Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-21

on / street opposite the freight yards
and covering good portion or CITY
square is the plant of the Standard oii
Company, while the rest of the ground In
that block is occupied by stone-cutt1nS
establishment. To the west of South Cap
itol street, as well as to the south. Is
much unoccupied ground. in fact. whole
squares of it. The condition of that sec
tion has not changed much apparently
since the days early in the past century.
when it was expected the principal busi-
ness of the city would be centered about
the Eastern branch and much was done
with such a prospect in view.
A marked contrast, however. may be
noted in the development of the section
north of Virginia avenue and along winch
the steam road passes and that of the
region to the south. There is also diff
ference in the appearance OF the locaItS
Immediately west of New Jersey avenue
and north of Virginia avenue and that
which lies to the east of it. The modern
city has come TO the border OF the rail-
road line at least on the east side OF
New Jersey avenue. For on the west
of that avenue stands the great power
house which supplies the Capitol and the
group of buildings about it with heat
and light, a handsome enough bul!dlng,
INTELLECTUALLY. with its stacks of COM
manding height, but standing in the
midst of grounds which remain in the
same rough state they were while the
work of building was going on.
Contrast of Trim Lawns.
Perhaps this neglect would not be as
noticeable If it was not for the contrast
which is presented in the trim lawns and
attractive shrubbery of Garfield Park
that lies just on the other side of New
Jersey avenue. 1t is on that side the
modern city has stretched out with its
rows of attractive homes that come quite
down to the edge of the park. There
are no suggestions of recent building on
the west side of the avenue that is near
TO 1t. and the same may be said of the
entire region both east and west OF New
Jersey avenue as soon as the bridge Is
passed which carries the roadway over
the railroad tracks IN fact, there is
little that may be called modern TO be
seen in the way of buildings. 1t Is a
region of unpaved roadways for the most
part, and in some cases the sidewalks
are still to be laid. What was not done
a century ago. 1T is almost possible TO
say without exaGseration. has not been
done, for the most part since in the way
of providing good streets and sidewalks
and other features of city.
An Old-Fashioned Pavement.
In the days before even cobblestone
pdNeUeHJS were knoWH the CITY
ties devised a pavement which was made
by laying on the surface of the roadway
stones of all shapes and sizes in the hope
that in the course of time the tide of
travel would smooth down the angles and
the corrugations. There Is specimen
of this sort of street improvement still
to be found in this locality, and it dem
Onstrates what is perhaps OF no special
value now, that time and usage does not
correct TO any appreciable extent the in
equalities of such pavement. The We
hicles rattle about 1t in much the same
fashion, no doubt. as they did when the
work was first done. and perhaps in time
for Gen. Washington to pass over il on
one of his visits 10 the city.
But the Iavements of this type that re-
main and. in some cases. they extend
side by side with the most modern. are
not the only suggestions of the days of
Washington that one can find in the wide
stretch OF the city area that lies on both