Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-02-22
CITIZENS IN OPPOSITION
Congress Heights Association Objects to
Purchase of Wilson Park.
Discussion of Bills for That Purpose
Pending I'm Congress-A Com
mittce Appointed.

The Congress Heights Citizens Associa-
ton met last night in Martins Han, on
Nichols avenue. The president, MIR. c. W.
Frazier, occupied the chair. and all the
other officers were present, as was a large
| number of the members of the association.
The plan recently made public to have the
United States government buy the place
known Wilson Park. Congress Heights,
for an addition to the Government Hospital
for the Insane, to be used for the insane
soldiers and sailors. was discussed. A bill
to this effect and naming s245 900 as the
amount to be paid for Wilson Park by the
government was introduced in the House q
few days ago by Representative Catchings
and was referred to the committee on pub
lie buildings and grounds. A similar amend
ment has been added to the sundry civil APP
preparation bin in the Senate 10y Mr.. Quay.
The citizens expressed vehement oppos-
ton to the bill last night as tending. If
passed by Congress, TO seriously hinder the
growth of their suburbs population and de-
prectate the value OF their property. Mr..
GuStaVe Bender said the measure was one
of the most curious he had ever read i'm
that 1t failed to describe the metcs and
bounds of the property proposed to be pur-
chased, and appropriated an enormous sum
Tor the place popularity known as Wilson
Park. He was opposed to The purchase of
the ground Tor the use OF the insane . ~ iUm.
he said. because of the eXorbitant sum The
! government would have to pay for IT,
Some Of tie Objections,
Messrs. Frazier, Mailer. Gllin. Tucker.
Emmons, Simpson and Bender continued
the discussion at some length, all in oppo-
sitfon to the pun chase, The speakers said
the insane asylum was near enough to their
suburb now and that its proximity had
injured the town already.
Mr.. Tucker said the bill read to him like
somebody was trying to perpetrate a huge
joke on the community President Frazier
offered a resolution recitirg that 1T is IN
wise and ineXpedient for the government
to purchase fer the use of the Government
Hospital for the Insane the land described
as Wilson Park, the said park does
not adJoin the asylum grounds, but * sep
arated therefrom by about two and one
half acres on Nichols avenue and by about
twenty dwelling houses, and, further be-
cause there is ample ground in the origt-
nal insane asylum Enclosure TO erect any
buildings necessary to accommodate three
times as many patients as ara in the in
St1tutlon at present
The resolution also refers to the fact that
the purchase would extend the lines of
the insane asylum to a point within fifty
feet of the public school, where at least
800 children attend daily, and the language
and raViI of patients would tend to de-
moraliZe the school
The resolution was adopted.
A committee was appointed to lay the
protest of the citizens against the purchase
of the park before the Senate and House
committees on public buildings and grounds
tomorrow.
The committee consists of Messrs. Theo-
dOre Diedrch, James Simpson. Y. NJ. Tuck
er David Giiiin and c. w. Frazier. and was
instructed to secure all the facts obtain
able in regard to the price of land in Con-
gress Heights and the limits OF Wilson
Park.
Peace Jubilee.
Mr.. Bender stated he had attended the
meeting Saturday evening last of the eXecu-
tive committee on the Washington peace
jubilee, and he detailed what had been
done at that meeting, reading an account
of the same and the outlines of the pro-
gram from The Star. Mr.. Bender said he
felt safe in saying the jubilee would be
great success.
The committee on the entertainment to
be given by the association made re-
port
discussion over the diphtheria situation
in the county occurred, and il was stated
that the public school will be opened Mon
day next.
The association adjourned to meet again