Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-04-16

FALLS WHERE FULTON TRIED BIS MODEL.
ionable part of the city should grow. 1t
was reaching out towards the beautiful
suburban villa sites along Rock creek
that take SO many wealthy people out that
way The rest of the city filed in after
them very naturally. There are few houses
along the valley. Although the building
sites are the finest any where around Wash
ington and occur at every bend and sweep
of the stream, people seem to have stunned
the borders Of Rock creek because OF the
expense necessary in clearing them OF
heavy timber Towering oak trees three
and four feet through are very common IN
this forest. Sycamore, elms, tulip trees,
red cedars, hickories, black walnuts and
almost every species Of forest growth COM
mon to the temperate zone are to be found.
Few roads cross the valley. During the
war two or three were built at Government
expense in order to effect communication
between forts on the Fenleytown road and
those along near the Fourteenth-street road.
Under President Cleveland's admlnistra-
ton fine road has been made, cutting
across the creek just above, connecting
with Connecticut avenue extended.
The Rock creek valley is the favorite re-
sort of fox hunters. There are here and
there, not far from the city, foxes to be
chased, and out a few lilies .ox hr1tin" is a
very cUiIimon spCft The fashionable fox
hunters in Washington city invariably di-
rect their runs" across the valley towards
country club. The negroes of the
vicinity have always regarded the valley as
good coon hunting ground, and it is now
and then still common to see band Of col
ored folks following their coon dogs through
the woods, lighting up the column with the
fame of their torches.
In some places the creek is very much
like Rocky Mountain stream tumblin g
through its canyons. There are great
masses of powders and rocks, high over
hanging cliffs, and the water comes tum-
bling down hill, white and seething in it's
mad course
At Brightwood is a genuine canyon, one
that translates one 10 Colorado, so charming
is the scenery. 1t only needs the building
of roads along the valley to make it one of
the most delightful pleasure spots in all the
world. It will take several years and a
great deal of money to accomplish this, but
when done Washington and the Nation will
have a park in which all Americans may
take pride. The land along the stream has
been held for many years at high figures
in expectation that, sooner or later, either
by private enterprise or Government out
lay, road would be built which should
bring all this outlying country within the
reach of wealthy people who would prefer
to build their villa sites out Of town and
reach the departments ard the capital on
steam cars, rather than GTe in the city.
The Government pays for the $500 acres
of land taken all the way from 300 to 81, 600
an acre, the entire appropriation for the
land being million and half. It will rot
cost half of this to make park imme-
diately available for pleasure ground by
the building of few good roads. This be-
ing done great deal of the territory ad-
joining the park will be available for build
ing sites for people who want to live out Of
town. The aim is to make this park a rival
if not a superior, of the famous Paramount
Park in Philadelphia, which embraces the
valley of the Wissahickon. NoRD.