davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-16

lated solely to the plans under way for the
improvement of the national capital Mr..
Moore said:
A little less than year ago one of the
most brilliant and most successful men,
bers of the American Institute CT Architects
came to Washington to see the models and
drawings prepared under the direction of
the park commission. Ne was ca his way
10 Italy for n5e:ed rest, and also for Study
that would be helpful in his profession. AT
the time of his visit the exhibition was
being made ready at the Corcoran Gallery
OF Art, but enough pictures were on the
walls to give fair idea of the lines along
which the commission had worked. Six
months later this same architect, being
again in the city, said: That hasty and in
complete view l obtained of the work of
the park commission made radical diff
ference in my visit to Europe. L had never
before appreciated the relations between
landscape and architecture. The park plans
enable me to see Italy and Paris with new
eyes, and thereby added vastly to my en-
joyment and benefit"
This instance is not exceptional. The park
plans came at time when architects all
over the land were beginning to feel that
1t was their duty, and that 1t might also be-
come their privilege, to consider not alone
the individual client but also the people az
q body: and especially that public buildings
should be SO placed as to enhance the
unity, the dignity and the beauty of the
city. Years of abundance have piled up
capital and interest Is low; and 1t Is now
both possible and profitable to build not
alone for the present generation, but also
for posterity. The only element now needed
to accomplish in the United States results
surprisingly great is keen but friendly
rivalry among cities to surpass one another
In civic beauty and dignity, as well as in
commerce and manufactures. Having Sc
cured the power to live, 1t now remains to
cultivate the JOY of living. This Is to be
attained by making beauty a part of the
every day life of all the citizens. To this
end no one thing contributes more than
beautiful buildings beautifully placed, and
ample parks adapted to the refreshment of
both the mind and the body. Unless the
Washington park plans shall point the way
to the study and practice of civic beauty
throughout the United States they will fail
Of their highest results In this work the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-16

The handling OF late news are probably I'M
yet TO a large extent this progress charac-
terizes the change that has taken place in
the publication of afternoon newspapers
everywhere and accounts for the increasing
number Of such newspapers compared with
morning publications. shown by bull
ietin recently issued by the director of the
twelfth census. The growth OF afternoon
papers has been most pronounced during
the last twenty-five years. as it has been
during that period that the greatest prog
ress has been made In the prompt handling
OF the news. In 1900 in twenty-six of the
largest cities OF the United States there
Der 1T5 were published IN the evening and
ibT in the morning. AS late as 1890 of the
SOC daily papers published in these % cities
163 were issued in the morning and but 146
n the evening. The change that has taken
place since 1880 is still greater. IN that year
thers were published PIT daily papers. Of
which number but 90 were issued In the
evening. In 1900 Of IS daily newspapers of
New York city 20 were published IN the
morning and 20 In the evening; in Chicago
81 81 papers but 10 were Issued In the morn
tng ana ii in the evening. while Ph!ladel-
rhia with 81 daily papers had II published
sn the evening. The constantly growing
popularity Of the afternoon paper can readi-
iy be understood. 1t gives to the public. on
the day Of lts happening. the news that 70
'---- 1919: = contained IN the morning
pager issued twelve hours later. The story
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-16

tons that affect the interests of the Dis
triCt of Columbia.
In the Senate and in the House Of Repre-
keep in close touch with every happening,
each with general line of work for which
he is held responsible, although each Is at
all times alive to the news" whatever its
nature. The work of this corps Of special
reporters is done In conjunction with the
news service provided by tha Associated
Press, which covers matters OF general IN
terest and which Is the result Of the COM
bined effort Of large and efficient corps Of
newspaper men. all acting In harmony with
special reporters and for the purpose Of pre-
ssnting to the readers Of The Star q COM
plete word picture of every event OF I'M
portance that takes place not only during
the sessions of Congress, but also in the
sixtyfour committees of the Senate and the
sixty-ive committees of the House Of Rep
resentatiyes, besides the innumerable con-
ferences that are constantly going on In
relation to matters of legislation. In fifty
years the numbers of these committees have
been doubled. and their work has multiplied
many fold. The increase in the legislative
work has been still greater. The Thirtieth
Congress enacted 405 general acts, "a PEN
sion bills and So resolutions. In the farst
session alone of the present Congress l.4S4
laws were enacted. In the House Of Repre-
sentatives there were introduced and to
some extent at least considered, 10 .009 bills,
and almost an many more came before the
Senate. This mass Of legislation has been
] followed by representatives Of The Star
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-16

