The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-01-06

QlLleS III the 1ulLcQ DldLtSs Il
race the running Of which viii involve
the expenditure of untold sums of money
and consume years OF time, Instead OF
minutes. But at the finish the cities viii
he transformed almost beyond reeogni-
ton. and they viii be so much better and
more desirable places to live in that no
one will begrudge either the time or
money expended.
Humanity speaking. there viii never be
a finish. since this race is for greater
beauty, and there viii have 10 be a radi-
cal change in the temperament Of the
composite people we call Americans be
fore the desire to excel along the lines
the cities are now pursuing VIII be salts
fed. But there viii come time, earlier
with some than with other cities, Of
course. VIXEN such incompatible sites as
that Of Kew York built on three islands
and the mainland and almost surround
ing one of the most magnificent harbors
in the world; of Boston. with its hills.
which gave it the name "tri-mountaine,
and its smaller harbor; and Of Washing
Ton. the nations capital. which. like Bos-
ton, has got something of start i'm the
race. and many others will have been
taken such advantage Of as they never
have yet.
Then. too. the possibilities Of such fiat,
marshy sites as that upon which Chicago
is built. apparently unpromising to the
last degree. viii have been realized. and
then the tourists Of the world VIII have
TO visit the American centeTs as well as
those Of Europe If they wish to see the
City Beautiful" idea wrought out to
Its greatest perfection.
Movement Is Widespread.
No one who has not given attention to
il can have any notion Of how general is
the present movement for greater mu-
nicipal beauty New Yorks plans prob
ably are the most ambitious and natural
IN. since New York is the biggest and
the richest city; but in scores of other
cities similar plans and quite as ambitious
in proportion 10 wealth and population
are being pushed forward There IS
hardly a city in the land, indeed, that
has not already got the transformation
process well under way. Baltimore and
Buffalo. Chicago, Detroit, Duluth, and
Orleans. and Omaha, both Portlands, 81.
Louis, and St Paul; and many others
have half made themselves over il the
last twenty years.
In some of these cities. especially those
farther West. the transformation has
been nothing less than startling. Broad,
weu-paved and shaded streets have taken
the place of dirt roads; bare tracts Of
rr-r
ful parks, inadequate and unsightly wood
en- town halls and cOurthouses have been
replaced by structures of real architec-
rural merit. business blocks resembling
exaggerated packing cases more than
anything else have given way to buildings
that are beautiful as we'll as useful.
There is hardly a city of 100000 in the
country to-day which does not boast some
beauty spots that would be a credit to
almost any Old World city Yet, while
every one Of the European centers has
been improving upon itself for centuries,
there are hardly half a dozen cities in the
United States away from the Atlantic
Coast old enough 10 have devoted half
of one century to making themselves
beautiful. Central Park, in New York.
which has received the highest praise
from European experts. was not begun
till 1S6. Boston Common is older. and so
are some of the smaller parks in sew
eral Eastern cities; but none of the other
famous great American parks has yet
been in existence fifty years.
II is to the credit OF the people Of this
country that while the beauty Of nearly
every European city is largely made up
of churches and palaces built 81 medieval
times and under governmental or &c
CleSiaStiCal COmpulSiOn. American cities
are being made beautiful by the peoples
money freely voted by the people them
selves. Il is n credit TO the cities that
they are now engaged in generous COM
petition for beauty. II is something 70
be proud o. that such men as Daniel II.
Durham, who has just taken up the
plan to make Chicago beautiful as well
as busy, a pleasant as well as a profit
able place to live in; Whitney Warren,
who has wrought cut the stupendous
scheme Of identifying New York. out
lined In the New York City Improvement
commissions recently issued report
and scores Of other citizens are willing to
give their services free TO the cause Of
improving the cities.
That they are able 10 do so is proof
that the American purse string opens
more easily than any other in the cause
Of art: were it not so, such men as Burn
ham and Warren could not offer their
Burnham, the City BeautiGer.
The world awoke to a realization Of Mr.
Bunhams quality when it first saw the
wonderful White City that Sheltered the
Worlds Columbian Exhibition at Chi
cage I'm 1886.
Notwithstanding his aversion to fees
from the public purse no other man in
his profession has done so much as he
10 make so great number of American
cities beautiful. Since the Worlds Fair.
at the request Of the late Senator Nc
MILAN. he has made an elaborate plan
for the gradual Encouragement of Wash
ington, and now is chairman of the COM
mission FOR the Identification of that
city and the commission for the beauti-
hcation of Cleveland. He originated its
celebrated ground plan" which includes
the grouping of all its public buildings,
and viii add immensely TO its beauty.
Before the earthquake he was chairman
of the commission 10 beautify San Fran
cisco, and has visited that city since il
was thrown PROSTATE to help his assO-
ciates take advantage Of the splendid op-
pOrtunity which the tragedy brought At
the request of the government he went
10 the Philippines, and has since made
plans for the Encouragement of Manila,
in which not only beauty but sanitation
are considered, and has laid out a scheme
for Baguio. a health resort in the noun
tains to which American officers and
officials viii flee I'm the hottest months
My work, both at Manila and at Wash
ingtOn, has been done without pay" Mr.
Durham said the other day sitting in
his office, from whose windows there is
q fine view OF Lake Michigan's expanse.
because It gave me an authority which
] would otherwise not have had Fewer