Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-10-19

In . transaction that was the cause
OF it, acquisition by the government:
kilbourn Il Latta. real estate
brokers. have purchased for the
pany' that valuable property cppo-
site the north front OF the Treasury
Department and west OF Riggs & Co.'S
bank. lS6 feet front on Pennsylvania
avenue by 1856 feet on Lafayette
Square. about $4,000 square feet-for
$4,000 cash. We understand 1t ia the
intention Of the Freedman's Saving
and Trust Company 10 erect an ele-
CANT bank building on this property
next spring. to be occupied by them
company are established throughout
the principal cities of the country.
and their deposits now reach nearly
ST. .0e0. 1t win be remembered
property il located the Sickles-Key
tragedy was enacted about ten years
ago, and the three-story brick build
ing thereon was occupied during the
first year OF the late war by Gen
Mcclellan. then chief.
as his headquarters and subsequent
ly by Gems. Heintzleman. Augur and
Candy. commanders OF the department
Of Washington"
The building that stood on this lot
for many years was known as the
Freedman's Bank building. 1t only
occupied a portion of the space and
was demolished several years ago.
the property having meanwhile pass
ed into the hands OF the government.
For a number of years the Depart
ment of Justice was housed within
It,
THE Woes of Washington City
Under this head" says The Star of
October Is. 1863, the
The Woes of New York Post. TAX
ing for its text q
washington. memorial from citi-
zens of Washington proceeds TO
paint an absurdly exaggerated pic
| ton. a sand desert in summer
great Columbian bog in winter
city as little improved as . frontier
| settlement in Arkansas OF Nevada
etc, etc. All this Is in the overdrawn
style of the sensational letter writers.
and therefore loses its point. But the
| Post proceeds to do Washington the
| justice Of saying that nothing can
be more ill-founded than the unfa-
attributes the failure OF the people
| of Washington to reclaim their city
! from the~desert and the wilderness
to their want Of public spirit.
ITO those who have seen Wash
| ington lately and have noticed the
manner in which whole blocks OF fine
| buildings. such as would do credit
| to any metropolitan city, have sprung
up from the commons and are being
extended to the very outskirts OF the
1 city. IT is hardly necessary to say
that Washington presents anything
| but the appearance of a desert or
| wilderness So far from being on
| footing with frontier settlements: II
| is quite certain that no private build
| ings in cities Of the size of st. Louis
| or Chicago will compare with the
buildings of this character put up In
F, the northern part Of this city during
| the last year or two. The dinfculty
| with us il that the casual visitors
night at an Avenue hotel see the
| shady, unpleasant side of Washing
| ton and fail utterly to see the vast
| work Of Improvement done In other
nuisance of a canal. our nuisance OF
| a market house. our nuisance OF Ave-
nue. pavement. and come TO the con-
clusion that this Is city of nuisances.
LAS the Post comedies. Congress Is
nuisanees which do the city the most
discredit. As set forth In the me-
mortal in question. the inhabitants
! of the District occupy peculiar pc,
tsition. They are cut on from All
voice In the BcueTAi sA~s
| have no representative in Congress.
| and cannot cast vote for President
and Vice President. In ccmpensa-
| ton for this disability the act OF
Congress establishing-th the seat OF gov
eminent at Washington defines the
duties of the general government
towards the Inhabitants Of the Dis
trict, and among these the most i'm
portant was a proper care or the
city itself in such legislation a. It's
interests demanded"
The memorial itself said:
Ever ready and willing to dis
charge faithfully our duty as citizens
Of Washington and our common coun-
try, we are unwilling longer to rest
Quietly under the false imputation
which seems to be pressed upon your
honorable body and the people OF the
United States that We look constant
ly for aid from Congress. 1t will be
plainly seen that the charges cannot
be eubstantiated by facts In found
ing the city here. as expressed, to
avoid an ovefcrowded population.
which It was feared might overawe
the acts OF government, II was de-
signed to hold possession of all ave.
nues and TO control the greater por-
ton of the city exclusively by its
power. If there has been q change
In sentiment or feeling II Is but Justice
to US to enact new laws and define
our position. This enlightened Con-
gress will perceive our position to
be q dimcuit one. laboPing ~ they
do under misapprehensien and con-