I Do Not Think
That Congress Makes Much Difference To Massachusetts Avenue.
I
believe that the city never contains as many as eighty thousand, and
that its permanent residents are less than sixty thousand.
But, it will be said, was it not well to prepare for a growing city?
Is it not true that London is choked by its own fatness, not having
been endowed at its birth or during its growth with proper means for
accommodating its own increasing proportions? Was it not well to
lay down fine avenues and broad streets, so that future citizens
might find a city well prepared to their hand?
There is no doubt much in such an argument, but its correctness must
be tested by its success. When a man marries it is well that be
should make provision for a coming family. But a Benedict, who
early in his career shall have carried his friends with considerable
self-applause through half a dozen nurseries, and at the end of
twelve years shall still be the father of one rickety baby, will
incur a certain amount of ridicule. It is very well to be prepared
for good fortune, but one should limit one's preparation within a
reasonable scope. Two miles by one might, perhaps, have done for
the skeleton sketch of a new city. Less than half that would
contain much more than the present population of Washington; and
there are, I fear, few towns in the Union so little likely to enjoy
any speedy increase.
Three avenues sweep the whole length of Washington: Virginia Avenue,
Pennsylvania Avenue, and Massachusetts Avenue. But Pennsylvania
Avenue is the only one known to ordinary men, and the half of that
only is so known. This avenue is the backbone of the city, and
those streets which are really inhabited cluster round that half of
it which runs westward from the Capitol. The eastern end, running
from the front of the Capitol, is again a desert. The plan of the
city is somewhat complicated. It may truly be called "a mighty
maze, but not without a plan." The Capitol was intended to be the
center of the city. It faces eastward, away from the Potomac - or
rather from the main branch of the Potomac, and also unfortunately
from the main body of the town. It turns its back upon the chief
thoroughfare, upon the Treasury buildings, and upon the President's
house, and, indeed, upon the whole place. It was, I suppose,
intended that the streets to the eastward should be noble and
populous, but hitherto they have come to nothing. The building,
therefore, is wrong side foremost, and all mankind who enter it,
Senators, Representatives, and judges included, go in at the back
door. Of course it is generally known that in the Capitol is the
chamber of the Senate, that of the House of Representatives, and the
Supreme Judicial Court of the Union. It may be said that there are
two centers in Washington, this being one and the President's house
the other. At these centers the main avenues are supposed to cross
each other, which avenues are called by the names of the respective
States. At the Capitol, Pennsylvania Avenue, New Jersey Avenue,
Delaware Avenue, and Maryland Avenue converge. They come from one
extremity of the city to the square of the Capitol on one side, and
run out from the other side of it to the other extremity of the
city. Pennsylvania Avenue, New York Avenue, Vermont Avenue, and
Connecticut Avenue do the same at what is generally called
President's Square. In theory, or on paper, this seems to be a
clear and intelligible arrangement; but it does not work well.
These center depots are large spaces, and consequently one portion
of a street is removed a considerable distance from the other. It
is as though the same name should be given to two streets, one of
which entered St. James's Park at Buckingham Gate, while the other
started from the Park at Marlborough, House. To inhabitants the
matter probably is not of much moment, as it is well known that this
portion of such an avenue and that portion of such another avenue
are merely myths - unknown lands away in the wilds. But a stranger
finds himself in the position of being sent across the country knee
deep into the mud, wading through snipe grounds, looking for
civilization where none exists.
All these avenues have a slanting direction. They are so arranged
that none of them run north and south, or east and west; but the
streets, so called, all run in accordance with the points of the
compass. Those from east to west are A Street, B Street, C Street,
and so on - counting them away from the Capitol on each side, so that
there are two A streets and two B streets. On the map these streets
run up to V Street, both right and left - V Street North and V Street
South. Those really known to mankind are E, F, G, H, I, and K
Streets North. Then those streets which run from north to south are
numbered First Street, Second Street, Third Street, and so on, on
each front of the Capitol, running to Twenty-fourth or Twenty-fifth
Street on each side. Not very many of these have any existence, or,
I might perhaps more properly say, any vitality in their existence.
Such is the plan of the city, that being the arrangement and those
the dimensions intended by the original architects and founders of
Washington; but the inhabitants have hitherto confined themselves to
Pennsylvania Avenue West, and to the streets abutting from it or
near to it. Whatever address a stranger may receive, however
perplexing it may seem to him, he may be sure that the house
indicated is near Pennsylvania Avenue. If it be not, I should
recommend him to pay no attention to the summons. Even in those
streets with which he will become best acquainted, the houses are
not continuous.
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