The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-07-21
DEVELOPMENT OF SUBURBS.
Growth of National Capital District Line Aided Largely
Permanent Investors Writes Louis Shoemaker, "Who Are
Really the Founders of the New and Greater Washington.

today IL is the admiration, not only Of
our own people. but OF the people OF
the country at large. who are interested
in the development of the National Capt
tai. Are these men. and such men as
the late II. d. walbridge. Thomas
BIagden, B. r. Warner. George Trues-
dell, Ira d. Baker. E. b. Townsend. and
many others. TO be referred 10 as land
butchers. contractors. and mere pro-
moters?' On the contrary. are they not
public benefactors. permanent investors.
really the founders OF the new and
/ greater Washington
Wide Growth Imperative.
II your argument is correct that there
is plenty of room within the old city
limits. why all these apartment housesY
Why our new and magnificent hotels?
Why our grand business blocks that
would do credit and be ornaments TO
any city in the land?
! Why is it we have Washington
Heights. Columbia Heights. Mount Pleas
ant. Brookland. Langdon. lexington,
Woodside. Kensington. Chevy Chase. Ia
koma, Woodbridge. Brightwood. Pet
worth. and other thriving additions 10
the city. populated by people as re-
/ fined and as intelligent as those you
find within the Florida Avenue limit?
They want. they ought to have. ana
they must have. streets. sewers. light.
school facilities, FIRE. and police pro-
lection. and I am 10th 10 believe you
would deny them these necessaries Of
/ life. They are your constituents. your
subscribers. II you are not in favor OF
/ this great development and improve
ment. which as I have said ought 20
have been lnaugurated twenty-five years
/ ago. and as giving evidence of greatly
increased population. how are three
great newspapers, the star" the
Post" and The Times to be support
ed?
Money Which Awaits Investment.
You refer TO Rock Greek Park and it's
approaches. Until recently. not a sin
/ gle new approach existed. We had this
great rural park OF 1900 acres costing
81. 2OO. goo ten years before one dollar was
/ expended in its improvement. and conse-
quently, before it was Of any benefit
whatever to a single man. woman. or
child; the interest upon which annually,
was no inconsideTable item
/ Thousands OF dollars are available. Mr..
/ Editor for private Improvement beyond
the old city limits. much Of which is
/ lying idle. and cannot be made available
/ because public improvements have not
I been made. and much OF our outlying
4 territory Is suffering for streets. water
mains. sewers. and all the appliances OF
modern civilization.
Go TO the termini OF Thirteenth. Four
/ teenth, and Sixteenth Streets, and you
will see that private Improvement has
rapidly followed street extension. and
private capital is ever eager and rest
less to continue on in the march OF
public Improvement. Do you not know
that thousands of people are living today
in all this outlying territory referred TO.
without being able 70 enjoy and observe
sanitary laws and regulations? And
that right here. under the shadow Of me
dome of our beautiful Capitol
Dishguring the Landscape.
I appreciate your reflection upon
cutting and filing" and the destruc-
ton of the beautiful topography OF our
outlying territory. but il you are eogni-
zant Of the conditions that have pre-
vailed here you would not and could cot
blame or reflect upon our land owners,
who. at great cost to themselves. have
been compelled to submit TO existing
conditions.
1 am one OF those who opposed the rec
| tangular street extension plan beyond
the old city limits. I was in favor OF,
! advocated. and to some extent was able
to secure a curved system Of streets
conforming TO the topography Of our
beautiful suburbs. 1 was in favor OF
treating the entire District of Columbia
beyond Piney Branch and Rock Greek rs
one would treat a great park. thereby
preserving many beautiful trees and the
admirable topography ofsour territory.
/ But we were controlled by arbitrary
laws enacted by Congress which have
( produced the conditions you now de-
plore. All our hills must be cut down
at enormous cost to the land owner and
/ the Government; our beautiful valleys
must be filed up and many OF our great
trees removed; the entire beauty of our
] outlying country must be destroyed and
everything be brought to a common
level. But this is no fault OF the tax
payers 10 whom you refer.
The beautiful suburbs OF Boston.
Philadelphia. Cincinnati. and Pittsburg
have not been thus treated. and il is
their hills, their valleys. the great orig
inal trees such as We have. and the IN
dulating character of their topography
which cause their suburbs to be so
much admired and which are so beau
tiful Here we must expend as much as
I the land IS worth to level IL before, in
many instances. you can build upon It;
but, Mr.. Editor. charge this TO Congress
and those who have had charge OF the
approved street extension plan, and not
to the land owners.
1 Respectfully yours,