Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-04-16

Few American cities have so attractive
an approach as the one to this city by
the Highway bridge, for as rule the
principal centers of population nave rag
ged fringes, the frayed edges of the mu-
nicipaI garment The borders of the city
north of the great bridge end with the
broad surface of the river that meets the
smooth, velvety sweep of the lawns OF
Potomac Park adorned with trees and
shrubbery.
South of the Highway and railway
bridges the river front presents .much
the same appearance as that of similar
localities in other cities where the IN
dividual owner is left pretty much to his
own devices in the way of making i'm
provements and the consequence is tue
water front of the Washington channel,
which is the principal shipping center OF
the city, presents clutter of all sorts OF
structures. which are not even PIC
turesaue i'm their confusion and disorder.
AS one enters the Highway bridge from
the south and looks at the city in the
distance with its charming Foreground
Of the Potomac Park. II IS loreSone
: conclusion that the impression gained Will
he a favorable one. This approach and
its twin bridge. both of which are
used alike by those who come to the
city from the nearby points reached pg
the trolley as well as by those who
travel from more distant points over
the steam road. is a medium Tor an
increasing number of people. TINS IS
quite evident as one notes the growth or
the population on the south side OF Ihe
river and which can be very fully seen
from the trolley road. which Is the nat
uraI artery for such growth
The suburban population. for sueh II IS
although on the soil of Virginia, does
not begin right at the river. Tor on the
one side is located the large estaohsh-
ments owned by the various brick plants
where ,,ie citys supply Is obtained, ana
on the other big abattoir and cotton
seed oil esta blishment. But ascendinS. as
the ground does. gradually. from me
rivers level, and reaching tie heights
which mark the horizon of the OUTDOOR
from the city to the west there are to ne
found groups of suburban homes. Inc
land in the long stretch OF the crest or the
encircling hills extending along the river
front almost from the Highway bridge to
the bridge in Georgetown is government
property and there Is located the hne ola
place dedicated to those who gave their
lives for their country and known as
Arlington.
The wooded slopes of Arlington, so
beautiful at all times. but especially so
at this season, are bounded on the north
and west b. the extensive GROUNDS OF
the cavalry post of Fort Myer. one of the
largest military stations In the country.
Turning to the north is TO be found the
subdivision of Fort Myer Heights. and
to the south and west Moores subdi-
vision large tract which is being clear
ed and made ready for home sites
Rapid Transit to Virginia.
Still to the west and just beyond. is
Clarendon. the scene of the most active
building operations throughout this zone
of the citys influence, which may be
said to extend from the river to Falls
Church, although the trolley road runs to
Fairfax Court House, a distance of TWEEN
ty-four miles. There is. of course, a
population derived from the city scattered
all along the trolley. as well as the
Buemont branch of the Southern rail-
road, but generally speaking. the suburb
an influence of Washington ends at
/ Falls Church an old established and ia
vorite residence place
Between Clarendon and Falls Church,
and at the latter point are two stations.
East and West Falls Church. the trolley
road executes in its course sort of
monster letter S, devised by the ingenuity
Of the railroad engineers to save con-
etrUction expenses. That was in the early
days. when the revenue was small but
now IL is apparent other and better days
have come, as the. course of the road Is
heine Strengthened out by filing UP ra-
vines and shoveling down hills.
This improvement will. no doubt, show
In the quicker schedules that will be pos
sible, and nowadays distances from the
business center entirely calculated by
the time tables of the trolley roads 1t is
now so many minutes from the city, not
30 many miles, and on this basis Ciaren-
don, for example. is only five minutes
from the Aqueduct bridge. and only
twenty-five minutes from the other troll
ley terminal at Pennsylvania avenue and
18th street. From this point of view
these places in Virginia, as prospective
buyers are informed. hold the same rela-
tive position to the center of the city as
such locality as Columbia Heights.
The growth of Clarendon may be at
tributed to two causes. first. the enter
prise of several men who have been and
are now building houses there for sale.
George Fl. Rucker. during the past fall
and winter has built nine houses facing
one side of one of the building blocks.
while the opposite side is fully built up.
George Straight is laying concrete walks
and IL building two large houses. one Tor
himself and the other for his son-m-iaw.
and there are others. 50 that the streets
are strewn with building material. ana
the sound of the hammer is heard.
Another reason for the growth OF this
center is apparently its location, which Is
at the apex of the triangle formed by the
two lines of the company operating the
trolley road. one line going to the Aque-
duct bridge and the other TO the High
way bridge. and thence to PENNSYLVANIA
avenue and 18th street. From Clarendon
to the west the road continues to Fairfax