Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-12-05
''THE CHARMING CAPITAL,
- NEW Pavement or E'ennsylvanie
Ayenuc-Street Manners i'm washing
Tashiagton Correspon ieacs New York Times.

Washington Core ypon hence New York Times.
WASHINGTON. Dec. 2-The day is perfect
one Overhead the sky is Clear and blue and the
sun shines so fervently that overc0ats are super
huous garments. Under foot are dry pave
ments. except in remote and secluded streets,
where "a fe% patches of snow lnger to tell of the
light storm of Tuesday night. The thrOng OF
promenaders along Pennsy lvania avenue shows
asprinkling OF Congressman, and groups ofthem
areound al the hotels discussing the events Ofthe
recent election with more interest than they APP
pear to have in the troublesome questions of the
tariff, internal revenue. and finance which are
soon to be taken up. The members of Con-
gress. as well as the office-hOlders who come
here 20 live. learn to like the charming capital
for reasons aside from those of political import
ancc. The freedom OF society has it's charm for
Them and the clean. bright aspect of things I'M
presses them fayOraby 1t first and grOwS-apon
them as they become acquainted with men and
with the opportunities for enjoyment i'm the
way OF drives and excursions ObOut the coun-
try 1t is not surprising that the members
from the north and east. who have arrived
to-day, are in particularly good spirits. for
they cane here with chilling stories of snow
storms and cold weather, to find unobstructetl
streets and Gear, bright skies The snow
storm OF Tuesday night covered streets and
Sidewalks with mantle an inch thick but be-
fore noon OH Wednesday the SNOW had melted
from the streets. and the smooth asphaltum
pavements were drying rapidly. To-day there
is scarce yestige of the storm remaining. The
Commissioners OF the District are coming in for
good deal of praise for having begun and
almost finished much-needed Improvement
Since the late adjournment OF Congress in -Au-
gust. This city, which properly beasts of hay
ing the finest street pavcnents. and more of
them. than any other city in the country is
afflicted with the poorest of sidewalks. and a
great many of them Its fifty miles more or
less of streets paved with aspialtum con-
crete are thanked on either side with brick
walks, so rough. uneven, and uncOmfOrt-
able FOR the most part as to cOnstrain
pedestrians to take to the road for comfort ia
Die walking. WaSh:ngtOnians are conscious of
the badness OF their sidewalks and will i'm time
replace the bricks with something more conf
Portable. As 4 beginning. the sidewalk on the
EGTtn side of PENNSYLVANIA avenue. from the
Capitol west to 18th street has been torn
up, the bricks cartcd away to pave walks in
unimprOved parts cfthe city. and a smoth pave
ment of flags or @ranolith or asphatum concrete
laid in place of the old one. The work is not
quite finished, but before tie session about to
begin is month old the fayOrite promenade in
the afternoon will be as pleasant to walk upon as
The street payementS are. 1t would be a good
thing, ti.en. IL the prome3aders could learn how
to use the pavement with the same
regards for the rights and comforts of pedes-
TRANS that is observed in New York and other
pOpulOus places. As il is, the person who tries
to obey the old injunction of keeping to the
right. .'as the law Directs" will find that no
such sensible precaution is taken by anybody
else III yCu walk from the Treasury toward
the Capitol. taking the rirht or outside Of the
walk, you will be jostled without ceremony into
the middle of the walk or cut into the Street by
some one gong IN the opposite direction Try
the inside AID it will presently become very
plain that everybody walks everywhere and
as he or she pcaSes. 1t is apparent that to
large number Of the ladies who walk on
the avenue the shops are q great attraction,
for the windows attract them as if they were
magnets, and they 90 ebOwin@ each other out
OF the way from window to window the length
of the avenue. regardless of the d.scomforts
Of crowding or the danger to frocks or tender
feet