Barbour County index., 1906-11-21
IDEAL FOR A HOME
ADVANTAGES OF RESIDENCE IN
WASHINGTON.
Capital City Is Having Rapid and
Steady Growth in Prosperity and
Beauty-Opportuni for
Young Men.

the influence Of George Washington,
congress consented to locate the ma
tional capital on the banks of the
Potomac, about II miles above Mount
Vernon. For many years after the
actual removal of the seat of govern
ment from Philadelphia, the new city
had hard struggle for existence.
Public Golfers were practically empty
and taxes wehe hard to collect, says
the Washington Star
The period from 1870 to 1874
marked new era in the capitals his
tory During this time Gov. Shepherd,
truly remarkable man, who appears
to some to have been a crafty poll
tician, and who is recognized by all as
having been the founder of the new
Washington, was at the very height of
his power. He graded streets, plant
ed trees, dug sewers costing what
then seemed fabulous sums, and spent
about $3,000,000 for wooden street
pavements, which soon rotted away.
In about three years he incurred a
debt equal to the price paid to Spain
for the Philippines. Congress was
aghast at this enormous expenditure,
although much of it was justified, as
results have shown. And so, in 1874.
the government was changed from the
then existing territorial form to the
system now in operation. After three
quarters of century of vicissitudes,
the city was finally firmly established.
The last three decades, which really
include all of it's life since Washing
ton has been city of any size, have
brought uniform prosperity. In less
than half century the population has
grown wonderfully, increasing from
$4,000 in 1860 to $4,000 in 1906.
Popular Residential City.
This rapid and steady growth leads
so naturally to the conclusion that
Washington possesses such advan-
tages as a place of residence as to
have prompted many young men to
make their homes by the Potomac.
These advantages may be very con-
veniently grouped as sanitary, eco
nomic, political and educational.
Properly enough, the first consider
alton which influences choice of
home is health. Of prime Importance
to the health of city are the natural
features, location and climate; and of
equal value are all artificial sanitary
measures for the prevention and cure
| of disease. Washington is situated on
| the banks of the Potomac at its juno
ton with the Anacostia river, so that
| a water front of considerable extent is
obtained Naturally, portions of the
| o;f riu low and flat
| but elsewhere the land is rolling and
we'll drained. Capitol Hill rises about
| 100 feet above tide water; and the
| chain of hills which belt the city on
| the north and west and which include
! the suburbs, are from three to four
| times as high.
Opportunities for Young Men.
| Excellent opportunities are extend
! ed to young men not only in the gov
| ernment service, but in the profes-
sions, and in other walks as well.
! Positions open in private firms are
| much more numerous and desirable
/ than are generally supposed. Wash
| ington is not primarily a manufacture
| ing city, yet the value of it's products
| in 1900 reached the very creditable
total of $47,667, ,622. The local indus
| tries give employment to many ex-
perts, and to much unskilled labor
likewise. Then, too, population OF
| $4,000 affords a wide field for the
! practice of law and medicine in all
their branches.
The United States government re-
quires an army of 175,00O to keep its
machinery in operation. Men of every
walk of life, from the scientist and
the diplomat to the clerk, the me-
chanic and the printer, find employ.
ment in its service. The scientific
work of the government appeals to
men of talent.
1t is useless to repeat the many
very pleasant features of government
service which private employment
does not as a rule afford. Such are
moderate working hours, annual leave
and comfortable buildings in which to
work.
Fine Public Institutions.
To many the National museum will
prove of as much value as the libra
ries. Excepting the British museum
| there are few similar institutions
which surpass it, and it is scarcely
euualed on this side even by the
Metropolitan of New York and the
Field Columbian of Chicago.
Appealing to fewer persons perhaps
than museums, and yet with greater
power for the spread of culture, is ar
art gallery. In this regard the ma
tional capital is extremely fortunate
in possessing the Corcoran collection
so adequately and so beautifully
housed. The gallery makes no claim
to equal some of the superb collec
tons abroad, but contains neverthe
less many paintings of excellence, an6
is a source of joy to all lovers of beau
tiful pictures and statuary- In at
| tempting to enumerate the WORKS O