The Washington herald., 1908-04-20

Frsnklia. and jefferson: whose improvement in
the most important arts of life Is advancing With
an impulse unexampled Ia the history Of any
people
Aud It was during this period Of infancy that
Georgetown gave friendly shelter to the builders
q the yOung republic The tract of ten miles
square, chosen as e seat for the nations capital
city. Included Geozgefewn in is boundaries and
its refined and distinguished social life made
stable background for the floating society which
govern aent brought after 1890 TO Washington. Sen
atoIs. Representatives Secretaries, and visit al
sought Georgetown as a home. and Gntil he Fat
went forth requiring foreign ministers to reside in
the actual limits q the governmental city they
were regularly established Ia Georgetown Al sorts
Of stories cling 20 various old places from these
transient residents Affairs oi state. social. senti-
mental. political, their name Is legion. but they
are ghosts Of the past. As the besutifui plan Of
fEnfant for the city Of George Wasiiington's
drcams was developed public improvements cen
centTated nearer the center and no new ways Of
communication we're opened 70 give vent to tie
growing needs Of the older section There for many
years houses were mora than streets, gardens. and
trees a necessity Is a setting for homes, bat Of
late the trees have been sacrificed to the builder
and picturesque Rock Greek 10 the sear:fcstion Of
the dump.
The ugly. sloyenly approaches to Georgetown have
been endured With more or less undisguised I'm
patience for nearly generation Taxed az an equal
rate with the rest Of the Capital Cts since lS7l
Georgetown has lost its curp0TaLs responsibility
without gaining the greater advantages Of civic de-
VeoImeut. What once the court end Ct the
DisSict l. now isolated BY unsightly means Of eem-
municaiion and absolutely without a PARK, and
the women a the District, nine-tenths Of them
property OBneTs, alive 70 the needs Of the rising
generation, have united to petition from Congress
An iFon bridge Rock Greek connecting Q street
tastefuily parked az its approaches its banks re-
deemed b. paintings Of laurel and rhod0dendron. in
order to secure entrance 70 the residence por-
tion Of Georgetown free from the possibility Of
encroaching buildings aad for park On George
town Heights
Air. light water, and highways are primary con
dti0ns Of Civilization and next 10 thar human lie
needs exercise. No child, bog or girl, should be
forced to play in the gutter no youths reduced TO
loungng IN tie streets. With a population u
m Georgetown. and the need for change Is inpcra-
tive. The purchase IS pe5itioned. II the Mont
rose" tract Of sixteen acres Georgetoan Heights
would give 70 the entire District. as well as to
Georgetown, new pleasure ground and orua-
ment.
Ideals realized slowly. % I0ng efforts. after
many failures and constant mistakes WHAT g
done cannot but Be regretted but with the ideal
Ct the most beautiful city IN the world as an *
preston 0f the Development Of their nation ever
before them. the wsmen of the District are earn
esy petti0ning for the preservation Of the Trime7sl
trees and centuTy-0d sod Of .'Montrose'' as an
education and developing environment fer the thou
sands of children now forced 10 asphalt and brick
for their playground and for az iron bridge oTer
Rock Creek a. Q street, that there mas be q new
CIVIC growth along broader lines made possible.