The Washington herald., 1909-04-28

trees. Trees guard every avenue they
cluster in thickets on the reclaimed PO-
tomac fats, the plaza OF the future.
they stand in primevaI grandure on the
hundreds ef acres Of Rock Creek Park.
When the proposed Lincoln memorial has
been erected. the Grant Memorial Bridge
across the river built. the further plans
OF the city beautifers viii have added the
bed and banks OF Rock Creek 20 the
Speedway plan and a drive VIII follow
the silvery stream where i is now ugli-
fed by dumpage and trash. The Burn
ham plans call for white administration
buildings all along the mall from the
White House 10 the Capitol, and sug-
gest q memorial arch on the great hill
at the foot Of Sixteenth street.
IN 1902 there were only four cities in
the United States with definite well de-
fined plans Cleveland vas a pioneer
n the movement, having inaugurated a
city beautifuT' crusade IN 1893. Now
there are fifty or more. The latest OF
these iss Denver, with new scheme re-
Gently approved by its park board. call
ing for radical changes in its existing
plans and for the expenditure Of S3,000-
coo. Memphis. whose park system Is
only few years old. is negotiating for
the site OF an old railway depot. 70 be
beatifed and added 10 the parks as j
children's playground New Orleans, w.
Bienvilles old plan. and salt Lake City.
with its mathematical squares. just as
Brigham Young drew them. have di-
esressed in varying degrees from original
plans Detroit's plan IS copied from
Washington. San Francisco. missing &
great opportunity for making Of Itself
the model city OF the world. IS rebuild
ing from its disaster on pretty lines.
out not unlike the old ones.
New York. seeing a relief OF congested
population with the completion Of each
lew bridge. has had plans drawn for a
parking about the water fronts Chicago
expects 10 restore many OF the good fea-
tUres Of the Columbian Exposition in a
new park system, and Boston. with the
highest per capita expenditure on pal ks
f any city in the United States. and with
he first women's civic improvement So
-ieties, is redeemlng land and building
t-fL pa NJ AAoAl-eA-, N-a-1 -N-aA tf4AI u N-Al
.ardest sights for Improvement, being
handicapped by its charter. When ali the
Ither big cities were pointing with pride
20 their new buildings. their parks ard
their systems Of beauiiG alton. Kansas
City took an inventory and found that Il
had not one acre OF park land The char
ter was revised, land condemned and
bought. and after twelve years work Il
showed over two thoUsand acres Of park
to its credit. The preservation Of \ part
Of the famous old Santa Re trail came in
the way Of its driveway making.
Cleveland. with monumental municipal
and Federal buildings and its giant rail
way station. improved itself on q plan
that cost from s20.00a.o90 20 S53.o50095
Providence. Harrisburg. Philadelphia,
Hartford. St Louis. and Springfield hate
long since wheeled into line with the pro-
cession Of cities beautiful. and there is
daily record OF other cities planning and
questioning and legislating with the aim
OF civic improvement along all lines well
in view. The little town OF Gary. Ind.
which prophesy says VIII one day rival
Chicago. was all planned on paper be-
fore stone was laid, and its potential
beauty is already apparent
Aside from the artistic and sanitary
Uplift that comes TO city from the erec-
ton OF beautiful public buildings. Crea-
ton Of parks and Fairgrounds and the
opening Of long avenues with complement
OF trees and flowers. there is the eco
nOmic and moral value that Is often
overlooked. Paris. for example. has spent
more than SOS. 600, ,05) under the HaUsmann
plans. and IS spending more L is said
that with such focal points as the Arch
Of Triumph. the Place Of the Nations.
the Bastile. &c. resemblance 10 Ten
fant's plan Of Washington IS clearly. seen
Increased beauty means increased at
tTactivenesS 70 tourists. and il is said
that the expenses. past and prospective
Of regenerated Paris have already been
more than paid by increased tourists
travel. Il lies in the power OF every
American city Of ambition and energy TO
reap a Ike financial harvest in the com
Ing years Il Il only lives up 20 its chances
The moral effect OF civil improvement
is said 10 be one Of the biggest argu-
ments in favor OF city beautifying- When
ShaftesbUry street was cut through the
London slums some years ago. bringing
light. health. and beauty into some OF
the most degraded Centers. the decrease
in crime was not only notable. but mar
velOus- Crime connot live among beauti-
ful things. nor can it flourish long in
Gods Out-of-doors, 50 every new civic
building, every new statue. every ad-
ditional foot OF park or playground means
q big gain for the health and the morality
Of that municipality.
Copyright, 1905, bJ Frederic J. Hassin)
TO-mOrrOw-The Tide Of Tourists.