Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-10-08
WASHINGTON:S SUBURBS.
TO Reach Them One Passes
Through a Beautiful Country.
Reminders Of the War Constantly Pre-
sent Themselves to View Tho Real
Estate Shark Blossoms just ~
He Does In the West.
Especial washington Letter.

In all the wide, wide world there are
no prettier prospects, no handsomer sit
uations, no more promising and pleas
ing surroundings than greet the eyes of
strangers who visit for the first time
the sacred soil of Virginia from the cir
conference to the center of that grand
old commonwealth.
For the first time in many years I
discarded street cars, steam cars, electric
cars and all devices for speedy transit.
and drove over the hills in buggy,
with a visiting friend, to Falls Church,
ten miles southwest of this city. We
started under a clear sky, with a sum-
mer sun sending his all too generous
rays down upon us in a most earnest
manner; and, as we trayersed the two
miles of concrete pavement between
Newspaper row and the aqueduct
bridge, the original and radiated heat
overcame the cooling endeavors of the
ever-prevailing southern breezes from
the Potomac. But, after crossing the
river and ascending the hills towards
Fort Myer and Arlington cemetery the
journey was delightfully."- invigorating
and enjoyable. On every hand there
were evidences of the future
growth of the city beautiful
upon the site selected by Washing
ton, and planned by L'Enfant. Real
estate dealers have reached out their
enterprising hands and gathered unto
themselves all the land available for
building purposes; all that can possibly
| be available or desirable for the next
| ten years. Hundreds of acres upon the
hills overlooking the Potomac, between
Georgetown and Alexandria, are laid
| off in town lots, and signs are nailed to
the trees giving the names of the deal
ers who have them for sale. One mile
back Of the river the land is for sale by
the acre. One sign says: 'This
beautiful ten-acre villa site for sale at
| 81, 900 per acre." by well known CAPT.
| talist. Another sign declares that ''six-
teen acres, with this beautiful chest
| nut grove included, can be had for $500
per acre." Two miles from the Vir-
| ginia end of the bridge there is tract
| of seven acres lat only 5000 per acre. I"
| From the knoll upon which will some
day stand handsome country home,
the entire capital city can be seen, the
capitol, monument and all public build
| ings appearing in bold relief against
the azure horizon. Parenthetically, let
me say, that the summer home of your
correspondent will probably be erected
there next spring; the land is no longer
for sale.
But the evidences of the centuries of
slavery exist on every side, upon the
hills and in the valleys; for it is a coun-
try beautifully and picturesquely I'M
even. There are log houses, slab
board barns, uncut grass, neglected
timber land and negroes by the myriad,
all of them poor. many of them appar-
emily suffering for food as well as
clothing. The curse of the Almighty
rested upon country which existed in
a paradoxical travesty of slavery in
freedom. The old time slave owners
lived in idleness, but not in ease and
comfort. The terrible calamity of war,
the awful struggle which was we'll
nigh internecinc, swept as a bosom OF
destruction over these beautiful lands
for four long years; and the changed
conditions which resulted almost
paralyzed the hands and intellects OF
the survivors. That they lost heart is
not to be wondered at; for. in the sere