO tear down tho row Of unslghtly building
which dlsagure the approach TO the Caplt'
building By tho way Of New jersey Avenu
north. That structl ire should stand on Pit
hill alone, with no architectural mOnstros
ties nearer TO II than the depot, which
, sufficient In Itself 10 damn. Tho plateau o
the south side OF the Capitol has alread
been appropriated, and Is now In the agu
on the cast aud tho west sides. Thel
should be another on the North side.