New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-05-13
THE CITY OF WASHINGTON.
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL IN SPRING.


A GLANCE AT ITS PHYSICAL FEATURES AND SOCIAL
IIFE-sOME FACTS NOT WIDELY KNOWN
r,,po,, THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT or TIE TBIBUSE
WAsHINGToN, May 1.-THE visitor to Washing
ton at this season of the year sees this beautliui
city at its best and those who intend TO Visit IT,
and do not care for the attractions OF congress anu
the crowds it draws with it, cannot come al oe'uer
time. The trees are all IN full leaf and have been
for ten days, cold the spring has BEEN Inc
skies are for the most part, bright and glowing,
and the air is genially warm, with just havor
of GOODNESS to remind one that the summer heat
has not come vet to render it parched and lifeless.
The visitor a this time realizes that the glory OF
Washington is in ITS trees Every street and ave
nue. is lined with them; they shade the parks ana
little triangle, and squares of green which the pc
culiar conformation Of the city places at almost
every street corner. Seen just at this tlme' Wheh
the new foliage is fresh and brilliant, the Whole
CITY seems set in frame of living green. Washing
ton with more than hundred miles OF trees III us
streets-not including those IL the PARKS
surely sets good example TO other American clleS'
so many Of which have allowed their trees TO die
ont aud he crowded ont, until their streets look IKE
tunnels in brown-stone quarries or brck-yards
1t is Fortunate too, in another respect a. city Of
residence. Having no commerce and 10 neayy
traffic in its streets, it maintain the smooth
asphalt paycments that mako carriage-drly-
ing here easier than on well-kept
country road In particular II Is
still far behind the metropolitan standard.
The dctestable brick sidewalks Of the Southern
towns still exist in almost all parts of the city, and
with their bulges and holiows wrench the feet so
badly that it is a common thing for pedestrians TO
take to the streets which are much better adaPfed
for walking than the sidewalks. The squares, cir
oles and other parks alluded TO- are special feature
of the capital. Many are bcautifcd with beds OF
flowers set ont from the Government gardens
and thoroughly cared for They fur
uish delightful outlooks for the houses
grouped about them. and are continual
pleasure to the eye of the passer-by. Many Of the
public buildings are surrounded with slopes of we'll
! tended grass dotted with beds of flowers Snch
| DEPARTMENTS have their own gardeners and the
| flowers and grass receive every care The Treasury
has its conservatory as well as its cash vault, and
| the State Department has roses in their season
One of the prettIest views Ill Washington now is
| halfway down Pcnnsylvanil-ave. Looking
| toward one end there juts out the Gre
! clan portico Of the Treasury, like a gigantic
theatre scene, half across the line of vision. and
! closing in the prospect. AT the other end is the
Capitol. The trees the park, rising from the foot
of the hill to the base of the building at the top,
are massed together by the distance into solid
| bank of green, from which springs the Capitol.
| large and white in the sunshine. The brides and
brIdegroOms whom the Capitol guides usher softly
through the Congressional Library out on the
| balcony, would a beautiful view these days If
| they would only look at it and not at
each other Down below them. running
ont from the Capitol grounds, are
The botanical Gardens, and beyond these
stretch continuous park, crossed with drives III
l,,.., F,,,,, Z l,prN In
mp beyond the Washington Monument. 1t is well
wooded and very pleasant to the eye. some DIS
, tauce up. the Cayl, sandstone towers OF the smith
sonlan rise out OF the trees. Beyond is the Agi1cu-
| tural Department. with its great howcr-beds, soon
to be glowing with every color that grows. Ihrn
comes the tall shaft of the monument, the face
toward you shining white, the other visible in deep
shadow. on to the right lies the
city. The eve can trace long lines
OF trees marking the streets and avenues, and see
TIE Government buildings looming mp here and
there TO the left is the Potomac and on the other
side of it the Virginia hills, with the wcathcrysue
of Fairfax Cont House looking over one OF them,
and farther the let the point where in the days
when the Confederate armies were nearest Wash
| neton men standing az the foot % the Capitol on
a clear day could see the CLINT Of rebel bayonctS.
Washington never will be metropol tan. bur IT -
making faster progress toward beng cos
mop0tan than many realize When Il Is re.ncn-
bcred that 1t Is only twelve year, since a jub &c
was held to celebrate the fac that Pennsylvania
ave. was longer a mut road, but a paved
street. its progress seems wonderful few years
ago diplomats used to complain that ,hrrc wcr' no
foreign books to be b,ught in Washington; now
there is store which does As well for Washington
as Chrstcrn's for New York. Brontano established
himself here last winter, and his place Is already
one of the constitutions of the city. The shops
! are growing out of the old provincial STYLE.
project to be really undcr
way for building new theatre III the
best part Of the city. that shall combine opera
house ballroom, summer garden and CAFE. in the
more metropolitan diversions, Washington is DONG
as well as can be pectc1. There are two clubs
one literary scientific and so on. winch is called th,
Kosnos: the other. the d,fmctycy socIa' club
called the Metropolitan. This last is just finishing
handsome clubhouse. /, viii be seen that Wash
ncton does not provide so many 81
the pastnes for tie young man about
town as great city Ike Newlorh
Iicic pcrhap, he takes to making afternoon calls.
practice which, if per7i tied in, will break down any
intellect.
!, The development Of the new residence portion o.
the city is something needing to be seer
. to be appreciated. 1t is unique Al
5 ter false starts in various directions
some Of them engineered by anxious spcculoro h'
, had big plots of ground 10 sell * the site for
new White House the residence part of the city la
taken a definite direction OF growth along Con
1. nccticut-avc. which follows ob.iqu
line drawn from the White Ilous
! to Washington Heights. This section has beer
rapidly built mp with handsome houses and building
continues steadily. Fortunately the movement be
3 gan within a few yeaIs-aitcr the architect, ha'
t made the surprising discovery that there could b
bright colors in dwelling houses and beauty of form
, | also The houses are mostly of BRICK. Each hCus
Il has it's own style and individuality, stands apar
from neighbour and is surrounded 10y green turf
4 | with pretty beds of flowers here and there. TIT
70 result is broad street after street OF houses
al VARYING, and many of them beautiful