Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-03-02

mountainous region, stream with more
wild and picturesque banks or a greater
variety in the scenery of the country
through which it passes. Starting at @
street, you Immediately enter a deep
ravine. passing through steep wooded
banks on the one side and bold gray cliffs
on the other, occasionally opening on low
rolling hills, until you reach the Geological
Park. This narrow strip of ground from Q
street to the Zoo has not been acquired by
the government.
The new naval observatory grounds Is
only a few hundred feet west of this pro-
posed park. From the crown of the hill
and the tops of the building a very pleas
ing view is obtained of the city and sur
rounding country.
You pass directly from the Geological
Park into the Rock Creek Park, a tract of
1,606 acres.
In this tract of land Gin most cases not
accessible by roadway is every variety of
landscape: Precipices, rugged and bare or
covered with clinging plants and vines;
woodland, of old and new growth; foliage,
which makes the scene rich with the many
hues of nature, varying from the tender
green Of early spring to the dark ever
greens of the pine and cedar, the white of
the dogwood, the pink of the laurel; the
varied autumn hues Of green, yellow, red
brown, with their hundreds of variations
and combinations, always changing al
ways beautiful. The grounds are so dis
posed that one may see these variations
and splendors of nature to the best effect
The Rock Creek Region.
Rock creek is always the central feature
Here we see it-a long quiet sheet of water
rejecting the many beauties along it's
banks, now ripping over a decline of
small stone. then rushing beside, over and
between boulders, great and small, gray
with the hand Of Time and green from
natures nursery. The many small streams
which enter the park make a never-ending
Notwithstanding, rolling, ripping, as
they do, over and among their rocky beds
Nature has here given us the basis for the
finest park in this country. 1t needs little
many natural beauties.
In the report for 1894 the Commissioners
incorporated in their appropriation bill for
the District an item for IS 900 with which
to secure from some landscape architect a
scheme for laying out this park, but Con-
gress has cut the item from the bill.
Piney branch runs into Rock creek near
the southern boundary of the park. This
is one Of the most picturesque tributaries
full of small waterfalls, enormous boulders,
quiet pools and rushing rapids 1t is pro-
posed, although the ground has not vet
been acquired, to park both sides Of Piney
branch, the whole being $50 feet wide,
making grand boulevard and bride path
from the Rock Creek Park to the Soldiers
Home. The latter is park of 4I5 acres
belonging to the United States soldiers,
but open to the public. The Soldiers Home
has been developed since early in the six
ties, and is we'll known to the travelling
public. The scenery in this park is quite
different from that in the Rock Creek val
ley. Here the rugged and picturesque are
lost, but we have low undulating hills
cultivated in grass and woodland and good
roads, as well as several charming views.
The view from the base of Scott's statue
Will always be remembered with pleasure
by any one who sees it: Over a broad fore
ground of green the city of Washington
stretches out in the distance; the Capitol
on the east, the Washington monument on
what the condition of the sky or atmos-
phere may be. Between them the branch
ing Potomac stretches directly in front
until it disappears in the distance; the
green hills of Virginia on one side and the
District of Columbia and Maryland on the
other. A remarkably effective small view
from the home is the Capitol vista-an
opening through the dense foliage lust
large enough to form a frame around the
dome of the Capitol. How pleasing the
effect is can only be realized by actual
experience. The white dome, the blue sky,
the green foliage, nothing more. The prin-
cipal buildings of the home harmonize and
form "a fitting part of the landscape I
am sorry to say that the other buildings
belonging to the home mar the effect
Eastern Branch Park.
From the home a parked avenue is to
run, 100 feet wide, to a proposed park
along the Eastern branch of the Potomac.
This park will be the least effective, nat
urally. of the whole group. Through this
section the drive will continue to East