Evening star., 1931-11-29
BY JOHN CLACETT PROCTOR.

BY JOHN CLACETT PROCTOR.
- LADENSBURG ROAD is one of the
finest entrances leading into Washing
x ton. Since the resent improvement it
has undergone, both on the District
side and the Maryland SIDE it is as
good a road as one will find anywhere
well laid and of sufficient width. This sec
ton of the city, by the way, has received
another improvement recently of the same
character in the opening and improving of
New York avenue extended from Florida
avenue to where it intersects with Bladens-
burg road. This avenue also speaks well for
the engineering department of the city, and
when the writer drove over it a few days
ago he felt that the Commissioners were enti-
tied to much praise for putting in this road,
which cuts off much ground to the person
travelling from the western part of the city
to some of the northeastern suburbs.
A few years have made wonderful improve
mentS in travelling, for many of can recall
when the Bladensburg pike was a narrow
thoroughfare lined with scrub trees either
side, and, barring the rough stone surface, a
fairly good road in dry weather but very
bad one when the earth was saturated with
rain. and when even the best of drivers could
not help getting stuck in the mud up to the
hubs.
Northeast Washington-especia to the far
northeast-was not developed at an early date.
For some unknown reason, people just pre-
ferred to settle in the northwest. OF course,
maybe the low lands of the Eastern Branch,
as they existed years ago. had something TO
do with the retarding of the settling of people
there, for few were willing to run the risk of
getting chills-an easy thing to get but diff
cult thing to get rid Of The conditions for
merly existing near the Eastern Branch, which
once produced the old-fashioned ague, have
now practically disappeared, and when the
Army engineers finish walling and dredging
this stream it will be of the healthiest
we'll as one of the prettiest spots in the Dis
trict.
Even in the past few years. the improve
ments hereabout have been considerable over
the days when cunning was permitted along
this stream, and gunnels and reed birds alike
were sacrificed for the benefit of a So-called
sport. Indeed even the bullfrog choir, with
its familiar "Giggerrum, giggerrun1, gigger-
dunn; knee deep, knee-deep, knee-deep; better
go-round better -go-round, better go round"
lacks considerable in volume that made by the
thousands of frog voices once pronounced
IN the marshes of the branch.
TO say that there were no early residents OF
this part of Washington would be incorrect,
for, although street was not opened from
Massachusetts, avenue to the turnpike gate"
(Which substantially means to Fifteenth street
northeast) until 1849 and from North Capitol
street east to Bladensburg road-on the same
street.-the footwayS were not graded and laid
and the curbing not set until nine years later
yet we 40 KNOW CEldC Wnen C0plIal was
first laid out Abraham Young, brother of Will
liam Young (both original proprietors), had
his residence in the extreme northeastern part
OF the city, and it to save the copious
spring on his farm that the city line at Fiji
teenth and H streets northeast was detected
abruptly south for five blocks before again
proceeding eastward.
This strange feature of the outline of the
city was in accordance with directions made
by President Washington himself, as indicated
by his diary, where is noted under date of
June %, 1871, the following statement:
whilst the commissioners were engaged IN
preparing the deeds to be signed by the sub
scribers this afternoon, I went out with the
Majs. LEnfant and Ellicot to take more per-
feet view Of the ground in order to decide
finally on the spots on which to place the
public bui6ngs-and to direct how line,
which was to leave out a spring commonly
known b. the name of Cool Spring. belonging
TO Maj. Stoddart should be run"
This spring appears to have been on a line
with F street, and short distance beyond
Fifteenth street. in the sherwood tract. Per-
haps its earliest name was Cool Spring and
the farm Cool Run Farm. At different
times it also went by the name of Youngs
Gibsons Stoddarts and Federal Spring. the
last because of the many Fourth of July picnicS
held there in the early days. An idea of its
volume may be obtained from an old statement:
Tt is supposed by good judges that there is