Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-02-28

| not altogether blame me. but lay it to the
| misjudgment of the friends who nave
asked me to come upon the platform
Peculiar Beauty of Washington.
TT is impossible to live in Washington
and not be immensely struck by some
| peculiar features and some peculiar beau
| ty which your city possesses. In the first
place. its site has a great deal that Is
admirable and charming. There are hills
| inclosing a little space on all sides and
making a beautiful level amphitheater,
hills crowned with woods. and In many
places thanks to the hard ancient rocks
that come down as far as this. showing
bold faces, and giving much more strik-
Ing effects than we can have In the soft
and Chalky and sandy hills which sur
round London. Besides these hills and
running like a silver thread through the
middle of them is your admirable river.
The Potomac has two kinds of beauty,
the beauty of the upper stream. running
between bold heights crowned with wood.
and the beauty of the lake spread out
below the city into an immense Silvery
expanse.
Besides all this, you have behind
Washington a charming country. I am
sometimes surprised that no more people
explore that country on foot. 1t Is only
on foot you can appreciate its beauties.
On the north. east and west side of
Washington. and to some extent on the
south. or Virginia side also-although
greater on account Of the heavy mud in
the roads-the country is extraordinarily
charming, and I think more beautiful
than that which adjoins any Of the great
capital cities Of Europe.
ut Is true Vienna has charmingly ex-
quiSite scenery within twenty-five or
thirty miles. IT is true London has
charming scenery within about that dis
lance. But l know of no great city in
Europe that has anywhere near such
beautiful scenery so close to it 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 The river in the center beau
tiful hills. delightfully."- wooded, rise on
each side, and one may wander day after
day in new walks. l never have to take
the same walk. twice There is an end
less variety of footpaths There is no
limit to the variety of scenes and beau
ties the lover of nature may find within
fifteen miles of Washington, on each side.
Trees Part of the City.
"Nor is the city of Washington less
charming when you come to the matter
OF streets. l know Of no city in which
the trees seem to be so much a part of
the city as Washington. Nothing can be
more charming than the views up and
down the avenues, especially those that
look toward the setting sun catch
some glow Of the evening light. Look
down New Hampshire avenue look up
Connecticut avenue, or even along the
humble little N street which adjoins the
house where live, and you have the
most charming sylvan views. and all this
Is so by reason of the taste and fore
thought OF those who have administered
the government of the city and who have
planted different kinds Of trees. so that
you have different kinds Of sylvan views.
When you want a fine bold effect, what
could be grander than 10th street, with
Its bold hill on the one side, on the north,
and the hills of Virginia as the back
ground on the south.
Il do not mean to say that there are
not many other capitals in the world in
which nature has not been generous. You
have not, perhaps. the natural beauties
in some respects OF Constantinople the
Rio or Santiago, nor such bay as San
Francisco; but those are very rare things
of which there are few in the world, and
everything considered none of those
cities Is so advantageously situated in re-
spect to natural advantages as is Wash
ington.
"All these considerations make one feel
how much there is to be done. how much
opportunity there is for the further adorn-
ment and Identification of this city. You
have done so much that you are called
upon to do more. You have such an OPP
portunity here for doing great things
that it would be ungrateful to providence
and to history and to the men who placed
the city here If you did not take advan-
tage of it.