New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-05-02
THE NEW WASHINGTON.
cHANGEs oF THE PAST FEw YEARS.

/
vAIE REsIDKNCEs-THE MUSEUM. GEoRGEToWN
COLLEGE. AND THE NEW EXECUTIVE BUILDING,
fFRoM STAFF CORRESPONDENT THE TRIBUNE
WASHINGTON, May Ito appreciate the prog
ress Washington IS making in all things betting
the character of a capital city, must return here
after an absence of a few years Along absence Is
not necessary. One need not compare the Wash
ington of to day with the struggling dirty Southern
town of the war period. The contrast with the
place as it was at the beginning of Grants admins
ratiOn is striking enough and even the changes OF
the past three or four years are surprising in the
first place You observe that it is the best paved city
in America, and the best in the world after Paris
| Everywhere the asphalt stretches away smooth and
firm to horizons bounded by the lofty walls OF
| public building or the trees and shrubbery OF
park. The vehicles roll along with scarcely sound
save the half-mufed chatter of the horses feet The
pleasuTlble sense of motion without jar or noise
experienced i'm driving over these perfect paYements
is one of the peculiar charms of life in Washington.
You combine with the dlyertng sights of a city the
enjoyment of drive on the black. elastic, sun
baked roads of an Illinois PRAIRIE
So many handsome new houses have been built Of
late that many sections of the city are scarcely
recognizable. A new quarter has grown up around
the residence of the British Minister. Connecticut
| and Vermont-aves., which used to be little more
than names upon the map, are lined with stately
| houses. observation-disclosures, with It's superb vista
| broken By the equestrian statues of Scott and
Thomas, has iDguary fine effect The little circles
in tho northwestern part Of the city which not long
ago browsing grounds for goats and geese, are
now adorned with shrubs and flowers and sur
! rounded by handsome houses In no city are there
such advantages for the free play of architectural
genius. I he street system pecular-thero are
! 50 many corners angles terraces and segments Of
| circles to build uDOn-that the OppOrtun
| ties for novel and striking effects are
! almost unlimited. The fayorite style just
now for large detached houses is n sort of Norman
chateau type. The material is dark red brick with
sandstone trimmings and round tower with black |
sugar-Oaf cap IS the most salient feature, There
is, however, good deal of variety of style. One |
finds "reminiscences OF Elizabethan manor houses |
Venetian palaces Swiss chalctS and Rhine castles
III curious jnxaposition. To II severe taste tho ef-
feet is doubt dispcasing, but all this kaleido-
scopc tumble OF architectural ideas faithfully |
represents the omnivorOus cosmopolitan taste Of |
the American people that its appropriateness for |
their cauilal city cannot he questioned
WAsHINGTONs PECULIAR ATTRACTIONS.
The costly houses that have recently been built |
and are now building in such numbers evil |
denccs of the attractiveness of Washington TO peO-
pie of wealth. culture and leisure. In whatever line
the tastes Of such people may they find peculiar
qualification here. If they have fondness for
scientific study here are the Smithsonian collec-
tons, the Medical Museum, the Observatory the |
Hydrographic Bureau, the Bureau OF Statistics if
for literature, here IL the Congressional Llbrary If
for art here is the Corcoran Gallery. the best public
gallery in America; if for the results of travel,
hithcr como The explorers from all parts of the
continent; If for politics, here the |
men whose talents have distinguished them
from the masses, and raised them to high places in
tie Government; il only for society. 1t Is the most
.ociahir place in thc country. Nowhere is there
such breadth, freedom. individuality, vvaclty and
coriIa!ty In social intercourse. In other city is
there suc llryc proportion OF tho population with
leisure ard disposition for making themselves
Agreeable, and fuI finding ont what there Is agree
able in other people, and no OtBcrciiy so draws upon
the whole country tor the material for Its social
life More and more these attractions becoming
known and every year brings reinforcement from
Northern cities 10 the best classes of Washington
society," Of people VIII, build houses here because
they find il the most delightful place for 4 Winter
aud Spring residence.
IIIE TFW PrEl TC Buildings
The new Sin ram Bu'ling N tine Smithsonian
Groun.s isnrn'li ppsIlcIcd. The first suggestion
for this museum VIZ ull" IN TUr TRIBCNt'S cor
rr-pondcucr from the Philadelphia Exhibition,
wherein the Preservation permanent collection
OF the rcmarkably Instructive exhibits made in the
Goyrrniucn, Building az :hr Centennial advo-
c:;rd. The officers win" ;iaGr that collection took
up the iGra, and urged 1t upon Congress- AMI The
suit is an exhibition thar VIII he ono Of the chief
ATTRACTIONS OF Washington. The building is well
adapted for Is purposes having ample light and
hoorspacc. IT. snowy facades, its walls adorned
with gay bands Of tiles, its lofty dome and many
towers give il Worlds Fair look, aud recall the gay
architecture of tho Centennial structures. No
doubt it has tho beauty of fitness, but
why was it made to commit the sin of incOnnuity
by spreading itself ont in the shadow Of the Gothic
towers of the Smithsonian Institution That state
w. dgniiied e,iilice the finest binding Of Its typo
m tins country. is rsnltcd by the tawdTy modern
adOrnmouts Of its new neighbour and the
Museum, which would be admired as II
turo il il Stood alone il made To look cheap
and prctcntious by the proximity of the LOFTY
walls of the Institution. There plenty of room
the many public reservations of he city, without
rowdlng these two diverse and discordant stuc- 4
lures close together.
Tho former habituc Of Washington, who returns
after Lew years aDSth@t' Will hotI W win YIN
parlmeut has been pulled down to make '
room for Of the tacadrs Of the huge executive I
building, usua ~ called the STATE Department, be- i
cause that branch Oi the Government was its first
tenant. lie Will wonder what has become of the V
elump Of the free emf down by bullets on Virginia 4
battlefield which used % stand under the porlIco h
Ut the old hull,ling, aud whether tho little I
where S'autOu directed the war was preserved Oh o
canvas for history before the demolition. The pOr
tirO he will learn has been Transferred to ATling-
ton and forms an arch one Of the entrance r
gates to the National Cemetery, | hardly know b
whether To admire the new buIuling not. Stately
IT unquc~tonaby ~ for il quite dwarfs the lrea- I,
aIIry and dominates half the city and the effort to
make granite lend itself to the graceful forms of Re-
nai,>ancC architecture has been unexpectedly sue
ceSSu. But the building is 80 enormous that it o
lacks EXPRESSION, and the eye wanders 1t with
out beng arrested 10y any central feature. where -
the main arch tcctural idea OF the structure ilndsis
eliminating and definite embodiment
The new binding for the Bureau of Printing and {
Envraving down on the Monument Lot has rather q
n factory look but is the whole not an uuattrac- Z
i've object in tho andscapo when seen from the .