National Republican., 1883-12-26
EAST WASHINGTON IMPROVE
MENTs.
what the People OF That section Think
OF the streets and Railways.


what tho People OF That section Think
OF the Streets and Railways.
"How about East washington's share Of i'm
proyement estimates % asked a REPUBLICAN re.
reporter last Monday OF Col. James A. TAFT
1--WE have been treated better this year than
ever before" replied the colonel.
"Are tho people OF this section satishedr'
ave have been SO long and so continuously
neglected that we cannot be satisfied until we get
our lust proportion Of the improvement funds
was the answer. "sull we don't complain of the
Ssd mp shl In hard or ho%eveP owe Our
mitteo worked zoalously, got together facts and
figures, and sent them in pamphlet form TO the
they would 30 the most good BY our showing the
discrimination against US was so great
edges. Why, theamoInt of money asked
for improvements in the four sections
Of the city in 1889 was for the northwest quarter
s279 500 southwest, s2o,75O; southeast e57l25i !
northeast, $500; total amount appropriated
s555,S75. The estimates OF the commissioners for
1851 amounted TO SS74 732 25 and the sum for the
east end was siI, ,20l25, or but little more than
one.ninth. Taking the amount APP ropriated for
streets, sewers, surveys. permit work, engineers
IL was but one. six teenth. 10 give particular OK
amples OF the way we were treated, take ior ex-
smpeb 0P ebS SeT gyer AZ o of
parallel with Rock creek to the junction Of Flf-
teenth and Boundary streets. II runs through the
a milo there is not n building on
it. II is not main thoroughfare, and over part
Oft vehicle seldom passes. Look at the com.
you will see there have been b252 $40 expended on
this avenue. 1t is no wonder that member of
the real estate pool is said 10 have advised a
citizen OF Capitol hill to invest this street as
safe speculation, and In doing quietly remarked
as is alleged, that they had induced the authorl-
ties to expend large sum there and were going
To get stln more. Then compare this avenue with
Maryland avenue. that runs in northeasterly
direction from tho capitol 10 the Boundary, where
II receives the travel from Bladensburg and the
country beyond, with all that crosses Bennings 8
bridge from the e1s way SSI ntS tSan aS any
other street except Seventh street northwest and
Pennsylvania avenue,
courtesy called gravel, nothing has been done on
Maryland avenue since 1878; tho board of public
works graded y, leaving some Of the houses
perched up in the air from five TO thirty feet;
running property and causing some OF the owners
to lose all they had. What say can be readily
proved by the books at the commissioners office.
We have gone to work mnnfully and determin-
edly, and our success Is assured; due, however,
solely TO the strong logic OF facts. We hope now
to see big boom in real estate In this part. Let
me tell you what our real want has been: To have
all the streets improved in advance. In such case
building improvements. Already big busi-
ness boom has been started, caused by
contemplated improvements. Fix up tho
streets In the nelgnborhood of Lincoln park,
the jail, and in the northeast part, and guaran.
tee that you won't know the place three. years
afterward. This part of the town is the best place
capitalists to buy ground i'll the far east end where
you can get 1t at cents foot, and put up rows OF
OF plain, substantial two-story houses. There
would be no doubt OF getting occupants. One con-
templated improvement Is working well with us.
A paper Is being sent around in the county and
Maryland for signatures which when ready will
be presented to congress asking for bridge over
the Anncostia river On the site Of the old burnt
bridge. The Nalor family have kindly given the
right of way through their estate. The people
over there say there Is need of such structure for
trafic,as the Navy Yard bridge Is too narrow With
its railroad track, to allow, say, wagon laden
with hay and car TO pass each other at the same
time.
"What about the feeling against the commits
sioners entertained by residents in Southeast
Washington, because OF their allowing the Balti-
more and Potomac railway to occupy the streets
with freight cars2" asked the reporter.
well, have heard all kinds of complaints and
bitter ones The people say that they can't talk In
rooms being filled with cinders and smoke Busi-
ness men are losing trade by the obstruction of ]
street with long lines of freight cars at all times
during the day and night three and four squares
in length, which is both nuisance and source
of danger to the community. think the railway
could do no better thing than to buy up the
ground at the mouth of the tunnel, and by Sc
doing have right TO splendid river frontage
where there is good, deep channel. II the COM
pany would make such move now rather than
delay IL until 1t becomes too late to do so grace
fully they will find 1t a saving of money. For the
sums paid for suits at law with costs. damages by
accident, construction of bridges and other Incl
dcntals which are sure to present themselves
would purchase all the ground they need on thai
neighborhood and at the same time go tnr toward
the erection of buildings for their purposes"