The evening times., 1901-05-18
LIVE TOPICS ABOUT TOWN.

" dSbITBFpn IS experiencing, is even more
notable in the suburbs tI1sn it is in the
city proper. There seems to be no end
to the houses that are now being built
even in my little city addition" sad a
commuteT yesterday as he was speeding
out into the green fields of the country
in a street car. Last Sunday / made a
little tour Of the town in which I live. and
was surprised 10 see how wonderfully
active the buiilfHg business is There
are perhaps forty blocks in the place,
and though I die not visit more than half
of them I am confident that there was a
house going up on each one. If I should
be asked to estimate the number OF new
buildings under construction in my vicin-
ity I should not hesitate to say fifty, and
consider it a conservative estimate. be-
came interested III the subject. and ques-
toned some of the men who are employ
ed in the, department with me, and who
live in other suburbs. They ali came
back with the same report, that they
thought in the place where they lived
they could estimate at least one new
house going up this spring in every block
There's no doubt that Washington has
the opportunity to develop more beautiful
suburbs than any other city in the coun-
try The hills and dales, forests and
meadows that surround the Capital City
IN my estimation are unsurpassed And
now that the street car system is sufH-
cientiy extended, the suburban develop
ment will be very rapid People want to
get away from the asphalt-especially in
summer, and they are doing 1t as rapidly
as they can, as you may judge from the
testimony Of this rapid building fever
Within a few months there will be put
into place above the great staircase in the
main building Of Georgetown University
a very notable picture II is q Fra An
geIico. The subject IS The Annuncia-
ton" and the canvas Is remarkable even
for an Angelica" because Of the soft
briIliancy Of the color scheme. The Ma
donna, as are all of the most notable
Madonnas of the period of this master, is
a blonde, and of rare refinement and
beauty of face The picture is now in the
hands os Harold Fletcher, who has had it
for nearly eight years When
it is returned by him it
viii be in as perfect a condition
as possible for painting Of such great
age. 1t was a bequest to the university
from Mrs. Coleman, through Colonel May.
The work is only Of moderate size, being
about % by 20 inches. The spirit of It IS
quite different from that Of the usual An
nunciatiou." The attitude of the Virgin
is not imagined as one OF Iowly humility,
but as one of royal exaltation, resulting
from her being chosen as the earthly
mother of Christ She is shown enthron-
ed in gold chair, amid architectural sur
roundings which suggest palace Of ORR
entail splendor. Her fine silken garments,
tenderly and delicately drawn, are pale
blue silk, showing here and there lining
Of pink. 4 great richueS Is given TO the
composition by q liberal use Of gold ana
yellow, both in the decorations and II the
r0F =
scheme. the blonde hair Of the Madonna
and her seraphic and Child-Iike face, the
picture is most sweetly beautiful
This is one Of the most noted Fra An
geIicos that has ever come to this cOun-
try At New Haven connected with Yale
College, Is a collection OF. pictures exact
OF old masters, IN winch q
of this Is included Anotn-
er notable work along the art line Is being
done at Trinity College The institution !
was donated a large sum OF money oy a
Mrs O'Connor- Of California to be used
in purchasing exact reproductions of great /
pictures by Italian masters Mother Ju- |
ia. superior Of the institution, has already !
obtained eight from the WelI-k1oWn EfZ-
Zaui of Florence. who makes registered /
replicas of the works in the PIttl Palace /
Of such excellence that they are hardly /
to be distinguished from the aged orlSl-
nails
Stewart Castle has disappeared Net I
stone OF the historic old edifice remains
standing. The foundation is filed with /
refuse, and when, IN a few days, that has
been cleared out, there viii be LEFT OF the
notable landmark but the excavation over
which it stood The material OF the build
ug. however, viii remain in the city
The contractor who has been tearing
Iown the structure has been able TO dis
pose Of the old bricks, the doors and win
low frames and the cut stone In fact
nearly everything that was in Stewart
Castle VIII be used over again a num- |
Der of cheap houses are being built IN
southeast Washington, and their walls /
viii be made of the bricks that were once
part of the Dupont Circle mansion.
Their window sills and door siHs viii be
made from those formerly in Stewart 1
castle and the pIastering and Iaths VIII
20 into negro houses on the flats.
One b0otbIack on the streets of Wash
ngton has in him the making Of a man
+ mark He has not yet gone very much
,eyOnd his tenth year, but he is persist
nee itself He has bulldog tenacity, and
grip on his victim that is almost IN
and there are few people who
ver walk to the Pennsylvania Station
Who have not been accosted by him
Shine. sir he says, and shoves out
lis box into the middle of the sidewalk,
o the pedestrian must do some quick
idestepping to keep from stumbling over
t If the passer-by is not willing TO have
lis shoes blacked. the little maneuvTe Of
he artisan in polish delays him suffi-
iently 10 enable the latter TO rise from
lis knees Then begins stern chase,
nd it is usually a long one. With his
OK hanging from strap over his shouI-
er. and his rags flutteTing. the bootbIack !
ol!owS after his quarry, and imp0rtu1eS
I'M in varying moods First he i'm
'ioreS= Amt had a job today boss /
.emnle shine yer shoes"
If this pIaintive appeal does not succeed.
e trys another tack, and attempts to /
ring shame upon the owner of the shoes
Y making dfSparaging remarks about /
hem. All along the way from his Origf- !
al stand down to the next corner. which |
as probably been reached at this STAGE
{ the chase, the boy has been industri- |
uSly brushing. with a large whiSkbroOrn
he last veStfge OF dust or lint from his / =
iCtim s collar. If he does not succeed
shaming his man into submitting to !
lg.
I'm gwine ter foIIer yer right I'D de c
treet. deed 7 am he remarks. stfH using
he whiSkbroou indGstriOusly
Among the men who lOiter around the c
otel near his stand his pursuit of trade
always 4 matter OF interest and many
mall wagers are laid upon the distance
2 Will go before bringing down his game c
Ie has rarely been known to fail when .
2 once has set out to get his job. though ;
g does not accoSt every man he sees / Z
Omeumes he has been known to 20 a :
ozen squares before his victim gave in
CURRENT HUMoR.