The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1910-06-22
WASHINGTON LETTER
BY CARL sCHOFIELD. Special Core
sDondent.

SpOnOent.
Washington business and profession.
al men met at the Chamber of Com.
merce rooms the other night to discuss
ways and means of making Washing
ton the great convention city of the
country. One of the suggestions was
to raise u permanent fund, which will
be available for campaign work in get
ting conventions to come to Washing
ton and also in helping to entertain
the delegates when they come here.
Anacostia Flats Improvement.
The conference committee on the
rivers and harbors bill having agreed
on an appropriation Of $23O,OOO for
continuing the work Of improvement
of the Anacostia river, it may be as.
sumed as certain that this sum for
that great betterment will be carried
by the bill as finally enacted. This is
another distinct and important step to-
ward the abatement of what is almost
a public nuisance and is a guarantee
that this Improvement, so essential to
the health and beauty of Washington.
will be pushed to speedy completion.
This n time clean. clear and ro-
mantle river has been shoaling and
fouling for many years until it has be-
come a serious menace to the health
and happiness of thousands of citizens
and a check on property values in the
southeast section Of the city and the
southeast suburban area.
Reclamation Long Delayed.
1t is hoped that the time is not
far off when this long. wide stretch of
marsh and stagnant water, dirty and
disease breeding. will be transformed
into a park where multitudes will find
sunshine. greenery and good air.
The improvement has been tardy in
the making. For years the various citi.
zens' associations have been hammer
ing ut congress to drain and reclaim
this extensive cesspool. Everybody
knows that it is often hard to convince
congress of the need of spending mon
ey for improvements in a place that
happens not to be a congressional cleo
ton district. But the weight Of public
opinion and the incessant reiteration
of sound argument and the effective
assistance of good friends of Washing
ton among our influential legislators
are at last producing results.
Old Time Washington.
1t was about 1920 when the citizens
OF Washington began to show interest
in u%pbuilding the city and surrounding
fhn UnypY,1 Innnf n1ifnoc with ~ oon,
munity that would be a credit to the
capital of the nation. But at that time
1t was Il mere germ of what it has be-
come. and indeed the people of that
day would have been pronounced in
sane had they predicted the present
Washington.
May 10. 1890, the charter of the city
of Washington replaced former acts.
In the lines of the city was a popula-
ton Of 10000. 10000 being white, while
the Districts population. including Al
eXandria and Georgetown, aggregated
$4,000.
Streets Unimproved.
Before this date neither the local nor
general government had done much
" lLS II " - lii
few of them We're more than mere
passable roads. The public grounds
west of the capitol extended on the
north side of the avenue to Sixth street
and on the south side to -Four and One
half street, but the square adjoining
the capitol grounds between First and
Second streets interviewed. Along the
.--Al It'll 80 tI>o ~~@r,> - ,r,n ~
between -Four and One-half and Sixth
streets ran the city canal. The govern
ment had improved the avenue from
the capitol grounds to the executive
departments, and boarding house keep
| ers in the neighborhood of the presi-
dents house We're accustomed to notify
members of congress and others in ad-
refreshments that their houses were ''ir
easy walking distance of the capitol"
Dress Of Other Days.
There yet lived here numbers who
had helped achieve the independence
Of the nation, who We're loath to give
up the old style of dress-cocked hat,
Shadbclly coat and small clothes. With
the government had come numbers OF
mel prominent in scientific and liter.
airy circles. and as there We're a nun
Der Of residents of like in~clinations
soon there was a community equal il
intellectual standing to any Of its size
Banks and Churches.
The Bank OF Washington had not
left its building on New Jersey avenue
for its present location ut Louisiana
avenu and Seventh street. The Bank
Of the United States had located at the
corner of Thirteenth and + streets. the
Patriotic bank on the avenue between
Ninth and Tenth streets and the Bank
Of the Metropolis at Fifteenth and L
streets. There were ten church build
ings-two Baptist, two Catholic. one
Friends or Quaker. two Methodist,
two Presbyterian and one colored
Methodist.
Other churches were contemplated
one each Oy the Catholics. EDiScODa.