National Republican., 1883-10-13
GERMAN JOYS IN EARLY DAYS..
How the Old Time German Residents Of Wash
ington Enjoyed Themselves.
The Picnics on GeorgeW. Parke Custiss
Grounds, Across the River.
AFew Of the Many Laughablo Incidents That Occurred
in Getting There.
The Effort 10 Erect a Monument 10 steu-
ben and What Came OF IL.

nv tho buhuuNb NhiSh iolnhph Nho PAV-
cession of last Monday, on Tuesday night, at
Abners hall there was lively and Jolly in
terchspae Of wit, wisdom, and song. Justice
Charles Walter, one of the oldest Of the Ger
man residents Of the district, was called upon
as "the modest man." because he always keeps
himselfin tho background His remarks were
witty and serious withal, for they contained
numerous historical facts hitherto unpub-
lished.
He aimed, he said, to show the progress of
the German element in tho district from
1876, when he came here to reside, up to the
Iresent year. Even at that early date the
Germans were a power in tho district and
were accustomed to indulge in festivals and
plcnics, as they had been accustomed to do in
the fatherland. From 1916 to about 1888
these picnics were held at Custis's SPRING on
the Arlington estate, under tho immemorial
oaks, whore now SO many of the nations dead
lilo in their last long slumber. George w.
Parke Custis even then an old man, heartily
welcomed the Germans TO his estate,
and whom notified of tho occasion of
picnic would FIX, up music, stand
aud dancing platform, and decorate
them with flags and wreaths in the most
tasteful manner. lie not only furnished the
music for the OCCASION but would come down
himself with his cremona violin, and taking
his place with the musicians would fiddle
hWuy hS TOllCkSOInoiy huu uutiIluRly us Ino
best of them, except when the gay old gentle
man would step down to take part in
quadrille with somo pretty girl who had
struck his eye, and ho generally managed to
o iect the belle Of tho ball. The picnicers al
ways brought their own provisions with them
but Mr.. Custis always sont down his negroes
to act as cooks and walters, and what
over he thought wanting to the banquet
to be spread he always furnished
from his own storehouse. Ho will never be
forgotten, but held in grateful and tender
memory by those who participated in his
lavish hospitality, and who experienced his
genial but dignifed comradeship. The only
distinctively German society of that day in
/ tho district was the S@ngerbund, of which
4 Justice Walter was the originator and di-
X rector, and this society took the leading part
X in oil the Germanic festivals AT that date
its membership was composed exclusively of
those of German birth II was succeeded in
1Sbe by the present S@ngerbund society,
whose membership, however, is not confined
to those of German birth-an advance
stop in AmoricaniZing German customs.
Tbb Germans, in their picnics in
that, time, thirty-seven years ago,
could and did turn our process
sion over a mile long in this district, Usu-
ally the gay party of picnicers would start
from tho foot of Seventeenth street in flat
boats for the Virginia side or would march in
procession over the Long bridge. They always
found warm welcome at tho other side.
Many laughable incidents, upsets, sticking in
the mud at low tide, &C., occurred on these
fatboat excursions. Ono of the most laugh
ablo was where q large 1atboat filled with
ladies and gentlemen stuck on the flats at low
| tide for the flats even then were formidable),
and, seeing no prospect of escape for hours
tho gentlemen proposed to the ladies
that they turn their backs while
broadcloth toggery, which they did
not wish to ruin in the river mud, and
| pushed the boat OIL This was done, although
gentleman was stationed in the boat to bold
| the ladies to their pledge but he always swOre
A that in despite of all he could do, they would
peep between their fingers. About the year
1915 there was general movement
throughout tho country, among the Germans,
to raise fund TO erect a monument to Baron
Steuben, of the continental army, Of a
grandeur of style to fifty honor his services
to the struggling colonists in the war of iU-
dependence at the national capital. The
Germans of Washington determined to hold
picnic in furtherance of this work. AT that
time tho Potomac was on the rampage,
and the passage to tho Virginia side
bridge, was too dangerous to be
4 thought of, for there was four feet of water
4 on the low grounds on the Virginia side of
the bridge aud the river was running like u
Z mill race and filled with fallen trees, TIMBER
and other debris Accordingly the procession
aqueduct bridge and there took passage OH
canal boats for Arlington. Before the speak
ing began Mr.. Parke Custis mingled with the
throng and stated that he boro upon his
shoulder an epaulet which had been worn by
Gen, George Washington at the siege of
Yorktown, one of q pair which had been
presented to tho father of his country by Baron
Steuben. This statement, of course, aroused
tremendous enthusiasm. And then Mr.. Gusts,
in his genial way, narrated several anecdotes,
among them this one; He (Curtis) had been
an intimate friend of Foyel, the composer Of
tho music of "Hail Columbia" and the
leader Of the orchestra Of the New York
ttheater. Ono night on great occasion, both
s lof them having imbibed too much oddly, he
III Custis), sitting in the front row behind the
Il orchestra, had handed Feyel piece of tallow
oandle to rosin his bow, instead of the
Il \ eparel rosin, and Feyel never found out
Il he cheat until after the performance was
"a over, This narrative was received us hi
IA alariously rs it deserved to be. 1t is only
n necessary to say that tho iolli1cation after
q ward was in proper keeping. Among the
speakers at that time who eulogized Steuben
~ wore Mr. Andrew Gross lOng since dead, the
al editor Of tho National ZoitUng, n democratic
M newspaper published here which nearly
"a swamped Its stockholders on tho election of
III the whig president. Several members of
II congress spoke also, whose names haye been
lost In the tide of times, but II is we'll remem-
bered that they all showed an appreciation of
"a he creature comforts, solid and liquid, that
III were 80 abundantly supplied
~ Col Kretchmar was also ono of tho first
|W peakers, and his eloquent remarks had great
"A ,ifect in arousing Germans TO the duties of
N American citizenship. Thoro was another
y ,necdote told of Parke Custis, the adopted
son of Washington. In thcsS gatherings he
+ absolutely refused to talk politics. Ifo al
ways said, Sufficient unto the day is tho
~ OWL thereof" and no acted upon it simply by
Il pointing in an emphatic way 10 the example
M of the men of the revolution. On the day of
y" tho Baron Steuben festival he sat upon the
En- platform, and addresses were made in his
IS presence for the gloriAcation of his adopted
e Father and of the republic Of the west, which
.{clhe had established, every sentiment Of which
i &pmet with unbounded applause
~ large sum of money was raised in aid of
The monument. 1t was at first declared that
this testimonial to one of the greatest soldiers
n of the revolution should be national ono,
and that the statue should be PLACED at the
capital city, but New York and Philadelphia
objected, and the project came to naught
Suffice il TO say that tho statue Of steuben at
the Schuetzen park is tho result of that fes-
tival in 1854. 10 was not inaugurQtod until
0 nearly twenty-seyen years thereafter.
But just before the war tho German So
scieties in thor picnics had frequently to con-