Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-12-22

1916. taking the place OF others which
had been destroyed by the British
soldiers when they came here and
burned the capital. They came over
the navy yard bridge, entered from that
point, and spread devastation in their
pathway. The neighborhood has OF
late years been settled almost entirely
by employees of the yard who have
erected handsome, neat and comnodi-
Gus houses, mostly OF frame. There are
pretty little flower gardens IN front or
back of almost every house, and occa-
sionally a little patch of garden may be
seen where onions, radishes and pota-
toes are cultivated by the sturdy work
men who toll all day in Uncle Sans
great shops. oiling, trimming, boring,
rihing and mounting hundred ton guns;
and who handle their little spades, hoes
and raxeS for recreation in the evening.
These worknen are mostly religious
and moral people, the major portion Of
them being Methodists and Baptists,
while there are also few Episcopalians
and Roman Catholics. They constitute
separate village, practically, although
they are part of the great city; and
their temperate lives, Industrious eff
forts, steady habits, would make them
desirable in the population of any COM
munity. There are fewer saloons in
this section than anywhere else in
Washington, and nearly all of them are
supported by sailors from men-o'-war
which come to this point, and by the
marines, who are located in the marine
barracks, right in the center of the old
Sixth ward.
The average number now employed
in the navy yard is about two thousand,
and about one million and half dol
lars are disbursed annually to these
people. Not less than million Of those
dollars are spent right here in this city,
and the major portion of it is expended
in the vicinity where it is earned. This
means prosperity, as any business mind
can plainly see. Year by year the num-
Der Of employees will be increased; year
by year the amount of money to be ex-
pended will be augmented; year by year
prosperity will become more notice
able, and ultimately the long neglected
section of the city will become more
beautiful and inviting. More school
houses will be built, more churches
erected and dedicated. The old navy
yard is practically to-day the national
gun foundry. 1t will never again be
used for the construction of vessels.
Tremendous guns will be made with
all modern appliances for effectiveness
and long-distance firing, skilled work
men must always be employed, and
that suburb known as AnacoStia, across
the eastern branch, will blossom as the
rose. Whole squares of ground, which
are up to this day unfenced and left to
I 81
weed and low cactus, will be converted
into homes for the yoemanry who build
up our naval bulwarlzs in times of peace.
There is now before the house a bill
! for the reclamation of the eastern
branch, but it will not become law
| during this congress. The proposition
! is to wall in the lower part of the
stream, near its juncture with the Po-
| tomac, and cover the other portion as a
| great culvert or sewer, thus preventing
/ disastrous overiows in flood times, and
! preventing the continuance of marshy
| unhealthful flats for several miles
/ along the eastern border of the city
Over this culvert is to be built a beauti
full driveway, clear out to Bladens
burgh, and geological garden is to be
| located there. This work will some
day be done, and the nucleus for it is tc
be found in the navy yard. 1t is also il
contemplation to start 4 new navy yarC
| at Alexandria, for the purpose of build
ing warShips, cruisers and other nava
! vessels. This is as it should be. Their,
is where the original navy yard SHOULD
| have been located, and the Inaugural
ton of a new plant there will prove
! beneficial to the entire capital city.
| is the policy of the statesmen of thi
latter day to build up the national cap
ital by concentrating government work
national gun foundry at the old nav,
yard, and a new plant at Alexandria
there would be a business boom at eacl
end of this district which would soo1
become manifest in new homes on al
our hillsides. SMITH D. Fry.