Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-27
REAL ESTATE GOSSIP
Significance Of the Latest
Street Railroad Extension.
GROWTH OF THE CITY
A BUILDERS VIEW AS TO THE
COST OF DOING WORK.
Changes That Will Be Caused in Trans
portation Facilities by the
New Depot Site.
GROWTH OF THE CITY

the Washington Railway Company out CO.
lumbia road and along old 18th street to
Park street, Mount Pleasant, will be in op-
Grafton by the 9Th day Of next month. ThlS
new addition to the street railroad facilities
of the city was begun last November and
would have been finished long before this,
but owing to the bad weather, delays have
occurred which it was impossible to pre-
vent The general manager, Mr.. Fuller,
had planned to get the work through In
much shorter time.
While this new piece of road does not add
more than a mile to the trackage of the
system to which it belongs, its completion
is an event of considerable Importance to
large number of citizens. Five years ago
the tracks of this line. then controlled by
the Metropolitan company, were laid along
Columbia road from Florida avenue as far
north as 18th street, it's present terminus.
At that time it was regarded, by some at
any rate, as an experiment in placing a
street railroad so far in advance Of the
population. By way of contrast 1t is not
difficult for the most unobservant to recog-
niZe the fact that the new extension SO
much farther north, instead of anticipating
a possible growth of the city in that direc-
tion actually provides facilities for a popu-
lation that is already there.
Increase in Population.
The changes that have taken place in that
one section of the city alone during the past
five years afford striking illustration of
the development which has been going on
throughout the District. 1t is almost i'm
possible to grasp the significance Of what
has taken place. It is not hard to see that
the city is growing, and that the outlying
fields and commons are being covered with
houses built in rows. That is the method
apparently of suburban development, all
along the northern edge of the city beyond
Rock creek on the west and practically to
the Eastern branch on the east. 1t is not
too much of a stretch of the imagination tol
say that in the not remote future the de-
mand will arise for the further extension of
the street railroad lines, and 1t is not at all
unlikely that in the course of a few years
Brightwood will be the terminus of both
the 18th street and the Columbia road line
of cars.
The Building Activity.
In the opinion of some people the prices
of building materials are higher than they
should be- and that if a change was made
in this particular building operations would
be livelier than it is in the proper season
of the year. OF course, it is not expected
there will be any great amount of activity
in that particular during the winter season.
1t is difficult for some to how much
more building could be done with due re-
gard for the conservative course that has
marked the growth of this city, which is
periods.
At any rate, and however the situation
in regard to building is looked upon, there
are those who speak about the range of
prices of materials and labor as being too
high.
The evidence of one builder on this sub
ject is, however, in another direction. He
has been engaged in the business for a
now the wages paid to the men and the
cost of materials are greater than they
were, for example, five years ago, he affirmS
that he can build just as cheaply today as
he could then. He accounts for this some
what contradictory position by saying that
in his experience the difference is made up
by the greater efficiency of the men. He
states that while the hours of work are less
and the pay more, the men work faster and
actually do more work in the day of fewer
hours than they formerly did when they
were required to work a longer day.
AS the experience of man who has done
considerable building this is interesting as
explaining, perhaps, some conditions which
seem to be rather unusual, and that is the
activity in building in the face of rising
market. There exists, of course the de-
mand, but in addition there is apparently
an opportunity for profit.
Probable Street Car Line Changes.
A feature of the proposed change in the
Massachusetts and Delaware avenues,
which measure has passed both houses Of
Congress and is now before the Senate with
the amendments placed on the bill by the
House. is the method to be adopted for ad-
justing the street railroad systems of the
city to the new conditions. When the new
depot is built it will be several squares
north of the location of the Baltimore and
Ohio depot, as the latter is on C street
and the former will front about on E street
1t will be necessary to remove the tracks
of the street railroad companies which now
pass in front of the Baltimore and Ohio
deport farther north If the same facilities
are to be given to the public that are now
enjoyed.
The exact method for securing the au-
thority to make the changes has not been
determined upon and It is not known
whether it will be done by means of a sep
arate bin or by amendment to the pend
ing measure There is some talk Of re-
viving the plan of having the line now on
u street extended east along Florida avenue
and thence south on S.s~th Capitol street to
the new depot site. In this way it is
thought access to the depot would be given
to the residents of the extreme northwest
and something in the way of a cross town
line would be provided.