The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-06-16

With The
Abb Artists
Heart Breaks in Build
ing City and It's Streets
Again Recalled
Problems of Present
By DONALD McDOuGAL.

Major Pierre L'Enfant started
something when he laid his T.
square across the drawing board
and modestly began the street
layout OF the most beautiful city
in the world.
The plan brought on row be.
tween L'Enfant and EllicOtt that
ended In the Majors disgrace
and death; drew q fifty-years'
drum-fire Of wise-cracks from all
the critics in the world, including
such champion fun-pokers as
Thomas Moore and Charles Dick
ems; blossomed into another row,
this time between Governor Shep-
herd and Congress, ending IN
exile, for the governor and the
loss Of suffrage by the citizens.
It took thirty years to vindi-
cate Shepherd and 13O to partial
ly appreciate L'Enfant. but now
we know those men were right.
and we're all ready to go ahead
with our next mistake.
The root of the row with FL
Hcot was the humdrum question
OF art versus cOmmercialisn1.
Why these two forces should
be forever misunderstanding
each other IL hard to understand.
Neither one can get very tar
without the other.
L'Enfant's idea was to get the
city under way before outside in
fluences found where the choice
lots were to be. and erected in
congruous buildings on then1.s He
lost hts lob defending that at
tempt, and didn't altogether sue
ced. at that.
Pennsylvarfa avenue from about
Seventh street to the Peace mOnu-
ment il q sample OF where he
failed. And the Mall IL cow
pasture alongside Of what he
planned. But. oh. the fight that
old soldier nut up against the
whole crowd! He wouldn't even
take George WashingtoA's advica.
Then came another stubborn
one. Governor Shepherd. His job
was to see that the pen-and-ink
streets were made cobbleatone, 90
to speak. And he voluntarily took
upon himself to see that they
were made level.
He thought the streets Of q
National Capital should have some
dignity about them. and not run
up and down over every hiilcck,
Ike backwoods cowpath. !;
He got most Of the streets fixed
up fairly well. and. the District
SO, 5000 IN debt. before he lost
his Job.
But the work had to Be done.
and II we'd waited until 4 lot Of
costly buildings had been erected.
II would have set us back about
twenty times, $40. 900. 900.
It took ua - quarter of q CEN
fury to realize that. and eventual
IL we set up q statue to him,
fifteen years after his death in
Mexico.
After accomplishing the great
est project Of city planning OF all
time, L'Enfant lived in something
very much like disgrace for thirty
years, and died In hopeless pow
erty.
Governor Shepherd put the
plan into working order, and
gave US the finest city streets
that ever were. He was ostracized
to Mexico and lived in sorrow
and bitterness for eighteen
years.
That's what 1t cost to plan the
streets and build the streets.
Must We wait now for another
victim to APPEAR and show US
how to use the streets?
Doesn't 1t seem almost like dis
respect to those two great men
after ali their struggle and suf-
fering to give US q properly plan.
ned city, we can't find room in
all those wide streets to park a
flivyer while we are In the Of
flee doing our bit to help carry
on Uncle Sans work?