Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-18
SOUTH OF THE POTOMAC
Territory Extending From Great
Falls to Mount Vernon.
OF THE H0ME.0WNER
Effect Seen in the Revival Of the
Agitation for the Remuneration Of
Alexandria County.

The details of the plans OF the recently
organized Country Club near Jewell. q
station Of the Old Dominion and Great
Falls Electric railway, are being perfect
ed. A site for the clubhouse has been Sc
lected and Its erection is to be started as
soon as the design can be completed. In
the meantime a temporary clubhouse is
being built which will be in reality what
might be called a caddy house and which
will contain mainly one large reception
room. When the clubhouse is ouiie
this structure Is SO situated tnst ~ can
be used as a garage or carriage house.
A nine-hole course has been laid out ana
II is expected 1t will be In readiness by
the middle of September The organisa-
ton of such a club Is something new TOT
that locality, which only recently has be-
gun to be developed as a suburb, or, more
properly speaking, place OF residence
for people doing business IN this city.
The opening of the electric railway start
ed the development and 1t has been going
on ever since, so that there is q promise
now that the banks Of the Potomac In
that section will be dotted with settle
ments.
Progress in Suburban Improvements.
This is only a part Of what Is being
done toward extending and building up
the suburbs of the city. AS Is well
known, the country district around Wash
ington was until comparatively recent
years to be found Immediately on the
original borders of the city Besides,
there were wide stretches within these
limits which were still unoccupied and
were known as commons. The Milling up
Of the building sites within the latter re-
giOn and the remarkable extension or
dwellings far beyond have been the fea-
lures of a material growth that has but
few parallels.
At the present time the original city site
is known only as a matter OF historical
knowledge, while the territory of the en-
tire District is in fact as we'll as In name
the seat of government of the United
States, the Capital city Of the nation. The
movement of the population across the
borders into the neighboring states Of Vir-
ginia and Maryland began some years ago
and has been going steadily on. Owing.
it is believed, to the better facilities of
access to Maryland. due in the first place
to the steam railroads and then to the
trolley roads, the progress OF suburban
extension began earlier and has reached
higher point in that state than has been
the case in Virginia.
influence Of the Trolley.
But within the past few years troll
ley road was built to Falls Church and
more recently continued to Fairfax and
line was built to Alexandria and on to
Mount Vernon. The latest enterprise of
this sort Is the road to the Great Falls
passing along the Virginia side Of the
river and opening for the first time for
suburban settlement all that region OF
country which occupies on that side of the
river what is known as the Highlands OF
the Potomac. There, as on the opposite
side. the land is nigh and forms the
sides of the gorge through which the river
swiftly runs after its series % tumbies
over the rocks at Great Falls. The
scenery is varied and pleasing from the
sweep of the forest-clad hills to the
If a taht0land
The three trolley roads that operate In
Virginia are looked upon as promising
properties. In some cases this View Is
based upon the future receipts more than
is reputed to be more than paying Its
operating expenses. while the Mount Ver-
non which is now In new hands. has been
much improved and Is also said to De 40
ing q satisfactory business. Quite recent
ly the Falls Church road was taken from
the hands OF receivers and the new man
agement looks forward to the rewards
that usually follow an intelligent service
on the part of such corporation.
A Permanent Population.
But in all these cases the returns which
are being received and are looked for
must be based to q large extent on what
comes from meeting the needs OF the peO-
pie who live along the several lines. On
this account 1t may be expected that the
suburban movement in Virginia as going
to receive new stimulus. OF course both
in the case of the Old Dominion road and
of the Mount Vernon road the excursion
business to Great alls and Luna Park
and Mount Vernon is an important feature
Of the business of these companies. but
after all the value of the growth In the
population depending on them Is always a
vital consideration. Although, OF course.
n is the practice here, as well as else
where to criticise more than to commend
public service corporations OF this sort.
still It will no doubt be admitted by the
seyerest Judgment that street car travel
both I'm and about the city IL cheap, and
that in many respects the service il fair
ly adequate and In some instances ample.
At any rate suburban growth has gone
on at an amazing rate.