Evening star., 1925-05-31
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

Washington greatly rejoiced when
pennsylvania avenue was paved
n, with wooden blocks
1ennsylNdnld something more than
Avenue 80 years ago. for the
Capitals main thor
ouShtare was thereby redeemed from
condition which had become unbear-
able. The pavement, however. did
not prove to be a success. The Star
of May &c, 1875, says:
The movement set on foot by \
meeting of business men at the
Board of Trade rooms last evening to
secure the repayinE of PENNSYLVANIA
avenue. has not been commenced any
too soon. The present unsightly and
unsafe condition of this fine thorough
fare is not only diScreditable to the
General Government, but positively
injurious to those whose places
of business are upon it and those who
have occasion to use the roadway for
business or pleasure. Indeed, VIC
know of one case where a gentleman
of high official and social position has
given orders that his carriage shall
not be driven on it at all, and We
doubt not there arc other instance
of the same kind. At any rate, il Is
we'll known that many persons avoid
II as much as possible, in shopping
as we'll as in pleasure driving. so there
is great danger that the chara cter Of
the street will be destroyed and prop
erty abUtting on it greatly depreCi-
ated in value unless it is speedily puI
/ in repair.
1T is idle and worse than idle ~
discuss at this late day who is re
sponsible for the existing condition
OF the street IT is enough that the
work Of ma wing .,1
directed by Congress. and it is only
fair to assume that those charged
with the duty of selecting the pave
ment did the best they could with
the light then before them. All the
kinds chosen for il have. however.
proven TO be failures. and very eX
pensive ones, too; but the question
now is not with the past but with the
future. Other streets have since
been provided with pavements that
are in every way desirable for use
and at the same time, so far as eN
perience has proven or scientific in
vestigation demonstrated, perfectl,
durable; and it is only fair that Penn
| sylvania avenue from the Treasurv
| to the Capitol, in many respects tho
nnest street in the world, should have
the best in use anywhere.
During centennial year an IN
usually large number of people. hotH
| natives and foreigners. are certain TO
visit Washington, and it is in the
highest degree important, not only on
that account but on account of the
, SAFETY and comfort of our own Citi-
zens and the business interests of the
city, that the work should be con-,
pleted before that time"
Among the lively bids for the SUE.
cess of the centennial" says The star
Centennial made - naE y. -, ~ ~, 49,, :,
CentenarianS ayers is d circular
sent out by Gen
iawiey TO the governors of the States
asking each of them to furnish the
names of not less than so men Win
in 1876 will have reached the age OF
100 years IT is proposed TO supply
free transportation to the centennial
exhibition to all centenarians and 10
entertain them as the Nations guests
The New York Herald raises a phap
tom of alarm i'm the wide demorali
zation of the aged community in
volved in this project. The number
of aged men who are in training for
the centennial, II says, would startle
the country were it known. DazzIed
by the honors which are bestowed
upon centenarianS, many of these in.
diVfduals have gone. like prize fight
ers, into regular course of training
TO qualify themselves for an annear.
ance at the exhibition next wear The
result will be that next wear il VIII
be hard to find an old man of 80 as II
is now to find one of 100"