Evening star., 1901-10-25
SITE FOR AtMSHOUSE
i-t
Purchase of GRAND in Southeast
Section Of District.
PROVISION ALSO FOR POfTER'S FIELD
D
Price Paid for Rrperty Was Forty
Thousand Dollars.
1eek
VIEWS REGARDING DEAL
VIEWS REGARDING DEAL


The District Commissioners have finally
secured what they consider to be an entire
ly suitable and generally satisfactory site
for the proposed new almshouse and bury
ing ground for the INDECENT dead. Today a
deal was concluded whereby they secured
from II. S. Cummings and A. e. Randle 2,5
acres of land located at the extreme south
eastern part of the District, fronting in
part on the Potomac river and being imme-
diately south of the Alexandria branch IF
the Baltimore and Ohio railroad at Shep-
herds Landing. The site is almost directly
opposite Alexandria. = The price paid for tn,
property is $4,000, the total of the appro-
priations at the disposal of the Commission
ers for the purposes indicated.
Congress at it's last session appropriated
$4,000 for a site for an almshouse and
$4,000 for a site, for a potter's field The
Commissioners decided if possible to secure
tract Of land sufficiently large to permit
of the location of both the institution and
the cemetery thereon. In the land just
purchased they believe they have the
proper location and facilities.
The District Commissioners personally IN
vestigated the site and found it entirely
satisfactory. The District health officer
has stated that the location is a yety
healthy one, and the site has also been ap.
proved by the District board of charities
which will have control of the almshouse
and the burying ground when established.
The fact that deal of this character was
In progress has been known for several
days past, but as there were some addi.
tional details to be settled upon the facts
were not made known until this morning
Surveyors of the District have been al
work on the tract for some time and have
its boundaries pretty well staked out at
present. f &c
For and Against.
There is both objection and approval ex-
pressed regarding the decision of the Com
mssioners. The latter feel, however, that
the points In favor of the locality selected
will outweigh any objections, and that the
site as finally decided upon is to the best
advantages Of the whole District and the
residents generally.
The tract is reached by the Giesboro'
road For freight purposes the Alexandria
branch Of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad
will be convenient A spur of the railroad
extends on to the property itself. 1t is said
that in time a trolley line may run over
the railroad tracks to the almshouse. The
Commissioners are making arrangements
with the ferry company operating between
this city and Alexandria to stop It's boats
at Shepherds landing, Immediately adjon-
ing the tract purchased, as many times
each day may be necessary These boats
will furnish sufficient means for the trans
portation of inmates and for the service
of the officials ana visitors.
Messrs. Cummings and Randle made their
initial proposition to the Commissioners
under date of July g.. when they offered to
sell 24O acres OF land at Shepherds Harding
for municipal purposes. This. proposition
was amended October17 last by Mr. Ran
die. who said that he would add to The 24O
acres already offered fifteen and fraction
acres owned by him in what is known as
Harrisons tract, adjoining the original
lot. Upon making this amendment the
Commissioners forthWt h accepted the prop
osition and will secure title to the 255 and
a fraction acres.dcHy n 81
The Tesokiations.
The District Commissioners have been en-
gagged in considering a site for the aims
house and burying ground for the INDECENT
dead, more or less. since early last sum-
mer. Congress appropriated $4,000 for the
purchase of a site for the almshouse and
$4,000 for the purchase of tract for the
potters field. The Commissioners have
held to the principle from the first that
the best disposition Of the money at their
disposal would be to secure the two sites
together, If it be possible
In response to their advertisement for
proposals they received responses from
about thirty people, offering in the aggre-
gate about forty different sites. The Com
m1ssioners spent several afternoons each
week during almost a month visiting these
places. The land which seemed to them
desirable was too steep In price, whereas
the tracts of sufficient acreage and reason
able price were not rightly situated, accord
ing to their ideas. AS result of these
tours of inspection al, of the bids received
were formally rejected, and 1t was an
Iounced that purchase would be made
through private transaction or through con-
demnation proceedings.
Since the rejection of the bids the Com
miSS1onerS have received a number sof pri-
vate proposals and have heard suggestions
from number of citizens respecting the
SITES The offer of Mr.. Randle seemed to
them to be the most advantageous.
Discussed by Mr.. Mcfarland.
In speaking of the matter today Commits
sioner Macfarland, president of the District
board, said:
Capt. Beach, the Engineer Commission
er, looked after the details Of the negotia-
ton. The Commissioners, in deciding upon
the tract offered by Mr.. Randle and Mr.
Cummings, were moved by the fact that
the area of land offered by these gentle
men was far and above greater than any
OF the other propositions which had been
made to the District board. The tract ex-
ceeded any of the Others in fact. believe,
by about 100 acres. The Commissioners
We're especially desrous of securing a tract
sufficiently large to locate thereon both the
almshouse and the burying ground for the
INDECENT dead. On small tract of land
this would have been impossible, but on the
Randle and Cummings plot the burying
ground may be placed in one of two or
three secluded places.
by securing a tract which embraces the
amount Of land that this one does, the Com
missioners will be enabled to adopt any
style of building plan which may be de-
sired. There are those who have studied
the matter today who declare In favor of
cottage construction for an institution of
this kind. The Commissioners will prob
ably begin, however, with a main building
and then in the future may adopt the cot
tage idea where additions are deemed nee
essary. The Commissioners hope to have
the plans for the instituticn ready for
Congress at its csminE SESSION. The sum
Of $500 has been placed at our disposal
for securing plans
Another reasons which led the Commits
sioners to accept the Cummings and Randle
proposition was that the land embraced
within the tract is not only said to be
very fertile. but t9 a great extent is under
cultivation. Market gardening has been
carried on there tor some years past with
success. In an institption like the aims
house 1t is considered good policy that the
inmates shall haYe some sort of work to
do. and If their faborsg can be SO directed
that they assist II their own maintenance
through truck gardening. why the benefits
are manifest.
An Isolated Property.
saSfill anofher konctSaration which tho