Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-09-06


no houses intervening to obstruct the view.
Mr.. Adams was a familiar figure on the
streets OF Washington. He was in the habit of
bathing In the Potomac every morning, going
to the Sycamore as We called it, below the
washington monument Among the foreign
ministers OF that period was Baron straisburg
or something like that, from Sweden. think
who was addicted to staying out all night
Some years after he had returned TO Sweden
he met our minister, Mr.. Christopher Hughes.
and In the course of conversation said he re-
garded Mr.. Adams the best bred man he had
seen In America, ''for he met me frequently
going home at daylight and never recognized
me-. In the InteLl9encer of the sth of Septem-
ber lS4l, find poem of twenty-four stanzss
by Mr.. John Quincy Adams on the Wants of
Man" Mr.. Adams also wrote an essay on
Hamlet
One of the peculiarities Of Mr.. Willard. and
which bespeaks an extraordinary modesty in a
millionaire whose tax bill is next to Mr..
Corcoran's estate in amount. is that he has not
changed the name Of single building he has
bought, as, for instance, the "Ebbitt house"
retains the name il had when Mrs. Smith kept
II as boarding house with hotel proclivities.
Inc Hooe building retains its name, though
owned by him. and in the Adams building the
imposing structure will carry down the name
OF ADAMS to future generations, when Wash
ington VIII contain a million of people. The
guiding on the corner of l4th street now
part OF the hotel was grocery store kept by
street was a little fancy store. There we're no
other stores there, aud going down F street
next to Mr.. Merrick's residence Abraham
Butler kept tavern. ElexIous Simms kept
grocery store on the corner of 18th street, and
opposite Mr.. Merrick's two handsome three
story bricks had been built, and next there
stood an old frame building, which WAS old
when first remember it with its gable end
toward the street.
OTHER HOUSES on STREET.
In one OF these brick houses Mr., johnson,
then chief clerk Of the Navy Department, re-
sided, and his son, the eminent artist. Eastman
Johnson, introduced into his painting 1.-The Old
Kentucky Home" the rear of this old build
ing ana that back yard. Next to Mr.. Adams, on
the east. Mrs. Corccran kept boarding house,
where Mr. Calhoun boarded for some years,
and sIn, opposite, in the house owned by Maj.
wheaton, Mr.. George McDuffie, the colleague
OF MIR. Calhoun, resided. In the came row, and
next to Mrs. Corcoran's, lived DR.. Thornton, who
was commissioner of patents in the early days
OF the organization OF that department OF the
government His wife, an admirable lady,
was the daughter of DIR. Dodd. who was ex-
ecuted for being concerned in the forgery of
Bank OF England notes. He was a man Of high
standing, and every effort made to save
HIM. DIR. johnson, the famed photographer,
wrote an urgent letter to the king in his behalf.
these incidents connected with the long past
seem to bring us near to it.
Thomas Law, who married the daughter of
george Washington Park Gusts. was brother to
the celebrated Lord Peterborough, chief JUS
tlce of England and viceroy of India. Mr.. Law
lived on Capitol Hill and was a very large prop
erty holder here. Another instance takes US
back to the age of Byron. Mr.. H. J. Fox, who
was British minister here and who died here in
1916, was contemporary of Lord Byron. In his
Journal, under date of Naples, Byron says: Il
have just met Henry Fox, who has been very
sick, and so changed he says his Oldest cred
ltor would not recognize him."
Mr.. Fox was the nephew OF the celebrated
Chas. James Fox and said to be a very
able diplomat He appeared on the avenue in
the afternoon nearly every day dressed in
blue coat, with a collar reaching to his ears a
PREDETERMINED hat, and, If in summer, pair
OF nankln pants. He never rose until after
noon and then would take walk generally to
the Capitol and return to breakfast. One
evening gentleman who knew him met him
there about o'clock and asked him to dine
with him, as he lived near there. He excused
himself and said "his people were waiting
breakfast for him" His repugnance to pay
Tor anything was remarkable-if a package
came for him and there were any charges on il
he would let it lay at the door unless one of his
servants paid for it. He left a large fortune.
DISTINGUISHED TENANTS.
Revenous nos moutons the Ebbitt House
encroached on 14th street, taking in the tall
brick next to the old double house which was
years ago ''the Occidental" In this house the
Hon. John Bell lived when Senator. Subse-
quently jefferson Davis, while Secretary of War
occupied it, and MIR. A. I. Stewart, when he
came on to take place in Grants cabinet
occupied the second floor On street
between 14th and 18th Mr.. Nicholas Calen
resided for years, and beyond him was
the Hope Club where Gen. Gibson lived,
and on the corner, in a large double frame,
Jim Johnson kept q restaurant On street
beyond 18th Gen. Jessop lived, and opposite,
where the Bank Of the Metropolis was formerly
located, lived Mr.. Asbury Dickens Down 18th
street, same block, lived Mr.. Francis Z. Blair
when editing the Globe, and round next the the
alter (now Shoomaker's) Mr.. John C. Rives The
boys who pervaded that neighborhood, not
adding to its quietude, were Frank Blair and
his brother Jim, who was subsequently, in the
navy, the Dickens boys and Parson Laurie's
Sons, Blair, Aiic and "Shep," not one Of whom
survives.
THE OLD wILLARD's.
The old Willard Hotel can take rank as "a
home" for how many thousands have found
bed and board there since the days when
Azariah Fuller kept it as the "City HOTEL and
when the rival stages of Stockton and Stokes
and Beltzhoover dashed up to the door with
the few passengers to be welcomed by Ned Full
Ter and Jack CLANCY. Some Of "the old in
habitants" may remember those days and the
excitement which was occasioned by the shoot
ing of Ned Fuller by Capt. Schaumberg, the
father of Mrs. Hughes-Hallet, whose recent
matrimonial troubles in London have furnished
food for gossip. Capt Schaumberg was cap
tain Of cavalry in the old army and was dis
missed or in some way dropped from the roll
and he spent several winters here seeking to be
restored. He boarded at Fuliers, and some
dispute about his bill caused Ned Fuller to post
him as a swindler, and the captain shot Ned on
sight He lay in Jail long while, but Ned re-
covered and the matter ended.
After Fuller came the Willards. They mod
ernized the old house and made il about what
it is, and at the opening of the hotel George
Washington Parke Gusts presided and Edward
Everett responded to the toast to the Willards
Under their management it took high rank as
hotel. There Mr.. Peabody entertained most
lavishly and grand balls were given there.
recall one given to Lord and Lady Napier 1t
was q very brilliant affair. All the world of
Washington society was there, and many per-
sons came from Baltimore, Philadelphia and
New York to say goodbye to the very popular
representatives of her Britanic majesty. The
Willard brothers. with the exception of Ed
ward, are with US vet, and remember Caleb
Willard as far back as I849, then a modest.
quiet boy, and somehow he has always seemed
to me the same. ] can see little change in him
penalty OF age, suppose-but the Icing years
have left him almost unaltered as the quiet
despite his large share of this worlds goods
Willard has held official position under the city
lie works, and the elder brother, Joseph Will
estate.