Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-07-29

VIZ distance into Mary
land and Virginia
occupy them the year around. The scene
that Is witnessed each day at the railroad
depots is one that is apt to give more
graphic idea of the importance OF the SUD
urban population than mere statsucs.
Long trains thronged with passengers draw
out from the stations and at intervals Tor
twenty miles in some directions from the
city groups Of people are left, who hasten
away to the cool porches Of the houses
which may be seen surrounded with lawns
and half hidden by trees and shrubbery. A
man from the hot streets OF the city Is In
clined to look with envious eyes upon these
suburbanites and their attractive homes.
and instinctively he begins to plan how he
can get one Of these homes for himself. He
notices that the people who seek these cool
retreats in the country look well-to-do and
certainly the many houses have a prosper
Gus appearance A GOOD deal OF arasuc
taste is displayed in the design Of the
houses and in the arrangement Of the
lawns, and there may be seen all the fea-
lures Of the handsome suburban Faces
which are found on the outskirts OF fhila-
deiphia and other large cities.
The large proportion of these suburban
homes lie along the two lines OF me Ball-
is a string of houses bordering the rem.
sylvania road out beyond Bennlng ana
along the Washington and Ohio up through
Virginia There is one feature that AFFORDS
a striking contrast with similar SUBURBAN
retreats which the traveller sees from the
car windows when travelling through other
cities. ana that is the ragged. unkempt APP
psarance of the railroad embanknent and
| the ground in the vicinity of the railroad
stations 1t Is evident that the railroad
companies have given no more attention TO
| the portion of their line which passes
| through those beautiful suburban settle
ments than they DO to that which lies in a
| comparatively wild and unsettled region.
The rough clay banks are not covered with
grass as is the case for miles outside OF
philadelphia, for example. There are A
| few rather attractive station buildings TO
be seen along the Baltimore and Ohio, but
| no care is taken of the ground about these
structures. There is total absence Of the
| stretches Of green lawn and the handsome
beds OF flowers and foliage plants, which
company does not seem to have made any
attempt to make its property along the
| line harmonic with the private improve
ments or attractive to the patrons OF the
road.
In Spite OF the Railroad.
But this is merely a phase of the policy
which the company pursues in regard to
| Its suburban customers The old worn
out cars are good enough for the local
| trains. and these are rendered further IN
comfortable by the binding and sickening
coal smoke nuisance. Instead of reducing
70 the minimum the discomforts and TO
some extent the hardships of daily travel
on a railroad. the company contents itself
| with doing as little It can for the money
| cOTerS. Sllr-
| prising that 30 much has been done in III
| way OF suburban DEVELOPMENT along tie
nne OF the Baltimore and Ohio in the face
| policy pursued by this road
| Inc only explanation of this is that the
CROWN OF the city and the attractiveness
| or the suburbs has drawn the ponuIa ton
| out OF the city in spite of the want OF en-
| couragement from source which is e.
n nan profited Instead of holding back
| ana only doing the things that IL is forced
| TO 90 by an indignant public sentiment, IL
would seem that good business Judgment
. Wouia point 10 the road taking the initia-
| 1--WE In suburban development, and in every
| way possible by the liberal use of money
MAKE the section OF the country through
which the lines pass attractive as far, al
| concerned. 40
AS long as there was no competition the
| road could perhaps remain blind to its own
| interests. but now the situation is said 70
| be rapidly changing. owing to the building
OF electric railroads Naturally now a
OF Takoma prefer to go to their homes by
| the electric cars rather than to endure the
discomforts which are found on the rail-
| road trains.
| For once Purposes.
| The building 1909 H street adjoining the
| Shoreham, is being remodeled by Messrs
Hornblower & Marshall who have leased
| 1t for business purposes. The lower floor
| win be fitted up for use for store, while
| the upper floors are designed for Offices
| The fourth floor will be occupied as an ar
| lists studio
Improving . Church Edifice.
The congregation Of the Fifteenth Street
Presbyterian Church has decided upon a
line Of improvements in the church edifce.
which fronts ON Mcpherson Square between
| / and K streets. The building is to be ex-
| tended back to the rear building line. and
this addition win greatly enlarge the seat
| terror is to be decorated. and altogether the
| improvements win add very materially to
the size of the structure. as well a. to its
| attracuveness
| Identifying Foundry Church.
During the summer some improvements
are being made in the interior Of Foundry
! NJ. e. Church, under the direction Of Mr.
Clarence L. Harding. architect. The or
gan has been moved from gallery to front
for ta arse
| church to get light through seven windows
| which was entirely lost before. The plat
form for the minister is in front Of the
| when not needed. and is entirely hidden
from view. giving many feet OF valuable
some staircase viii lead up to the organ ORGAN
platform and from there to the gallery
making novel and pleasing effect. The
finish for all woodwork will be Of black
| school room and vestibule are being tinted
bum and terra Gotta, and the woodwork
will be repainted to match. The plumbing
| will be improved and moderuized
| Three Fine Houses.
Thee. A. Harding il building three hand
| some houses on 18th northwest near v
street. The front Of one is to be of Indians
buff stone and the other two Hummelstovp
| brown stone. They will be four stories IN
| height, with cellars, and will be supplied
| with all the facilities and luxuries which
are found in houses Of this character Th<
architect is Clarence L. Harding
The Building Inspectors Opinions.
Building operations are as dead as J,,liu,
Caesar" said Building Inspector Entwisl.
to Star reporter this morning. land dur
ing my long connection with the Distric
government I have never known such !
dull July. The financial situation has JUS
knocked the bung out Of the building bust
ness. and every one is complaining Of dui
times. Some days ago heard a prominent
builder venture the opinion that the slumr
In the building operations was entirely nat
| ural and due to the fact that the city wa,
| over-buflt 1 DO not take any stock how
ever, in this statement. 1t is my opinion
| that as soon as the finances Of the country
| are righted we will have a building boon
here that has never been equaled. 1t 4.
preposterous to say that the city is over
built. There is a demand that is constant
ly growing for new houses, and in ever,
section Of the city there is ample opportun
ity to build. The greatest demand, how
ever, Is for small houses-that is, houses o.
two stories, tastefully built and provided
with all modern conveniences. During tn,