Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-21
1T MIGHT Be A PARK
Attention Called to a Rather
Neglected Place.
TO IMPROVE THE AVENUE
Public Space in Front of the Center
Market.
STREET PAvEMENTS IN VICINITY
What an Observing Citizen Sees to Be
Done in the Downtown
District
TO IMPROVE THE AVENUE
STREET PAvEMENTS IN VICINITY

with the completion Of the Restricting
or Pennsylvania avenue" an Observing
citizen says. attention should now be d.
rected to the small reservation on tn, south
side Of that thoroughGara in front Of Center
market. lying between Tth ana 9TH streets
"A narrow roadway was cut through this
reservation last week from Pennsylvania
avenue TO the paved space on the north
'front.' of the market making the central
portion OF the market house more accessible
10 teams. and the entire reservation. OF
about an acre in area should now be taken
IN hand and properly treated.
Although the reservation is s,ddad and
planted in trees. many Of which are OF con-
siderable size, II has long been somewhat Of
an eyesore upon the principal thoroughfare
OF the capital in that about every other
reservation in town has received the atten-
tlon OF the gardener and flower bed artist
but this particular one, despite It's conspic-
uous situation. The small boy OF the neigh
borhood and the idle empty tincan have
had their undisputed sway secure behind
the ante-bellum iron-spike fence which en-
circles its boundaries.
Should Have Cement Coping.
This old iron fence ought now to bs
relegated to the District scrap heap and In
its stead should be placed modern cement
coping Of regulation size. The surface
should be suitably leveled and resodded.
and Hover bed or two might be placed on
each side Of the roadway to advantage In
view OF the ornate shrubbery and floral
decoration of the triangle on the opposite
side of Pennsylvania avenue In the center
OF which rises ma jestically the equestrian
statue OF Gen. Hancock, the unkept and
shabby condition OF the reservation to
which l invite attention stands out with
more than ordinary conspicuousness With
It's nne large trees and its general siuIa-
ton. 1t is susceptible Of being transformed
into a beautiful miniature park
Although the Hancock triangle Is not an
large as either half of the south-sde reser-
walton, 1t has cement walks with seats
These walks ought to be laid out In the
south-side space. and with seats placed be-
meath the trees. this little park would be-
come shady and favorite resting place in
summer AS 1t stands now IL serves no
useful purpose whatsoever, and it is high
time 1t was given the overhauling and re-
Juvenation 1t deserves.
One Needed Improvement.
There is one Improvement in this imme-
date vicinity. however, which should come
in for present congratulations, as will the
improvement of the reservation I'm question
come in for later commentator when made,
and that is the change in the space situate
L
street. Louisiana avenue Pennsylvania ave-
nue. and 9th street.
THE center of this space is occupied by a
large fountain of the old-style type, in the
ample basin of which the street urchins OF
the vicinity have been wont on torrid days
to indulge In free swns when the bike
cop wasn't lookin'.' An old iron fence and
cement walks in various stages of spinal
meningitis once surrounded this fount ain
Happily, with the raising of the grades on
9th street and Pennsylvania avenue the
space around the fountain has been filed
IT. and resodded. so that now the entire
space presents an improved and up to-date
appearance which is in decidedly pleasing
contrast with past conditions
Streets Adjacent to the Market.
Il observed an article I'm The Star re-
| Gently calling attention to the badly paved
and insanitary condition of street In the
immediate vicinity of the market, and 1t
seems to me that the scope of that obser-
walton should be extended to nearly all OF
the street surfaces in the locality at PRES
ent under discussion. In nearly all in-
stances the street surfaces are old and un.
even and should be smoothly resurfaced.
| This Is particularly true since they are
given over to firms carrying on market and
produce business. from which there must of
necessity be an immense amount of waste
and refuse matter scattered on the street
pavements daily. and which cannot be prop
erly swept and gathered up from uneven
surfaces
The improved resurfacng of Pennsylva-
MIA avenue serves to bring the opposite con-
dition of the various street surfaces in the
vicinity of the market into greater contrast
than when the old conditions obtained, and
improvements all around in this direction
might be begun to the decided betterment Of
the neighborhood.'