National Republican., 1880-05-29
IA goodly city, this,
Ofpalaces, parks fountains, monuments,
Green fields, broad avenues and miles
nT ,l pho 10 - ltta0

Tho city of Washington, in tho freshness
OF its summer garniture, is like "a bride ar
raycd for her husband " in all the blossoming
charms of youth and beauty. From the deli
cate green veidure OF the opening spring to
the fading away of the forest illuminations of
October n bird's.cye view of the city west
ward from the dome Of the capitol, or south
ward from the loftier seat of tho soldiers home,
or northward aud eastward from the stately
and commanding portico Of Arlington on the
Virginia side of the river, is "as beautiful as
picture" And, to the citizen or the stran.
ger who remembers what Washington was
fifty, forty, twenty, nay, even ten years ago,
how marvellous has been the transformation
here from rustic simplicity iaud shabbiness
to metropolitan elegance and gentility !!
There is really nothing to compare with this
amazing transformation in all the marvels of
western enterprise
FROM THE PRESIDENTS REVIEW,
In the spring of 1865, of Sherman's battle-scar-
red and weather-stained army of 100000 men,
returning from " the war;" we may date the
inception of this work, although our Baron
Haussmau did not bring his $4,000 picks,
spades and shovels into tho field till some i've
years later. In other words, from the collapse
of that disastrous experimental league of the
confederate states" with the extinction of
southern slavery and, upon test question in
congress, with the establishment here in per-
petuity of tho government of the United
States, the metropolitan development of
Washington began. Anterior TO these momen-
tous and decisive events the torpor and shift
lessness of f"t the peculiar institution" broodcd
over the capital. Tho city, in its general
character, was the same as that Of the drowsy
and worn-out surrounding slave-worked plan
tations Of Maryland and Virginia. Then, the
fear ofa
REMOVAL OF THE CAPITAL
westward, from the frequent agitations of the
project, warned Off the northern capitalist, and
held in suspense all schemes Of improvement
public aud private beyond the necessities of
the day. The monument which, in one of
the city parks, represents Lincoln. the liberia
tor, in the act ofremoving the shackles of bond
age from the black man, quite rs fifty marks
the emancipation of Washington from its sec
tional barriers, and its advancement to the
largest liberties aud enterprise of national
city. Nevertheless IL is to the admirable site
chosen, to the engineer selected and to the
plan adopted by the father of his country,
who was tho founder of its capital, that we
are indebted for all the beauties of this beau
tifu metropolis. Under the authority of con-
Eress Washington chose the site, aud to
Major L'Enfant his favoritc engineer of
the French army an active assistant
in our war of independence, was assigned the
task of laying out the city. What his general
instructions were may be inferred from the
plan submitted by him and adopted by Wash
ington. His grand idea Q791) of the future
capital Of the young republic was doubtless
derived from the royal palaces, parks, foun-
tains, monuments and avenues of Versailles.
His plan covered an area of four miles and
a-half, from east to west end in length, by two
miles and a-half in width, more or less. In
this plan the capitol, although there is not
much over one.third of the city territory on
the eastern side, was intended to be the centre
OF the city. Accordingly, by East Capitol
street, North Capitol street, South Capitol
street, and an imaginary limo running from
the capitol through the public parks westward
to tho Potomac river, the city was separated
into four parts, the northeast, the southeast
the northwest and the southwest divisions
Through all these divisions the city is first
laid OF into streets from sixty or eighty t.
ono hundred feet wide, running east and west
and north and SOUTH Had Major L'Enfant
stopped here ne would have given us only
right-angled city like Philadelphia
and quite as monotonous as "Brotherly Love-
But here begins the distinguishing beauties oi
Washington in its imperial avenues From the
capitol, from the White House and from sov,
eral other points these avenues. varying from
100 to 160 feet in width, twenty-one in mum
ber each bearing the name of one of the states
radiate dingonally across these right-angled
streets and in every conceivable direction, in
some cases running the whole length of the
city, in some crossing it from the river to tho
northern hills, in others running half way
aud in others only q few blocks. Thus, from
the intersection of these avenues with eacl
other and with the right.angled streets nu
merous broad, open spaces are made, which
in the form of
SQUARES, TRIANGIEs AND CIRCLES
are converted into parks and places for statues
or fountains. In addition to these, in every
quarter of the city we have numerous reserva
tions for parks and public buildings, varyin,
N.1
in extent
THE cITY's TERRITORY.
Originally the territory covered by the ma,
of the city consisted Of an elevated plain cas-
of the capitol, and of hills and hollows
''slashes" or swamps, brooks and lagoOus west
north and south of the capitol. The cit,
boundary on the north was range of woode,
hills; on the south the broad Potomac dow
which you may sec the hills of Mount Vernon
from the dome of the capitol; on tho east
broad and deep arm Of tho Potomac called TIN
Anacostia, or Eastern branch, on which tn
navy-yard is situated; ON the west Rocl
creek, so called from the picturesque rock!
hills through which it winds its way down {
the river, this stream being the dividing lint
between Washington and the comparativel,
ancient little commercial city of George
town,
The founder of our national metropolis, SUP
posing that its first and most active develop
mcnt would bc on the extensive plateau cas-
OF the capitol, had the principal front of tina
impressive editice placed on that side, aud o.
the Same terrace hard by he built himself
house. Bnt the owners Of the land in tina
quarter demanded and held to such extortou
ate prices for their town lots that settlers wcr
driven to the hills hollows and swamps on th
west side so that to-day the northwest divi.
ion, embracing the White House and the eS
ecutiye departments, is tho city proper, tn
other three divisions being comparatively III
improved by handsome residences aud sparsel
populated
THE OVERWHELMING IMPROVEMENTS
of Governor Shepherd covered the whole city
mbraoing the leyelng Of hills, the opening {
Iewels the graGing t;:::a paving of streets, In
laying Of water and gas-ppes. tho planting
trees, the inclosing and decoration of park
Iquares, circles, triangles, spaces and place
tho removal Of rubbish and tho general wor
Of cleansing and fumigaton. The heavy ~
easements for this deluge of improvement
ruined many poor city lot holders, incudin
particularly those on Capitol hill, left hig
and dry by tho tide OF population and inyes
ments moving westward.
Hence, the observer to-day from tho dom
of tho capitol will see that while whole stree
of pretty residences have recently risen o