Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-05-14

Mrs. Jack Pendleton, who has per-
haps the prettiest bob" In the alley,
can throw a washing onto the line by
8 O'Clock and have it alS ironed by
noon.
Many of the garages have been built
by residents, and the best ones. too.
As for moving the back yards. trim
ming the borders. every family at
tends to that itself. Sometimes the
men NOV, sometimes the women.
We are not afraid of work, we who
live in this alley. Even the small
boys work, building up thriving bust
nesses selling rich dirt to flower grow
ers at rs cents a bushei, unscreened,
so cents screened.
The result Is that Estey alley has
finished look you will not find in any
other alley In the community. It's
natural advantage as the first thor
oughfare It has held steadily, better
ing its position season by season, so
that today 1t has no rival.
II this sounds bOastful.; remember
what / said at first, that Estey alley
Is proud Of itself.
1t has prettier back yards, has more
newly painted roofs, has splashed
more fresh paint on it's porches and
trim and has more painted garages
than any other alley in the section.
To roll through it-and 1t may be
stated that the District government
keeps 1t spotlessly clean-is like com.
ing into the old home town on the
limited.
There is a, sense of satisfaction in
Estey alley that the discriminating
perhaps will not find 'out front" BY
July ! we are going to show the world
few things in the matter of grass
and flowers, -
: This total result has not been
achieved by any concerted action. We
have no Estey alley association, So
called, only that closer association Of
daily community life. As individual
residents we are urged on to civic
betterment by that greatest of In.
centives-one's normal pride in him.
self and his own,
In the final analysis that is the
greatest mottyating force in the world
of civilized men. The primitive
struggle just to live. to get enough
to eat, to be safe, has given place to
plenty and more or less peace.
The age-old motives are .subiimated
into what may be termed backward
rivalry, lawn rivalry. flower rivalry,
garage competition, painting conflicts
When l see To0 Jones spruce up
the back of his house with a bril-
liant green paint. the urge seizes me
to get a ladder and do likewise, with
mental reservations. however, in re.
gard the tint of Jones' paint.
We pride ourself on being more
artistic than Jones, so we shall get a
less vivid green. The big point, how
ever, is that Jones has forced us into
painting. We are not going to let
old Tom Jones get ahead of US like
that,
So yards that last Summer were
more or less bare this Spring began
to sprout grass. There will be more
flowers in Estey alley this season
than last, too.
Human nature, helped by good seed,
Will do the trick.
Our greatest chance for improve
ment lies in the garages. We have
too many implanted tin garages. In
passing, 1t may be stated that a
garage, whether tin or otherwise. can
be nothing but a necessary blot upon
the landscape. - -
A garage In a back yard looks like
nothing in the world but a paralyzed
elephant. 1t has no real right there
and knows 1t. But what would we do
without the ugly thing?
SO we have garages. We cannot
help It. What we can do. though, is
to paint them SO that they too, will
add to the beauty Of Estey ALLEY