Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-06-21
REAL ESTATE GOSSIP.
What q Conduit Road Syndicate Pro.
poses to Do.

1 nat u SOnuulC fNOau SynOlC8Jo fTOs
| poses to Do.
FARMERS WHO HAVE NOW BECOME RETIRED crrr-
| zENs-A RAPID CONSUMPTION OF BRIcKs-FrNE
| RESIDENCES TO BE ERECTED AND OTHER MAT.
| TIERS.
| The syndicate which has been purchasing
land along the Conduit road between the city
and the vicinity of the Chain Bridge now con-
trolls between three and four hundred acres.
Arrangements. it is said, are being made for
developing this property and bringing it into
the market. The recent purchases of these
various tracts of land, which were made
through Barnes & Weaver, real estate brokers,
this city. have attracted good deal Of atten-
ton in that locality, especially when taken in
connection with the improvements made at Glen
Echo and at other points along the Conduit road
| subdivision Of a portion Of this land is to
! De made at once, the owners assert, and a
tract OF 81 acres near the distributing reservoir
Is to be graded and streets opened. The sub
/ DIVISION it has been decided, will be in accord
| ance with the plan of the city. and the streets
will be 80 feet wide. All the streets from r to
W will be opened up on the same lines with
| the streets of the city, The high wooded
landscape in this part Of the country and the
| other picturesque features Of the river scenery
have suggested the not inappropriate name Of
the Palisades Of the Potomac. In order that
utilized, it is the purpose to secure au-
thority to build an electric road from
| this city along the Conduit road.
This road will provide what in the opinion Of
the trustees Of the property, Messrs. Joseph B.
Clark and E. b. Cottrell, well as others is
the great need of this section, namely, easy and
rapid communication with the city. The trus-
tees state that plans are under consideration
for the formation of a stock company to
! manage this property. Among the projects
discussed is the establishment near the Chain
Bridge of an electric plant, the power being
furnished by the fall of the river at Little
Falls. The electric road, as well as electric
lighting for the entire region, can be sup
Piled in this way. 1t seems to be gener-
ally believed that the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad will carry out the plan for
establishing southern connections By building
line across the country from Knowles station,
on the Metropolitan Branch. This projected
line, it is said will the river in the vicinity
of the Chain Bridge and will Join the Richmond
! Terminal road at Fairfax Court House. In the
expectation that this will be the route west of
the river it is stated that a syndicate is en-
gagged IN buying up the land along the pro-
posed line in Virginia. A part of this new
southern link scheme, it is said, is the building
Of a road along the river to Georgetown, so
that the coal from the Cumberland region can
be brought to tide water at Georgetown. The
prospect of these facilities of communication is
giving stimulus to real estate operations in
all that region.
MISS LITcHFIELD's RESIDENCE.
Occupying the apex of the triangular block
of land fronting on Dupont Circle the resi-
dence erected by Mr. Blaine few years ago
gives the impression Of having extensive
grounds in the rear. His back yard. if he
owned the rest of the block extending to 2lst
street, would be quite spacious. This is due
to the fact that the other lots in the block have
never been built upon. The lot adjoining Mr..
Blaine's property has recently been sold and
the new owner intends to erect handsome
residence there. The ground has frontage
of about "a feet on Massachusetts avenue and
extends back an average depth of over 100
feet to street. The purchaser, Miss Grace d.
Litchfeld pail nearly a per square foot for the
property. Owing to the direction of Massa-
chusetts avenue at this point and the wide lawn
at the rear of Mr.. Blaine's house the new resi-
dence will have all the advantages of house
located on a corner lot The frontage is suffi-
clent to allow for side lawns, and altogether the
location Is a superior one.
Plans for a handsome house are now being
prepared by Messrs. HOrnDlower 4 Marshall
architects, who have designed some of the best
houses in the city, and their design for this
residence will probably not be inferior to any,
thing that they have produced in the past
Miss Litchfeld, for whom the house is to be
built, has lived in this city for some time
where her reputation as a writer had preceded
her. She has evidently found society here SO
congenial that she has determined to become
permanent resident.
The lot adjoining the one purchased by Miss
Litchfeld is owned by Mr. S. NJ Bryan. 1t
also has wide frontage. both on Massachusetts
avenue and street. Mr.. Bryan says that it is
his intention to erect handsome house there
for his own use.
BRICKS AND BRICK MAKING.
Nome 10 in ne
city, although the weather has been and con-
tinues to be extremely warm. As rule, rush
work." as it is called is confined to cheap build
ings, where there is not much attention paid to
workmanship or construction. The main thing
to be secured in such cases is that the walls of
the building will continue to stand up after
they have been completed. But it is possible
in large buildings to lay bricks rapidly with
due regard to good construction. This has
been done recently in the construction of two
large business houses, where $4,000 bricks daily
were laid in the walls. 1t required the skillfui
hands of forty bricklayers to accomplish this
result, but it was done in spite of the hot
weather and the constitutional dislike of some
people to hurry.
There is still some complaint about the
scarcity of brick, and the brick makers con-
time to get the high prices with which they
began the season. There is a prospect how
ever, that the supply will soon equal the
demand. and then it may be expected that
prices will become normal again. Several new
brick-making companies have begun opera
lions and they said to be well equipped
with experience, which 1t is claimed is of quite
as much Importance in the brick business rs a
good bank account. One of the new companies
is experimenting with n brick of a new color
for this locality. The clay, which is a gray
color, is found here and is worked with little
red clay, sufficient to give warmth to the
grayish tone to the brick. As Pompeiian
bricks, buff bricks and bricks of other colors
are now becoming popular it seems likely that
the varied architecture of this city will become
still more varied by the use of brick Of different
hues and coiors.
THEY NOW LIVE AT EASE.
The demand for suburban property and the
good prices paid for farm lands in the vicinity
Of the city have wrought great changes not only
in the suburbs but in the circumstances Of the
property owners. The majority of the owners
of farm lands have been people in moderate
circumstances who have succeeded by hard
work in acquiring the property. In order to
make living for themselves and their families
they have been obliged TO work early and late.
But now many of them have parted with their
land and the prices received have been far
In excess OF any amount that they ever
expected to be able to call their
own. This rather sudden accession of wealth
has enabled many of them to realize what they
probably only looked forward to as one of the
possibilities of the future. They have retired
from business and have made ARRANGEMENTS IN