@ brief mention Of any event of especial in
tsrest up to twenty minutes of Its issuance
from the press.
The progress in the methods Of handling
the news from the Capitol Is but character
tstic of the progress which has been made
in the handling of the news from every
part of the world which makes 1t possible
for the readers Of The Star to be informed
every evening of the happenings of the day
everywhere. This progress has been
triumph for mechanical invention. for with
out the thousands of appliances for the
rapid transmission of news, and for It's
prompt publication. the greatest enterprise
on the part of newspaper managers ana
newsgatherers would have been barren of
results. The manner in which the news of
Congress is handled for publication in The
Star shows that every step Of progress in
mechanical invention has been promptly
utilized.
Growth of Afternoon Newspapers
While the special facilities of The Star for
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-16

Press over which its news service is trans
mitted to Ats offices on the second floor Of
The Star building is also run through the
reportorial rooms of The Star, where an op-
orator Is available for receiving late dis
patches directly from the Capitol. But at
all times a pneumatic tube service, connect
ing The Star office and the Associated Press
rooms, eliminates delay in the transmission
of copy.
When 1t Is considered that before the hour
The Star goes to press nearly all the i'm
portant news of the day occurs, and when
its admirable system for its collection and
transmission are considered 1t Is but nat
ural that it should be the most popular
newspaper of this city. There seems at this
time but little to be hoped for IN the form
Of any improvement IN this excellent serv-
Ice, but it is probable that in the years to
come there will be still greater facilities for
the rapid transmission and publication Of
the news. which cannot now be foreseen
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-16

tngton VIII remain collection Of unrelated
units. and the greatest opportunity ever
presented to the governors OF capital city
viii be. ignorantly. ruthiessly, wantoniy
cast aside. It IL easily within the posi-
bilities that Washington may become more
dfgnified, more beautiful, more consistent
In plan than Paris; and yet with great
price Paris purchased unity and dignity,
whereas to Washington It Is a birthright,
requiring only nurture and development.
As the improvement Of the mall Is the
key to the development of the capital. so
the removal OF the railroad from the mall
Is the condition precedent to any adequate
development OF that space. What may be
properly called the dynamic force of the
plans prepared by the park commission.
combined with the persuasive powers of
the chairman Of that body, Is shown by the
fact that as part of the report is a rea-
sonable proposition on the part of the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company not only
to sacrifice its commercially strategic posi-
ton in the mall, but also to go to great ex-
pense in promoting the general scheme by
erecting at a point selected by the COM
mission union railway station Of such ar
chitectural character and so fitted and fur
nished as to be an adequate and suitable
gateway to the capital of the United
States.
Union Station Project.
The proposed union station, in size larger
than the Capitol by eight feet and eight
inches, will accommodate not only the
seven railroads now entering the District
Of Columbia. but provision is also made for
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-16

the institute at this meeting. Thus. while
a departure is made from the exact site,
the adherence to the general scheme %
most gratifying.
Continental Hall.
In this connection fl is worthy OF record
that the Daughters of the American Revo-
luton, moved by a desire to aid In the
p3jk improvements ord ectuatee $50 -
sense of future advantage to their own
cause. have purchased as a site for their
Continental Hall square 113. the SECOND
square south of the Corcoran Gallery of Art.
This location, facing the White Lot, is Ger
tain to become q most desirable site for
semi-pUbic building. Il is to Ee hoped thaC
other societies will acquire the two lots re-
naming, and that due regard will be had
for architectural effect, so to secure
harmony among the buildings forming this
portion of the park system.
An important, even an essential, feature
of the park plans is the reclamation OF the
flats of the Anacostia, or Eastern branch
Of the Potomac river, a project divided as
to its cost. The Improvement of the lower
stretch of the river belongs TO the ma
tional government proper, and the army
engineers have long had plans for dredging
the stream and depositing the soil behind
channel walls of stone. The recent river
and harhOr act carries an initial appropria-
ton of $50, 600 for this portion of the work,
and contracts are now in process of award
Along the upper stretches of the river the
Improvement is a District Of Columbia
mattel The commission recommended as
at once the least expensive and the most
effective treatment the creation of a water
park, the waters being held back by dam
and islands being created by dredging. as
the topography permits.
Resultants of Coincident Movements.
The Senate committee on the District Of
Columbia in its report calls attention to the
fact that the plans of the park commission
were the resultant of two coincident move
ments-one technical in character, being
the action of the American Institute OF
Architects al It's annual meeting two years
ago; the other popular movement for the
establishment of the national capital, set
on foot at the time of the celebration OF the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-16
How News is Gathered at the
District Building,
STARS QUICK SERVICE
REMARKABLE CHANGES IN THE
LAST HALF CENTURY.
Telegraph, Telephone, Typewriter and
Speedy Reporters Combine to
All the News.
BY Charles r. Kern.

