Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-02-02

business in the country This is due to the fact
| that In other large cities ground in the bust
ness portion is so much more valuable for
| manufacturing or other similar purposes that
a forest could not afford to fit up fine estab-
lisnment for his own use.'
THE OLD CANTERBURY.
Col. VIM. e. Sim Tells How He Hap
| pened to Found that Institution.
| 1T WAS AwAR VENTURE AND SUCCEEDED BECAUSE
| WASHINGTON WAS CROWDED WITH PEOPLE
AN EXCURSION TO MT. VERNON WHICH NEARLY
| LANDED HIM IN THE OLD CAPITOL.
Il had some queer experiences in this city
during the war" said Col. w. E. Sim to a STAR
representative the other day, "but don't know
that any was more singular than the way in
which drifted into the show business You
see l was born in Georgetown and after 1 grew
up was for some time clerk for Barnes &
Mitchell, who kept dry goods store ON Penn
sylvania avenue, between 9th and 10TH Then
/ went to Baltimore and engaged in the tobacco
business and used to come over here and sell
goods. When the war broke out wanted to
go south, but was captured in making the at
tempt and placed in Fort Nc Henry, from which
was released only upon taking the oath of
allegiance. Shortly afterward 1 came over
here, but found after working hard for two
days that couldn't sell pound of tobacco or
hundred cigars, 1 was stopping at the Kirk
wood House. which stood where the Palais
| Royal now is, and
FELT PRETTY BLUE.
At night went down to the old Washington
theater, which was on the site of Kernan's, and
found the place packed. I went to Odd Fell
| lows hall, on 7th street, and found that a
faxed up minstrel party was turning people
| away. l saw that there was money in the
amusement business, and that there would be
| as long as the war lasted. didn't believe then
! that 1t would be more than years duration
l had been silent partner with Leonard Gro
yer IN Baltimore and so knew something of the
business, though had never taken any active
management l walked about the city to find
| suitable building, and L concluded that the
old Assembly rooms. on the south side of Louis
lana avenue. between A. and 9th streets.
| exactly what wanted The building was then.
however. occupied by the government and
| filled with quartermaster's stores. went to
| see MIR. Young, the owner, and he told me that
| he was willing to lease it to me, but be had no
! control over it, as the government had seized
| 1t for military purposes. / then went to Mr..
| Barnes, my old employer, and he and Dick
| Wallach. who was then mayor of Washington.
| fixed 1t up with the officers so that could get
! the key whenever could show lease of the
premises. They wouldn't give it back to Mr..
Young, for his loyalty was suspected, but they
would let me have it. 1 went back to Mr..
Young, and took lease for two years. at
1880 year. Then refitted the place en-
tirely, and opened it,
UNDER THE NAME OF THE CANTERBURY
as frst-class variety theater."
''Of course you were successful and made a
great deal of money"
81 did make barrel of money. But wasn't
Aa6 xutf 81 Al.
ers of the ground on which the old National
theater had stood-for it had been burned down
and q temporary structure of wood and canvas
had been erected. where Tom King was rum
ming circus-to rebuild the theater, and Leon
ard Grover and took that also. Both houses
made money. for soldiers were coming here all
the time, and the city was just filed with peo-
pie. l had christened my Louisiana avenue
place THE Canterbury" and it was SO known,
/ think, until the old building was finally
burned"
How long did you run the Canterbury
well. after my two years lease expired
wanted to renew it for two years more, but my
landlord wouldn't let me renew it except under
| ten-year-lease. I signed it for that period,
and this time had to pay $4,000 year rent.
run it until February 1865, when sold out
my lease and the goodwill to a man named
Geo. Lee. He made money enough in the first
two months to cover what he had paid me and
5000 besides; but the war came to a close
the city was emptied of troops, and he
FINALLY WENT DEAD BROKE
81 used also to engage in outside specula-
| tons, excursions, &c. and made money on
them though one excursion came near proving
a very serious disaster"
"How was that?"
well, after communication was opened with
Mt Vernon and excursions were allowed to go
down, l thought it would be big advertise
ment to me, and that l could also make some
money by getting up Sunday excursion down
there. / saw Mayor Wallach and he and some
OF my friends arranged it with the military au-
thorities so that l could charter the Robert
Collyer,' for that was the name Of the boat
and give Sunday excursion. l advertised it
very extensively here, and also in Baltimore.
The sale in the latter city extraordinarily
large. sent over fifty tickets. but they were
gone in a few hours. 1 then telegraphed nv
plicates Of mine, and 1 would take out that
number from my tickets here. Those were in
active demand, and by Saturday they had all
been disposed Of. When the boat started on
Sunday had all she was permitted to carry.
TWO HUNDRED HAD COME FROM BALTIMORE
and found great many whom 1 knew. On
the trip down these asked me how I was get
ting along in Washington and were particularly
friendly. When we reached Mount Vernon,
which we did about noon, all went ashore and
scattered about the grounds. should mention
| as matter Of form there was upon the boat
men. When o'clock arrived, the hour set for
| the return, the boat blew her whistle, and the
Washington excursionists came trooping back
When the last man in sight was ON board the
captain came to me and said what's became of
the rest Of your partyT looked about and
found that all who we're Washingtonians were
| on board, but couldn't find a single man of
my Baltimore friends. I suggested that possibly
they were some ways back from the shore and
the whistle was blown again and again, but not
single one came back. finally told the cap
tain that they had doubtless concluded to wait
until the following day, and we steamed back to
Washington"
Ibid they come back the following day?"
mot q bit Of it. Some of them never came
back. and others didn't cross the Potomac
again until the war was over. Every mothers
son OF them used my excursion q means of
getting into Virginia and then went through
the lines and
JOINED THE CONFEDERATE ARMY"
"Did the actual facts get out2''
"Not for q long time. II had been the
only one at fault would have been thrown into
! the old capitol prison at once, and il the story
had become known at the War department. I
think would have been arrested anyway; but
the officers who gave me permission to run the
excursion had no real authority to do 30, and
they were therefore accessories before the fact
10 these Baltimoreans getting through our
lines. They had to keep the matter quiet for
their own protection. 4 tell yOu however 7