The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-07-04
A spot OF BEAUTY.
Birds, and Bowers, and Cotl Fountains-The
Delightful Town of Woodruff Place.

| Rip Van Winkle says Washington Irving's
famous legend of the Catskills, slept twenty
| yea-s-a marvellous nap-and awoke old, rheu
matte and white-bearded to find that himself and
the little village of Falling Waters had both SO
changed that neither recognized the other. In
dianapoiis has been asleep, not as long as that
| joyial idler of the days of the Knickerbockers,
but she certainly has been mapping more than
half the length of time that Rip slumbered, else
she would have made much Of the fact that
within thirty minutes easy walk of the postofice
exists beauty spot of nature, improved by art
at the outlay of a great amount of money--a spot
OF which any other city in America would be
proud. and of which much would be made.
If resident of this city desires to boast of a
beautiful spot of ground in the neghborhood of
Indianapolis he mentions Crown Hill Cemetery
But that is resting place for the dead, not a
dwelling place for the living. If the most beau
tiful spot in Indiana for the homes of men is to
be mentioned, there is no escaping the naming of
Woodruff Place. This fact was yesterday borne
in upon the mind of the reporter, who CHANGED to
visit that suburb Not strictly a suburb, either.
but rather an Emporium in imperio." city
within city; for while Indianapolis is all aroond
it, the '.Town of Woodruff Place" is a corpora
tion in itself, with its board of trustees and its
town marshal The jewellers in this town of
Woodruff Place point with no little exultation
to the fact that they pay but ST. AZ as tax levy
while the unfortunate people of indianapolis
pay nearly So, and live in imminent danger
of the burden being made heavier
The Woodruff Place folks have no
vagrant cattle, no tramps, no English sparrows.
While the reporter was there yesterday there
seemed to be an orntholoecal convention in
progress, and there were robins, thrushes, cat
birds, yellow hammers, Jays, and q dozen or
more other varieties of feathered vocalists tax
ing part in the proceedings held in tops of the
trees of the original forest the beeches, naples,
oaks, elms and poplars which make Woodruff
Place so beautiful Under these magnificent
reaches of shade, and beyond in the sunshine,
are long stretches Of green sward that rest the
eye to look upon. No little grass plats in this
is bestowed upon the wide lawns of
Woodruff Place This place is fifty
feet higher than. Washington street at the
corner of Pennsylvania, and is glorious In its
pure water and pure air. There is no smoke
from soft coal as in the city, no dust from the
noisy, busting streets, no oven-like heat re-
fected from hot walls and walks. There are
water and gas-pipes everywhere, and sewer
pipes already laid. The pavements are of block,
some of macadam: the sidewalks are excellent.
chiefly of brick, though some are of stone. The
statuary and the fountains greatly enhance the
natural beauties of the place. The fountains on
the central drive, from east to west are du
plication of line of fountains in the famous
park of Versailles.
The panic stunned Woodruff Place, but she is
wide awake now and in full possession of her
faculties People are beginning to be interested
in her. On any pleasant afternoon hundreds of
carriages drive through the avenues of the place.
There are one hundred and eighty building lots in
Woodruff Place. The smallest of these arc 80x
ITO feet and 90x170 feet, while a number are
much larger. Thirteen lots have been built
upon, and number of residences are now going
up.
During the past week several sales of lots have
been made, and Woodruff Place will show con-
siderable activity in the building way this fall
West of the place, to forever shut off the dusty
city from that side is the arsenal, with its
spreading and charming park Tha; within five
years Woodruff Place will have all the popula-
ton she desires is without question, and the
town of Woodruff, with its beautiful residences,
its walks, its drives. its fountains, and it's grand
old native forest trees. will be known far and wide
as one of the most charming spots in America.