Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-16

There are not enough houses in the city.
There is a need Of more building lots.
For this reason steam shovels are at
work and tiny engines are drawing trains
of dump cars In the outlying sections OF
the city. Ravines are being filed up and
knobs shaved down. Stretches of land
with uneven surfaces are being smoothed
out almost as level as billiard tables with
rectangular streets to mark the blocks.
Along with the rise and fall Of the sur
face of the earth with its wooded heights
and retired dells which are being ironed
out smooth so that there can be houses
with all modern improvements, groups of
trees and masses Of shrubbery also must
give way. 1t must be admitted the land
scape does not look quite SO attractive
when such changes are made. but it Is
the way Of advance Of the modern city.
This was the course followed within the
old limits of the city. and now that beyond
the rim of hills that outlines those ltmits
a new city is springing up 1t Is not sur
prising that what is merely picturesque
in the scenery is giving way to the prac-
teal needs of the day.
West of Mount Pleasant street, along
which the Connecticut avenue cars pass,
to the northern terminus of the line a
a hill and loading the dirt and stone into
cars which are drawn along by an engine
to the dumping place. which Is the edge
of a ravine. All about are rows of houses
which have sprung up within the past
few years and now extend almost to the
edge Of Rock Creek Park. In fact, along
the line of Park road the houses now
practically reach the eastern edge of that
great pleasure resort or at least the road
way which skirts 1t on the east and is
known as Park drive.
North of Park Road.
To the north of Park road building
has been pushed SO far that the "farthest
north is now row Of houses looking
into a wooded tract about three blocks
north of Park road This is an ant,ci-
patton of the extension Of the car line,
which now stops at Park road, but which.
no doubt, eventually will be. continued
north beyond the Piney branch. as has
already happened in the case Of the 14th
street line OF cars.
the valley of Rock creek, the country
partakes of the general characteristics of
that region, which is broken and irreg-
ular. very picturesque and romantic to
the eyes, but puzzling and expensive
to the man who is called upon to provide
sites for city homes. 1t Is probable
that this latter consideration had a good
deal to do with the fact that a steam
city as the locality lying between 10Th
and Goth streets, a square or two north
OF Columbia road. If 1t had not been
for the dells and the heights with which
this section abounds there Is but little
question that the land would have been
built up some time ago. AS 1t is. the
course of building has gone up 18th
street and Mount Pleasant street, and
Ingleside has become part of the city
instead Of suburban subdivision.
II Is proposed now to make available
for building all the ground lying be-
tween Mount Pleasant street and Park
drive, and hence 1t Is that the steam
shovel and a train of cars are at work
cutting down mountains and filling up
valleys.
Piney Branch Covered Up.
Farther to the north, In fact, some dis
tance in that direction, and to the east.
one can observe a similar scene. but
even buster. where two steam s.iovels
are at work. This is the new section of
what is known as Saul's subdivision. and,
owing to a large extent to the activity
and enterprise of n. l.. Sansbury and
his corps Of statesmen, the section Of the
property already subdivided Is now pretty
wei built up. and more room or buiId-
Ing space Is wanted. So. on the east
side or l4th street. wide stretch of
ground Is being reduced to such a con-
dition that IT can be used for building
purposes.
Al one time Piney branch ran through
this property, and its course was marked
by a wooded glen with steep sides II
formed very attractive feature of the
locality solely from scenic point OF
view. but il was a serious obstacle TO the
march or improvements. Some time ago
Mr.. Saul, who controlled the property
undertook to reduce the course of PIney
branch to the order and regularity that
was demanded in a city, and SO. with the
cooperation of the District government.
a concrete tunnel was built and into II
the waters Of Piney branch have been
turned, and then the glen was filled up.
1t il possible to drive over ii now along
smooth street lined with houses.
But even with the problem of the Pihey
branch solved the locality was not yet