Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-06-27
Antiquated Sidewalks.

To the Editor of The Evening Star:
Visitors to Washington are often heard
to comment on the excellence of our as
phalted streets as contrasted with the ex-
tent of our old, worn-out brick footwalks.
They are surprised that the who rides
and drives is so well provided for. while
the man and woman who walk must use a
corrugated or undulating surface or else
take to the street with the horses as he
or she often do. Visitors say that no.
where else is seen a procession of pedes-
TRANS avoiding the rough footwalks in
favor of the streets.
To illustrate more particularly, see the
WORKOUT brick footwalks in the territory
bounded by It'll, 18th, F and NJ. Much the
largest proportion of the walks in this ter
ritory, the center of the city. was laid in
and before the days of Alexander R. Shep-
herd We old inhabitants have passed over
these bricks daily for more than a quarter
of d century. We know the appearance of
each hill and hollow. Each worn old brick
is familiar to us. We have seen it grad
ually become thin and the inequalities of
surface become more pronounced.
If our city has a center of population
this territory is included within it And the
north and south streets especially within
TINS territory are more frequented by foot
passengers coming and going to the bust
ness section than any others. Why is it,
then, that such streets as 1th 9th, 11th
12th, 18th and 14th, from F street north
"dIu- are, dS d rule, without a DOCK or
decent sidewalk? One can find more ce-
ment walks in the suburbs than in the
heart of the city. Contrast, for instance
18th street beyond the boundary, with its
broad granite curb and cement footwalks
with the streets mentioned. in the center of
the city, with their rough narrow blue
stone curb and WORKOUT brick footwalks.
No wonder visitors are surprised at the con-
trast.
l was sufficiently interested in this mat
ter to go down to the District building re-
Gently and ask the officials of the proper
department for information as to the prn-
ciple upon which sidewalk improvements
were ordered. In my peregrinations around
the suburbs l had observed whole blocks
OF cement footwalk and broad granite curb
in localities where there was no travel and
sometimes no improvements on the lots.
l was informed that new footwalks were
usually laid on the assessment system, to
the extent of the available appropriations
when asked for by the abutting owners
This let me into the secret of why our old
familiar bricks have been made to do duty
more than quarter of a century on the
most Travelled streets of Washington! THE
AUDITING property-owners have not asked
to have them replaced Can complaisance
and concession to unprogression on the
part of our authorities further go? Can
better method of keeping the heart of the
city unimproyed in this necessity be sug-
gested?
do not understand how the official who
has immediate control of this matter can
walk over these remnants of prehistoric
sidewalks, year after year, while giving out
contracts for improvements in the suburbs
where the footwalks are not used by one
to hundred In the center of the city.
Inc wishes of unprogressive owners
| should not be considered in the least The
| improvements should be ordered on the
| compulsory plan. in the interest of the mass
| of the people who use the sidewalks and
according TO the frequency of such use
The walk over which 10000 persons pass
| daily should be newly paved before the
| walk used by but 1000. w. in.
June 26, 1899.