Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-01

ington is sketched in broad outlines in
the reports Of the Washington Board OF
4 Trade. which cover q vital period of the
Icapital's history. dating from the organ
ixation Of the board to the present. and
in some Of these reports one may read
q comprehensive outline Of Washington
development from the time of the re-
moval Of the seat of government to the
Potomac valley.
The reports of the Board Of Trade ex-
tend back to 1890. and in that year, mot
quite a quarter Of century ago, s6ne
steam railroad Occupation of" Streets.
street crossings and pubic parks. In the
early. part Of that year the, Baltimore and
Potomac Rallfoad co<1bany twas under
Indictment for sidetracks Illegally laid
which traversed and occupied without
authority property Of the United States"
that the railroad proposed to apply to
congress (Which it did) for legislation
iegaiizing these tracks and giving it in
| addition power to condemn for its uses
property adjacent to its tracks in South
Washington South Washington was in
| sition to giving the railroad an unlimited
power Of condemnation. and there was q
strong desire in AL sections of the city,
similar to- that which prevails in most Of
the large citiss today, for relief from sur
face tracks and grade crossings. That
was the year when Vice President Thomp-
son of the Pennsylvania railroad had his
celebrated Interview with the. officers of
the Board of Trade. and the railroad and
transportation committees of the board
! and in which he treated the representa-
ftives Of the people OF Washington as
though they might have been a delegation
of trackWalkers asking for wage in
crease. 1t was the year in which the
House OF Representatives voted practi-
callE in favor Of removing the Pennsyl-'
vania station from the Mall, and after
ward reconsidered and reversed its action.
What changes have come in the railroad
situation in the capital in the few years
since then! No grade crossings withn the
CITY, a Union station. one OF the worio
great railroad terminals, and peace be-
tween the railroad companies and the
population of Washington!
In that wear the reclamation of the
Potomac flats was proceeding. and mud
banks were visible where. now trees ana
flowers grow, autos whiri and men anu
women promenade Then the Long bridge,
grim. ugly and rickety. stretched across
the river.-its wooden bulk and its cause
way threatening Washington with nooo
whenever the ice in:the river broke up or
when SHOWS melted or. rains fell IN ehe
mountains to the west
The question of the extension OF e"e
streets of Washington to what were
then suburban areas. but now c'ose's
built up. was under agitation. A o'n
was before Congress for the extension
of the streets and avenues. but IT faiieo
Of massage. The report Of the Board VI
Trade said:
1.-The rim of Washington has oeeh
knocked off, and already many me resi- e;.,
dences have been erected ou!se a I
limits. Many Of the subdivisions ad1aI aa
10 Washington are irregular and IN ley
instances do the streets and avenues SDn
form to the general plan OF our ei.s. M
ground is rapidly increasing IN value AZ"
stems should be taken at the earnest 'no
mept to carry into effect the great plan
conceived and inaugurated by the pro--
jectors and founders OF our city.
IF the work of highway extension ana
conformation had been undertaken ten
or twenty years sooner the new WASH
inston beyond the boundary wouid ae
more beautiful, symmetrical and ORDERLY
in plan. The need of extension was
recognized as early. as lSIb, "hen req!
resentative Leavenworth introduced
hill. which was not acted on having
this end In view:
The need of a new city. post ONCE
building was urgent The aaltatioh &c
suited in the erection OF CITY post
office and federal Post Office Depart
ment building combined, and lack OF
forest rht on: tiie part- o9sths Responsible
government officers resulted in the cree
ton of a ,sstEuctvte chat is an9eyesore:
To pennsylvania avenue and destructive
ef the harmony of-1lis plan for the de-
velopment of the capital which in the
future is . be carried into effect. -.
The bill or the creation of Columbus
Park or Rock Creek, Park, had been
enacted, and contemplation proceedings
were soon to be begun. The act eseao-
fishing the Geological Park had also
lust been passed. In that year people
were beginning to talk of the centennial
of Washington, ten years in the future
and now fourteen years past. There was
agitation of the need of a District
building. the Washington and George
town Railroad Company was laying
cable lines on the Avenue. 7th and 14th
streets. the Anacostia railroad was lay
ing tracks into the center of the city,
the lexington and Soldiers Home rail-
road was building and the Metropolitan
railroad was about to make trial of
operating cars with storage batteries.
The Ford's Theater disaster had not &C.
CURED, the building of the Library of
Congress was not complete, Washing
ton had no free Public Library. resi-
dents in the high part of Washington
could not get running water in the up
per stories of their homes, and the
peoples drinking water was con-
taminated with typhoid germs How
much water has passed under the
bridges in fcw years,