The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-05-28
LIVE TOPICS ABOUT TOWN.

The space surrounding the statueless
! pedestal Of the Sherman statue viii prob
ably be transformed before the summer
! Is over, from a rather ugly looking spot
of yellow clay to a pleasing area of grass
and sod The work of grading it and
bringing it to a level has just been com
Eenced- 1t viii not be long before the
entire part which is in view from the
Avenue and Fifteenth Street will be lev
eIed. and then grass will be planted The
part behind the pedestal and over toward
the trees viii have to wait awhile before
it is graded. as it is partially covered by
the studio in which the models for the
statue are being made.
The first crop of hay has been taken
from the White Lot, and though it has
not been weighed yet. it will make prob
ably five or six tons. The removal of
grass is done under the direction of the
Superintendent of Public Buildings and
Grounds. and the product goes to feed the
horses used by his department.. As there
are only two horses, it does not require
much hay to feed them during the year. as
a result of which the ''haying'' of the De-
partment Of Public Buildings ard Grounds
is not energetic. 1t contents itself with
AdN.il+ Que crop from the " ftIIG Lot, ana
as a rule the grass is allowed to grow until
about this time of year before it is cut
During the remainder of The year the big
oval is kept closely cropped, and the grass
taken of is thrown away or otherwise
disposed Of. This amounts, when all taken
together, to a great deal mere than the
first crop. but it goes to waste.
The parks of the city, which are under
the same department as the White Lot,
and are kept with such smooth lawns by
constant moving, also produce a large
amount of hay which finds no use The
officials of the department say that it is
Of no value and not worth collecting,
carrying away, or storing. As there is no
authority to give it away or sell the privi-
Iege OF taking it away, and as probably an
act of Congress would be necessary to
permit such a thing, the hay from the
Washington parks will have to continue TO
be thrown upon the dumps, with the ex-
ception Of the part that the horses be
longing to the Superintendent of Public
Buildings and Grounds can eat.
As the result of removing the Capital
Traction Company's tracks on G Street,
just below the Baltimore and Ohio Sta
ton and OF combining the traffic upon
that line and the Metropolitan Road, upon
the tracks Of the latter, the city viii be
the gamer by one park Workmen are
now engaged in Transforming what used
to be the roadway covered by the Capital
Traction COmpany's tracks into a nice lit
tie enclosure which will eventually be
covered with green grass, and some day
shaded by trees. The Capital Traction
Company's tracks originally occupied the
southern side Of the street, and to accom-
modate them the city many years ago
gave up a strip of broad sidewalk, and
some Of the street. There was still left a
wide parking, but because it was so wide
and before rather small and poor houses
it was always CRASHES, covered with re
fuse. and on the whole unsfghtIy II was
so wide that it was in the way, and the
jewellers in the houses had laid a second
sidewalk that ran right by the steps TO
the doors Of their houses The removal
Of the Traction COmpany's tracks gave
the park authorities the opportunity they
wanted, and they have 50 taken advan-
tage Of it that the approach to the BaIti-
more and Ohio Station will be changed
from something quite unsightIy to some
thing t0ierabIy pleasing.
The parking viii be about 70 feet across
and VIII run the whole length of the block
from Second and Indiana Avenue to First
and New Jersey Avenue. Some trees
that originally stood at the curb before
the alteration was made are now in the
middle of the tract, and they VIII form a
nucleus for whatever shade OF shrubbery
the park authorities may provide.
There will also be little paths running
about the trees, seats for the children to
play around and the weary to rest upon
On the south side Of the park a new. street
has been made, and it IS now being sur
faced with concrete 1t runs close to the
sidewalk the owners Of the dwellings
made and will probably prove a great
convenience TO them /. is called south
Side c Street
At the Soldiers Home end of the little
branch trolley line which connects the
MAN line Of the Brightwood division
with the Government reservation stands
serving as sort of station, the body of
an old-time horse car. 1t is kept in mod
erately good repair, and is wfndDroof
having glass il all it's windows. 1t is
placed Sust under a sort of bluff thar
hides it from the view of people in the
Soldiers Home, and is practically out of
the way Of everybody. Such a secluded.
snug little place cannot help proving a
much fTequented lodging for tramps and
wanderers Of all descriptions. As tramp
caTavaHsary the car station is now doine,
q iand-OfiCe business. Tramps are ''on
the wing making their spring migration
from the South toward the North, and
many Of them land at nightfalI IN the vi
entity Of the Soldiers Home
The place of rest and refuge IS decided
" out Of the main track, and the only
way in which its continued tenancy each
evening by unshaven knights Of the road
can be accounted for, is by The supposi-
ton that they are directed to it by some
sign on the roadside transferable only by
themselves. Nearly every morning the
man who cleans out the car finds bottles,
bread crumbs, and scraps of meat, evil
Gence Of the midnight revelry Of the
r0ad-weary occupants. Sometimes it is
the scene Of dispute, argument, and fight
ing Frequently the sound OF the quar-
reling occupants can be heard by the SOL
diers nearest the western side of the
Home Grounds More than once there
have been blood spots, so it is said to
Indicate that at least hard blows had been
struck and not long ago there was a blood