The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1891-10-15
WESTINGHOUSE SUBURBS.
To Reach Them Ono Passes
Through q Beautiful Country.
Reminders 81 the War Constantly Pre-
sent Themselves to Wow - The Real
Estate shark Blossoms Just -
He Does In the West.
Especial Washington letter.

In oil the wide, wide world there are
no prettier prospects, no handsomer sit
nations, 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
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 sum-
mer sun sending his all too generous
rays down upon US in a most earnest
manner; and, as we traversed the two
miles OF concrete pavement between
Newspaper row and the aqueduct
bridge, the original and radiated heat
ovcrcamc the cooling endcavors of the
eyer-prcvailing southern breezcs from
the Potomac. But, after crossing the
river and ascending the hills towards
Fort Mycr 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
enterprising hands AMI 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
81 200 per acre." by a well known capi-
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 a tract
of seven acres lat only 5000 per acre. J"
From the knoll upon which will some
udy SIuuu HaHuSOIuG country HOIIles
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 coun-
try beautifully and picturesquely un-
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 a country which existed in
q 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 bosom of
destruction over these beautiful lands
for four long years; and the changed
conditions which resulted almost
paralyzcd the hands and intcllects of
the survivors. That they lost heart is
not to be wondered at; for. in the sere