The Elbert County tribune., 1913-10-03
BEAUTIES OF THE CAPITAL
James Bryce Writes About Some Of
the Peculiar Features Possessed
by Washington.

It is impossible to live In Washing
ton and not be struck by some pecul-
lar features and some peculiar beau
ties which the city possesses. In the
first place. its site has great deal
that Is admirable and charming.
There is rising ground inclosing on
all sides a level space. and so making
beautiful amphitheater between hills
that are rich with woods, writes
James Bryce, late British ambassador,
In National Geographic Magazine.
On the north. east and west sides of
Washington. and to some extent on
the south. or Virginia, side also, al
though there the difficulties of loco
motion are greater on account of the
heavy mud in the roads, the country
is singularly charming. quite as beau
tful as that which adJoins any of the
great capital cites of Europe. except.
OF course. Constantinople, with its
wonderful Bosporus.
No European city has SO noble a
cataract in its vicinity as the Great
Falls of the Potomac magnificent
piece of scenery which you WILL of
course. always preserve.
Vienna has some picturesque coun-
try, hills and woods and rocks. within
a distance of twenty-five or thirty
miles. London also has very pleasing
landscapes of softer type within
about that distance; but know OF no
great city in Europe Except Constan-
tinople) that has quite close, In its
very environs. such beautiful scenery
as has Washington in Rock Creek
Park and in many of the woods that
stretch along the Potomac on the
north and also on the south side with
the broad river In the center and rich
ly wooded slopes descending boldly to
II on each side.
Berlin stands In sandy waste, per
fectly fiat, with here and there a
swampy pond or lake, and a sluggish
stream meanders through it 1t has
become, through the efforts of the
government and its own citizens, an
imposing city; but the environs can
never be beautiful. because nature has
been very ungracious.
st. Petersburg has splendid water
front facing its grand river, the Neva,
with Its vast rush of cold green water.
covered with ice in winter and chilling
the air and seeming to chill the land
scape In summer. That, however. is
the only beauty st. Petersburg has
The country is fiat and in many places
waterlogged. owing to numerous pools
and swamps.
Paris, again. has some agreeable
landscapes within reach. but nothing
at all striking. nothing nearly SO fine
in the lines of its scenery as the hills
that inclose the valley in which Wash
ington lies. and no such charm OF a
still wild forest as Washington affords
The same thing may be said of
Madrid. 1t stands on a level. and the
mountains are too distant to come
effectively into the landscape, and It's
only water Is a wretched little brook
let called the Manzanares.
Then there is our English London.
which stands in rather tame coun-
try. 1t is true that there are some
charming bits of quiet and pretty ru-
raj scenery in Surrey and Sussex,
within distance of from twenty to
thirty miles. and there are pleasing
beech woods covering the chalky hills
of Bucks. Yet nature has done moth
ing for London comparable to what
she has done for Washington.