Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-18

..Frayed edges is familiar enough as
a phrase, and also as an actual condi-
tion-in the experience of most people, at
any rate-but mostly as applied to clothes.
II Is not often used to describe section
or part of a city Nevertheless, 1t Is
apt and accurate when applied to such
locality as the northern border OF Po-
tomae Park All that portion of the
city extending from 18th street to the
Potomac and for a few squares north OF
street has edges of that sort, the
usual outskirts of a large center IL
is a region of unpaved streets, of scat
tered houses-mostly frame-and of dwell
inRs that might almost be called shacks.
The latter class. however, has about
disappeared, owing, probably, to the
operation there of the recent law which
allows the public authorities to condemn
and remove buildings found to be in
sanitary. Not very long ago-perhaps
not more than a year-there was quite
a nest of these old ramshackle struc-
lures that were mainly novels. patched
up with odd pieces of galvanized IRON.
But such improvements, to use the
market term, were quite good as the
neighborhood as it was then, for there
could hardly be imagined place less
desirable for the location of the home
than this general vicinity before the work
of turning the marshy banks or the
Potomac into a park had fairly begun.
Even after that important Improvement
for the city had been started, II was
an undertaking of years, and there was
plenty Of time for the fruitful earth that
had been scooped off of the bottom of
the river channel and dumped on the
fats along it's banks to bloom and bios
som. So it did. IL not exactly with
blooms, yet with a luxuriance of growth
that soon covered the reclaimed land with
a mass of tangled greenery.
Once a Tangled Thicket.
1t was not long before what is now
Potomac Park, with It's graceful sweep of
driveway and lawn adorned with shrub
berry. became a tangled thicket wild and
uncared for and with all the savage wild
ness and disorder that Is found when ma
ture is left to it's own devices. 1t was
not. pleasant outlook in those days.
whatever Ii may be today, and the vicin-
ity Of Potomac Park was rather summed
than otherwise. There also came stories
Of men living in those thickets, of its be-
ing a refuge for those who for one rea-
SON or another wanted to keep away from
the police Here the crap players gather
cred and some times the unsuspecting
stranger who had been seeing the sights
of the city in the company of some guide
CSCOIISQ
anxiety that might be due to the pos
session of cash.
When one passes along b street west or
18th street today, with the recollections
Of what the Potomac fats once were, the
rather mean appearance of the north side
of the street and for several blocks to the
north does not seem as surprising as If
Ii were seen only from the standpoint OF
the beauty and the attractiveness OF the
park on which II now borders.
Shacks Have Disappeared.
While the shacks have disappeared. yet
thus far nothing has taken their place
that seems at all permanent 1t is not,
however. anticipated that the future will
witness much that will be notable in the
way of building. On the contrary, it Is
the opinion Of men who have given some
attention to this locality and its probable
future that 1t is more likely to become
the center OF business establishments and
small manufactures than to have any
other use.
II is believed that to some extent it
will take the place of the locality south
Of Pennsylvania avenue between 18th
street and 9TH street, which is eventually
to come into the use of the government as
il Is thought. At any rate lumber yard
is already there and there are also sew
eral laundry plants and machine shops
and other places Of the sort 1t would
seem when looking over the delightful
stretch of Potomac Park with the great
broad surface of the river separating it
from the line OF Virginia hills that there
could be no more delightful place for a
residence. and that is actually the case.
But in this city the vicinity of such a
fine Improvement as the Potomac Park
does not enhance the attractivepess, al
least in the eyes of purchasers of the
bordering property. The condition Of the
Immediate vicinity of the Capitol and Its
noble park is q standing proof of that
tendency.
Notable Changes Occur.
1t is not thought that B street ives,
of 18th street will become a residence
locality, although q few blocks TO ths
north and along this belt of the frayed
out portion of the city a notable change
has taken place In the character and the
appearance Of the improvements. 50 tha
it has made long strides back to the con
ditions when the locality south Of Penn
sylvania avenue and west of 18th stree
was one of the choice resident sections o.
the city.
New houses have been built. apartment
houses located there, while old houses
some OF them having all the charm of TIT
old-time home when space was not quite
~ precious as it has since become, hav,
heen remodeled and now stand fortl