The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1886-04-08
A Fatal Block OF Houses.

Immediately around the Scott circle,
one of the most fashionable localities in
Washington, says the New York Mail d.
Express, stand number of handsome
houses, all built within the last five
years, all belonging TO prominent men,
and upon whose occupants disaster has
fallen so invariably that it has come to
be called, not Scott circle, but misfOr-
tune circle. 1t was in the finest OF those,
on Sunday morning. that David p. Nor
gan, of the great New York and Lon
don banking firm, died. People said:
s.Another misfortune in Misfortune
circle" The first of the splendid houses
facing the statue of Gen. Scott is that of
Prof. Graham Bell, of telephone fame
His great fortune is considered secure,
as he sold out most of his telephone
stock. His wife is deaf mute. a year
or two ago his children, of which he
has beautiful flock, were stricken with
scarlet fever. After being very i'll with
it, they began slowly to mend, but with
every one of them the hearing became
afflicted, and it is doubtful if they ever
recover from it. That, with the cloud
hanging over him in the charges of
fraud and collusion in the telephone
suits to be instituted, has filled his
measure of misfortune. Next is the red
brick palace built by Senator Don Cam
eron, and in which Mr.. Morgan died.
Senator Cameron only lived in this
house two or three years, but in that
time his health became a wreck, and one
of his daughters met with an injury that
has lamed her ever since. He sold it to
Mr.. Morgan, who owned it about six
months before dying in it. Next him
was ex-senator and now Minister Pen
dleton's beautiful home. In the short
time he lived there his wife lost her two
sisters by death, his daughter had an
accident which it is supposed will make
her cripple for life, he lost considera-
BILE money and his election as United
States senator.
Then came the magnificent house of
ex-Secretary Robeson. When he went
into it he was leading member of con-
gress, powerful at the navy department,
and eager for political power. Within
two years he had lost his seat in the
house, was defeated as delegate to the
national convention, and has sunk into
complete social as well as political OBJ
security. Opposite him fashionable
clergyman, Mir. Forrest, built an inn
posing house. He, too, lost his charge,
became financially involved, and final
ly gave up his home to be used as an
apartment house. On the corner oppo-
site Senator Cameron, ex-senator Win
dom built house which cost 100000.
1t wrecked him politically. 1t was
photographed and the photographs dis
tributed all over Minnesota as proof
that he had lost his citizenship, and so
much feeling was excited over it that
the man who was only little while be-
fore secretary of the treasury. then the
candidate of his state for the presidency,
was defeated for the senate and abso-
lutely retired from pu0lic life. Mr..
Blaine also lived in this house the year
of his defeat for the presidency. Next
to the Window house Mr.. Stilson
Hutchins, editor of the Washington Post,
built. His wife died within a few
months of moving into the new house.
A little farther up the street lived Mr..
Hutchinson, rich man, who died q
year or two ago, leaving behind great
mass of property now in litigation.
Judge Harlan, of the Supreme court,
| lived still farther up, and this year he
met with severe reverses that have swal-
lowed up almost everything he had. So
it will be seen that nearly every proper
ty-owner Immediately around Scott
circle may say: There's ne luck about
| the house"