The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-06

am very far from suggesting that 1t
should be national university in the
sense that it should be managed by the
nation through congress or necessarily
endowed by congress. But the national
capital should have a great university.
Beauty of Virginia Cliffs
"A reference to the Potomac leads mo
to speak of the splendid ridge of rocks
running up the Virginia side. They
have been sadly cut into quarries, spoil
ing the natural beauty of the rock,
but, after all nature will in time re-
pair those blemishes. Perhaps she will
not do so within the time of most of us,
but in the course of years, with rain
and frost and vegetation, nature will
soften the harshness of the rocks where
the stone has been taken away, and
you will again have picturesque
cliffs along the banks of the Potomac,
with the high green trees behind it.
Those are very valuable elements in
our Washington landscape.
Scenic Effects Marred
'sAll that you have in Iocll Creek
park. And yet | am told that a good
deal Of the land behind Rock Creek
iportion of the park has already been
, spoiled to a great extent at the place
where the Mount Pleasant road goes
down into the park by the erection Of
a row of houses. | do not know why
that was allowed to be done. A great
deal of land which lies behind Rock
Creek park on the left hand side as
you come down, a great deal of that
land does not belong to the district,
understand. And yet it is quite essen
tial to the beauty of Rock Creek park
that 1t should not be built upon.
THE builder has been stealing stead
ily forward into the park. Before long
that pretty piece of ground is likely
to be covered with buildings There Is
still time to stop that There is still
time to see that all is untouched by
buildings, at least that land between
Connecticut avenue and Rock Creek
and the continuation of Georgia avenue
on the other, or at any rate, the valley,
which is now wooded. shall be kept
forever as part of the Rock Greek
park
L. should like to go even further
although perhaps l am indulging in as
pirations not warranted by what may
reasonably be expected in the way of
appropriations, and consecrate the en-
tire Rock Creek valley for ten or fif-
teen miles above Washington to the
public. 1t is a beautiful valley. If you
take the Chevy Chase car until 1t
crosses Rock Creek and then walk up
the east side of Chevy Chase road all
the way down to Washington, follow
| ing Rock creek the whole way you
will pass through a variety of scenery
that is remarkable. Some day or other
that will be of infinite value to the
people of Washington when they want
to enjoy the beauties of nature.
True Value of Site Some Day
wo-cyiSlmsqoh iunayc -imllaiu oJuo
Some day the people are going to set
the true value upon these sites around
Washington and everything around Rock
Creek park and these various other
places and you will have to pay far more
for them than if YOU would buy them
now. This is a favorite moment, and If
YOU can but convince those who hold
the purse strings it will be good business
to buy them now. But outside of taking
this land for the purpose OF park, and
for the purposes of increasing the beauty
of Washington and its surroundings.
what a good investment it Will be? You
would be able to sell it for much more
than YOU paid for il, leaving out of con-
sderation entirely the question of using