The Evening Star of December 16, 1867,
did not contain a single line of news con-
corning the proceedings of Congress OF that
day, although both the Senate and the
House of Representatives were in session.
This does not indicate that The Star of that
date lacked enterprise The fact Is simply
typical of the afternoon newspaper of fifty
years ago. and to a large degree of every
newspaper of that time. But for the after
noon paper especially the difficulty of Sc
curing the news on the day of It's publica
ton was extremely difficult.
After half a century the first edition Of
The Evening Star. sold on the streets of
this city by hundreds of newsboys as early
as 40 o'clock. will be found to contain
very complete record of every important
happening in Congress up to 3 O'Clock and
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-16

Hewlett for Q new Agricultural OsDaxtmeut
building. ana the Appropriation fof "
structure 10 confidently expected 1t the
Quoted with the assistance OF the park conn
mission, and IL the building shall be erected
as planned, pace Will be set for the series
has provided also for plans for a new build
scum: but. unfortunately II is now contem-
and terra Gotta In case this idea shall
the mall (where the new building is to
stand will begin with serious handicap.
The problem now is to make 1t apparent
to Congress that great and Important
museum building should have character
of its own in keeping with the treasures
displayed within Its walls and worthy or the
Sovernme Mt II represents. Those who have
immediate charge OF the work are fuily
alive to the situation.
AS is well known, the commissions plans
contemplate the purchase OF the squares
south OF Pennsylvania from the Treasury
Department to the Capitol. and the erection
thereon of public or Quasi-public buildings.
among them q municipal building for the
District OF Columbia. The ideal location for
the District building is the site now occu-
pied by Center Market; but the importu-
nate condition of the District in respect
to a public building was such as to lead
Congress to order the purchase OF the
square between 1871 and 14th streets, and
the competitive plans for the new struc-
ture will be exhibited to the members Of
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-16

1t has named 1t, a space resembling
the Place de la Concorde in Paris; and this
area 1t would adorn with statues of
Grant and his two great lieutenants, Sher-
memorial has been provided for, and it is
within the power of the statue commission
to locate 1t in the space recommended by
the park commission. There is reason to
believe that this location will he the one Sc
lected, and thus another stake will be
driven The location Of Sheridan on Grants
left should follow without question, since
no action on that project has been taken.
Nor should there be great difficulty in
changing the location of the still uncom-
pleted statue of Sherman to a site on
Grants right. The present location on the
axis of the Treasury is the elimination of
the long series of blunders and misfortunes
that have attended this statue from its IN
ception. No comic opera contains more
absurd conceit than the position gravely
maintained in connection with the Sherman
statue, namely. that on the death of the
artist commission to execute a work Of art
becomes an asset of his estate, to be traded
on by the heirs as their art knowledge-or
lack of it-may dictate and the funds at
their disposal may permit. ADDED to this
absurdty is the location of the statue of
William Tecumseh Sherman in John Sher-
mans rightful place. 1t is quite unneces-
sary to discuss the pedestal that has been
prepared for the Sherman statue. 1t speaks
for itself most loudly. 1t is to be hoped
that the whole business will prove an awful
and an effective warning
Two Gateways to Washington.
Turning now to a pleasanter theme: The
proposed union station has been adverted to
as the gateway of Washington. There is
gateway by water as well as by land
Where the Anacostia joins the Potomac is
the long narrow space. beautiful for situa-
ton, known as the Washington barracks
and there Congress has provided for the
construction Of the Army War College and
the School of Application for the Corps or
Engineers. The main college building, with
its formal gardens, will look down the Po-
tomac to the old town of Alexandria, rich
In colonial memories, and on toward Mount
Vernon, the extreme southeastern limit OF
the proposed park system. The officers
quarters, thanking the parade grounds, will
present along the river front a series of
porticoes with their line of white columns
standing in order like regiment on dress
parade. This work is now being carried
out according to plans eminently satisfac-
tory to the commission.
In the scheme for the development Of the
mall the plans contemplate along each
street north and B street south a series OF
white marble buildings, to be devoted TO the
scientific purposes of the government, IN
Guiding the museums most frequented by
visitors to the capital. Such buildings SO
placed would give great dignity as well as
continuity to the approach reciprocaly to
the Capitol and to the White House. Under
the provisions of an act of Congress, plans
have been prepared by 1easrs Lord &
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-16

