The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1868-11-06
LOCAL DEPARTMENT


A yEnr INTEnEsTisePApER.--A the meet.
log Of the Oldest Inhabitants' Association, on
last Wednesday afternoon, J. Carroll Brent,
esq, read the following. highly interesting pa
per prepared BY himself, and 1t was received
with manifest qualification by the members OF
Gentlemen Of The Oldest Inhabiianis' Associdfisnf
preservation of local "reminiscences" you will
receive kindly, trust, the results OF a visit
made 70 the valuable and Interesting Ameri.
eiste General PsteS Force, one Of The vie" Wee
presidents OF our body. Profting by the oour.
.tesy, and with the assistance OF that distin.
Science, / discovered among the original docu.
ments now with the Force Library, the prop
erty of Government and preserved In the Utp-
two we'll known spSts q local iatefSst, wRiSs
to many, even Of our association, may be q
matter Of novelty and instruetioniI A. IL II
dated 10th May, IToo, OF The farms OF Daniel
Carroll, Of Duddington, Jonathan Slater and
Motley Young, IT appears that the strip q
Point" was then called Turkey Buzzard
Point The survey places the trae. called
"Duddinston Pasture belonging to MI. Not
tending nearly to the present Maryland ave-
nue. and st. James Greek was the western
boundary Of "Duddington Manor," the prop
dington Manor" Is laid down "New Troy.n
Our predecersors seem to have been ciassf.
Gally bred and inclined, wituess Francis
ing to the present city boundary.
love for historic truth, to deprive Arsenal
Potomac and Rsssefa Branch, and opposite T
to that Of "0eisboro," commonly called and
spelled "deesebury,"o of its more euphouious
up to the close of the last century was "Tur-
key Buzzard Point" as per the Force survey
established. Aud here Il may not be inappro-
two points opposite the meeting Of our two
rivers should have been dubbed with the
names, or the sound Of the names, belonging
family, and also that although "auctoritate,"
Mr.. Underwood, these two streams and this
vicinity were famous In his day, and long an
now that ali but "buzI ards" are driven from
their former haunts, 1t cannot be reproached
me that am "making game" of the point
or Its occupants. IT may not, moreover, be
deemed too frivolous fora grave paper like
this, that should add 10 support OF the older
cognomen bit OF an anecdote narrated by one
Of our former oldest Inhabitants who has long
since gone to that country where age Is neither
merit nor reproach. Thus runs the storyi
The proprictor's overseer having occasion to
most probably concerning the Point, received
= note Of instruction addressed to Turkey
Buzzard." This title having been by Mr..
sheet where the ssiatatory compliment Is gen.
orally inserted, the Indignant otiiciai took it
In high dudgeon thus to be hailed by go unsav.
with his employer, and was with much dim
Guilty convinced that his employer meant no
offence, but merely addressed him 40 then at
Turkey Buzzard Point" This Incident adds
force to Forces survey, and In my opinion
definitely settles the point.
Jonathan Elliott, In his "History OF the Dis.
trict Of Columbia, published In 1880, has tho
following, concerning the point in question
THE valley at tho foot OF the Capitol Hin,
washed by the Tiber creek, II 10 stated on the
tiers, was periodically visited by the Indisns,
who named 1t their fishing ground, 10 contra.
distinction to their hunting ground and that
they assembled there In great numbers In the
sprlug months to procure hsh. GreenleaPs
denee of the chiefs, where councils were held
gethcr. The coincidence of the location Of thu
National Legislature SO near the site OF the
council.house OF an Indian nation, cannot faii 20
intelligent reader. That General W ashing-
ton was Informed of this tradition, is quite
possible.
with my theory, as to tho matter OF names, Tor
inasmuch as our red men were not over nice
as to their personal habits and s pnt
also attended the council and the nsh bake
Hence, what more natural than the bestowal
of their name on the spot BY the aborigines,;
and its continuation for centuries following
But, be this as 1t may, whether Shawanees'
Susquehannocks. Tockinocks, Nanticokes,
Manahoass or MPnseags, rosmsd eyer rs
name was originally "Council Point, Green
leafs Point or Turkey Blz.ard Point IT. y
but just and fair to state that Arsenal
of the peculiar aroma OF Its unsavory name
giver, but made beautiful and picturesque by
The taste, ears and iGdisStous hnma,aisg q ~
cral George ID. Ramsay, and member oil oui
association, 1t has become an ornament as WEI
pro,oStioSn, Of the NsiiGSaI Me1pSai II
and picturesqueness In the days to come.
In connection with the claim, as made BY
me In the paper had the honor OF reading be
fore the association on the 9th OF August last
and the status of things hereabouts when MT
Young lived at the Mansion HOUSE may d.
to quote from distinguished English tray
eler, Mr.. Weld, who visited Washington u
the first years OF this century, ana reieSrea si
Moore to Thomas Hume, esq, NJ. d. The ex
tracts are as follows: "0n tho original loes
tical spot on which the Capitol now stand
was called Rome. This anecdote 10 related
by @aSs o. ie, hs e !SERSSSs IS aS
were, a second Rome" Yields Travels, lette
": "To be under the necessity of goinl
perhaps in order to see a nextdoor neighbor
and In the same city, is curious, and, be
lleye, n novel circumstances" ,
Commencing, gentlemen, this unpretendin
effort TO shed some light upon local nomencla
ture and "reminiscences, remain, WIN gtea
respect and fraternal feeling, your obedien
servant, JOHN CARROLL BRENT
NOVEMBER 4, 1893.
A DEsTrTUrE FAMILY.-A. lady named Eliz
Ann Miller, with 1--WE children, four OF theI
quite small, appeared at police headquarter
yesterday, stating that she desired to go
ZaneHville, Ohio, where she has relationl
but having no means, requested the Mayor I
permit her and family to remain at headqua
tiers during the day and last night. In th
meantime, Major Richards prepared a sui
scription paper, which was generally sui
scribed to by the police on duty at the tim,
Mrs. Miller says her husband deserted her
June last from some unknown cause, and oh
has not heard of him since. Her former res
dence was near the line of Rockbridge count!
twenty-five miles beyond stanton, one
the children 10 q little boy, about years OIL
who Is lame and requires to go about o
crutches,
GARRETT BAos GoSE UP.-Yesterday NOR
ing the First Ward Grant and Colfax Gu
caused considerable mirth by running up the
huge pole, at the Intersection of Pennsylv
MIA avenue and Twentieth street, n large OF
cloth carpet bag, In addition to their larl
nag, In honor OF the late Republican Victor
achieved throughouE the country.
-
DEATH or A CENTENARiAN.-M Moses Suit
a colUrcd man, died here on Wednesday at n
extreme age OF 100 years, Deceased was 70
mcrly slave OF Thomas Pratt, OF Virgiui
His wife Is sim living, who 10 nearly AS old