Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1899-11-25

enough to his office for all practical
purposes
Look across the Potomac. See The
beautiful hills over there, with cot
tages growing like magic. The electrid
line over the Long bridge carries PEG!
pie to that section. But In anotheH
year the congress win pass q bill mals
Ing an appropriation for @ splendid
bridge across the Potomac, directly
from the end OF New York avenue on
this side of the river. Then our peo-
pie can ride from the treasury to those
heights In Virginia inside of 10 MINI
utes. There the home builders can get
| ground for FIVE cents n square footl
and that property IL better for homes
than the huddIed places within the city
limits. Those heights overlook the en1
tire city, and families living there ear
enjoy the scenery of the city, at night
as well az by day, and they can CONT
to town to church, theater, opera and
other places of devotion or attraction
I quickly, comfortably and conveniently
1 can see no reason why people should
pay big prices for city property when
they can get suburban property so read
bOuoOAS, dEo ycS &c EAoSS~NJ "~~>-s
the city"
These statements clearly outline the
growth of the capital city, for the I'M
mediate future. It might also be said
that there Is an electric line running
along the heights north Of the Poto1
mac, giving beautiful views Of that
river, for distance of ten miles; and
homes In that vicinity win be easy OF
access to the city and always attract
i've. This line runs 70 historic Cabin
John bridge, and the company ~ at
work extending the line to the great
falls of the Potomac, ten miles further
into Maryland. II is all farm land now
and is purchasable at acreage prices.
Projects are already before the con-
gress for the absorption of Alexandria
county, Va, into the District of Column
bia- The people desire readmission TO
u! the district because half of the ex-
penses of the government of the Dis
trict of Columbia are borne by the gen.
, eral government, and consequently all
taxes are lower. This fact alone in
Z duces the people across the river on
the Virginia side to seek the reestab-
/ Ashment of their property as part Of
Q the district. Consequently in the near
II future the original ten miles square OF
e the district viii be established
! Thus the growth of the national cap
IL ital will continue, and contiguous ter
ritory will be settled by home builders
T. and real estate values within our pres
emit boundaries will remain practically
s. at a standstill.
vi Referring to the electric lines which
10 have wrought such changes in condi
tions, it should be said that the line
built and the lines now building are al
y, OF the underground trolley style. No
IN a single overhead trolley is permitte'
o, In this city. It costs considerable
lg money to make the underground con
e. dnits, but they are effective and PEI
u. manent. There were many contest
IN before the congress for several years
We but each succeeding congress deter
w mined that no overhead trolleys shout
DE- mar the beauty of the city; and finall
CHI the congress mandatorily settled tn
N. question by compelling all companie
ry to adopt the underground system
en- Outside of the district, however, th
ng overhead trcIleys are used. One c
81. these lines is being extended to Bait
he more, and the newspapers of that cit
lily are referring to the national capit'
as ga suburb of Baltimore"
tie This reminds one OF the fact thu
Iys for many years large numbers of IL
~ government clerks have lived in Bait
err more, coming here daily on cornmut
ny ton tickets, because they could ps
cir railroad transportation and yet liz
out more cheaply in Baltimore than her
de because rents and other living e
an penses were so much less. These rap
OF transit lines win bring many OF the
d a back to Washington, because they CT
|, to build homes for themselves practical
of within the city, on the heights new
are opened to substantial settlement
ov- SMITH ID. FRY
herI