The Washington critic., 1886-08-30


The quick run down Pennsylvania
avenue is enjoyed, and then you circle
around the Pence Monument and squirt
the edge of the Capitol grounds, now
perfect picture of beauty with its
moved lawn and grand old elms and
oaks and the ivy industriously cover.
ing the low stone wall at the edge of
the pavement. The view from Capt.
tol Hill as the car mounts the summit
In front of the Butler mansion is o
glorious one and one that Is worth go.
ing TO see any time. The city at your
feet, the green forest of the Mall and
the white monument rising from 1t,
with the river and Arlington Heights
as background, completes the pic.
ture.
THROUGH EAST WASHINGTON
The ride to the Navy. Yard will give
you an opportunity to note the Won
derful improvement in East Washing
ton, the work commenced by Governor
Sheperd and now being carried out by
the Engineer Commissioner and the
Parking Commission. There are two
historic houses to be seen on this ride:
The "Old Capitol" as it Is called, is
just beyond Buffers house across the
park, where session of Congress was
held after the British burned the Cap
itol In the war of 1912. The Carroll
Mansion. the Oldest manor house In
the city, Is south of the Avenue, near
New Jersey avenue. Here, In the early
part of this century, lived young Dan
Carroll and his bride, and entertained
In manner that was sufficient to run
through about $4,000 a year. The
CAROLS owned n great deal of land in
this neighborhood, rich harvest fields,
which were staked Off and sold as city
lots. But the proceeds of the sale of
lots came too late to do the owner any
good, and after years of princcly living
he died in want. But the old house is
still there, a mute witness to departed
grandeur
BEYOND THE MAYNARD.
At the navy-yard you take the Ana
costa line westward. Down the hill,
skirting the wall Of the navy-yard with
the lonesome little watch towers
peiched up on top, and across the low
grounds, and you come into the most
sordid part of Washington, "the
ravelled edge of the city's garment"
| Here tre wide, dreary commons, Gov
| cred with rubbish and debris, and little
stagnant pools of water all around.
| Scattered over the commons at inter-
walls are one-story, whitewashed frame
houses. the abodes of the poor people
who live here. This is dreary place;
in the summer the hot sun streams
down over everything, not tree to
shade and the very earth Is baked; in
the winter the cold northwest winds
have a splendid sweep through here
and the flimsily constructed houses Of
fer hardly any shelter from the icy
breath.
A little further on and to the left is
the classic region known as "Buzzard
Point" Here is colony of poor
colored people, the families of men
new buildings and who run sand scows
sight to drop in here about sunset
say down there. The houses turn out
their occupants, and the streets fairly
swarm with colored people of all ages.
from the dirty little rascals playing
in the street and who throw dust on
you as you pass, to white haired old
"mammies" and "uncles." A whole
evening could be put in at this place
studying the characters and scenes here
presented.
SOUTH wAsHINGToN's wHARvEs.
When you get to Seventh street you
change, and while waiting for a car
walk across the street and look at the
river. There is not much traffic now,
except when the two local river steamers
come in with market produce. \ coal
schooner or two, an old canal boat with
several frowsy children playing around
on deck, and up little further half
dozen big ice sChooners Is all the ship
ping to be seen. But six weeks from
now, when the oyster trade begins,
there will be lively times around these
docks. Tied up all along the wharves
and anchored in the river will be hun
dreds of oyster pungies, unloading the
luscious bivalve. Last year there were
45O, 900 bushels Of oysters unloaded at
these wharvcs.
OUT FOURTEENTH STREET.
AS you go up Seventh street south
of the Avenue you reach localities
where the enterprising Hebrew haber
dasher has cast his lot, and north o.
l. street on Seventh are numer
Gus establishments conducted by
merchants of the same industriou
class. You return on Seventh anC
transfer to the Avenue and thence t
the Fourteenth street line. Fourteenth
street is n beautiful one, and when yol
pass around Thomas Circle and loOl
down Massachusetts and Vermont ave
, nues and NJ and Fourteenth street
, both ways you see one of the pretties
, sights in Washington. This spot righ
here, with the elegant Portland Flats
the Highland Terrace and the severa
handsome residences on the corners
| including those of eX-Minister Schencll
= General Joe Wheeler, Mrs. Admira
1 Dahlgren, and the fine stone church
with Lulher's bronze statue, Is littl
gem Of II picture of city elegance an
opulence. In the quick ride out Four
' tcenth street and back to III you catCl
' frequent glimpses of quiet little resi-
3 dence streets, shady and clean, boz
F, dered by cosy homes, branching of i
! different directions. Everything Ia
! an air of well bred independence fror
, business and care.
THE NORTHEAST SECTION
/ When you reach New York avenu
4 on your return you take the Columbi
c Line which carries you out New Yor
c avenue past Mount Vernon Place
> where you get sight of X street an
~ Massachusetts avenue again. The
y down the avenue and out III street fo
: IL straight stretch of probably two miles