The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-19

A tuCDHOuu paper suggests tudt II Nv"'u
be a good thing for that city to have a so
! ciety whose business il should be TO make
1 the streets and public grounds beautiful
( and adds:
( We have Society for She Preservation Of An
/ Equities; why not suCjety 90 make something
/ that Will be worthy OF Irescraticu.'
This is pertinent question, and one
| which most American cities and towns
would do well to consider. The country
has developed so fast and the people have
been so busy in building up new towns and
/ clearing the wilderness that we have been
in danger Of forgetting that some features
of more primitive DAYS ought TO be pre-
! served. Il is also a matter Of regret that
so many things which have been done will
have to be undone if the cities of the
future are TO be either beautiful or health
full. Too many American towns have
grown up haphazard. without regard 10
the future and the result is a heteroge-
neOus hodge pOdge Of buildings. big and
little. handsome and shabby, and present
ing contrasts altogether too homogeneous
to be pleasing. Washington has eCaped
this 10 a certain extent, since the city
was built up on the plan originally made
1 by a surveyor who was a genius in his
way, but even here there may be seen
some things which could be changed for
the better. A certain section of Pennsyl-
vsnia Avenue looks like the miscellaneous
assortment Of teeth in the mouth of a
person who has not yet decided to get rid
Of the natural ivory and buy a new set.
As for that peculiar Combination Of archi-
tectural styles known as the new city
postoffce It is somewhat painful to think
Of the remarks which posterity will make
on that structure. if the future inhabitants
Of Washington are as enlightened as we
hope that they will be.
It would be a good thing If every city
town, and village in the United States had
a society whose business II was to improve
the public grounds. The idea Of Village
Improvement societies has become popu-
lar in the Nest where new settlements
need to be tended and fostered before they
are either pleasing or comfortable. Some
really remarkable results have been
achieved in the way of planting trees.
erecting public buildings. identifying city
parks. and planting shrubs and flowers. in
communities where the natural resources
and scenery were most unpromising In
such towns the people mean TO leave
behind sthem s'surrething that will be wor-
thy Of preservation
Since ave know that 10 future generations
every little detail which goes to the max
ing Of history viii be interesting. why
should we not take the very small trouble
that would be necessary TO leave as full
a record as possible for their use? It has
been suggested that in the new public Ii
brsry which Washington is 10 have rec
ords Of the city's history might be kept.
and relics associated with its growth pre-
served. Washington. owing TO the unique
nature Of its population. is in some dan
ger OF having its special history lost in
that of the whole people. Comparatively
few Of its citizens spend their whole lives
here. Many are apt to call some other
part Of the country home and insist
that they are here only for few years.
and intend to spend the last years of their
lives somewhere else. Sometimes they do,
and sometimes they remain here until they
die, but there is transitory and fleeting
element in their arrangements In addi-
ton TO this we have large floating popu-
lstion, made up Of Congressman and office |
holders. and all the dependents who come |
and go with them. Of Office seekers. dipIo- |
mats. students. and visitors who are here |
only on some official business and do not |
settle down in homes OF their own at all. |
The history Of the city is so connected |
with people who have drifted of to some |
other part OF The country that it is much |
harder TO keep a record Of il than to write
the story Of Boston. or Philadelphia, or
any other town which from the beginning |
has been the permanent home Of many old |
families. who have become Identified with
Il and have helped 10 shape its life. It Is
all the more important that the chronicle
81 its life should be kept in some system
ltic and effective way.