Henderson daily dispatch. (Henderson, N.C.) 1914-1995, 1938-12-03

p.44 strous structure,
A"''eISoH costing millions and
SPRAYING over an area equivalent to
several city blocks. Nobody denies
that Jefferson is entitled to a memo
rial, but plenty of Washington;ans
contend that lots of places are avail
able to put it in without spelling one
OF the worlds loveliest parks for it's
accommodation.
Vandalism runs rampant in this
town anyway, for the simple reason
tfat its townsfolk have no voice in
the regulation of their local affairs.
For example, Central Park in New
York or Lincoln Park in Chicago
couldn't imaginabiy be half dug up
and laid waste for a memorial to
Boss Tweed or Carter Harrison. be-
cause their boards of aldermen
promptly would vote such suggestion
down.
They Have No Vote.
Washingtonians however, have no
votes Let some congressman. who has
no eye of his own for beauty, think
up scheme for mutilating the city
and the chances are that he'll be able
to jam it through. His fellow mem
bers want to be accommodating. very
few of their constituents ever have
been here ESQ it doesn't mean any,
thing to them) and the measures
adopted, let native Washingtonians
yell as they may.
When l first saw Washington in
early 1915 it's streets were perfectly
heavenly. Even in the business dis
trict they were tree-lined, branches
archlng over the thoroughfares. Horse
drawn phaetons negotiated them. It
was Sticky urban, yet aristrically
rural-ideal
left and came back after term
of years
Meanwhile the automobile had got
In its dirty work. Autoists wanted
Wider streets, to scorch in, to park
in, to kill pedestrians in more con-
veniently. To broaden the streets, side
walks had been narrowed. To narrow
sidewalks it had been necessary to
amputate curb-line trees. The bust
ness section no longer was shaded. It
was as sun-scoured as Broadway.
This devastation has proceeded into
the outskirts and still is going on
spreading.
Sixteenth Street (the avenue of
the Presidents") is tree-arched from
end to end. A line of double-decker
buses wanted to traverse it, It was
obvious that the upper-deck passeng-
ers would be scraped Off According
ly trimmed off on their streetward
side, leaving parallel rows of half
treasures on one side, nothing on
the other side. Gosh! 1t hasn't been
done yet, but it still is contemplated.
Yank Buildings Down.
Historic buildings are yanked down
:emorseiessly.
Across the street from the Capitol
grounds was an old structure in which
Congress met after the British had
burned the original Capitol during the
War of 1872. Wouldn't one think that
that was worth preservation? Not at
all. 1t was RACED to make room for
the new Supreme Court building. The
Women's National Farty had oc-
cupied it. 1t had to move out and did
move out, to another historic old resi-
dence arouna the corner. Presently
Uncle Sam waved this other building
building, for the General Accounting
Office. Thereupon the Women's Ma
tional Party sent a committee to see
the congressional committee on the
ioD.
eff you fellows make us move
again." said the committee women,
Heaven help you at the next cleo
;ion."
Well, Congress didn't do it.
Now Publisher Patterson is on the
rampage against the descration of
the cherry trees (and many other
trees) in the Jefferson memorials in
.erest.
Initially the memorial is all right
But it's to be built of Georgia mar
BILE. Georgia marble producers are. in
side contractors. The things. to be
built on made ground '-concrete.
Some concrete folks get in on the
dicler. There also are other insiders
Yeah, there are sentimental objec-
tions to the Jeffersonian memorial
plan.
But some of the objections arc ma
terial
Publisher Patterson may not have
spiked the Jeffersonian plan finally,
but she's delayed it; it won't go scoot-
ing through until it's been investigat-
ed. She and her associated women
are to be reckOned with.