Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-10
THE FENCE Is DOWN.
A Sudden and Successful Raid ut lie Dro,t
Park Today.

A Sudden and Successful Raid ut lie Droit
Park Today.
WHILE ALL WAS SEEMINGLY SECURE HOWARD
TOWN ROSE Up AND sMorE TEE FENCE
SCENES ABOUT THE prsPrrEp BoRpEa-rHK
FENCE TO BIZ KEPT DOWN.
War raised its grim head in the neiehbor
hood of lie Droit Park at noon today.
The result is that the fence that once sepa-
rated that exclusive suburb from its northern
neighbor, Howardtown, is no more. Not q
stick Of the structure that crossed Linden
street remains The reservation is thrown
open to the Howardtown settlers The precise
time was 1880 o'clock.
At that hour the male members Of the lie
Droit Park community were absent on their
various daily missions, some in Congress, some
in government Offices, others engaged in
various employments about the city The
women and children were left in care
Of Washington: the venerable and
faithful colored special Waterman who
did valiant service once before in . fence
war and whose protecting arm was relied on to
from the dangers of an attack. But somehow
Washington was not in it today.
SCENE OF PKAcK.
When STAR reporter explored the park
about 1915 the lawn tennis nets were all in
place, a COW, deluded by the warming sun into
the belief that spring had come, lay on the soggy
grass and lazily chewed the cud of contentment
some of the feminine parkers were ont with
brooms and scrubbing brushes cleaning
away the few remains Of the morning. .
whirl of snow, and Washington walked slowly
but boldly down Maple street unconscious Of
the danger impending.
THk STAR reporter walked down Linden street
to the fence. Washington eyed him suspi-
ciously, for IL is an unusual thing to see a man
in the park at noon. but did not stop him.
THE PENCE.
The reporter viewed the fence. As this was
the last view taken Of this particular fence it is
perhaps we'll to describe its appearance and
the impression il made on TIE STAR reporter,
the last human being who saw it in its COM
plete state. Linden street IL the street that
passes northward through the park from the
head OF Rhode Island avenue. On the
maps of the District it is represented as passing
through the park, and on through what is
known as Howardtown and the grounds about
the place where the park leaves of and How
ardtown begins, however, is or was the fence.
1t was not q handsome structure.
None Of the residents Of the park who as
serted their rights to maintain the fence ever
claimed that this fence was put there for orna-
the plainest kind of boards, Imprinted. Some
Of them were weather-stained and others were
bright and new, fresh from the mill, 30 there
was a variegated color about the structure. 1t
was about eight feet high on the average. The
top, however, was irregular, as the boards used
in its construction had been selected apparently
for their thickness and not for their length.
Hence there was no uniformity in this particu-
lar. The stringers were secured at one side OF
the street against q shed that stands there,
I'D hh fhnr lfI &hn fame
went plumb against the front wall
of row OF brick houses. There
were crevices an inch or more wide between
the boards through which park residents got
narrow views Of the Howardtown settlement
beyond and the people Of Howardtown might
dents of LIE Droit Park.
Some enterprising agent Of a soap manufac-
turer, recognizing the value of the fence as an
advertising medium, had placed in the center
the beholders Of the virtues of his soap. He
had neglected to pay the same delicate atten-
ton to the Howardtown side Of the fence and
had left no explanation Of the reason of this
discrimination.
SUDDEN ATTACK.
As has been indicated, all signs Of life in the
park up to the time the reporter viewed the
Through the long cracks of the fence about
twenty-five minutes after twelve one
might have seen covered wagon
pass across the Howardtown part Of Linden
street-that is. the several impressions given
by body that passed over the narrow slit-like
put together helped to form the image of
covered wagon. Howardtown seemed
all sudden to become stirred
with life. Men appeared at the corners. women
came to the doorways Then the crevices in
the fence failed 10 reveal all that happened.
The focus was bad. There were many moving
bodies near the fence that they totally OBJ
scured the view. Whack! Whack! Crashl
-Four little girls who were playing in LIE Droit
Park, on Linden street. ran screaming to their
mamas. The cry went up, ''The fence, The
fencer' Ladies' in the neighborhood' rushed
out of their houses in alarm.
Where was Washington? No one could tell
He did not appear. ''Whack! Whack! Crash ~
Saws, axes and hatchets were all at work In
two minutes and half by The STAR reporter q
watch the fence was gone.
There were then disclosed about q hundred
men on the other side, with all kinds of tools.
They didn't say nything. but Just sawed wood
There was apparently perfect understanding
tons beforehand. When the last stick was
down they turned away and dispersed through
Howardtown.
The STAR reporter walked out from LIE Droit
Park into HOwardtown and fraternized with
the raiders.
WHAT THEY SAID.
There were scores of them. The majority Of
them were colored, but some of the most
active we're white. Capt. o. 8. B. Wall. who is
an invalid, was there. He leaned on his cane
and on the shoulder of friend and was
jubilant.
'All there is about IT," said Mr. August
Schmidt, who was one OF the leaders of the
charge on the fence, ''ls that the fence is
down. We pay seven thousand in taxes and
we have right to have this public street open.
so we can 60 into the city and 60 to church on
Sunday and our children can 90 to school with
out having to 60 a mile out of our way. 1t was
an obstruction to the street and we have re-
moved it,
While the reporter was talking colored women
and children were scampering to their homes
loaded with the splinters Of the fence, and soon
there was not vestige Of that once celebrated
structure left.
A CONCERTED THING.
Mr.. Schmidt and others engaged in the raid
told The STAR reporter that this destruction of
the fence had been decided ON at meeting
of those living north of the fence.
and others living at the university they said
! were interested and countenanccd the raid.
They had waited, they said, for the Commits
| sioners to act, but the Commissioners were
| slow and they could wait no longer. They
| claimed that the streets through the park were
public thoroughfares and that the Commits
sioners had SO recognized them by expending
public money on them.