The Washington times., 1914-03-31
ENLISTED
FOR 14TH STREET
L|GHT|NGCAMPA|GN
Merchants and Residents North
of Florida Avenue Sign As
Sociation'S Petition.

she support OF every merchant and
Is dent of upper Fourteenth street ha:
ecn enlisted by the Columbia Heights
nuzens' Association in the association
az paign for improved illumination OF
'curteenth street By the latter parr
the week the name of every residen,
nc business man on Fourteenth stree,
orth Of Florida avenue will have been
isned to the petition which is being
irV Vulated.
Tne committee in charge of the light
hf campaign will trv to get an audi
me with the District Commissioners,
1 which time the petition will be pre-
ented. 1t is probable that the commit
ee will ask for a public hearing in
he board room of the District building
order that the residents OF Four
esnth street and Columbia Heights
NAY formally present to the Commis-
ioners their reasons for demanding
lew lights on what is now one of the
PC st important thoroushfares of the
&ty.
Petitioners Confident.
embers of the Columbia Heights As
cc atior are confident the Commission
frs will act fayorably on the lighting
pr position. The need for a modern
iInt ting system on the street is so press
n they point out, that a delay in re-
IL ~in he
hoi only means continuative inconveni-
fnce. but places in jeopardy the lives of
Pedestrians because of the darkness at
|treet intersections. which makes it
fsr -erous to cross at these points.
e. sm confident we are going to get
be" lights" said E. E. Ramey, a mem
Pc ot the citizens association, today.
30 one can advance single reason
EhH Fourteenth street should be dis
fr'minated against. People all over
Af shtngton who have occasion to use
III street are as much in favor Of it
fs hose living on the Heights
ne pioneer business man of upper
Fourteenth street is Charles Z. Gross.
l'e enty-three years ago, when he start
ID in business at Park road. the Only
Dther store in the neishborhood was
sTnall grocery on The opposite corner.
A. that time Fourteenth street and
Park road was referred to As way out
n the country" For years Park road
Nas the terminal of the Fourteenth
st7eet car line. The Arcade, the big
ou ding now used for amusement pur-
roses. was the car barn Of the Cap
tai Traction Company.
Development Began Ten Years Ago.
About ten years ago development
'tsrted in earnest. 7he Capital Trac-
io7 Company extended its lines to
P rey Branch road. Houses were
}" 1t by the hundred, and the popula-
ion of Columbia Heights gained sew
er ! thousand a year. Since then there
= been steady growth in population
II business Dwellings along Four
Z nth street have been converted into
- o7es and in the last few wears more
han one hundred new business places
1@Ve been built above Florida avenue
Il required considerable persuasion on
&c part OF the few merchants who were
Y the hill at the time to get electric
It Its along Fourteenth street." said
= Gross today. We were using gas
n our stores and it was very unsatjs-
p tory. Finally several of us got to-
ectric current and the lighting COM
my ran a conduit up as far as Park
ad for u.s.
The monthly meeting of the Columbia
lights Citizens Association will o.
III in St Stephens Hall next Tues
Il be one OF the chief subjects Of dis
ss,on. A full report will be made by
committee IN charge of the cam
Sn.