Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-10-23
THE CAPITAL CITY.
Gath Discourses on fits Advantages as
an Exposition City.

"Gath" writes from Washington to the Bos-
ton Globe as follows:
Having been at Washington during the
Templars parade concurred with the universal
remark that the weather In October was superb
here. So pleased we're the Templars and ell
their followers and admirers with the capital
city, its shade, fine Streets manifold architec-
| ture, &C., that the talk was loud in favor of
demanding the centennial exhibition at this
spot in 1892.
The chief and only objection to Washington
as the point of an international exhibition is
the heat of the summers here. Washington,
however, is not as hot as Baltimore nor much
hotter than Philadelphia. The character of its
climate is such as to give q very enlarged period
to the term Of holding the exhibition. In the
summer months the western and southern peo-
pie would probably furnish the great body of
visitors; in the fall and spring northern and
eastern people would find pleasure in resortipg
here. An exhibition might well open in this
city in the month Of April-say the lat of April,
and hold over until the close of the year.
Millions OF American citizens have never
seen their capital and the addition of vast
exhibition OF the products Of civilization would
stimulate them to come and look at their gov
ernment which many Of them hardly under
stand because they have never seen anything
more of it thanA postage stamp or an internal
revenue stamp on q beer barrel. It was not
until they got to putting western men and
families In control of the Navy department that
the west took any interest in rebuilding the
navy.
A view Of ones capital, especially in youth,
often becomes the pride and boast Of whole
life. / can well remember when first saw
this capital in 1861, just after it had been re-
lieved from the blockade of the southern re-
bellion
Though stayed in this city but day or two
the impression made upon my mind was for
ever inefaceable, so much greater are our
ideas OF our country and government than Of
any local attachment we may have.
We shall never be able to give graft tude
enough to the wonderful men who rescued this
nation from the provincialism and prejudice of
| colonial and early independence days. and
stamped upon 1t as upon coin the great eagle
whose wing alone can sweep the continent in Its
flight.
Washington, when saw it in 1861, could have
been
BOUGHT FOR VERY LITTLE MONEY.
think all the real estate in the city not held
by the government would have been sacrificed
at that time for few million dollars, perhaps no
more money than it afterward cost to build new
| railroad line from Washington to Baltimore
The population could not have been over 40, 900.
1t now is real city, with peculiar character
and mighty popular.
Washington is the only city in the south
clty since the civil war. 1t has more than
double the population of Atlanta, and more
population, think, than New Orleans. The
Federal state is now free to take care Of its
painting city as 1t chooses, public opinion hav-
ing come up in the past fifteen years to
liberal and proper standard upon that issue.
Ihe city Is now amply beautiful and extended
enough to accommodate a worlds fair Hardly
any city in the country can as quickly reverse
itself as this to become a huge hotel in nearly
every one of its parks. since SO many Of the
habitations are owned by those who rent their
rooms and give board
What pity it is that with this population
for a school certain teachers could not be fos-
tered here who would teach everybody how to
cook superbly. Then Washington might re-
form the whole stomach of the land 1t cannot
be said anywhere in the United States, except
at certain hotels and cafes which employ cooks
at very nigh figures, the science of living is
understood in this country. II one were to as
semble all the good things in American cook
ing ne would make very comfortable kitchen
fare. Perhaps the best thing which has been
done here since the war is the introduction of
dairy kitchens as a substitute for whisky
kitchens.
A citizen of Washington remarked to me
While the Tempiars were paradng that the
growth OF the city was a subject of wonder to
nearly every one in it. We have about
TWELVE HUNDRED NEW HOUSES
here, all for sale, none for rent, and yet none
Of the houses built before seem to be vacant.
He asked me to explain where this population
came from which was finally filling up WASH
ington. replied that the city of London, the
largest aggregation in the world, grew Just in
that way, not half so much from commerce as
from social and public inclination.
There are probably 100000 people in Lon
don who do not work, or have a craft, but live
ike those IN Washington from renting their
rooms. occupying small houses and filling
cheap, respectable situations. The civil service
oil the British government gives employment to
great number. The presence of a garrison
and a court provide for many more.
London is vast area OF small houses and
though the city Is the largest the world has
ever known house rent in it is cheaper than al
most anywhere in the world; this is probably
to be accounted for from the nature of the great
burden of the society. In the immediate
vicinity OF the great hotels of London like the
Langham you find streets filed with signs Of
Furnished rooms to let, as you find in the city
OF Washington Great cities do not merely grow
by the assistance Of machine shops, banks.
counting houses and shipping. They are as
sisted in our time nightly by the railroads
which can dash against them like the surface
OF the sea every moment in the day nearly a
million OF outside people. The very vices, if
they may be 80 called which are the normal
habits OF animal population do much to sup
port great city when it has become very great
In huge cities the standard not SO much of
morals as of criticism and OF observation be-
comes more feeble.
Washington is by no means the most virtuous
OF American Cities but it is one of the politest
in the country. The tendency of such cities
can be studied from others which have pre-
coded it, like Paris, Vienna and Edinburgh; it
is toward less rlgdity of discipline and equality
kinder than doctrine equality, plenty OF leisure
time, plenty of intercourse. The intellectual
tone OF Washington is not as high as in many
OF the northern cities but is less mercenary
In Washington wealth has made a compare
lively small impression in spite of its many fine
houses. The ability which resides in the army
and navy, the surveying expeditions. in Con-
gress and in the bureaus prevails ove That self
conceit which wealth would like to assume
Here and there in Washington you find a very
rich man or a very rich widow, who are not
OF the least consequence in spite of their dis
play.
AN IMMENSE ADVANTAGE
has been given to this city by destroying the
suffrage in it. There is not probably decent
man in Washington who ever wants to hear
the sound of an election again in this District
The government tried every kind of govern.
| ment here and found at last that no govern
| ment was the best; the District is regulated as
a ward of Congress by three Commissioners APP
| pointed by the executive; the government hav-
| ing exclusive jurisdiction here, pays its taxes
| upon its own reservations and lots, and thus
| enables the rest of the population to meet their
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