National Republican., 1881-08-17
WATER AND SEATS.
MORE WANTED IN THE DISTRICT.
Additional Drlnking. Fountains Required-Poiomao
water aud How II Should Flow Through
the City-Parks as Open.Air
Theatres.
To tho Editor OF Tur pyrrptIcAS,

To tho Editor OF TmE REruRLIcASi
a man may walk from the Navy. Yard TO George.
town-hilly five mics-without being able to find
more than three places where he can get draught
ofwater The other sections Of the city are not so
wcll provided for.-7hc Republic
Now, we do not wish TO be funny at tho
expense Of our noighbor or else we might arise to
inquire what the deuce man would want to walk
from the Navy.Yard to Gcorgetown-fully five
miles for, when the street. cars will carry him
very comfortably and quite speedily for five cents.
And again, VIC do not understand why ROmsdel
would want to take more than three drinks OF
watcr-that being the number Of fountains he
states are TO be found on the wagon his pilgrim.
age from the Navy Yard to Georgetown for any
way. And, indeed, we had no idea before this that
RAMsDEfL WAS 80 FoSp
Of jUdBip1 and Cditr-in fact, VIC have labored TN.
der the impression that he took his walks in q
carriage or strcct.cnr aud his water in his bath.
tub. Butthc subjects lotoo near our heart and
too serious to be lightly treated We ourselves
walk n great deal, when we can't ride, and also
drink water, whom we can't get anything else
Aud our mind is made up that there should be
drinking fountains, both for man and beast, in all
the parks and reservations, and also on all of the
thoroughlarcs. Each statue should have foun
tain at It's base and II is absurd, but seriously so,
TO close the circles and Capitol grounds. They
should oil be thoroughfarcs for all people on foot,
aud children should play around the statues Then
they will grow UP to love them, and all will then
pass or gather about them with loving but re.
specGul admiration and familiarity. They will
not then regard them as stone or brazen, as the
case may be-
GHOSTS TO BE LOOKED ON
with awe aud avoided rs Ehnstly reminders Of
a dead aud buried past In fact with the spark
| ling rotomaCs mountain bred. pure, sweet water
| flowing at the feet of tho city, there should be
| 1t
| OF the city-the streets shoIld run with 1t. 1t Is
one Of our pet projects 10 tap the Potomac suf.
ilciently high up TO run canal on the hills back
of the city, so that there may be furnished to the
| city and It's dwcllers and sOjourners an unlimited
| supply of pure, sweet water. Our friend Com
missioner. Major Twinng of the Engineers, says
| 1t would be practicable, but would cost too much
We say, let II cost never so much, II is consum
nation most dcvoutly to be wished and we re-
spectfully call the attention of our worthy Com
missioners and the public generally to the fact
that such canal is needed, and that 1t will be the
cheapest way providing suitable and sufficient
| supply. With such a canal water would flow
freely through
ALL PARTS OF TIE CITY;
the parks, trees grass, animals, aud people-last
not lcast-could use II without stint. The streets
should in summcrnt least, run with it--they should
| be flushed and washed with it-and then Wash.
ington would be unrivacd MS n city TO live In all
the year round; there would be no need TO 60 "a
any other watering. place; II could be kept cool
clean, and comfortable, even in the dog. days. In
addition, the water. power thereby brought into
the city would more than repay the outlay. oui
people have not even yet awakened to the magni-
tude OF the work of properly improving the Capital
of the greatest Nation on the globe. LEnfant,
plan, approved by Washington, adopted by Con.
gress rcgencrated by Shepherd and at length fully
accepted by the people, will make OF this the mos
BEAUTIFUL CITY IN THE WORLD.
Let us ofthis generation do our share ofthis grand
work, and now is the time to provide n water sup
ply for all coming time. Let II be done and wei
done, IAN if 'twerc done when It's DONE 'twerC
well 'twcre done quickly" Now, as TO seats, W,
fully concur with Brother Ramsdcll. They should
be provided in abundance. even If they should
chance TO be filled sometimes by "a man and q
brother" with his dusky wife, sweetheart or child
or by some poor, wandering, dusty, tired tramp
who trudging wcnrily through this worlds inhos-
pimble. dusty, or muddy ways, could thereby oil
thereon find Il little rest and refrcshmcnt that
might turn his heart from the contemplation o
his real or imaginary wronrs aud woes aud pos.
| Sibly save him from crime In his sometimes savage
efforts
TO GIT EVEN WITH
its cold, cruel inequalities Of fortune and oppor
tunity. The one great mystery to me in Guiteau'
appears that he must have frequently sat in beau
tilul Lafayette Park, watching for his victim ant
planning his foul taking.oif surrounded by tn
beauties of nature and art and the evidences Of tn
growth of u Nation of frecmcn, who could not all b
OifCe. holders and who scOrn with the brave hear
of the freeman, to the utmost limits Of detesatio
and horror, cowardly and dcspicable assassination
But one swallow docs not make the summer, an,
one Guiteau cannot fnsify our theory. So We cry
Marc Sputs SpntS for old n nt rich M
for tired people on the thorOughiarcs and TO
idlCrs and health and pleasure seekers In tn
parks; for the lonely bachelor in his cherries
solitude; for lovers in their halcyon days of WOO
ing and cooling; for parents. nurses and children
in brief for tout ic monde. In fact we hope to liv
long enough to see our principal parks become
oPES-AIR THEATRES
and concert saloons. where all the people ca
; nightly assemble and hear sweet music and tax
their refreshments in the pure open air of Heaver
Not that we propose that our venerable Uncle Sar
shall foot all the bills; that would be quite 10
truly utterly utter pGternal. Aud yet we do thin
II would be more becoming to great Governmer
I like ours to pay our Marine Band Il little bette
and require them to play each Intervening in som
Of the public parks and places where people mo-
do congrcgatc, than to compel them to eke out
Scanty living by lending their talent all
skill TO theatre orchestras and privat
gardens and sich While we advoca,
the city providing some seats oh the thorough
fares. there is, we Think an opening fc
some enterprlsing man or company to make n fol
tune or good percentage by providing movabl
seats along the principal thoroughiares, as is don
in Paris for small fee-men with wagons to di:
tribute and take up the seats MS wanted. 1t Is
be hoped that the press of Washington at lea
will take up these propositions, and If they al
not approved in every particular, suggest improve
ments and work for the desired cnd-a Cnpit'
magnificent in all things that are useful and beau
tihl and truly worthy the grandest name on til
pages Of history-Washngton - Captain JOhn
Walker.
l. q Singular Incident.
: The death of Mrs. Millard Fillmor