The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1909-04-23
WORTHY OF NATION
CAPITAL SOON TO BE FINEST
CITY IN THE WORLD.
Movements on Foot to Enlarge and
Beauty Washington Already
Are in Evldence-NeW Depot
a Mark Of Progress.

Though not entirely completed, the
new Union station in Washington is
such a vast improvement over the
previous railroad terminal equipment
of the capital that the inaugural WIS.,
itors who have made trips there on
other occasions must have been deep
ly impressed. They came through a
gateway of great artistic attractive
less. They found themselves landed
in a station which possesses every
possible convenience for the comfort
of the traveller. Everything is on a
generous scale. A crowd OF 10000 peo-
pie can be handled with less friction
now than was occasiOned four years
ago in the arrival of a thousand. Ten
trains can discharge their loads stimuli
taneously without causing more than
a neighborly touching of elbows,
pouring into one of the stations at
the same time would block every pas
sage and cause infinite confusion.
This change is the token of the new
Washington, the national capital as
1t is soon to be, in all its equipment.
For the day is now at hand when the
people of this country are demanding
that their national center be made a
credit to the republic. The federal
legislators have felt the quickening
impulse Of this sentiment and stand
ready nov in more generous measure
than ver before to proceed with the
evolution of the ideal capital upon
broad lines.
Just outside of the station the new
conner sees a wide expanse of territory
f1anked by the capitol and the senate
office building. 1t is now an unlovely
stretch in some respects, raw and
rough along the outer edges, and OBJ
viously in a transition state A screen
Of evergreen trees has been put in po-
sition around the outer curves of the
street car lines, barely hiding the un-
even spaces where the work of filling
has not been finished. There is an
ugly huddle of half-buried buildings
left in their awkward plight by the
change of grade, perhaps eventually to
w AohSA INV LAX pIoLo ava W. AoAA
ing that, to be replaced by attractive
business buildings. The government
contemplates-how leisurely the pro
c%eedings will be is not to be predicted
the acquisition of the as yet unta
ken land lying directly between the
station and the Capitol park. 1t has
been proposed to place somewhere or
fhof craoo n noI1o =, ,1,io1 IN hpo
ham Lincoln, where, as an earnest ad
vocate of the plan declares, it can be
seen and appreciated by the American
people every time the train in
This now untrimmed, ~undecoratet
station plaza will some day be one o
the most fanous places in the United
States. Tardily but effectively ths
truth has been appreciated at the cap
itOl that this city of Washington
stands before the world as the sea
Of a great government, a world lead
er; that it is the center of American
thought, an ever increasing power 70
the uplift of humanity. The obliga
zion resting upon congress to max,
this city attractive in its garb. to Civ,
it no less than the best in all detail
of official Quitting and to place it O.
the highest possible plane of municipal
efficiency is ~impressing itself annual,
more deeply upon the legislators, an
this art!stically attractive, practicall
useful terminal. a model of cOnven:
ence and a credit to the public spiri
of the railway corporations, is one @
the results.
When another Inauguration day al
rives Washington expects to welcom
it's host of friends with the plaza con
plete in all respects, SO that the incon
ing visitor will step forth to behold
scene that cannot be equaled in an
other city in the world.