The Washington times., 1903-09-06

nection with the opening OF Sixteenth /
Street is being done with reference TO
Thirteenth and Fourteenth Streets. Blair /
Lee is chairman OF the committee to
secure the dedication of the land. In |
this he has succeeded in obtaining |
large part of the ground needed for |
both streets. AS yet there has been |
no legislation authorizing the opening of |
these streets, but the association is |
making preparations to renew the agi- |
tation before the next Congress in the |
hope OF adding these thoroughfares in
reality to the map of the District OF !
Columbia, as IL has done in the case OF
Sixteenth Street.
Another Improvement inaugurated by
| the association was the improvement of
| the Fort Stevens and the Battle Gene
| :ery." This was principally brought
about while Mr.. Cox was president, but
upon the accession OF Mr.. Shoemaker to
that position he created the historical
| committee OF the association and made
| Mr.. Cox chairman. The latter gave
much time to getting up the history of
the battle at Fort Stevens, which result
ed in calling the attention of the United
| States Government to IL, and it's further
| improvement is a part of the proposed
park system. Mr. Cox's report upon the
| battle OF Fort Stevens was the feature
/ at one OF the meetings OF the associa-
tion. and because OF it's great interest 1t
was ordered TO be published. Its being
widely circulated led 10 renewed inter
[ Iafo nF
/ ton, and prominent sites on the battle
ground have now been marked, and each
| Fourth OF July the G. A. r. veterans
meet there to revive their memories OF
| the day when Early's force was driven
away and the Capital saved from inva-
sion.
For the last three years under the
auspices Of the association appropriate
| ceremonies were held there. W V. Cox,
acting as chairman of the committee,
and Louis P. Shoemaker have CO.
| operated with the Grand Army COM
mittee and together great success has
| been achieved. Some eight hundred or
a thousand people were present last year
and the year before. Suitable music
has always been provided, while speeches
have been made there by Secretary
/ Shaw Of the Treasury Department, Sec
retary Wilson of the Agricultural De-
partment. and other prominent Gov
ernment officials, while the school
| children OF the Brightwood section have
| been appropriately brought into service,
| thus instilling a lesson of patriotism.
Street Railway Schedules.
Since the Introduction OF rapid tran
sit, and especially since the control OF
| the Brightwood Railway by the Wash
| ington Traction and Electric Company,
there has been much difficulty expert
enced in obtaining satisfactory street
| car service. The company has insisted
upon few cars at long intervals and
/ troubles as great. II not the same. as in
the old horse-car days, were expert
enced The matter became the especial
/ care OF the association. through its rail-
road committee. OF which n. z. Robin
son. recently deceased was the chair
man. Mr.. Robinson not only paid many
visits to the managers OF the line. but
he made a careful study Of the cost of
management. and went into the reasons
/ stagger those in control. II was shown
| conclusively that the company was not
| giving as good service as IL could. and
| at different times concessions were made
TO the determined stand taken by the
| association at Mr.. Robinson's initiative
He carried his points with the com
pany more times, probably, than any
other man I'm the District. II came 10
pass that the vice president OF the
Washington Traction Company had
about as much respect for the conclu-
sions of Mr.. Robinson as for his own
subordnates. and when he presented a
! fair proposition IL was generally ac
| ceded TO. sometimes grudgingly. but
/ nevertheless ii was done. Mr.. Robin
sons death is a distinct and irreparable
! loss to the association.
! No less efficient has been the work OF
| the school committee under the lead of
| Prof William z. Nalley. The Bright
| wood school building, with its additions