Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-04-27
BLAINE'S GREAT MEMORY.
How 1t and His Personal Magnetism Make
Many Friends-His Friendly Interest in
People He Meets-The Inside of Land
Speculation Washington Was Inter-


People He Meets-The Inside of Land
Speculation Washington Was Inter-
ested In.
The son of late Government official,
whose sphere of duty lay in this State,
has been down to Washington late
iy and while there concluded to re-
new the old family acquaintance
with the magnetic man from Maine.
The result of days sojourn was that the
Pittsburger is firmly persuaded that Blaine's
magnetic power over all who know him lies
in the actual friendly interest he takes in
people generally. He noticed that Mr.. Blaine
remembered the names of obscure people
of Washington county. people whom the
Pittsburger had associated with when q
boy, and the magnetic man exhibited
an interest which his visitor is GER
tain was not selfish one, an
interest in people who could by no means
advance his political interests.
1t seems that Mr.. Blaine's knowledge of
Washington is very complete, and he
confded much that was of interest to
his friend. The Father of his Country
was not only first in war, first in peace and
first in the hearts of his countrymen," but
first, in money making schemes. 1t ap-
pears that he was one among the
shrewdest business men this country has
ever produced. George was member of a
great land syndicate that controlled large
part of the real estate about Washington
City, but it seems they made the mistake Of
doing what many speculators have
since done. They, expecting the
city to grow in the opposite direction from
what it has done invested on that side,
which was certainly the most eligible, but
held the property at such high figure that
they drove the city down upon the Potomac
fats.
1t is somewhat curious to note that the
avenues named after the different States to-
day reflect the condition of their namesakes.
AT the time the city was laid out the South
was powerful, prosperous and naughty,
and some of the Northern States,
which have since risen to aff1uence, compara-
lively poor The big syndicate held prices
up until the avenues named after the free
States had absorbed the cash of all who
wanted to invest or live in Washington
and meantime the syndicate's land, which
was plated and its boundaries named after
Southern States, was an elephant on its
owners hands, and sank in price until it
was finally absorbed mainly by poor colored
people. Ii has lately grown Immensely
valuable and few of the able octogenarians
who bought it, and their numerous progeny,
are now reaping the benefit This condi-
tion of affairs is also said to explain why
from the Capitol down in the direction
of Pennsylvania avenue are to be seen SO
many small frame houses in which the
average well-to-do citizen would scorn 10
live, built on lots worth from S25, COO to
$4,000. The owners got them cheap and
have been unable to improve them.
There are many landholders IN and about
this city who are making the same mistake
that the Washington syndicate did. They
are too short-sighted to see that every other
lot in their holdings would be we'll sold at
half price on condition that the buyers
build good houses.