The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-05-23
LIVE TOPICS ABOUT TOWN.

The old bIuestone curbing that used to
| be so characteristic of Washington's IN
/ paved streets in the days before the as
/ phalt had reached the city limits. is rap
| idly disappearing a notable piece of
/ biucstoue curling on Fourteenth Street,
! skirting the sidewalk next 10 Franklin
I Park, has been taken out and win be re-
/ placed by granite blocks. cut and trimmed
/ to sharp and regular angle. The great
| charm of the old bluestoRe Curbing was
| its artistic iTregulaTity. hardly two pieces
| in the same block being trimmed to the
same width. and very feT Of them being
| in the same line They tUmbled-and still
do tumble in some of the older parts OF
the City-forward and back from the per
pendicuIar like so many drunken soldiers.
Some were raised q full half Dozen inches
above the level of the others All were
cut as though they had been Clipped with
nothing sharper than a siedge hammer
and were as rough as a pIowed field on
all sides The blocks Of stone that lie on
Fourteenth Street show evidence Of long
! usage They are worn somewhat smooth
on the tops and have been cracked
through in many directions by the blows
| they have received rom passing draTs,
and from the effects of the weather They
are said 70 have been in the ground near
~ fifty years The replacement OF the
blUestone by the granite goes stea Oily
| on The sidewalks in the new residence
portion are practically all curbed with
granite. Gradually all over the city, the
| traces of OLD Washington are being Grad
icated, and this removal of the ancient
curbing is simply typical Of rejuye'la- |
ton going on everywhere.
Sunday IN a big city is not a happy |
day for the messenger boy. Sitting on |
the top of TIE seventh fight of stairs in
a nine-story building, one of them be
tween his Iabored breaths delivered him
self the other day Of his tale of woe: !
! III tell you. messenger work on Sunday |
is pretty tough. It's bad enough on TSeek
days. but on Sunday it makes you tired /
You go trotting around during the week, |
and when you have a letter TO deliver |
on the top floor Of a skyhigh building, you
just jump into the elevator, and up you !
60 plumb to the roof If you want to- But |
Sunday is q holiday for elevator pilots. |
and most Of them don't work an our !
Sunday is not a holiday for messenger |
boys-and when you get a gram for a |
fellow on the 'steenth floor Of the sky |
high building. you've got to leg it Dur |
ing the week yeU don't get any practice !
in climbing stairs, and 1t comes on you |
in q bunch Sundays It makes you KIND
Of stiff on Monday mornings right up and |
down the back Of your legs l WISH /
someone would invent an air bibe-theu /
| We would not have to climb steps at all !
The front doors Of the Postofice build |
| ing have been undressed. For the last |
few days they have looked particularly /
bare The secret Of the alteration, which I
is as complete as that made IL the OK
preston of mans face when he has /
shaved his nic1stache, Is that the massive |
storm doors have been taken away and /
stored in the basement until the advent ]
Of next years Ryintry blasts Insress to !
the building ana egress therefrOm VIII /
hencefurth be mere easy, and there viii /
be no 1OOTs to push where the signs say /
pull and TO pun where the signs say push /
| People in q hurry to get their special de- |
livery letters If for the last mail will TO /
longer be dumfounded and perplexed by /
signs which read. Closed, take other /
door. OF such unacceptable legends Now /
that the storm doors are taken away the /
next move the superintendent OF the
building intends to make is greasing the /
hinges OF the massive oaken portals /
which swing 50 reluctantly upon their /
hinges
Citizens Of Washington who have gone /
through the schools here. and especially /
those who of recent years have attended |
the high schools. viii remember that for
their midday meal on school days they !
usually had the choice between soggy /
sandwiches. cake. OF crackers, which they
brought in a box OF wrapped up in
napkin. and pies OF questionable digesibil-
fty, purchased Of a peTipatetic lunch man |
with a push cart or from bakery across
the street from the school building. The /
purchased lunch could be varied slightly !
by the addition Of pale-blue milk or the /
substitution Of apple cake or i bun for the /
pie. This way Of feeding school children
bids fair to be done away with The
Western High School has a new building,
and consequently q place to put things /
In one corner Of the building Is a fair
sized room. well lighted, well aired, and |
very cheerful This IS a lunchroom, and /
over the floor are scattered many tables. !
all neatly covered with white cloths, and /
set with dainty glasses. and bright silver
ware Comfortable light chairs are set
around them, and the whole place has an
air Of cleanliness and dainty freshness
The greatest marvel of the whole place !
is the cheapness Of the meas served. It
IS stated that the average cost of the /
meals eaten at the Iunchroom Is about
cents. According TO the old system of
buying meals from bakery, the most
modest sort of lunch would cost 10
cents, surprising II TO include an apple
pie and a glass Of milk
The quality and the quantity Of food !
served at TIE Western High School lunch Z
room are both on d par in their marvel
BUSINESS with their cleauness- Hot soups,
hot vegetables, hot meats, can all be had
for moderate sum, and there are also /
dainty desserts Tor those who care TO in |
cur the expense The little lunch room !
is managed with such cIeanness, and is !
equipped in such a hrst-class manner, that
II viii probably always remain as dam !
thy SpOtleSS as it Is now. The surround
ings are such that the pupils DO not mark /
or deface anything nor do they break /
dishes The lunch room enables them to !
get q warm, wholesome meal each dav at !
a low price, and they appreciate the privi- 1
lege. as the enormous number of meals
served over the counter each day shows !
FAVORITE CHINESE VIANDS.