north america-2-第2章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ue　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　Potomacor　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　mythsunknown　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　oncounting　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　leftV　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。　　There　will　be　a　house；　and　then　a　blank；　then　two　houses；　and　then　a　double　blank。　　After　that　a　hut　or　two；　and　then　probably　an　excellent；　roomy；　handsome　family　mansion。　　Taken　altogether；　Washington　as　a　city　is　most　unsatisfactory；　and　falls　more　grievously　short　of　the　thing　attempted　than　any　other　of　the　great　undertakings　of　which　I　have　seen　anything　in　the　States。　　San　Jose；　the　capital　of　the　republic　of　Costa　Rica；　in　Central　America；　has　been　prepared　and　arranged　as　a　new　city　in　the　same　way。　　But　even　San　Jose　comes　nearer　to　what　was　intended　than　does　Washington。　For　myself；　I　do　not　believe　in　cities　made　after　this　fashion。　Commerce；　I　think；　must　select　the　site　of　all　large　congregations　of　mankind。　　In　some　mysterious　way　she　ascertains　what　she　wants；　and　having　acquired　that；　draws　men　in　thousands　round　her　properties。　　Liverpool；　New　York；　Lyons；　Glasgow；　Venice；　Marseilles；　Hamburg；　Calcutta；　Chicago；　and　Leghorn　have　all　become　populous；　and　are　or　have　been　great；　because　trade　found　them　to　be　convenient　for　its　purposes。　　Trade　seems　to　have　ignored　Washington　altogether。　　Such　being　the　case；　the　Legislature　and　the　Executive　of　the　country　together　have　been　unable　to　make　of　Washington　anything　better　than　a　straggling　congregation　of　buildings　in　a　wilderness。　　We　are　now　trying　the　same　experiment　at　Ottawa；　in　Canada；　having　turned　our　back　upon　Montreal　in　dudgeon。　　The　site　of　Ottawa　is　more　interesting　than　that　of　Washington；　but　I　doubt　whether　the　experiment　will　be　more　successful。　　A　new　town　for　art；　fashion；　and　politics　has　been　built　at　Munich；　and　there　it　seems　to　answer　the　expectation　of　the　builders；　but　at　Munich　there　is　an　old　city　as　well；　and　commerce　had　already　got　some　considerable　hold　on　the　spot　before　the　new　town　was　added　to　it。　The　streets　of　Washington；　such　as　exist；　are　all　broad。　　Throughout　the　town　there　are　open　spacesspaces；　I　mean；　intended　to　be　open　by　the　plan　laid　down　for　the　city。　　At　the　present　moment　it　is　almost　all　open　space。　　There　is　also　a　certain　nobility　about　the　proposed　dimensions　of　the　avenues　and　squares。　　Desirous　of　praising　it　in　some　degree；　I　can　say　that　the　design　is　grand。　　The　thing　done；　however；　falls　so　infinitely　short　of　that　design；　that　nothing　but　disappointment　is　felt。　　And　I　fear　that　there　is　no　look…out　into　the　future　which　can　justify　a　hope　that　the　design　will　be　fulfilled。　　It　is　therefore　a　melancholy　place。　　The　society　into　which　one　falls　there　consists　mostly　of　persons　who　are　not　permanently　resident　in　the　capital；　but　of　those　who　were　permanent　residents　I　found　none　who　spoke　of　their　city　with　affection。　　The　men　and　women　of　Boston　think　that　the　sun　shines　nowhere　else；　and　Boston　Common　is　very　pleasant。　　The　New　Yorkers　believe　in　Fifth　Avenue　with　an　unswerving　faith；　and　Fifth　Avenue　is　calculated　to　inspire　a　faith。　　Philadelphia　to　a　Philadelphian　is　the　center　of　the　universe；　and　the　progress　of　Philadelphia；　perhaps；　justifies　the　partiality。　　The　same　thing　may　be　said　of　Chicago；　of　Buffalo；　and　of　Baltimore。　　But　the　same　thi