The Washington herald., 1909-03-21
Some COntributory Causes
that Have Assisted.
MANY CITIES GO THAT WAY
Speculative Values Of Realty on
Capitol Hill, Tradition says
Started Ball RoIHnE-White House
Drew fhut Eay-Street Railroads
Completed the work Begun

I
asks some pointed questions about why
I property values in one portion Of the Dis
I trict do not measure up 70 those IN an
other and requests the views Of the editor
/ OF this section upon the causes The let
/ ter follows.
Being a rather constant reader Of your
paper. 7 am sufficiently acquainted with IL
7 10 place great confidence in what you
print. In view OF this fact. I am desir-
! Gus Of asking you 10 collect and publish
4 some facts that know would be read by
1 hundreds OF others Of your subscribers as
well as myself The question is What IS
the matter with the real estate in the easc
I section Of Washington and the suburban
+ lands adjoining within the District boun-
dries?
Wants TO Get at Facts.
The short time have been living II
3 this city I have been so busily engaged
that / have not had time 20 study this
question thoroughly. and probably II
did have the time would not be as Ike
/ ly 10 arrive az the true facts as one %
your experienced men would Probably
your answer win be 10 go 70 some real
estate firm which has holdings IN that
/ section: but. as YOU know, the prejudice
OF their view IS almost prOverb.1L
would Ike 20 know the facts and I DO
J believe that ~ the facts were collected
/ bl your realty reporter and published IN
your real estate section IL would prove u
great interest 20 any number Of readers.
while YOU would be doing me a favor I
/ could not forget.
The burning question with me- is L
/ have q small sum Of money 90 invest, bur
not large enough 20 buy holdings In The
/ northwest section. The prices m the ees--
z ern section just about TT me. but j am
/ unable 90 understand the prejudice
/ against purchasing IN that section
May Extend the Streets
From recent news items see that -
I is proposed 90 extend the streets our
/ there. and probably extend the car lines
I'm your estimation. how Ions WIZ it he
! before this viii be realized Who are the
I inhabitants Of the eastern secicn2 Gen
eraIly good2 White or black2 Do yoU
know how the realty values have In
I creased there or late years2 Would yof
! advise me 20 make an investment theree
r Why do people desire 10 live IN the north
+ west IN preference 10 The eastern section
i 7 would much prefer that YOU hold my
name In confidence
Many cities Grow Northwest.
To explain why washington has grown
I iu the northwest direction instead or
! some other is impossible Many cities oc
( the United states. enough TO give the fact
/ almost the status OF a law. have likewise
grown in the north and west directions -
/ the neglect OF the other points Of COM
pass. II may be said 20 be the general
I trend Of things in American cities. other
things being equal
/ The cause Of such growth Of cities n
/ one direction mas never been satisfactorily
/ answered. That there Is a cause is prob
ably true. inherent in the people or the
/ country. but this development OF urban
B building is something Ike the walking or
I a right-hsnded man in 2 circle with ths
! center al his left hand when ne is lost
and in the opposite direction when he hap
( pens 10 he ieft-handed. II lies III The man
and the fact that one side of his brain g
q little more active than the other 50
cities. owing 10 some mysterious law -
growth In this country, generally expand
toward the northwest
In Washington some contributory infiu-
euccs have been At work which have I'm
mensely helped this growth along. II they
were nor the underlying causes In the
early history Of the Capital City it had a
} splendid expansion toward the east on
I Capitol Hill
Expected the City 10 Grow East.
II Is said 10 have been the expectation
+ of Washington and those who founded the
city that East Capitol street and the r.
/ Eion stretching i'm beauty away 20 the
AnacostIa River should be the chosen
place OF residence and the home Of the
great. the rich and the good in the FL
ture Tradition has lt that this plan re-
ceived its first diScouraC cement in the high
speculative values put upon real estate
east Of the Capitol in the early DAYS %
the city Tradition says that these values
/ became practically nrOhibitive. and thar
as Office holders and permanent residents
came 10 the new city they could not flnd
homes suited 70 their means in the splen-
die environment OF the east end and we're
Criven TO other portions Of the Federal
District.
The most available sites for building n
that day were just north Of the Capitol
and on the knoll over which John Mar
shall place now runs. AT all events. this
portion OF the young city Was soOr flied
with mansions which We'd with those east
OF the Capitol Once started the move
ment acquired momentum and the accre-
tjons 10 the population northwest Of tle
Capitol attracted others. and IA Few
years az least by iS4o. the east had lost
much Of its hold as the most popular
place OF residence
White House n Big Pact.
Another -big facf contributing 10 the
rorthwesterly growth OF the city was
that the White House. the social center
Of the Capital, was mile out PennsyI-
vunia avenue 20 the northwest True. in
the early day ;he journey over that mile.
through the quagmire which Pennsylya-
MIA avenue vas ia those DAYS. was not
pleasing 30 contemplate in muddy wealth
err yet il was toward the White House.
and not toward the Capitol that the So
cial leanings Of the people turned snd ~
1870 the trend Of the city toward ths
northwest was iTreVOcably sealed.
In later years came the pavements,
street car traffc. and all the glory and
luxury OF the modern city. The street
car. first drawn by horses. then bv tie
cable. and finally by the electric current,
has completed the work begun The men
Continued on Page 2, Column q.