Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-07-19
THE BRIGHTwooD DIFFICULTY.
Mr.. Thomas Makes Some Statements
in Regard to the Park.


in Regard to the Park.
To the Editor of The Evening Star:
1 wish you would correct, through the
columns of your paper, a statement made
in Fridays issue, wherein it is enormously
set forth that ! am assistant postmaster
at Brightwood, a position I never held at
any time. / was sworn a clerk over
four years ago to handle mail, and as such
have attended to anything pertaining to
the office not requiring official attention
and the only interest 1 have in the whole
matter Is that of citizen who does not
want to be robbed of his rights nor see
the majority of the patrons of the Office
robbed of theirs.
l am also credited with being the author
of set of resolutions that l distinctly
said were those of another before l read
them.
l am truly sorry that Mr.. Clayton finds
BrightwoOd so extremely stagnant dull
and unprogressiye, but think he spoke a
little hastily and without much thought,
or he would not have made the statements
he did, which are so easily controverted.
By reference to the minutes of the Bright
wood Avenue Citizens Association and to
about one hundred clippings from your
valuable paper and other papers of Wash
ington, l find that Brightwood was fight
ing. with the help of Takoma Park for
rapid transit, gas, water and other I'M
provements before the first house was
n
measure of success can be seen by trip
to Brightwood over its electric car line
any evening, when the gas is lit. AS for
the school house, which the efforts of the
people of Brightwood Park secured for
us, l find by clipping from your paper
OF March 6. 1882 the following under
Brightwood Notes:
The new public school building at
Brightwood is now approaching compile
ton. 1t will be two-story, four-room
building, with a seating capacity for about
$50 pupils etc.
This. as you see. was about two years
before Brightwood Parks existence was
ever thought of. Let us, then, give credit
where credit is due. which, for the i'm
provements-such as rapid transit, gas,
water, school house, engine house etc
belong to the Brghtwood Avenue Citizens
Association and Takoma Park Citizens
Association. A great deal of credit is due
also TO Mr.. Daniel Ramey. one of the pro-
1ectors of the Park. With one exception,
when the meeting of the association was
packed to accomplish certain things, /
think l am safe to say there never was
half dozen of the Park people present at
any of its meetings
And now, as to the number of houses
built in the two places. AS a citizen of
Brightwood and vicinity for twenty-seven
years / think / can better speak than Mr.
Clayton, who has only been here about
two years. Brightwood Park, of which l
am also resident and property owner.
has not more than seventy-two houses, in
Guiding the stores instead of over hun
dred and with three stores, as claimed by
MIR. Clayton. But, instead of only four
houses being built in what is considered
Brightwood II is easily proven that in ten
years there have been forty built.
And now as to the mud, dust. ETC. in the
Two places. Let us see what the Bright
wood Notes of Saturdays Star says:
letter has been received from the
Commissioners by Mr.. Sands of Flint
street, stating the question of new side
walks for the Park had been submitted to
Capt. Beach for examination and report
IL Is earnestly hoped that the captain will
take early action. A fifteen-mnute drive
through our streets will convince him that
the Improvement is much needed" To this
l say. Amen" Any one may see the clip
pings and minutes referred to by calling
upon me. THEODORE II. THOMAS