Evening star., 1898-12-17
The Proposition Made to Do Away
With Boundary Street.
CITY and DISTRICT IDENTICAL
Location Of the Proposed New
Municipal Building.
THE MARKET CONDITIONS

The proposition of Commissioner Wight
! to do away with what has been for some
| years a purely imaginary dividing line be-
| tween the city and the suburbs-nameIy
| the obliteration of the present significance
| of Boundary street. will meet with no oppo-
| sition on the part of property holders and
| citizens generally. Some thirty years ago.
| when Thomas Circle was looked upon as
| being so far from the center of the city as
to be out in the country, Boundary street
| could properly be called a dividing line be-
! tween the two sections named
| The three governments which at that time
| managed the affairs of the District have
been superseded by one form of govern
ment over the entire District, so that there
| is now but one police force and but one fire
! service and other municipal functions for
| the area within the bounds of the District.
| In fact, there is no distinction between the
| former sections of the District, except in
| laws, which, it is declared, ought long ago
to have been wiped from the statute books.
| One of the Anomalies.
| If the Commissioners suggestion takes
| the form of law, it will result in recog-
| nzng the progress of the material devel-
| opment Of the city. which has long since
passed the limits fixed when the plan of
the city adopted, moro than one hum
| dred years ago The continued existence
of Boundary street VIII only serve to en-
| phasiZe one of the anomalies Of the city,
with its rapid development in material
way and Its slowness in getting rid of OBJ
| solete laws,
| The building up Of the city beyond the
old bounds has been undoubtedly accel-
| Grated in recent years by the adoption of
| the rapid transit system on street railroads
| and the extension of these roads beyond
Florida avenue. 1t is quite evident that
| this movement is only in its initial stages,
and that the reach of country lying all
! along the borders Of the city has been, and
is being. built up with rows of houses and
| provided with all the municipal improve
| ments
1t is not too much to say that the real
| suburbs Of the city are now practically he
yond the bounds Of the District, and that
| the entire territory within the District
| will be built up in city fashion. Even if
| Boundary street continues to exist as an
imaginary dividing line between the city
| and the suburbs, II will not check the
| growth of the city In the future, any more
| than 1t has IN the past. However, it is
| thought it would be just as well to have
such designation accord with the facts.
Proposed City Building.
The prompt action taken by the Senate
| in passing bill for the erection Of mu-
ncipal building for the District is mat
| ter of congratulation to all those who are
| interested In the welfare of the city and
| who appreciate the pressing needs in this
direction. The Senate bill contemplates
! the removal Of the present court house
| building on judiciary Square and the erec-
| ton of a large structure on the same site,
| but enlarged by the taking in Of additional
| ground from what Is now the park, SO as
| to provide accommodations, not only for
The Offices Of the District government, but
| for the courts of the District.
| In the minds of some it is thought 1t
would be more desirable II there should be
no effort made to bring together the Dis
| trict offices and the city courts in one
| building. 1t is believed by those who hold
! this view that the court house, II used eX-
| clusively for judicial purposes, Is sutflc!ent
| to meet all present requirements, ana II
| that building is to remain a structure
| should be erected for the District offices
| on the vacant space belonging to the gov
ernment on Pennsylvania avenue opposite
| Center market, between 7th and 9th streets.
| Condition of the Market.
| The real estate market, as is usually the
| case at this time of the year, is feeling
| the influence of the inactivity Of the holi-
| day season. 1t seems that people are more
| interested in investing their money in
| Christmas presents than in property, and
| as the purchase of the former usually alb
| serbs the entire time and attention or the
| average man and woman who go into the
| business of making Christmas presents, II
| is not surprising that Investments in realty
| receive but little consideration. However,
| this is a condition which annually recurs,
| and 1t Is expected that after the holiday
| season the normal tone Of the market will
| be regained.
While there is very little actual business,
| still the situation is encouraging, as COM
| pared with that Of the corresponding pc
| riod of last year.
| Some New Buildings.
| Four houses are to be built by Charles E.
Fairman in LIE Droit Park, from plans pre-
| pared by H. A Campbell. architect They
are to be two stories in height, 19x70 feet
with press-brIck fronts and stone porches.
| A row Of six houses is TO pe erected by
| R. E. Middaugh at % to 4S s street north
| west They will be two stories in height,
| bay windows.
| A frame house Is to be erected on Mil
| waukee street, Brookland, by w. s. Dam
iels. 1t will be 30x36 feet.
A two-story frame house is to be erected
| by Gen. H. r. Lochner on the Piney Branch
road. 1t will be 1Sx40 feet.
| The plans and specifications of the pro-
| posed new home for The Evening Star
have been completed by the architects,
Messrs. w. ]. Marsh and w. G. Peter and
VIII at once go into the hands OF bidders
| Ordered by Commissioners.
The following orders have been issued by
the District Commissioners:
That sewer be constructed under the per-
NIT system, on the east side of New Hamp-
shire avenue northwest, between the east
line of 2oth street and the south side Of G
street, at an estimated cost Of $160.
That catch basin be constructed at the
southwest corner of 18th and Dover streets,