Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-02-02
The Seeing Washington Chr.
e Editor of The Evening Star:

/" the Editor Of The Evening Star:
| wish to congratulate Washington on
having had thrust upon her another west
ern enterprise. L was out IN the beautiful
little mountain city Of Denver not long ago
and had no sooner reached the city than
at least dozen persons said to me- The
first thing you must do is to take ride on
the seeing Denver car" OF course | did
So, and what a grand trip ii was, 1 Will
never forget the sweeping stretches OF
mountain crags and peaks or the views OF
peaceful mountain valleys which were
caught here and there as the car darted
around the city and suburbs. l thought
then, how slow Washington was; how an
enterprise like this would he the very thing
needed for visitors to Washington. When
l returned east and came TO Washington l
found in full operation the seeing Wash
lngton car. At once | made a tour of the
city on this car. The day | went around
there We're about twenty passengers on
board and said to myself. Slow WASH
ington.'
The trip was indescribable. The wealth
of tragedy and romantic information i'm
parted by the lecturer on board the car
would surprise and fasciRate the oldest res
idtnt of Washington. L venture to say that
there is not a representative or United
States senator or cabinet officer familiar
with III per cent ofsthe historical incideats
and personal "reminiscences related by the
Instructor on the seeing Washington car.
In Denver 1 learned that the school emil
dren are sent around on the seeing Denver
car to hear told in an interesting manner
the progress of the city and of the state
of Colorado. What q chance this excursion
system in Wash ngton offers 10 the pupils
Of the public schools! Think how the I'M
aglnations and interest of the boys and
girls would be fired by having pointed out
1to them the very room in which Henry
Clay died. the old church IN which Daniel
Webster worshiped, when he worshiped at
al no hHil nv Was1
ton. the window from which Daniel Web
ster made MS last speech in Washington.
the stable from which Booth hired his
horse the night he asSaSsinated LancOlnl
How these places would cast a charm upon
the dry pages of history and what chan
nels of thought they would cause to open
to the minds of the boys and girls of Wash
ington.
| also heard in Denver that the ministers
ride on these cars frequently and gather
much inspiration for their Sunday sermons
from the observations they make of the
manners and habits and department of the
persons on the car, who come from every
section of the country. and even of the
world. The day | went around on the see
ing Washington car 1 learned from a gem
tIeman board that the passengers were
from seven different states and three for
eign countries. Think what a rare oppDr-
tunity this would have been for a Wash
ington clergyman to CLEAN incidents and
fresh thoughts to brighten his Sunday dis
course.
from the car, apart from the intense his
torical interest conferred around George
town (Which was fully elaborated by the
instructor on the carr, is Center market,
which, to use the language Of the guide,
might he mentioned as one Of the haun-s
of famous men, for here Daniel Webster,
Henry Clay. William Henry Harrison and
Chief Justice Marshall did their market
ing in person..
What rich field for speculation, What
did Webster buy? What vegetables ana
IL 4 a1a fr.v, hat n n
William Henry Harrison live? What was
the favorite dish of Chief Justice Marshall?
Upon what man eats largely depends his
position in the world. What benefcent re-
suits In the formation and execution or
legislation might follow were our states
men of the present hour to know what food
to eat that they might bear to the present
day the same relation borne by these giants
of the past to their respective days.
Around this market were grouped. IN UNI
conscious artistic poses. typical negroes OF
the south. This called to my mind yivicly
the striking and even grotesque chasm be-
tween the typical negro OF the old south
and the typical negro of today. This
thought in itself would interest. In Its elab-
Grafton not only class of public school
pupils or college students. but the most
cultured and intellectual congregation that
worships in the city of Washington.
To me il was a constant wonder why the
car was not crowded. and why dozen cars
were not needed TO carry the people or
Washington alone. to say no&hing OF the
visitors in the city. To me 1t seems to
be a moving, living. cultured adver-
tisement of every line of professional pur-
suit and business in the city; and in this
way It became in my eyes potential force
In attracting the attention of visitors to
the physical, intellectual and social oppor-
tunities, as home place, offered by Wash
Ington. and artistic advertisement of
the glories of the imperial city of America
understand the same system has been
introduced in Los Angeles. in Detroit and
in Minneapolis. But nowhere else is 1t pos
sible to offer to visitors and residents the
same attractions as in and around Wash
ington FRED. L. GROSVENOR.