Evening star., 1926-05-29
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

rolls hourly the wealth and beauty Of
our fair city.
It was along this street that the
late President Roosevelt 50 often
| walked. Since that time Sixteenth
| street has been extended many miles
to the north, retaining its distinctive
| character the whole way.
Washington--the city where num-
bers almost have souls. There is
the soul of Seventh street, for In
stance. No road in Washington fs
| exactly like this one. Its business
cha racter does not wholly explain It.
Once we tried for q column to put
Seventh street into words, and seemed
to have succeeded fairly we'll. judg-
Ing from the response Of readers; yet
any one may get better idea OF IT
by walking along from Pennsylvania
avenue to the Public Library at New
York avenue.
There ia Ninth street, again.
This thoroughfare IL like. and vet
utterly unlike. its predecessor OF the
mystic quantity. 1t, too. IL devoted
largely TO business, but there is q
subtle difference--perhaps just as
much as there is quantity between Z
and 3.
The number IA, multiple Of the
mystic Z. has as certain character
as any street in the city. 1t forms
perha ps the longest business thorough
fare In Washington, lined solid on
both sides with stores OF all Sorts.
housed in edif,ces of various heights.
Running through the Columbia
Heights section. Fourteenth street
takes on the aspects of a carnival
at night. II 1s always Christmas eve
on upper Fourteenth street. some one
has well said. ut was ourself. thank
you.)
Then there liz Eighteenth street,
especially In the vicinity OF Columbia
road. There a number is a great deal
more than two integers. IT has lie,
movement: 1t stands for people in q
peculiar way OF its own.
When we come to the letter streets,
we arrive AZ a whole dictionary Of
mea ning on one letter.
Take F street.
Every one who has ever set foot In
Washington knows the combined bust
ness and parade aspects OF this ma
tionally known street.
just q block north lies G street.
ra pidiy becoming a second brother--
or should it be sister?--to + street. 1t
has. however. an entirely different at
mosphere. O. tang all Its own.
n street, l street-why is there no
J street?-each has its own features.
n street IL in the thr0es Of cha nge
from residence to business. so that its
character 10 somew hat muddled at the
present writing. Its ancient and hon
orable name, however, still Is it's best
friend.
For many, many years u street has
stood for q residence street. We might
70 on through the entire alphabet In
similar msnner--why is there no y
street and through many more mum
bered streets than we have. but to do
30 would require q bit more frankness
than we are willing to expend at the
present time.
Life is q queer thing; it seems to
CONCEAL In streets, in u sort OF give
and.take manner, giving some It's
cha ra ct eristics to some streets. ac-
quirinK others from the very ply sics
activities of the thoroughfsres.
A street is a way OF life, u cut
through the srowths OF the human
forest Since earliest times men have
been building streets: a forest path
is simply a little street.
Streets are eternal and timeless. 1t
10 easy to realize this, when thinking
Of the Appian way-let us keep it in
mind when talking OF our own lettered
and numbered streets.