Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-07-06
CONNECTICUT AVENUE
Mr. ] B. Winner Takes Issue With Prof
Riley's Protest
He Gives Reasons Why He Thinks the
Extension Should Not De in
Straight Line.

| TO SO prominently mention me personally
making me responsible for the fancied
| damage to our Washington Heights, am
constrained to point out some of his in
| accuracies.
| L am not unwilling to take the burden of
| this apparent "monstrosity' for the reason
| that the day is to come when this beautiful
| avenue shall be completed on the plan REQ
| commended by the Commissioners, which
will not only be credit to those who sug-
| gested and adopted it. but 1 will guarantee
| a most acceptable thoroughfare to our en-
tire community, from whom will come, al
| most as unit, nothing but words of praise
Tor such a boulevard as it is to result in.
| Permit me through your paper to point out
| some of the errors fallen into by the pro-
| testor.
In the public hearing referred to 1 was
| very much in the minority, there being ar
rayed against me from one dozen to
| eighteen of our good people, who, as evil
denced by the action Of the Commissioners
| had not studied the situation with that
| care as would have been creditable to them
before so vigorously defending their posi-
| tlon to straight-alignment avenue They
hao put one plea; that was straight ave-
| nue., without reference to conditions then
| existing and to come in the future, no mat
| ter what the extravagant cost to the peo-
pie, none of which came out Of their pock-
| cts; no matter what discontinue, expense
| delay, arassment-nothing but a straight
| avenue would answer the purpose.
| Il maintain that the avenue as adopted by
the commissioners is not in any degree a
| "blemfsh, and can convince any one who
Will take interest enough in the matter to
| go over it with me, with little care and
who may care to be convinced, that 1t must
| result in a most magnificent boulevard in
| terfering with no one and costing that
much less, both out of private purse and
the public Golfers. as to make 1t not only
| JCstlhable, but empEatically the handsomer
OF the two. and unquestionably In strict
| conformity to the law under which the
street extensions are based. which the Com
| missioners have been designated to a GER
| tain point to make provision for the carry
| ing out Of.
| The history of the proposition as to the
extension of Connecticut avenue beyond the
| Boundary and the adoption by the Com
| missioners of what the professor seems
| pleased to term distortion" and which
| appears to him curious and Instructive is
| rer dered In greater degree curious and
| Instructive by the inaccuracies which he
| has permitted himself to record, and which
| my purpose is to correct; in the fact where
| so many readers as the protest has been
brought to the attention of through the
| columns of your paper they should not be
misled by statements based upon evil
| dent lack of thorough familiarity with the
whole situation.
| nues. on Washington Heights, receive the
| col demnation Of the professor on the
ground that they bear no relation to the
general plan Of the city. 1 am not able
upon the extension of Connecticut avenue,
| as these streets are not TO be changed. but
in correction CT this first inaccuracy it
will be seen upon reference to the map that
these streets are termed avenues and are
parallel with Rhode Island avenue In our
city.
The 5o-foot roadway marked on the
plans as Connecticut avenue extended is
published as having no existence in the
surveyors office" The surveyors office
has a recorded subdivision of George
Heights recorded in the Office of the sur
veyor in liber county No. @. at folio a.
The Truesdell plat of this subdivision
| shows this 50-foot extension, do all
other plats subsequent to the recording of
| this subdivision. The statement that this
| avenue originally simply opened up
| by the owners interested without being
| dedicated to the District" is erroneous.
| have read the dedcatory deed to the Dis
| trict, which Mr.. Truesdell took special
pains to have properly prepared that there
might be no question of evidence as to the
ground having been formally dedicated.
In the reference made to the widening of
this 80 feet to the west the protestor mar
rates the fact that two fine houses are on
the corners of Connecticut and Wyoming
and Connecticut and California avenues,
and that they were built under permit
the line of said Connecticut avenue extend
ed. and were not required to be set back
this so feet. This is so; and this same
Connecticut avenue extended is reputed to
be mot opened, but projected" In proof
that 1t was opened it paved and
phalted by the District on the permit sys-
tenn which could not have been done had
the street not been accepted by the au-
thcritieS as every one informed well knows.
The statement that l sold the lots built
upon on permits issued on these corners,
absolutely blocking the widening of the
avenue SO feet on the west, Is also err
rcneous, as the first lots on these corners
were sold to Mrs. Stevens by Col. Truesdell
for her home, Of which knew nothing un-
til the sale was accomplished.
The statement that the act of August q.
1SSS, is imperative in requiring that any
streets and avenues beyond the boundary
shall be in exact alignment with those of
Washington is evidently based upon a
want of careful perusal of the act approved
March 2 1898, providing permanent sys-
tenn of highways cnjoining upon the high
commission" that they keep in view the
intentions and provisions of tie act and the
necessity of harmonizing, as far possible,
the public convenience with economy of ex-
penditure." The general orders printed I'M
der the act of August p, 1883, reads: 1.-THE
existing avenues of the city of Washington
shall be extended as nearly as practicable
in continuation of their direction within
the city, but may be detected beyond the
city limits wherever the Commissioners
deem advisable" These order, emanating
from the District office were printed in
The Star and Post of this city on the 10th
11th and 18th of December, 1855
The subdivision of thePhelps tract referred
to as approved.for me, finally granted Febru-
was approved after most mature considera-
ton on the part of the Commissioners; and
l refer to this as evidence of the fact that
the detected line, which is but slight, with
the donation CT the land for the avenue
made by the owners of the subdivision
Through mel known as Connecticut Avenue
Heights was determined upon as the only
feasible and economical project for the car
rylng out of said avenue.
cannot refrain at this juncture as
Fror Riley has referred to my own home
as in the line of Connecticut avenue. to
revert to the fact that in the elaborate
statement" with which he credits me- /
emphatically expressed the fact that the
saving or my own home entered into my
EFFORTS for the DETECTED avenue as an ele-
ment to be under no conditions considered
1 beg to state here that If the straight
avenue. which I have 80 strenuously op-
posed. had gone through my house 1T would
be largely TO my pecuniary interest. In
this connection II. is well to insert a copdi-
ton not referred to by Prof. Riley, but
frequently mentioned to me by him, that
the avenue carried through on an align
ment with the avenue in the city would
leave his home property on the west line
or connecticut avenue.
The arraignment Of the Commissioners
seems anything but Just when they have
simply carried into effect instructions obl!g-