Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-12-09

Hundred and Fifty Feet Wfde-SuE-
gestions For Structures Along the
The beginning of the twentieth cen
tury will witness the construction Of
a national boulevard which, when
completed. will connect Washington
and Mount Vernon. In 1883 congress
made an appropriation Of $4,000 for
the preliminary survey of the route.
President Cleveland not only signed
the bill, but before its enactment in
terested himself in the measure. Sec
retary Endicott detailed Colonel Peter
9. Hams of the war department to
make the survey, and when the report
was made Secretary Endicott indorsed
it and advocated the passage of other
appropriations to begin the work. The
legislature of Virginia granted char
ter to the Mount Vernon Avenue asso-
citation and soon after transferred to
the association a claim against the
government for $120,o00, with the un-
derstanding that when the money was
collected it should be used in the con-
struction of the boulevard.
The Mount Vernon Avenue associa-
ton recently met in Alexandria and
elected a board Of directors, who re-
solved to resume this work as soon as
the board elects officers, early in 1900
The Washington end of this highway
will be the western entrance to the
capitol building. The line will run
through the Mall, south of the White
House, and near the monument to the
Potomac at the western terminus of
New York avenue. 1t will cross the
Potomac over the proposed memorial
bridge which will unite the capital
with Arlington, the home of Lee. and
now the Arlington National cemetery.
On the Virginia shore the boulevard
will follow the course of the Potomac
to Alexandria and from thence to
Mount Vernon on the exact line over
which Washington Travelled from his
home to Alexandria when he was an
attendant of Christ church in that city,
and in which his high back pew is still
pointed out to tourists. When this
boulevard is completed in accordance
with the proposed plans, 1t will belong
to the nation. The distance Of this
highway. will be II miles, the width
$50 feet. This distance will be sub
divided into as many sections as there
are states and territories. Each Of
these sections will be named for state
or territory, and such state or territory
to be honored Will be asked to contrib
ute to the beauty Of the boulevard in
whatever manner shall be decided upon
by legislative enactment.
Whatever trees or shrubs are plant
ed along any reservation will be taken
from the soil of the state the name of
which is applied to the reservation.
If there shall be monuments or col
umns or arches, as there will be prob
ably in the course of time, they will be
constructed from material taken from
the mines or quarries of states and ter
ritories honored by having sections
named for them. 1t has been suggest
ed that each state shall erect statue
Of its most distinguished citizen. The
traveller over this highway will thus
find in short distance a mute history
Of the United States, giving him in a
short.journey a conception of the scope
of the country which he could obtain
in no other way without time and ex-
pense. 1t will be an avenue of the sto-
ry of the country.
The proposed boulevard will be free
to all. Its general construction will re-
Quire an army of laborers, but its COM
pletion in accordance with what is out
lined can only be accomplished when
there shall be no more history to make.
The possibilities Of the beauty Of such
a highway can scarcely be computed.
Since 1t has become known that the
work is to be pushed suggestions null
tiply daily. One is that monument
shall follow the completion of the bou-
levard proper, in the cornerstone of
which shall be placed the name Of ev-
cry man employed in the highways
construction.
Some Of the suggestions are fanciful,
Of course. That which proposes n pam
theon somewhere along the line in
which shall be gathered the remains of
each president is one. This plan pro-
vides that each succeeding president
shall find sepulture here when his life's
work is done. The suggestion to have
statues of the military and naval he
roes grouped in a temple constructed
upon a field to contain reproductions
of all the appliances of warfare in the
history of the country is being dis
cussed. There have been suggestions
from those favorable to the idea Of ex-
pansion that somewhere along the
route there shall be something-not
yet defined-which will convey to the
mind Of the citizen Of other years the
effort of this government to civilize
and elevate the peoples Of the colonial
possessions.
An enthusiastic member Of the
Mount Vernon Avenue association said
to New York Sun reporter:
Before the close of 1900 the country
will witness the beginning of the ma
tional boulevard. Already we have re-
ceived letters from people in many
states offering to agitate the movement
as soon as we shall indicate what Is
wanted. Capitalists have sent word
they may be relied upon, and the mo-
ment we get fairly under headway the
student, artist, sculptor and artisan of
the United States will come in, for this
highway will be an academy of honor
for the exhibit of their work the like
Of which no nation on earth can ever
hope to surpass or even try to initiate"