The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1886-11-17
Washington on the Outside.

"dSfiitlS ION OF Lf10 OulSiO0.
The people of the United States know
but little about Washington, and Of the
sixty millions which we have now in the
country, perhaps fifty millions have
never visited the capital 1t Is the finest
national capital in the world, and trav-
eiers who have gone the rounds of the
I globe say they have never seen anything
I 10 equal 1t. Il now contains 2l0000 in
habitants, and It's citizens spend more
money, proportionately, than those Of
any other city in the United States II
lies in a sort of basin on the Potomac
river, which Is a mile wide where il
flows by it.
Great hills surround this basin. sloping
almost abruptly up from Boundary street.
which bounds the city on the North, and
rising upward from the bank on the 9th
er side of the river. Some of these hills
are wooded, and on many OF them resi-
dences are now being built 1t Is sup
posed that in the near future they viii
be the most fashionable parts OF the cap
ital city.
The capitol i in the exact centre Of
Washington. and all the streets are laid
out at right angles to it The lettered
streets run one way and the numbered
streets another, and the numbering Of
the city Is 80 arranged that You can tell
the exact location of house by its num-
Der and street. All the streets Of Wash
ington are wide and the avenues, which
cross them diagonally, are wider snll-
They are paved with dark asphalt, and
are as smooth a. floor from one end 70
the other. The bicycler viii be interest
these Washington streets, and that they
could ride almost the entire distance
betweed Cleveland and Chicago on pave
ments a. smooth a. - many board with
out going over the same ground twice.
Their ride would take them past elegant
houses, with a. much variety OF srehi-
lecture a. there are varieties of human
brains. II would lead them about the
statues Of the most noted men Of the ma
ton, through parks filled with all kinds
Of tropical plants, and along into the
drives OF great reservations, by public
buildings that are nodded after the
structures Of half dozen different ages
and poeple Of past history. They would
% along streets from 100 TO 100 feet
wide, lined for many miles by green
lawns il front of the houses. For the
government owns the lawns az well n
the streets, and il has a strip of grass on
each side Of it, streets from 10 TO 20 feet
wide, extending through the city, to the
edge Of which the builder may come but
no further. Washington has the great
est area Of streets, IN proportion 10 IT.
size, Of any city in the world ! think
Forty-one per cent Of the area of our
capital city i laid out IL streets. whereas
only twenty-five per cent. OF Paris, twen-
ty-six per cent. of Berlin. and thirty-five
Of Vienna Is devoted TO streets and av-
enues.
There are in Washington city limits
GIL acres. and more than half Of this
i public property. The government res
ervations. which are scattered through
out the city. contain 40s acres. and the
most of these are flied with flowers and
trees. The streets and avenues are lined
with trees and during the last ten wears
there have been more than 10000 shade
trees set out By the commission appoint
ed and paid by Congress for this purpose.
Standing on the hills above Washington
and looking over II, this city now ap-
pears ike a great garden, with houses
I-oking their heads out of the foliage.
Ten years from now il will be 5000
acres Of forest. and the greatest shade
tree city of the world. Trees grow very
rapidly in the Washington soil. They
are well taken care of. and they are
planted about thirty feet apart all over
the city As soon a. the streets are graded
The government puts tree boxes around
them. and if one happens to die II Is at
once replaced by another. These trees
are of all kinds Of shade trees found in
the north and south They have al
ready materially affected the climate Of
Washington city, and it Is cooler now bs
far than it was decade ag5
The parks Of Washington are scattered
throughout the city. and you cannot
walk more than three or four squares
without coming upon green spot filled
with rare old trees and a statue or
I, untain- There are seats in these parks,
and in the flower bed which YOU viii
find in most Of them plants are kept
blooming most Of the time. First there
are the earliest blossoms OF the Spring.
Then a. the year grows Older they arr
taken up - soon a. they cease u bloom,
and Others are planted in their places
An army Of laborers Is required to keep
the parks in order, and continuous i'm
prOvemsnt goes on. Many of these
parks, such a. Franklin, for instance, are
by elegant residences, and as
a rule vacant ground facing upon Gov
eminent reservation viii bring double
the price Of other land in the vacinity.
The capitol park alone contains fifty
one acres Of plateau aad sioping hill
Ii i full of trees Of many kinds, some
Of which are mere bushes and others old
elms which appear to date back 70 Jefier-
sons day The capital faces the east,
and just in front of il l. wide plateau
of green Of several squares which will
lie between II and the new library
this capitol park there are we'll
kept roadways and fine walks Seats
you viii find on your way up to the cap
itjl, and if you 90 at night your way viii
be lighted by electric lamps
Every one knows how the big White
Hnf7sfs looks and not A few will rarueu-