The Scranton chronicle. (Scranton, Miss.) 1897-19??, 1901-06-22


er Chicago and Greater New
New York, and soon there is to
be created a Greater Washington, al
though that appellation win not
likely be given TO the national cap
ital city. Unlike all other cities in
| this country, or in the world. with
the exception of st. Petersburg, Rus
sia, the plans for the capital of this
republic were laid out on a geomet-
rical and scientific ideal of the gifted
genius, J. LEnfant, and on a scale of
grandeur which seemed at that time
TO be beyond the likelihood of realiza-
tion in many centuries.
1t is not to be supposed that the
most sanguine believers in the great
possibilities and probabilities of the
nation. at that time. anticipated or
even dreamed that the original limits
of the proposed city would be passed
within a single century No active
effort was made to provide for the
enlargement of the city's plan until
some 10 or IL years ago, when TIE
/ people suddenly realized that a per-
nicious system, or rather lack of
system, in suburban subdivisions. was
rendering the extension of city
streets impossible on their present
lines. What had been done in other
cities was being reversed here. The
Greater Washington was growing into
a "cow-path city" A string of sub
divisions along boundary street from
Massachusetts avenue to First street
had been made without the direct ex-
tension of a single street or avenue
and with very little regard as to con-
nections with each other; some Of
them, in fact, shutting off commune
cation with adjacent subdivisions.
Streets had been laid out along the
old roads or parallel to them, and in
width no greater than city places and
alleys.
The northern limit of the original
city was called Boundary street. Fif
teen years ago. when houses were
erected beyond that original limit,
and lots were laid out by real es-
/ tate spectators. the commissioners
of the District of Columbia, the
three men appointed by the president
to govern this portion of the repub-
lie, in which there is taxation without
presentation, changed the name of
boundary street to Florida avenue.
/ At that time six avenues of the
original city were blocked at Bound
airy street, making them end at the
/ bottom of the surrounding hill, in a
/ little suburban street about half of
their generous width. The congress
was again and again appealed to for
aid in this matter, the plan being to
extend the city streets by condemna-
tion through these irregular patches,
and then make all new additions con-
form TO the city plan. Failing to get
the legislation desired, some law was
requested to prevent n spread of the
evil in new subdivisions. This brought
forth the act of 1883, regulating all
future subdivisions in the district. A
number of subdivisions were made in
accordance with this law, which were,
of course, laid out after the city sys-
tenn, so that when the city streets are
extended end the intermediate tracts
are subdiyided, the whole will form
one harmonious plan.
Continued efforts were made to have
the first idea carried out. and the
result was the passage of the act for
permanent system of highways"
This act provides for the recording
of extension plans with the surveyor
and for condemnation proceedings.
There has therefore been no neces-
sity for hurriedly prepared plan OF
extension, and the commissioners