The Baltimore County union., 1882-05-13
WASHINGTON IN 1851 AND IN 1882.

Not quite twcniy-one years ago Con
March :, 1901, two days before the first
Inauguration Of Abraham IncolnJ your
correspondent saw the National Capital
for the first time Then il was city
Of only 6o,ooo inhabitants then with
the exception Of few grand public
buildings Of the Nation, il contained
but Il very few costly, ornate, or impos.
my cdiiiccs OF any description; then but
l single avenue Pennsylvania and only
one or two of the streets of the entire
city were paved. and those in the rudest
manner. with rough cobbleSione then
ihc city was wiihou, single street rail
way, and the only public conveyance
found on her thoroughiarcs was the ON
nihuS; then. when the heavy rains of
spring were falling. ], was no unfrequen,
thing to see wagons and other vehicles
MRrp ALMOST To THE HuBS
in her broad avenues and streets then
through the city much the larger part of
the publ, grounds were wholly unim-
provcd-wcrc i. ,ii;uic Of grass, flower,
shrub, tree, or fountain given up to the
iuvcrilc portion nf the population for
plal-srornd> : then, under the blighting
influence, Of human slavery, business
.angui,hcd. enterprise was in the very
throc, of dissolution dilapidation and
decay wcr,: visible on every hand then
the check %: the patriotic American
citizen ;inglcd with shame when he gazed
upon the National Capital in this little.
mess. ri>;. and decay and conirasied it
!; with the
NA~TNL>S, cRNNDuRE AND MAGNiFICESCE
OF the Nation itself. Now ascend to the
top of the dome Of the Capitol and look
down aad around and behold, spread
OF: before YOU in the beautiful valley of
the Potomac. in dazzling splendor,
magnificent city of ISo, 900 an increase
in population of 200 per cent. in two
decades, with its broad avenues and
streets. 10 its utmost boundaries smooth
ly and substantially paved with concrete
or stone. and with nearly Ioo, 900 trees
skirting their sidewalks, affordng with
their rich and lgxuriani foliage in spring
and summer cool and refreshing shade
Now all the public grounds Cf every de-
,cription Throughout; the city are hand
>omely inclosed. artis,ically laid out, and
beauiificd with lawns. shrubs, trees.
fountains. and with flowers in their sea-
son; now great blocks Of capacious and
splendid dwellings and
iNRDE ANp tLEcANT BUSINESS HOUSES
line her avenues and streets in every d.
rc,iiun. now members of the Cabinet,
Justices OF the Supreme Court. Senators,
AID other high officials OF the Govern
ment own and occupy palatill mansions,
and many. very many. wealthy private
citizens OF the North and West are con-
;iibnilng 10 the growth and magnificencc
o; the city by having erected fine ediiices
for winter residences now the business
Of Washington city i fivc-fold what il
WIS iwcniy-onc wears ago. Since the
war closed more than $40, 900 ,oco have
been expended in grading, paving, and
in other respects improving the streets
and in making surprisingly charming
delightful her public grounds. To-day
the Nations Capital is unquestionably
the most attractive and beautiful city on
this continent. and n the close of the
present ccn;ulry i; will certainly be the
most charming and
LOVELY CITY oF THE EARTH,
with 4 population half million of peo-
pie, 4, it will then be the capital Of the
grlndest nation the world ever saw
This marvellous transformation OF Wash
ingion from the mean city OF twenty
years ago TO the magnificent city Of to-
day is obviously the result OF the remov-
al of the incubus OF human slavery and
the inflow Of Northern and Western men,
bringing with them enterprise, industry,
intelligence. and wealth. And TO the
honor and memory Of the men whose
sagaciiy and public spiri; devised and
whose energies. skill, and nerve accom-
plished. in the face of curses and con-
iumely. the grand system of improve
mcnts Of the streets and public grounds
of the National Capital, grateful peo-
pie will, At no distant period, erect in
one Of her parks monument Of marble.
-HdSbiRcIoH f0JyrstO1.f(a6e 9f tie Re
rabfdd1 Eramr7r,. ef /ryscriTIf, IN.
NEATNEss IN WOMEN.