Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-24
turn. but being a stiff-necked Christian, he
obstinately refused To ncknnxiedye his error

turn. but being a stif-necked Christian, he
obstinately refused to acknowledge his error,
and the result was that Aunt Kitty returned
to her home with the book. This incident made
bad feeling. but finally the old gentleman,
under the advice of the pastor, offered to
apologize. This offer the old lady repealed,
saying: no. sir; the accusation was made in
the presence of a crowd, and an apology will
only be accepted when made before crowd
| equally rs large
Thus the matter stood until the Sunday
school Christmas entertainment took place.
when the church was filled in every nook and
corner. The opening piece had been sung and
the old lady having told the owner. Now is
| your chance. ne at once walked out the
platform. made little address on the use of
hasty words and the evil results closing by re-
| lating tine incident and doing what he could to
recall the words. Just he closed the old
lady called little Johnny, gave him the book
| and he at once ran to the platform and placed
| il in the hands of the old gentleman. To say
that the applause was deafening is drawing it
mildly. and for time the many friends of the
parties felt more like rejoicing aloud than
quietly sitting in their seats, for it the end
of what seemed at one time to be irrecon-
| cilable.
cATTAIL ROW.
"They tell me that I first saw the light of day
and the old corporation oil lamps on Louisiana
avenue near It'll. and when look back it seems
almost impossible that once knew the heart
OF the city within a few yards of real country
morass and swamp. Right on the corner Of
9TH street and Louisiana avenue there was a
/ two-story and attic brick where n Quaker
named Hosier kept a sort Of Noah's ark kind of
grocery, and it there that spent my
pennies and fps for cakes. &c. At the Ameri-
can House corner the Bacons ran the same
kind Of a store, and adjoining on the avenue
was Lloyd's tavern. South Of Bacon's corner
ON It'll street was what known as Cattail
Row, where the Glacos, Sheckells. Laskeys and
ClarvOes lived. On the north side of the ave-
nue. on the site of the Metropolitan was the old
Indian Queen Hotel. "a three-story brick, and
adjoining the west the hat store of VIM. Il.
Todd. while further down toward 9th street was
Sam Handy's hat store.
RIVAL HArTERs.
There was at times much rivalry between the
hatters. each making his own hats and endeav-
oring in the finishing to surpass the work of his
rival. Handy always believed i'll fur hats. the
real beaver, and was loath to adopt the silk hat,
and the consequence was that Todd led in the
trade. Hats in those days were hats and there
was no necessity TO cover them to keep the rain
of. The fur hats cost all the way from IS to
Sl5 according to the material used, and when
Won bought one it would last for years. Then
the fashions did not change as frequently as now
and the wearer would sometimes tire of his hat
before there was a change OF style.
FORMER LANDMARKS BROUGHT TO LIGHT.
sc. G. Grammer kept grocery ON the site Of
the Central National Bank. On Saks' corner a
man named Jacobs kept a wine store and Ben
and Walter Brook succeeded him. Michael
Tally, Feeny and Crane lived north, and at ID
street. the site of the National Bank of the Re
public, was the old Patriotic Bank. the entrance
on ID street. John Donohos grocery was on
Robinson, Parker d Co. s present site and south
was SaIuuers tavern and Montardors. watch
maker ana jeweler. On the north side of Louis
lana avenue row of two-story bricks
where the Hunts. Tates and WGrdens lived. On
the old Canterbury site, on the south side of
Louisiana avenue, nearly opposite 9th street.
WIS the theater.
THE OLD BANK OF WASHINGTON
was on is present site and Gen. Weightman
lived in the rooms above, and 1 remember on
one occasion the general gave there fancy
dress ball which ecliDsed ANYTHING of the Kind
seen here before. The Inteiiqence,. was then at
18th and ID streets and the Post Office Depart
ment with the patent Office and city post Office
were all there in the building on E street be-
tween 9Th and 9Th streets. while on the + street
side lived the Birches and the Lahnds close by
Jimmy Caden's school house. On It'll street be-
tween and Z was fire engine. owned by the
government. in frame building, The upper
portion OF which was used as the armOry of
Col Seaton's company-the Washington
Guards.
PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE DIRT ROAD.
The avenue was then dirt road with two
rows ofpoplars in the middle from the Capitol
to 18th street. There were in this distance two
wooden bridges, one the well-known Tiber
bridge at I'd street. which was replaced by a
brick and stone arch few years before the
war. and the other wooden structure over the
run between 9th and 10th streets. This run
which had its source at the springs in Franklin
Square, coursed down between 9Th and 10th
streets and emptied into the canal. 1t was
about 1888 the avenue was macadamized and to
this work is the District indebted for a num-
Der of our German families who came here to
work and settled.
NOT MUCH OF A MARKET.
The Center Market was then a shed set on
brick piers extending not quite from 7th to
Sth streets, and 1 should judge about on the
line of the wholesale stores. There were no
commission men or produce dealers them and
aside from the butchers and bakers the country
people came direct from their farms and sold
to the consumer. Most of the produce was
brought Iii wagons or sled in winter, but
from farms skirting the Potomac boats trans
ported the produce. landing Just south of the
market near the fish market, lust south of the
main sheds on the line of Sth street
You NAV judge that living was not extra high
then. for good solid board could be had for 50
per week. Wages were for carpenters from 81
to Sl.5O Per day. working from sun to sum- In
winter the weather much more severe than
now, and frequently the snow laid on the
ground for weeks and all the travel was by
s!eds. and 1t was common experience for a
white Christmas to betOken a lean graveyard