Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-07-10
Family Resorts for the Summer.

10 the Editor OF The Evening Star:
Although with such delightful weather as we
are now having there is but little need for
leaving the city, yeta change of air and scenery
all agree is desirable both for health and recre-
alton. There plenty of fashionable resorts
both at the seaside and in the mountains, where
individuals who have plenty of means can 20
during the heated term or for a few weeks,
though at many of them it is really punish
ment rather than pleasure especially to those
who have comfortable homes with good grounds
and plenty Of shade in Washington, with its
broad shaded streets and open spaces Medical
writers agree that decided change is beneficial,
and that while with some the seashore Is best.
with others the mountain air IL best depending
on condition. temperament &c. It is a we'll
established fact that more sickness and deaths.
especially with young children, are caused by
the first extreme hot weather in June than
during midsummer, and that typhoid and SIM
liar fevers are more prevalent among city res
idents during the hot weather Of September
and early fall.
Now what is wanted is place at the salt
water shore and another in the mountains not
less than 500 feet above the sea level. and the
higher the better, where citizens can build cot
tages and lake their families about June and
remain until October.
Such places should be within easy reach on
the line of some railroad, so that man might
take his family there before the hot weather
sets in and SO that he could run out of a Satur-
day and be back at his business Monday morn
ing. and SO that the expense of going and COM
ing would not be too great. 1t seems to me
that such places might be found within two
hours ride by rail from this city, in which case
some would prefer to so out each evening and
return in the morning.
The way to do it would be for lot of citizens
who favor such plan to unite, send out COM
mittee to select the locations and then purchase
a tract of land sufficient for all future needs and
divide the whole or part of it among them
and establish such rules and regulations for the
general good, the exclusion of tramps and bad
characters generally, as the majority might
deem expedient, especial care being taken to
secure good water supply and good drainage
and other sanitary arrangements.
1t seems to me that such plan is not only
feasible but highly desirable and thatsuch places
can be found within reasonable distance. If
the railroads do not now reach them, have
no doubt that arrangements could be made in
short time by which they could be made to
do SO, either by branches from present lines
or the construction of new lines. If it had to
be constructed mainly for such use a narrow
gauge line would answer and be much cheaper
My idea is not TO make it u matter of specula-
ton. but to provide summer homes, a SAM
tariumf Tor families, where all can live in the
simplest ard cheapest manner away from the
heat noise and dust OF the city, and return in
the fall with renewed health and vigor OF
course portion OF the land purchased could
be set aside TO be sold to others and provide a
common fund for making the necessary i'm
proyements.
simply throw out these suggestions in the
hope that others who feel as l do may take
them up and carry them out, and that in a few
years wo may have these two great family
resorts. W. e. d.