The suburban citizen., 1901-01-05


or Alexander II. Shepherd, that Wash.
ington began to be a beautiful city.
In ten years $25,OOO,OoO had been
spent to make Washington clean and
beautiful.
In the city proper, not counting sub
urban extensions, there are 1O1
streets, aggregating 279 miles in
length, and twenty-one avenues named
after different States. The suburban
extensions, now being rapidly popu
lated, contain more than 500 miles OF
roadway.
North, East and South Capitol streets
and the Mall divide the city into -four
sections, known as northeast, south
east, northwest and southwest. House
numbers are given accordingly. There
are four houses in Washington which
may bear the same street and humber
address, but the distinguishing ~
W." or whatever section is indicated
completes the address.
In Washington the numbered streets
run north and south, the lettered
streets east and west and the system
Of house numbering is the simplest
and most complete of any in the coun
try
General Lafayette visited Washing
ton in 1924, and was entertained for
two weeks.
Browns Indian Queen Hotel, now
the Metropolitan, was one OF the most
noted hostelries in early Washington.
In the early days the President re
ceived salary of $25,OOO. The Vice
President received $1,000. Now the
President gets $4,000, and the Vice
President $4,000.
1t costs about 100000 Il year TO run
the White House, exclusive Of the
Presidents salary.
On August %, 1885, the Washington
branch Of the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad was opened.
Stage coaches continued to run west
ward from Washington as late as 1851
The National Intelligencer was the
first newspaper of importance TO be
established in Washington.
The battle of Bladensburg, August
81, 1914, was the first fought in de-
fence of Washington, ana the only one
in vain.
When the Civil War began Wash
ington vas without defenses. Tive
years later 1t was surrounded by o
chain OF seventy-two forts.
The close Of the war was celebrated
on the night Of April -, 1865, by q
grand illumination of Washington,
which exceeded any demonstration
witnessed in the capital previously.
On Friday night, April il, 1865,
President Lincoln was assassinated at
Ford's Theatre by John Wilkes Booth.
The building stands on Tenth street,
between Il and f, and nearly opposite
. the house in which Lincoln died.
General Early came within a few
miles Of Washington in 1864, but was
driven back by the Sixth Army Corps,
which engagement was witnessed by
President Lincoln at Fort Stevens on
the Seventh street road, five miles
north of the capital.
The northwest quarter Of Washing
ton though built upon what was once
swamp pasture, is the most popular
part OF the city to-day.
1t is 116 miles from Washington to
the mouth of the Potomac, in Chesa'
pcake Bay, and 1S4 miles by water to
the Atlantic Ocean.
The Bureau of Engraving and Print.
ing was begun in 1880 and completed
at a cost OF $307,000 It costs about a
million year to run 1t.
The State, War and Navy Depart.
ments are consolidated in one immense
building, which was begun in 1871. 1t
cost $1O,0000O0.
The Treasury Building was COM
pleted in 1869 at a cost Of SG000000.
1t is the largest department building
devoted to one branch Of the Govern
ment.
The Pension Office, "where the luuu-
guration balls are held" was COM
pleted in 1888 1t is entirely Of brlcl,
and terra Gotta, aud is the only de-
partment building so constructed
The Postoffice Department building
was erected in 1889 and extended in
1855. II cost $4,O00,O00.
John Quincy Adams designed the al
legorical group, "The Genius Of Amer
ica," on the eastern portico Of the Cap
itol.
Tho reclaimed Potomac flats will
add about 1000 acres to the public
parks. The area Will be made into q
national park along the river front.
Mexican cannon furnished the mate
rial for the bronze statue of General
Winfield Scott in the circle which
bears his name.
The Society o. the Army Of the Ten
nessee erected the $4,000 statue Of
General James b. Mcpherson in the
square which bears his name.
The bronze propeller Of his famous
flagship, the Hartford, was cast into
the statue of Admiral Farragut.
Manila is $3.50 miles from the capital.