Evening star., 1924-06-18
Natural Forest of 10000 Acres
AS Setting for National Capital

thenon Heights. a quaint old house oS
revolutionary days. 1t is here thai
the two main branches of the Ana
costa River meet, one stream con-
ing down from Takoma Park. nea
the northern corner of the DjStriC'
of Columbia, and the other. or north
eastern branch. emerging from tn
principal forest area
Approaching the height of land be
tween Anacostia and the Patuxent
watershed there re hills Of consid-
erable height. Across the Patuxent
River valley the forest area reaches
miles of lovely nature extends from,
the harbor Of Baltimore to Relay.
thence TO Ellicott city. six miles. AM
continues teyond between Baltimore
and Howard Counties, which is nart
Of the rarking system "f Baltimore.
To render the forest available for
use as a pleasure ground it must he
opened to access. The improved
roads traversing it should connect
by way of the Potomac. the Ana
costa and Rock Creek with the pa-k-
ing system Of the olstrict Of Co \
lumbia. and with that I4ture Pan
theon of American gr, atness, the
Mall. which viii one day rival III
most splendid examples of form
| Landscape design uC the uld woIII
! Representative Linthi,um says Il
realizes that "bjcctorS VIII say Mary
land is trying 10 have the fedora
| government buy its land. hut h.
points the practical refutatinn Of this
when he calls attention that ever
mile Of land that is thus purchased
! makes so much less taxa bic land ftf
Maryland and the results proportion
! ately in more taxes for the people O.
Maryland. He declares that Mary
! land is interested in the city Of Wash
| ington as if it were part OF the stat
of Maryland
In emphasizing the need for prnmpt
! action by Congress Representative
| Linthicum says that the values q.
these lands Will increase rapidly anu
even multiply as new towns SprInS
up about the Capital, the people bc
ing attracted here by the advantage
derived from an educational center.
an art center. the libraries. galleries
| and Legislative halls.
He asks whether. since this is tn
capital of the worlds greatest democ-
racy, visited by a continuous process
sion of thousands of American cit1-
zens shall we provide less for them
than did the old monarchios and en-
pires?"
Representative Linthicum was an
earnest supporter of the new law
crea ting a park commission TO pro-
ject a comprehensive development of
the park and playground system of
the Capital. If any one will go outi
here to the Anacostia River. below
Benning bridge, and see what can
be done with an old stream, nothing
but mud flats before it was dredged
and walled, they will realize the
great Importance of a properly
thought-out park system and the ad
vantages of systematic extension
work. 1t will eventually provide
beautiful waterfront park and play.
ground for the city he said
The Capital forest scheme has simi
larly his earnest and far -seeing sup
port. This vast territory. beautiful
in scenery, magnificent waterfalls.
wonderful streams, great woodlands,
magnificent views, can be purchases
today at a very cheap price indeed
other countries and cities have spent
for botanical gardens-Rio de ia
neiro, 1000 acres, New York. 400
acres; Rhodesia. South Africa, zoo
acres; Kew Gardens, London, 2SS
acres; Calcutta. India, 272 acres-anN
he emphasized that England has seem
proper to lay out and beaAtify her
wonderful parks Of 10000 acres, the
pride of the empire.
II II X x
The great cities of the world"
Representative Linthicum said. Older
by hundreds of years than we are,
realize the fact that the purchase Of
land in and around great cities for
reS Il,
and the protection of water supply is
most important work"
There should be cooperation be-
tween the state of Maryland and the
city of Baltimore and the District }of
Colum bia, he said, through which xhe
beautiful scenery of the Patuxent, the
Potomac and the Patapsco Rivers
should be protected 49,