Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-04-12
QUOT PLAYERS OF OLD.
Old Residents of Washington Whose
Names Figure in Ballads.

The young men Of half a century ago though
ignorant of ''sky scrapers, "daisy cutters and
other technical terms of the modern
base ball had there Ground Cat"
'Box," and other games played with ball
and bat. 'Bandy" or skinny" was
the favorite game played with crooked stick
and wooden ball. In the thirties it would APP
pear that the classic pastime of pitching quoits
was a favorite in Washington. The large areas
of open ground and indeed the streets to a
great extent afforded room for that pastime.
collection of Betty Martin ballads is pre-
served by some Of the old residents of the city
in which the exploits of members of the Union,
Social and Washington Clubs and Washington
Gymnasium are recounted in paraphrases in
the then familiar song Betty Martin, O." In
the ballad read at the dinner of the Union
Club in September, 1880, one verse reads:
Now let each man take his glass, not quot in hand
Tho both wine aud quoits We know NAV bring pain
To finch in eithe- is Betty Martin. o!
A foot note informs the reade- that the ref
erence is to Col. Philip Mauro, u well-known
auctiOneer of that day and captain of the Ger
man Yagers, who had been famed by quot.
In the second ballad read at the dinner fol-
lowing match in September, 1881. there APP
pear the names OF Cox W. W. Seaton OF the In
teHigencer and subsequently mayor of Washing
ton; A. Bradley Waller, prominent lumber
dealer; Harry I. Weightman of the United
States bank Columbus Monroe, son of the
former postmaster; John F. Webb, father of
Mr.. w. Il. Webb, late Commissioner; Joseph H.
Bradley, Mr.. Wallach, father of the late
mayor and Mr.. w. ID. Wallach; Mat
| thew St Clair Clark, then clerk of the House
of Representatives; DR.. Nourse and DIR. Hall.
The fact that no ballad for 1882 is found in the
collection Is probably owing to the fact that
that was the year the cholera prevailed here.
In October, 1888, the Washington Club gave
dinner, and in addition to some of those
named above the names of Col. W. ID. RAN
doiph. for many years chief clerk of the United
States Treasures Office: j. III. Houston, teller
United States Bank: u. Collins Lee, attorney-at
law; Mr.. Course, Thomas Thurston, son of
the judge; Samuel =. Walker. Joseph Gales
(Nr. Seaton's associate), T. n johnson and
Overton Carr, U.S.N., are worked III. and one
stanZa laments the absence of G. ID. Kane.
At the spring dinner of 1895 the Washington
Club ballads introduced the names of Gen.
Roger Z. Weightman. III. Ii. Sylvester, chief
clerk of the Post Office Department, and Jonah
7. Kellar of the War Department
On the 4th of July, 1885, the quot pitchers
were at Piney Point, but were too patriotic 10
name i'll the ballad of that day any others than
| the immortal Washington and the Presidents
who succeeded him. The names OF Thos. +.
Anderson of 9th street. Maj Weed, Edward
Simms and W. j. Stone appear in the ballad of
October, 1885. Reference is made to the
polished surface cards OF the last named. then
the leading engraver of the District
In November, 1886. the names of DR.. Buck
| and X. w. Carter appear. In November, 1897
Betty Martin rhymes were made on the names
of DIR. John Il. Blake. Mr.. Orchard of the
Treasury, George Barry. Mr. Cambloss of the
Land Office, Richard s. Coke, attorney at law;
w. l.. Dayton, 4th auditor; L. L. Ellicott Mr.
| Ethridge, Richard Ella, Job Guest VIM. Hew-
ett register o: the city; Mr.. Lawrence C"Beau')
OF the Treasury, VIM Miller, DIR. VIM. B. Ma
gruder, j. II. McBair, Osborn Sprigg, son of
Gov. Sprigg of Maryland; Maj. 4. L. Smith,
| register of the Treasury. James B. Taggart
clerk, Treasury; James NJ. Torbert of LIST au-
ditors Office, Mr.. Whitcomb of the Land Office
DIR. George Wood and McCiintock Young
chief clerk of the Treasury.
| At the dinner in 1888 the names OF B. B.
! French, Commissioner of Public Buildings:
| Surgeon Chas. Hagner, U.S.A.; Nathan Rice,
War Department; Edward Wyer, State Depart
ment, and Arthur Campbell, Fifth Auditors
| Office, were introduced.
| At the dinner of July 4, 1889, the example set
| in 1885 was followed and the ballad was strictly
| patriotic, references to the members being in
| general terms.
While the ballads aggregate over two hun
| dred stanzas and the task of reading them is
somewhat monotonous, they call up to the
memory OF old citizens faces and forms familiar
| on the streets years ago, and incidents to the
oiden time when government officials and city
officers took delight in attempting to 'ring the
meg" on the city hall lot at the risk of striking
| q comrades toe.
Reports have been revived in Wall street
| that the Vanderbilts were to secure represen-
| tation in the board Of directors of the Union
rafl xra ar tbo aavtl MAJ