Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-05-10
GEoReEwwN A COMMERCIAL CENTER.

AT the beginning of the present century
Georgetown was a place of much commercial
Importance. Tobacco and other agricultural
products were brought there in large Quanti-
ties In wagons and shipped direct to Europe,
and the planters for hundreds of miles around
purchased their supplies from Georgetown mer-
chants. Old citizens still remember the i'm
mense tobacco warehouses. AS Washington
began to grow i'm population its retail mer-
Grants FOR years obtained their goods from the
merchant kings of the sister city. Large ships
were anchored at the wharves in Georgetown,
or sailing in the river; country wagons were
coming and going along all the roads leading to
the District, some of them great boat-shaped
wagons from Pennsylvania, each drawn by
SIX horses that merriy jngled their
bells through the, streets; dray load after
dray load OF coffee, sugar, tea dry goods. build
ing material, etc. We're hauled all day and far
into the night from the great warehouses on
Water street and across Rock creek into the
Capital city. As late as IS years ago, the writer.
then boy. got fiogging because after school
hours instead of going directly home, he visited
large ship at the wharf just east Of the old
fish wharf. Ships in the last century used to
come up Little river" back of Analostan
Island it is said, but the corporation of George
town. about the year 1906, as shown by the re-
cords heretofore referred to, passed the act for
the erection of the causeway connecting the
island with the Virginia shore, in order, it was
oaiu, uclp the main Cn6nnei
The town was in great state of excitement
when it was proposed to build the Long bridge
about the year 1907. Public meetings were held
and protests circulated. and the people went
day after day to the capitol, to lobby against the
measure and listen to the debates on the SUBJ
Ject in Congress. But the bridge was built, and
is still there, and is still sore subject for the
residents west of Rock creek.
OLD TINE PASTORS.
1t was mentioned above that Col. George
Beall. the first settler on the site of Georgetown,
had son George. That son died in 1905. His
eldest daughter was married in 1852 to Rev.
DIR. Balch. who had come to Georgetown two
years before that event and founded the Pres
byterian church on Bridge street (Which was
torn down some years since and rebuilt on West
street, and was its faithful pastor until he died,
much beloved and greatly regretted, in 1888
His son, Rev. T. B. Bach, quaint and kindly
man. delivered in the Methodist Protestant
church in Georgetown in January and March,
town." which were full of interesting personal
recollections. He said of his father: ''He
was contented, cheerful and happy man,
fond of social life a great reader Of newspa-
pers, disquieted by nothing profound believer
In an overruling Providence, vast admirer Of
Gen. Washington; great advocate for the &C
QUESTION of Cuba, even at that early day; an
enemy to all oppression a friend to the widow,
disinterested in pecuniary matters, and often
facetiOus. He was great friend to matrimony,
and he had one of the finest runs Of custom In
the marrying line ever enjoyed in these parts
tie was sometimes as busy as the Vicar of Wake
field In the winding up of that story" He was
one of the earliest victims of the march of i'm
prOvement in the District, for in 1905 about one
halt Of his house, which stood on hill below
Scotch row, went down with laundering crash
into the newly excavated street (The winter
of that year the Potomac had ice on it 10 inches
thick, over which loaded wagons were driven
One OF this old-time pastors funny stories was
of fellow preacher-Rev. Walter Addison
who gave great sheep shearing at Oxon hill.
across the Eastern Branch, in the month of
June. After the shearng. cold weather came
On. and the kind hearted minister bought a
quantity of red flannel and had it made into
coats for his shivering flock, whose eyes looked
suspiciously out of their quaint head-dresses at
their transmOgrifed companions.
PATRIOTIC GEORGETOWN LADIES AT THE TINE OF
THE REVOLUTION.
The elder Balch told his son that the ladies of
Georgetown positively refused to drink tea during
the Revolutionary war, and the son quantity said
in narrating this during his lecturer This course
was quite patriotic on the part of our ladies.
provided 1t were not black tea. for black tea is
nothing better than SO much NORWOOD and
gall. If it were the green beverage which they
abnegated, then We're the ladies of Georgetown
worthy to be enrolled with the mother and
sisters of Coriolanus, who saved Rome at her
most eyentful hour"
JOHN RANDOLPH AND GEORGETOWN WATER
The following is another passage from the
same lecture: ''Y0u have all heard of John
Randolph, Of Roanoke, who spent so many
Congressional terms in our town. His infirmities
increased with advancing years. One midnight
(while living in Washington he took a notion
that he would die before morning; but there
was 'One thing said the orator to his servant
that can save my life What is it,? answered
Juba, who had long been used to the caprices of
his master Don't You know he replied, what
but glass of Georgetown Water?' His servant
took the hint and started out. but not liking to
be taken into custody, he took a glass Of water
out OF well on Capitol HILL after lingering long
enough to inspire a belief that he had come over
to town. When he handed it 20 his master the
eyes OF the orator gistened again. and he said
to his servant, 'Juba, did you ever hear of the
nestar of ChOs? This is like what the heather
deities used to drink in old times. The country
is falling fast into despotism, and tomorrow my
voice shall ring and squeak in the Capitol
against the Sultans.'"
DISTINGUISHED VISITORS.
The Union hotel (now the ''West End') used
to be lively and fashionable inn at the begin
ming OF the present century, and many gay par
ties were given there. Among the distinguished
men who resided in Georgetown for a time. or
paid it transient visit, were Pechion (who was
sent here by Bonaparte in 1903 to receive the
sixteen million paid to France for Louisiana, who
lived near Gen. Mason, not far from the old
Bank OF Columbia, and who used to amuse HIM
self by placing coins in crevices of posts to be
shot out by Chickasaw and Choctaw Indians),
Gen. Lingan (who was buried here in 1912 with
military honOrs, and his eulogy delivered by
Park GUSTS, of Arlington) Count Volney, Baron
Humboldt, Fulton the inventory, Talleyrand,
Jerome Bonaparte, Washington Irving, Gen ST.
Clair Cot the Revolutionary war;, Barent Gar
dener (shOt in duel i'm 1907 by George Wash
ington Campbell, Of Tennessee, at one time
minister to Russia), Lorenzo Dow (the
eccentric preacher), Francis S. Key
(author Of The Star Spangled Banner).
Rev. Asa Shinn, Rev. John A. Collins, Rev. DR..
Carnahan. Old Yarrah Ga Mahommedan from
Guinea who died here at the age of 300, Tom
Moore. here in 1904; Frank Jeffrey. in 1909,
Louis PHILIPPE. Zera Colburn (the wonderful boy
calculator) in 1858; and about the same time,
Ogyie, q Scotch rhetOrican who kept school in
Virginia. having Gen Scott. Walter Jones and
Thos Richie among his pupils, and who was
probably the first lecturer in these parts deliver
ing two orations in Georgetown, one on duelling
and one on suicide, wearing Roman toga while
he was deClaminr and strangely enough advO-