Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-08-30
OLD TIME WASHINGTON.
Whore the Chiefs Of Indian Nations
Once Gathered In Council.

Where the Chiefs Of Indian Nations
| Once Gathered In Council.
| THE RAPID SWEEP OF IMPROVEMENT TEE
| COLONIAL HAMLET THAT STOOD ON THE OBJ
| sKRvAToRY sITE-oLp NAMES AND ANCIENT
| LANDMARKS DIsAPPEARISo.
The rapid sweep OF improvement over the
corporate limits Of Washington and 0sorss-
town has obliterated many old landmarks. A
quaint local chronicler relates that a early az
1910 the capital city contained one hundred
and six stores. That number multiplied by
the number Of intervening years would, per-
haps, not correctly estimate the present num-
Der of shopping places" zone brewery.
eleven printing offices, three daily. Eve
weekly, five semi-weekly newspaper and one
periodical" Then the National Tntelliqenoer
and Neso Fro were powers in the land To the
columns OF the last contributed "Uncle
Toms Cabin" which perhaps had . greater
erect In fastening on the late war than any
other single influence.
| HAMBURG.
When Major LEnfaut was laying OF the
present beautiful streets and avenues over the
plain selected as the site FOR the capital Goth
street cut into the rectangular thoroughfares
| OF the village of Hamburg. upon the river 9
| oank just below Observatory Hill II was an
| ancient hamlet established even before the first
dream Of an American republic, of whose cap tai
| u was ultimately to become an int grail part
II was at this port where Braddock landed his
english troops to march overland in that un-
| fortunate campaign against the French and
iholans over our then western frontier. Fleet
| an English fur trader wrote in his journal:
Monday June 25th, 1884," latter having landed
ana camped several DAYS on the banks of the
riverl This place. without all question, 10
the most pleasant and healthful place in all the
country and most convenient for habitation
H. The 9th Of Juno manned my shall
Top we had not rowed above three
miles, but We might hear the falls to roar sbout
six miles distant" From the general descrip-
ton Of the surrounding country and the dis.
lance from the falls the site Of this little ham
let has been conjectured to have been the place
| OF that camp.
AN INDIAN FISHING GROUND.
The same chronicler says that ''the Indians
occupying this territory in the delta Of the two
| rivers were called Nacostines or Anocostians ="
Speaking OF the river he says: at aboundeth
with all manner Of fish. The Indians in one
| night commonly will catch thirty sturgeon in
a place where the river is not above twelve
iathoms broad. And as for deer buffalos
bears. turkeys, the woods do swarm with them. -
Another later native chronicer says: 1T 10 stated
| on authority Of earlier settlers that the valley
washed by the Goose creek (now known as
Iloer creek, was periodically visited by the
| Indians, who called it their fishing ground IN
| contradistinction to their hunting ground. and
they assembled there in great numbers in the
| spring months to procure fish. point now
called Greenleaf's Point. was the principal
camp and the residence of their chiefs where
| thus gathered there" The coincidence. IL
| these chronicles are true, OF the establishment
| OF the capitals of these early republics of
primitive peoples on the same plateau where
our own great republic has built its acropolis
mas never occurred in any land In any age.
| "The last Of all their good or great
IN Jude experiment Of state,
simple legend-nothing more"
TIBRR CREEK,
| that trickled in its classical muddiness across
the avenue just below the western entrance to
the present Capitol grounds, In spite Of the
then boy Tom Moore's witticism,
And what was Goose creek once 10 Tiber now"
| has been given q covered arched highway 70
the Potomac. Where once we're its Shiny banks
| and Notwithstanding pools a row of hall
| palatial houses stand a monument to the
| governor OF the District, who inaugurated the
first improvements OF the city on a grand scale
| In the face OF violent opposition. The s'old
canal, twin sister of reproach to the city,
has been converted into a splendid market
street, over portion OF which horse cars travel
instead OF the ancient canal boat.
cRowDINa OUT VICE.
| Improvement in all direction has kept pace
with higher civilization. The worst elemen,
OF society that gathered to this city during the
| war settled in locality between Pepnsylyapis
] avenue and the old canal, where rents were
cheap and human health in peril. Nine.tentbs
| OF the lawlessness and crime of the city was
committed in this section, and for that reason
it was given the name Of Murder Bay" To
L hra MI rio AIaaE ,a
the time. But it has been nearly accom-.
plished, and in a short time that signifcaut
name will be only thing of the past First
the old canal was filled up and every street
passing through that section WAS paved, sew
cred and lit with gas, which affords induce
ment for building improvements for residen,
and business purposes. The monopoly Of the
criminal classes was gradually broken up BY
coming in contact with and under the notice
OF virtuous people. Property became valua.
bic for business enterprises. and rents adj
| vanced proportionately beyond the means Of
| licentlous criminality.
OLD MAKES PASSING AwAY.
"Hell's Bottom" and Devils Hslf-Acre /" thu
first in the upper northwest and the last named
in the extreme southwest sections of the CITY.
are beginning to lose their identities under the
heroic treatment OF police surveillance and
the persuasive influence Of Christian missions.
Our local geographical terms will soon be more
euphoneous and IN harmony with the general
beauty and magnifcence of the city. The pick
and shovel have long since obliterated EN-
glish Hill, which embraced that section from
Indiana to Massachusetts avenues, between LIST
and "a streets northwest: whilst the almost
complete grading and filling up of "Swam-
poodle" will soon have obliterated that term
from our nomenclature. One by one are being
| destroyed the corner pumps" made un.
wholesome by proximity of the net work Of
sewers and drains. University Hill
| spring is almost thing Of the past to the lower
city it still flows through portions of the Capi-
toll building, but its pipe connection down the
length OF the avenue has had its service con.
nection cut OF. At livery stable and bakery
on street, at the National Hotel and from nv.
drant pipes at the corners OF 9Th and 7th
| streets and the avenue still flows q cool. clear
stream from an old spring under building on
q street, few lots west OF the ~ street cor
ner. 1t was on government lot sold some
years ago with these water privileges, or per-
haps this supply would have long since been
cut of.
CHANCES IN GEORGETOWN
The iconoclsstic hand OF Improvement has
likewise been SCATTERING old Idols and institu.
tons in Georgetown. The little outstanding
hamlets have lost their identity in the older
and outspresding corporation. Its ''slave pen'
OF another and superseded era has passed
away; the pennants Of its coastwise and foreign
shipping are visible no more against the low
rim of the southern sky, and the long line OF
brick ware houses, with their pent houses under
their imposing gables, are either vacated or
turned to other uses. The mssonry of the