The Washington critic., 1886-10-20
"2HE SUBURBAN ORAzE."

A Correspondent who Takes Issue with
the Views of "solid citizen"
EDITOR CRlr1c: A "Solid Citizen" In
yesterdays CRITIc seems to think that the
present interest In suburban property
around Washington is q "crazo," aud bases
his statement on the idea that while there
is unoccupled land In the city, suburban
homes are not needed and will not be
sought after. He also seems to think that
The existence Of suburbs is dependent upon
the character of the occupation OF the near
metropolis as well as upon the den
sity Of population. To certain
extent his idea holls good, but
1t is to be borne In mind that the choice of
suburban homes and the purchase of beau.
tiful country seats demonstrate the cul.
tivated tastes Of the Inhabitants OF city,
which dominate IN such matters much more
than density Of population. In New York,
for instance, there Is much more unoccupied
space than there is In Washington, yet the
people Of New York have long since learned
to appreciate the comfort and enjoyablcuess
Of life in the suburbs; not only In the i'm.
mediate neighborhood, but through New
jersey and up. the Valley OF the Connecti-
cut, and even into the Berkshire Hills. The
people 90 out of the city to live, not because
they are crowded out for want Of room, but
because they prefer 1t: and what is said Of
New York is true of Boston, Philadelphia
and Baltimore.
New York is mentioned in this connec.
tion only because there Is so much of New
York IN Washington now, and the life II
brings with 1t is helping to increase the
present interest IN the beautiful surround
ings Of this beautiful city. Coming from
East or West, Washington is the only city
Of importance that is without suburbs, yet
there is here the accumulated prosperity of
the many parts Of this prosperous country.
1t is invested here by home building
pleasure seeking aud cultivated people.
You say that Washington is nearly cen.
tury old and has not yet developed much
suburban life, but the Washington out OF
which we could reasonably expect suburban
| life to grow is not Yet a quarter OF CEN
| tury old, and there is more ease and luxury
and cultivated taste here than In any other
| city on the continent according to the
| population. This class Of people come
here, not as others 60 to Saratoga to lirt
and fly away, possibly never to return.
| They come to stay, and they do stay gen.
orally quite as long as such people stay in
their city homes anywhere. There seems,
| then, to be nothing untlmely or Abnormal In
| the interest that is at this time SO manifest
! in the surroundings Of Washington.
Speaking from the writer's own knowl-
edge of the country near Washington, par
| ticularly to the north there Is not another
city this side Of the Pacific that offers so
| many natural inducements. The outdoor
season lasts till near Christmas, and fire.
| quently the garden and farm can be profit
ably worked every month in the year. The
air Is always exhilarating, the water re-
markably pure and health.giving, and al.
ready some of the families filling the highest
social positions in Washington In winter
have built up beautiful country seats, aud
stay there till the last hour Of the afternoon
of the last day OF the season.
1t is true that the employees OF the Govern
ment form a large element Of our popula-
tion, but If "Solid Citizen" will 90 out on
any Of the trains leaving Washington about
reach the city at or $3.50 a. M, he will find
that a large proportion OF the Government
employees live out OF Washington, and he
can learn upon inquiry that they have su-
burban homes with grounds attached, from
| quarter OF an acre to 100 acres
This nearly all belongs to the growth
Of much less than the last quarter of cen
tury. At one station on one OF the roads
running out of Washington, where three
years ago scarcely train stopped for pas
sengers, there are now fifteen trains stop.
| ping regularly every day, and their principal
| traffic is carrying Government employees be-
| tween their homes and Offices. This cond-
| ton Of affairs is not yet to be established; 1t
already exists, and is rapidly increasing.
RUsTICU5.
Washington, October 10,