yard IN this city. On that occasion The
Star had a private phone IN room adJoin-
Ing the hall in Whlfh the court sat. The
distance OF the court was SO great from The
Star building that bicycle messengers could
not have been utilized satisfactorily
and q telegraph service would have
been more cumbersome than service
by phone For these reasons practically
the entire report was telephoned to The
Star building. where it was typewriter by
probably the most expert operator in the
city, who made . speed record equal to
that of an ordinary stenographer and pro-
duced copy that sof course, was ready to
be sent at once to the operators Of the type
setting machines. On that occasion the ar
gument of Mr.. Rayner, counsel for Admiral
Schley, was begun thirty-fve minutes be-
fore noon on November 6. 1901.
Two reporters alternated in making steno-
graphic notes of the proceedings and tele-
phonlng was begun twenty minutes before
noon At 3:17 o'clock the report Of the day
was concluded. This made the time during
which the entire work was done three hours
and twelve minutes, including all Interrupt
lions. The readers Of The Star who pur-
chased the paper at $40 o'clock found g.
full report OF the proceedings running
through nearly seven columns of the paper
During the actual dictation Of the report
the typewriter copy was made at the rate
of nearly eighty words per minute. The
work required no special reportorial skill,
but was result of the Of the best me-
chanical facilities in handling the news.
Only few years ago 1t would have been
practically impossible to secure such re-
suits, and only brief report could have
been made.
Associated Press Facilities.
The special facilities Of The Star for Sc
curing the news of Congress go side by side
with the excellent system of the Associated
Press. The special wire of the Associated
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-16
Of newspaper progress shows how that has
been ACCOMPLISHED

Of newspaper progress shows how mat has
been accomplished.
In 1852 people who wished to be informed
upon the news Of Congress OF necessity de-
pended to a large extent upon the Globe,
with which Congress had contract for
publishing a report OF the proceedings Of
the Senate and the House Of Representa-
tives. The Globe was published whenever
there was in hand sufficient copy to make
eight pages Of the paper. Its Issuance was
consequently at irregular periods Today
the newspaper reports Of congressional pro-
ceedings are so complete that few men In
Congress. or men who carefully watch the
proceedings Of the Senate and House, find
1t necessary to consult the official publ
cation contained in the Record.
Congressional News Before the War.
The accommodations for press correspond
ents made by Congress when the present
legislative halls were first occupied showed
the esteem In which the news service was
held. and was almost as great as Is re-
Quired today. But there was hack Of all
other facilities which are now SO common
for the prompt transmission of news. The
work now done by means Of the telegraph
and the telephone was then performed by
the slo going mails. This operated against
every newspaper in the country, and even
within sight of the Capitol the conditions
were such as to make 1t impossible to pub
Esh information of events on the days they
occurred. The Capitol was separated from
The Star Office, for day or two located
at the corner of 9Th and D streets and then
for few years on the south side Of D
street just west of 18th street north
west, by about mile Of muddy road
way, and even had a mounted messen-
ger service been provided it would still have
been impossible to prepare the paper for
publication with LIE meager facilities that
chara cteriZed the printing Office OF that
day, and it would have been still more i'm
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-16

American Institute of Architects, which
was 30 potent a factor In originating the
park commission, has a duty to perform
that is too obvious to need argument.
Placed on Exhibition.
The models, pictures, maps and plans IL
Illustrating the work Of the District Of Co.
lumbia park commission were exhibited at
the Corcoran Gallery of Art for six weeks,
beginning on January Is, 1902. and on the
same day the preliminary reports Of the
Senate committee on the District Of Co
luufbia and of the park commission were
submitted to Congress by Senator Mcmillan
President Roosevelt and the members OF his
cabinet were present at the opening OF the
exhibition; and as opportunity has offered
the members of the administration have
g1ven to the commission and to the plans
hearty, Intelligent effective aid and sup
port.
It was never for moment the purpose OF
Senator Mcmillan to seek the formal APP
prevail of Congress for plans which had
required to produce the experience and
training Of years and the intense and abb
sorbing study of months on the part OF men
who had achieved the highest measure of
success in their life work. To understand
the plans requires patient study: because
they aim not only to satisfy the eye train
cd to the perception of beauty, but they
also make a direct appeal to the intellect,
by reason of their reasonableness and OF
SnS nlSIoriC CONSCIOUSNESS Which eiAoS SAA-
body.
Questions Of art and taste are not proper
subjects fer discussion by any deliberatlve
body, and Congress Is accustomed to refer
such questions to committees or commits
eions and to accept or reject an individual
project at the time when the question OF
making an appropriation for 1t comes up.
Moreover, many portions of the plans do
not need specific congressional action, but
may be carried out by the head Of one
the other Of the executive departments, by
the Commissioners Of the District of Column
bia, the secretary Of the Smithsonian Insti-
tuition, or the officer in charge of public
buildings and grounds. provided the parttc-
ular individual has taken the pains to In
form himself as to the plans and Is IN
sympathy with the project. Happily thus
far only one officer Of the government has
been found who is not both willing and
anxious to carry out the plans OF the park
commission.
Development Of Mall System.
The development of the mall system sub
stantially along the lines laid down by
Peter Charles L'Enfant under the immedi-
ate direction and supervision Of George
Washington and Thomas Jefferson is by
common consent the keystone in the arch.
On this depends the future of the national
capital. II the plans for this portion of
the work shall be carried out, then the city
Of Washington will become a consistent
work of art, possessing unity, dignity and
beauty. Il the mall plans fail. them Wash