The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-07-12

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u y III H. - iN' Ntti'Ht
~ + al X Chautauoua at Glen
lV3RM- II Echo is situated in
{ AEHsaA III Montgomery coun-
,{s&sl ty. Nd. and local
option prevails in
} NiTHbthSH that county. thco
- Sfet @ retically at least
'-----;----' Under a Maryland
within their respective boundaries. the
1uc,t.on as TO whether intoNcants shall he
Add or NOT For some Years Montgomery
conntv has regularly voted dry, but appa-
renty the popular will Is enior, ed only al the
county seat. Rockville. In that village the
thirsty waylarer cannot purchase even glass
Tbislocal option feature Of Maryland pro
duces some peculiar anomalies. and even the
Nauoua. ChautaGQua Is involved.
The Glen Echo property. compus ne sew
era. hundred acres stretching along the PIC
tureslue bluffs OF the Potomac was purchased
3, tW0 brothers. enterprising citizens of ONO.
They conceived the idea that 1t could be de-
veloped into popular suburban or summer
residence locality for citiIens OF Washington.
AsrUTE PROMOTES.
10 is quite well understood that the astute
fnancier. Senator John sherman, was 50 ia
voraby impressed with the scheme that he
put $3.50. 900 in 1t. The first step of the pro-
JectOrs was of course. 10 sub-dlVde the tract
into lots, lay ont streets. etc. and their next
was 10 transfer q number of these lots 20 the
possession OF the Harrison family and other
occupants of the White House.
The enterprisng projectors did not even
overlook subordinates. Some OF tie White
Housed Jerks were made p0ssessors Of Glen
Echo lots. and the lady Typewriter and ste
nographer were specially favored. The next
step was TO extensively advertise tine fact that
Mrs. Harrison. her sister. her niece. her
father the elderly Rev. lr Scott. Private
Secretary Hallord and his daughter had pur-
chased largely Of Glen-Echo property.
vAUITING AMBITION oyERLEAPs ITSELF.
But the willy projectors overreached them
selves in stating the amounts alleged 20 have
been paid by the White House people Ac-
cordng TO their figures Mrs Harrison and
her family had paid about five times as much
for their alleged purchases rs Glen-EchO
property was ~ the time offered for IN open
market. This bunder convinced every per
son capable Of reasoning that the Glen-tcho
lots ike the Cape Nav cottage. had ieen
donated The managers were quickly made
% see their blunder by the p.ess comments
and they ceased advertising the Harrison
purchases"
They went on however. with their enter
prise. and a. nucleus of their proposed SUE
burtan settlement they erected a striking
handing bluffs. The land purchased
abounded with cedar trees. and upon q st NE
foundation "a large building, containing
towers. turrets and various angles. was con
structed of undre,sed cedar. This was called
Glen Echo Cafe. and IL was provided with q
gorgeous bar-rO0m. This did not. however,
prove a paying investment: though unique,
handsome and attractive the patr0na- was
limited. Thousands of people. as usual drove
up and down the nduit road. but only few
stopped al the cafe: the general compliant
was that prices We're too high.
DEAD loss.
10 is o conceded fact here and perhaps
elsewhere and generally that il is not the
wealthy who patr1ulIe such resorts as that II |
the Glen Echo Cafe. Those who are able O. !
own huc carriages. elegant homes and the /
other Injuries OF life, are generally too OK |
elusive 10 patrOnize q place 10 which every |
person who can settle his score is welcomed. |
Al any rate the novel cafe was run at dead |
loss One night 10 took fir iust how no. |
body has ever been able 20 explain and beng |
constructed Of dry and light materials 1t was |
quickly consumed. Meantime the two broth |
ers who were the original projectors had |
erected upon choice sites two handsome stone |
cottages for their own use. Several other |
less pretentlOu, cottages We're erected. From |
that fire the National ChauiauQua eyOuted, |
as it were
Az INCIDENT.
Now comes an incident which goes to show |
coucusiyely that while the Chautaugua pro |
Ject0rs are shrewdly schemng 10 have /
local option enforced against others, they /
rely very largely upon the sale OF liquor To /
bring them q return for the.rinye,tment
Fronting the conduit road and even within |
the boundaries of the Glen Echo pur base /
stands % small Unpretentlous frame building. /
AT tails point one of the many little streams
which have their sources I'D the Potomac
Ill., rushes rapidly down the steep u.uf /
and 10y means ~ cuIVcrt IS
conveyed beneath the surface If the conduit
road and thence onptes into the river.
Wien under the administration Dt tie war
Department by Jefferson Davis. wh is con-
cci oi even by his DID 81 yenomOus enemies %
have cen one of the create Secretaries OF
War Inc untry has hai, the aquedUct and
C. ndut road were instructed a watering
place r horses and for mankind, too was
established NJ that spot.
portia OF forty eight inch water main
was planted on end as receptacle for The
vaterfor animals and the clear sparkling water
from a spring icc-cold was conveyed into IL
ov means of wooden conductors. These
wooden troughs have been renewed many
tines but the OrWna. sect 0n OF the water
main stil stands as first placed. and onlya
Nv steps above ls q receptacle from which
.ec thirsty of the human species. be lie tired.
dirty and Wayworn tramp. or the dainty dude
1r naughty millionaire. riding lu the granoest
il tIlII &C. Ns-A- NAtssiAA % Al-fllN 90 t4tc
rureat wafer
The modest frame building mentioned has
or years beenan open defanroOl the couny's
ocal option law 10 Is % saloon, was erected
0r the purpose of selling liquors byretail, and
hat business has been continued day and
l.ght. Sundays included, almost without in
eruption. Occasionally u deputy sheriff or
constable has warned" the proprietor. and
eyeral years ago the then owner OF the bar
DOM was presented for indictment but
omrhOw or other he escaped without the IL
fiction OF any legal penalty.
HALFWAY HOUSE.
When the lofty and pcfur sQue cafe was
destroyed by fire its propTiotors, the two
,r0thers already described. purchased the |
aodest little frame structure which goes by
lac name OF Halfway House WhyIt should
~ thus designated nobody las ever seemed
le TO explain. Il Is not halfway between
ny points OF importance. But it seems that
hs sou riQuet was bestowed by somebody
low unknown. aud 1t has stuck.
Very naturally the proprietor of the little
'uidng. with its long bar of plain pine and
Is cheap furniture was not anxious 10 sell
ie realized that the destruction of the cafe
would add 10 his trade Few who drove past ,
fIaI 90, at ha WAT fFpnOl and