The Washington times., 1906-12-30

look? With private building improve
/ ments going on ar the rate OF Sl2 900 O0l
! a year and public or scmi-public inn
I proVements approximating easily al
/ much, IL is difficult 20 contemplate the
I future of Washington without encroach-
/ ing upon the realm Of dreamland. 1t
/ is, and has been for years. the accepted
/ rendezvous OF scientists. educators, dip
! lomats. and scholars OF every descrIp-
! ti0n-in which latter class are. OF
/ course Included statesmen oi all pOliti-
! cal creeds and Governmental idiosyu-
| crasies.
! Men who have amassed fortunes ard
! determined 10 sojourn far from the din
/ and the dust and the smoke Of com
/ mcrcialIsm, are building for them
/ selves magnificent residences almost
/ within the shadow Of the Capitol. where
! they may observe first hand the labors
/ Of 0ur legislators and participate In the
! diversions of governmental society.
/ Scar ely a week passes but the court
/ records show the transfer Of some val
uabie residential property 10 a wealthy
merchant or mine owner from a distant
and buster city.
/ The stranger to Washington. in his
/ tour Of the residential district. passes.
in every street. houses. or rather pal
aces. In process OF construction
Whose home is this TO be?" he asks
That" replies the guide. ''is being
built by John Doe, a Pittsburg million
aire'
And whose house is this?' asks the
stranger, when he turns the next cor
ner.
/ THAT belongs to Richard Roe. the
millionaire miner from Colorado"
And SO 81 goes. Take a trip up and
down the residential streets OF Wash
ington ana see for yourself the char
acter of these adopted Washingtonians.
Set High Standard.
They represent the successful men Of
= the country in every line of material
activity. and therefore make up COM
munity the standard of which cannot
be approached by that Of any other city
/ in the United States These are the
men who are assuring the esthetic ad-
vancement of the National Capital
They are not interested in the effort 20
Increase the commerce and industries Of
Washington Their interest ceuters in
the broad avenues, In the spacious parks
and in the development Of a municipality
of incompatible beauty.
The plan OF the Senate Park Com
mission for the Identification of the Mall
Is Gnly one of many proposed improve
menJs. For twenty years and more
there have been persistent efforts 20
bring about legislation that will do
away with the unsightly private build
ings on the south side of Pennsylvania
avenue, between First and Fifteenth
streets northwest, and there Is every as
surance that the contest will be re-
sumed at the present session OF the
Congress. Sentiment is growing in favor
of this general plan. and it takes no
dreamer's eye to see the Mall extended
from Pennsylvania avenue TO B street
southwest, and continuing. as it does
now, from the Capitol TO the Monu-
ment, The tracks of the Pennsylvania
railroad viii be removed from the Mall
as soon as the new Union Station is
completed, and the monotone OF green
of the grass and trees will be broken
onlv by the contrasting white of various
buildings OF the Federal Government
Neither L'Enfant nor the immortal
George Washington could have con-
ceived a greater civic beauty than will
be effected by the completion of the
newer Mall. danked on one side by the
grandest avenue in the country, and on
the other side by the historic old Po-
tomac, which, in time. should be to
America what the Thames is to Eng
land.
WashingtOn's Good Omen.
The prosperity of a Capital city is. of
necessity, Identical with the prosperity
Of the nation. AS a country succeeds, so
must that municipality wherein are 10
Gated the various branches Of the Fed
eral Government succeed. It would seem,
therefore. that the destiny OF Greater
Washington IS already outlined and that
the Same glorious future of which our
United States Is assured, will reward
tho effects of those who today are de-
voting their energies toward making of
Washington tho model city OF the world.
The man who Is proficient IN one thing
and !npotent in all others, seldom is
classified as n great man. It Is with
cities aa Il Is with men. Therefore. our
activities must be varied and our am
hitionE diversified. There must be those
among us who VIII lend our endeavor
toward the achievement OF esthetlc
greatnsss-the city beautiful; there
must DO those who will work for in
creased commerce ana there must be
others who are desirous OF Industrial
expansion. And more important than
all, there must be those who Will op-
pose all lines OF greatness, for is It not
true in the upbuilding of cities that op-
position inspires in the hearts OF the
real builders that enthusiasm and gives
that encouragement which precludes
failure?
But you who are looking into the far