Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-11-08
WASHINGTON'S CLAIMS,
How They Are Summed Up by an Es-
sayist COntending for u Prize.

How They Are Summed Up by an Es-
sayist COntendins for u Prize.
The United States Investor. published
in Boston, has offered a series of prizes
for the best essay respecting any American
city or town, and publishes the following
submitted concerning Washington. d. c.:
Unlike most American cities. Washing
tons history is we'll worth the telling.
From June &c. 1908, when Capt. John Smith,
the founder of Virginia, pronounced its
present location "a COOLEY countrey,'
where the Monocans met in annual pow
WORCESTERSHIRE. executive and court ses-
sions in one-down to the present, when
all nations are represented at this court
of the great republic. this region has been
redolent of the western worlds greatest
names and deeds. Its location and environ
ments are in the first rank; it is Access
sible to great centers of trade and to
many places of recreation the mountains.
from the Whites to the Smokes. and the
ocean resorts, from Maine to Charleston
bay, are within twenty-four hours ride,
while many points are within an evening $
reach. Washington is exceptionally favored
with river and woodland resorts, where
its inhabitants may find quick access to
relief from the citys restraints; some of
these, as Mount Vernon. Arlington and
Glen Echo Chautauqua, are world famous.
4>cl 81 lar SOuln as 10 enerNate, Yet
enough to escape New England fog and
western blizzard, it's climate delightfully."-
surprises the visitor. Formerly, unsur-
faced streets without drainage gave the
city reputation still painfully remem-
bered by those who know not it's present
unrivaled street and sewage systems. Its
plan. Versailles griddled across Phila-
delphia,' is happy combination of right
angles-an open book to strangerS-with
diagonals for short cuts, which give rise
to the saying: "All roads lead to Capitol
Hill" Two hundred and sixty-five miles
of streets. so to 12O feet wide; sixty-fve
miles of avenues, 10 to 160 feet in width,
and 7O0c0 bordering trees, give a street
area twice that of Paris. With greater
proportionate park area than any other
city In the world, it devotes one-fifth of its
are triumphs of the landscape gardeners
art statuary and monuments, and superb
architecture, all uneQualed in America.
The CIeanest City.
Washington is much the cleanest city
of the western world; comparison is most
harmful to it's rivals. Nearly 100 miles of
its streets are so smooth and clean that
crossings are unneeded; no other city Is
so free from the incessant din of traffic
Nowhere else are the Juvenile roller-skater
and the adult cycler able to use the main
highways with safety as here Traction
Is mainly by electricity and cable, the day
Of the slow and uncertain horse is limited
by law and nearly past; no city has better
surface transit. The water supply Is from
the uncontaminated, limpid falls of the Po-
tomac. through a S3.50O.000 aqueduct, eigh-
teen miles long, capable of siX-fold the
present needs.
Until a decade ago business always be-
came dormant when Congress adjourn ed /;
the influx of permanent residents and the
army of government employees have So
grown that ii 10 longer suffers thus more
than its rivals. Manufacturing has not
been encouraged, lest the appearance of
the continents most beautiful city should
be mlrrei thereby.
Unsurpassed facilities for manufactures
exist in the suburbs; the Potomac con-
tains vast water power, and its vicinage
Is specially adapted by contour ana ship
ping facilities, for such development. Be
tween cheap agricultural markets south,
and factories and importers north, Wash
ington affords n delightful home for those
OF moderate means. Rents, taxes, and gen.
eral expenses range below the average: its
markets, in structure and contents, are
unsurpassed.
Many luxuries are free to the favored
Washingtoniars; benefits which annually
draw thousands of visitors from every part
OF the land. The art exhibits of the parks
and department tal collections, of the Capitol
and executive mansion, added to those of
the Corcoran gallery, afford displays I'M
ment libraries contain 100000 volumes. a
richer store than can be found in any other
American city. In scientific bureaus and
museums the government affords education
uneQualed, all branches considered else
where the globe; indeed, the moulding
and broadening value of these to the young
can scarcely be overestimated. For English
speaking scientists and literary men, Wash
ington is equaled by London alone. Its ar
chitectural pre-eminence of itself consti-
tutes a strong claim on public notice.
Washington Society.
In social life Washington acknowledges
no peer in America New York's kncker-
bockers Bostons Puritans, Philadelphia's
Quakers. and the equally aspiring circles
elsewhere, all regard 1t as a social Mecca
No other city attracts 50 large a leisure
class from other states; no other affords
equal advantages to those who depend on
personal achievements FOR a place in the
social swim. The focusing of legislative
and executive elements from the whole
Union: the presence of diplomatic corps
representing all Continents; the large con-
tingent of the army and navy, and the
thousands of sightseers who join in the
official pageantries, all combine to make
the Washington season sui generis" and
unrivaled. Nowhere else can ethnic variety
and beauty better be seen than at the free
weekly White House garden concerts. Such
artistic, literary, scientific and social feat
ures as here enumerated are as truly edu-
cative and luxurious rs are the advGn-
tages and delights of travel; not alone to
the elders is this SO, but to the youth as
we'll The latter are also provided with free
schools, unsurpassed in liberality, scope and
housing. Surely nowhere may the young
be brought in touch with influences
which foster good citizenship as here.
To recapitulate (taking 10 for the mark
of undoubted superiority and seven for
medium excellence we may thus enumer-
ate Washingtons claims on the homeseek-
ing public: Historic surroundings, 10; To-
cation, 8: environment, 9; accessibility, 8;
:. ,,1o Ira in ga
8; water, 10; transit 9: architecture, 10; art,
10: literature 10; science, 10; museums, 20;
business, 8: manufactures, S; living eX-
penses 9: social privileges 10: education,
10; a total average in 20 essentials lover
one half of which are of first rank) of 93.
Can any other city show such an array of
valid claims to popular favor?