The times., 1901-03-09

! There is n growing sentiment in the
| District and especially among the resi-
dents of Brightwood. that the site OF Old
| Fort Stevens, the only spot within the
| boundaries where a battle was fought
| during the civil war should be made
| national park The Brightwood Citizens
Association is taking an active part in
| the movement. At the meeting of that
association at the Brightwood Hotel last
night, Mr. w. Y. Cox, the Chairman of
| the Historical Committee, made report
of the work of that body, which had been
| instrumental in having a bin providing
! for the establishment of a military park
| introduced in the Senate. The bill, which
was presented by Senator Proctor, calls
! for an appropriation of S75,000. As yet
! there has been no action taken on the biii
! which was referred to the Committee on
Military Affairs.
| Mr.. Cox said that if Congress estab-
| lished a park at Fort Stevens he had as
surance that a number of States would
erect suitable monuments in honor of
! their volunteers who perished in the en-
! gagement of July II and u. 1864. bill
providing for the erection of a monument
J in commemoration of the New York SOL
diers who were killed in the battle has
/ already been introduced in the upper
! house of the New York State Legislature
| The battle at Fort Stevens was an en-
! gagement which resulted I'm a repulse
! from the National Capital of the COnfed-
crate troops under Early by Federal
| forces commanded by Gen. A. Med. Nc
Cook Even to this day many relics Of
the battle are found on the site of Fort
| Stevens. north of the Soldiers Home.
The meeting last night was well at
tended Louis r Shoemaker presided and
| John J. Keene acted as secretary. After
! the usual routine business was trans
| acted and the report of the Historical
Committee, submitted by Mr.. Cox, was
| heard, Mr.. n. E. Robinson, the Chair
man of the Railroad Committee, read
letter which had been transmitted to
| Representative Babcock, the Chairman of
the District Committee in the House. The
letter asked that Congress settle once
/ for all the question of the right Of the
street railroad company to charge more
than a single fare for carrying passen-
gers from the heart of the city TO Bright
| wood and other suburbs.
! Last August it was announced by the
| syndicate lines that double fare would
be charged on the Brightwood line This
/ aroused such a storm of Indignation and
protest on the part of residents of that
section that the syndicate was forced to
abandon the plan. The citizens of Bright
/ wood have always been rather appre-
| hensive regarding the matter, and the
| step taken by the Railroad Committee
/ was made with q view to obtaining 4 final
settlement of the matter The communi-
cation reached the District Committee
! too late to be acted upon during the ses-
| sion of Congress just closed but will
| probably be taken up next December
ha
/ the Committee on Streets. Roads. and
/ Bridges, made the statement that al
though the Brightwood section had not
! received appropriations sufficient for its
needs, there had nevertheless been
enough appropriated to make q consid-
| erable improvement in the streets and
I roads. Ten thousand dollars was appro-
/ priated to macadamize and grade Bias-
! den Avenue Five thousand dollars was
! appropriated TO grade Illinois Avenue. and
| $1,000 was appropriated for the grading
} OF Genesee Street, between Brightwood
( Avenue and Fourteenth Street Road.
In connection with Mr.. BIagdcn's re-
! port, general discussion was INDUCED in,
and the general opinion expressed was
! that the appropriations were insufficient
! for the needs of Brightwood. Mr. Shoe
/ maker read a letter which had been
! sent TO the chairmen of the District
/ property owners in various parts of the
J city. The letter expressed the opinion
that the appropriation of S100,00) recon-
, mended for the improvement of roads
was inadequate.
1t was pointed out that in Brightwood
and other suburban sections OF the Dis
/ trict many of the streets ana roads were
narrow and rough and really IN worse
condition than they were a number Of
( years ago Regret was also expressed
/ that II had been found necessary u
! 4 . n Ia
/ preparation of $4,000 to widen and pave
! Columbia Road 1t was urged that the
/ provision for this appropriation be rein
! stated in the District Appropriation bill
/ The letter had the effect Of increasing
! the appropriation from $4,000 to $4,000
/ BY action Of the House the rec1mmenda-
( ton Of 10000 had been cut TO SGoGGJ
! 1t was the general opinion of the mem
! hers OF the association present that the
/ public Improvements in the District were
not OF such an extensive nature as be-
! fitted the Capital of the United States
/ Wilton J. Lambert introduced the 70 low
/ ing resolution, which partially expressed
! the desire of the association that the
public improvements be carried out on Il
more extensive scale.
Resolved, That the Brghtwood Citizens As
sOci1tIOn hereby expresses its thorough approval
I ot The action OF the Commissioners in obtaining
! from congress the authority 10 receive advances
from the Treasury Of the United States To meet
I the deficiency existing in the treasury uf the
District Of Columbia by reason Of the departure
! Resolved, That many necessary improve
/ meht7, such as municipal building and
I complete sewerage system, still required the
/ Commissioners be requested to urge Congress -
either grant further advances 10 the District or T.
I authorize bond issue 10 meet such present and
/ future public improvements.
The resolution. which was unanimously
. adopted when presented, contained a
/ clause stating that the reclamation of the
Anacostia Flats was a much-needed i'm
/ prOyement.
! 1t was stated by Thomas Blagden that
the citizens Of AnacOStia expected that
. the Anacostia Flats would be improved
through a provision Of the River and Har-
bor bill Consequently il was decided not
/ Flats.
| There is seldom n monthly meeting of
the Brightwoud Association that bitter
complaint is not made OF the service on
the BrghtWoOd Railroad A resolution
I was adopted in this connection last night
{ II stated that whereas the crowded COudi-
tIOn Of tho BrightwOOd ears had become
80 uncomfortable and even dangerous to
the travelling public it was the desire Of
the BrightWOOd Citizens Association to
| call the attention Of the managers OF the
BrightWOOd line to the fact and TO request
! that additional cars be placed on the road
| at once
The bad condition Of many of the roads
! IN the vicinity Of Brightwood. even at the
present time when the weather is fair
! gave rise TO Il resolution which called at
tenliOn to the bad condition Of the rough
! and dangerous cOnaItion of Brightwood
! Avenue south of ErightW0od and of the
| Pincy Branch Road between Brightwood
/ and Mount Pleasant, ana requested the
Commissioners TO order that the holes on
| these thUroughfares be filled with broken
| stone.