Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-01

Have you ever stopped to look at
Washington from the vantage point of
| Wisconsin and Massachusetts, avenues?
Thousands pass that high place every
sole purpose of looking at the city be-
low to the southeast.
Yet such views of foreign cities are
| favoriteS with all tourists.
Nest books of travel include both word
pictures and actual photographs of
famous cities as seen from above.
Surrounded as many Of them are by
mountains, of course. the birdS-eye
view of European cities is easier and
more beautiful than with our American
cities built in fiat places.
The mighty Pilgrims Chorus OF
Wagner is commonly portrayed as COM
ing from group of wanderers who have
come to all elevation, and are able to
look down once more on the city which
they left SO many months before.
Surely there is some thing beautiful,
out of the ordinary. in great city seen
from above. with all its domes, spires
and buildings. forming group which
possesses at once majesty and lowell
ness.
A city from the air Is, in sense. q
dream city, since one does not see what
ever of dirt or SordidnesS there may be
there. Narrow alleys do not exist; all
that one can see is the great avenue,
cutting acrorS.
As one looks down over Washington
from the heights at Massachusetts and
Wisconsin avenues he Is struck by the
fact that the old Post Office Department
tower is one of the most striking bits
OF architecture on the horizon.
We are sorry for one, that they are
going to tear down the Post Office De-
partment building. Let them call 1t an
architectural monstrosity all they want
to- we have always liked 1t, and always
will. To us 1t has aspects of beauty.
We defy any one to look at it from
ASAr, as from the place mentioned, and
not admit that there is something Strik-
ing about its general outlines.
Perhaps cur personal fondness for this
gray building, with its towers and pro-
IectionS, goes back to a set of stone
building blocks which We had as q child.
They were beautiful blocks; never
since have we ever seen any to compare
with them. Some were gray, others
dark red, some blue, perhaps other
colors.
With these blocks it was possible to
construct building which exactly re-
sembled the Post Office And we always
have wondered since exactly when the
spleen against this interesting building
got started.
Why, that old clock alone is worth
keeping! No one can ever be sure
whether it is right or wrong, whether
any two of its faces are keeping the
same time in the same way, but that
little popularity makes it an interesting
clock.
Consider these inhuman clocks, the
electric timepieces. Granted that they
are wonderful inventions. is there not
something terrifyingly efficient in their
ruthless march abreast of time?
Only the fact that the current may
go on. now and then. keeps them within
the category Of humanity. Human
beings fail, every now and then. no
matter how great or ruthless they may
be. so 1t Is but fitting that thsir clocks
should not strike upon occasion.
Stand well back from the curb II
you want to peer at Washington from
the height mentioned. Hundreds Of
fast-moving motor cars pass here. rem
dering 1t one OF the most dangerous
places in the city for the pedestrian.
Freedom from hurt is one of the
necessary elomentS In the admiration
OF beauty. There are other points in
the city where one may look down upon