The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-03-22
THE SPRING is NEAR.
AND THE REAL f TATE MARKET
LOOMS UP.
The Usuul Wints 1T Dizziness Giving Way
t, Renewed Activity-Good Prospects
of Busy Season-Features of the
Market.


cies about suburban life which result in more
or less disappointment or misunderstanding on
the part of those who have just entered upon
that kind of life or who contemplate doing so,
That life in the suburbs of great city has
many phases peculiar to it goes without say
ing. That the blessings are mixed with evils
is also true. In making a change from city to
suburban life one should be able to see both
sides of the picture painted in such glowing
colors by the suburban real estate agent. In
its favor should be mentioned the pure air aud
water that one usually fails to find in large
city, and which certainly are found in most of
the many beautiful suburban towns about
Washington Then there is freedom from
conventional restraint which to many is the
chief charm of villa or village life, where
there is no iron rule of society," where loud and
deep laughter and the noise of romping chill
dren can disturb no one, and where each fam
lily makes its own rules for its own govern
ment without consulting the neighbors ON the
same block. The little house garden, with it's
round of fresh and therefore wholesome vegeta-
bles and fruits, cannot be overestimated from
an economical or hygienic standpoint. plat
thoroughly cultivated will supply good-sized
family with the smaller vegetables, such as
cucumbers, lettuce, radishes, peas wax-beans,
ETC., all the season, and at the same time fur
nish healthful and interesting exercise for
some member of the family who would other
wise not take exercise enough. The luxury
of horse, for saddle or family use, could be
easily afforded in the suburbs when it would
ha hnyop ha Of mo in ha
those who have small children the possibility
of having them out of doors without danger of
being run over or kidnapped, or contaminated
by association with the hoodlum element, that
will creep into even the best neighborhoods in
the city, is no slight advantage of suburban
life. The rides to and from the city, morning
and evening, in the comfortable railway
coaches, or in ones own private vehicle, are
periods of rest which come at the hours when
they are most needed; that is, after breakfast,
before beginning the days work, and after the
work is over, and before the evening meal or
supper. Speaking of railway coaches it is
but just to say good word for the Baltimore
and Ohio Railroad, which, while not faultless,
has done much to make suburban travel com
Portable, quick, and convenient.
The foregoing are some but still not all of
the advantages Of suburban Washington life,
and while they considered it should be
borne in mind that the growth of Washington
suburbward is from very recent grating.
Now, for the Inconvenience Of out-of-town
residence we have the great difficulty of get
ting good house servants, crude public or
private school facilities the incompleteness
of the stock of the suburban store and the re-
sulting necessity for carrying packages from
the city. While it is possible to attend theatres,
concerts, and lectures when one lives just out
of town, it is not so convenient as when liv-
ing in the city, and we are apt to save money
and possibly degenerate by staying at home
more than we should What is usually known
in the city as ''society'' is apt to be provincial
in character in the suburbs, and to those who
crave the glitter of reception and bathrooms
there is little to attract beyond Florida avenue.
That there are many who have weighed the
matter fully and decided in favor of the sub
urban life is seen by the phenomenal develop
ment of the settlements along the lines of
railroads leading from the city. The Metro
politan Branch of the b. and o. has been par
ticularly favored in this way. lexington is
the site of numerous handsome residences,
the grounds of which are stretches of smooth
lawns, where but few years ago there were
but Indifferent COW pastures; Brookland,
now known as University, from the location
there of the Catholic University, is rapidly
taking on metropolitan appearance; Takoma
Park, with its air perfumed with the odors of
spruce and pine-trees, which there abound,
and with its springs of water, wonderful in its
sanitary qualities because so pure, has passed
the experimental period and has its future as
sured; Silver Springs, noted as the old home of
the Blairs and the Lees and now also known as
the place of summer residence of Editor Crosby
s. NOyes and Banker William Thompson;
Linden and its neXt-door neighbor, Forest Glen,
with their public hall and summer hotels, and
many pretty, modest homes; Kensington, nee
Knowles, the infant prodigy of suburban de-
yeopment, where the whole town site was
sold in two weeks, where houses are built
three at time, and where that energetic,
public-spirted, and philanthropic Brainard
II. Warner isto build handsome summerresi-
dence for his charming wife and interesting
family; Garrett Park, the creation of Henry
N. Copp, in which now SO many are interested
and where the improvements are made on the
substantial order, and SO on up to Rockville,
referred to in previous letter-all of these
places, and others made beautiful by nature
and useful as breathing spots and home sites
by man-are stretched along this branch OF
the b. q o.. no two alike, no one possessing
all of the advantages, but Offering a variety