Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-09-16
WASHINGTON IN SUMNER TINE.
Some Of Life's Compensations to the
Citizens


Some Of Life's Compensations to the
| Citizens.
To an even greater extent than is
| common in most of the large eastern
cities, is Washington deserted this
summer. No sooner has June been
fairly ushered in than the hegina sets
in. and not until November does the
capital resume its normal social and
executive character. The philoso-
phioally inclined, doomed to remain in
| this Sahara during the heated season,
/ consoles himself with the reflection
that in most cases the exchange of To-
cation means a compression Of the
comforts of home life into the narrow
limits of hotel room. He notes with
no small delight the record of the tenn
| peratures in the more popular summer
retreats, which varies but little from
that OF the city that claims his pres
ence and labors. 1t is true that in
midday the great and broad stretch of
pennsylvania avenue seems one vast
column of shimmering heat, seen
through which the capitol or the mon
/ ument IN the vista assumes such a
shaky appearance as to presage a
speedy and complete collapse: but the
cepting this very heated hour. when
put few are abroad, the temperature
OF washington is as comfortable as
can be found in any of the places of
rest patronized by the citizens.
The protracted extra session of this
year kept the members of congress-
ana the executive of the nation at
their posts through the month of july.
out now senators and representatives.
president and cabinet, those who an
point and those who wish to be an
pointed, have alike left WASHINGTON
behind them. Those, however. remain
who are to carry out the orders left
them by their chiefs, who are to give
the capitol and the White House their
debated spring cleaning.
But Washington is not a dull place
IN summer. What richer musical treat
could be afforded than three concerts
week in the open air by that far
famed organization, the Marine band?
A bathing beach is at the disposal of
the citizens, while various points on
the Potomac river both above and be-
low the city form the ad quem of MANY
Jaunt of any desired duration or dis
lance. 1t is, indeed, from the heights
on which some of these parks are
placed, that one comes to appreciate
the symmetry and proportion of this
seat Of the national government. From
the top of the undulating slope on
which the city is built, one notices the
perfect harmony of the various
features of it's municipal totality. It's
streets and avenues stand out to view
like the veins on a maple leaf, while
the capitol is set FORTH an rctitectu-
raj jewel in beautiful and appropriate
setting. The buildings, both private
and public, seem to possess a unity
such as is totally lacking in New York
and Chicago, where ''sky-scrapers'
stand forth with so much prominence
as to spoil the artistic effect that
grouping of buildings can be made to
possess. Neither is there to be seen
any such compression of buildings or
OF traffic as is noticeable in the neigh
borhood of the Common of Boston.
Business seems to be distributed over a
greater area, while still confined to
certain main streets The general
openness of the city reminds one of
Philadelphia, though Washington is
less diffused than Philadelphia and
possesses fewer unused areas than does
the Getty of Homes"
Some of the resorts in the Immediate
Vicinity of the city possess most at
tractive features. Glen Echo, with it's
undulating and grassy slopes, and Cab
in John, with it's wonderful single-span
bridge (the longest in the world) are
reached by the city street cars. A trip
down the river takes us to the lawns
OF that old Virginia plantation, Mar
shall Hall, or to Mount Vernon of
memory and association sacred to the
patriotic American. For those who
have day at theih disposal, trip to
the gulf and dip in the salt water is
afforded both by rail and by boat. But
an almost constant breeze, supple
mented by an occasional jaunt to some
OF these summer parks makes the
summer resident in Washington con-
tented with his lot.-R. H. Johnson in
lions Herald