Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-04-11

from the acorn planted hundred wears ago.
when first remember anything Of the patent
ONCE 1t was just before the fire of 1886. The
| engraving published in The STAR of Saturday
| recalls the post Office building very yiyidly 10
| my mind. 1t was of brick painted yellow and
| in the eastern end the patent Office found ac-
| Communications. The building did not extend
| very far up eth street. how far I cannot tell
but next TO it was small engine house, where
! the post office fire engine was kept-a very
| small affair and about rs effective as the small
| syringe we used to call squirt guns" Beyond
| that and between IL and street there were
| two other brick residences. and in one of them
| Mr. Charles Strahan taught school was one
| of his pupils and can recall. after SO long a
| lapse OF time, but very few o: the scholars
Among them was the late Fitzhugh Coyle Gales
Seaton, Gen Ord. Leonard J. Anderson. Gen.
| John BraEnon and his brother Frank and
| George French and his brother Gen William
| french On the same square. back of the post
| office, Mr. James Caden kept n school, which
WAS af;erwsrd moved to the opposite square,
| whore the patent office now stands DIR. Gun-
ton mad an Ice house on the corner of 9th
| and streets and all his ingenuity could not
l prevent Strahans and Caden bows from max
| ing it q toboggar slide. Al old man named
Orr maj cottage and farmed the rest of the
square 10 not know who was commissioner
/ OF patents at the time. but remember Pascal
heller and his brother, Charles VI. Keller were
clerks there. In after years knew Mr.. Henry
l. Ellsworth, the commissioner of patents, very
well. and TO his personal Gberality is the coun-
try indebted for the Botanical Garden and the
Agricultural Department as for some wears he
imported seeds and plants for distribution and
the experiments of Mr.. Ellsworth led to the es-
tablishment of both those important govern
ment institutions.
MORSE AND THE TELEGRAPH.
Mr.. Ellsworth was the early friend Of Prof
Morse whose invention of the telegraph he
aided most materially. If 1 am not mistaken
his daughter sent the first message over the
completed line to Baltimore. The small en-
Sine mouse was not burned, and for some time
the patent office desks occupied the upper
story OF that building for there was nothing
savec from the hre. Records, models drawings
all were destroyed. Mr.. Robert Mills was the
architect OF the patent Office. as l have always
understood, and a more beautiful specimen of
the style OF architecture is not to be found in
this country. Some years after, the city post
ONCE occupied one or more of the dwellings, on
1th street, and MIR. Strahan and his school re-
moved TO the little wooden building which
stood until lew years ago, Mt the corner of Fl
and 9TH streets. After the burning of the Post
Once Department 1t occupied for some years
Wizards Hotel, then owned by Mr.. BENJAMIN
Osle Iayloe, and the city post Office was in the
lower story of Carusis saloon. How long il re-
manned there / do not know, but do know it
was there when the news came that Harrison
had carried Pennsylvania by GAG votes think
that was the majority, and it was several DAYS
after the election before the result reached this
city.
THE FIRST HEAD OF THE PATENT OFFICE.
DR.. William Thornton, who was the first head
OF the patent office, q man of prominence,
and had been one of the commissioners ap-
pointed by Gen. Washington to Law out the city
under the law establishing the seat of govern
ment He was one of the organizers of the
mrs. Jockey club formed here and his stables
and training QrOuDl cha Of II
Jake Dixon, well-remembered citizen of the
olden time, was about i street between eth and
l4tl. and many time have gone there to see
the prldes OF the turf taking their exercise.
Col. Dixon at the death of Dr. Thornton be-
came the owner of the training stables and for
years occupied that space, then O vast COM
NOR His nam ., called up BIZ the recent mention
OF Dr. thornton, awakens many memories of
the stories told abOu: this well-known sporting
man He was a mar of very limited education
could no. read. but il was said could detect
with the most unerrinS certainty a counterfeit
bill. He was a devoted whig and believed in the
National I'aeHtgeiscer, and hated jackson and a
jackson man most bitterly. He was a banker
as well as an owner of race horses-faro banker
| mean, and his valet Il yellow man as well
known as the colonel. lie could read and 80
kept the colonel posted on the news of the day.
WAS HE A JACKSON MAN?
One day the colonel came to his bank, and
Charles, who had read the the IltelHgencey took
the coloneIs hat and cane, with the usual salu-
tation OF Good morning, colonel"
Good morning, Churls."
The colonels mode of pronouncing-"Any
news this morning. Churls!'
Not much, colonel; only they have cut off
the head Of the king Of France-abdication of
Louis XVIII"
Poor fellow! poor fellow You don't say so,
Churls."
Yes, colonel, it is true; it is in the Intezi-
IL
Full Of sympathy the colonel limped across
the hoor, when lie suddenly turned and said,
Charles. was he a Jackson man,
Il believe he was, colonel"
blank
oLD-TIME RACING.
Col. Dixon was the owner of Industry" n
very line horse, and on four-mile day at the
old race track, now obliterated by streets and
handsome residences, saw three broken heats.
which made the race sixteen miles, and nv
recollection is that Industry was the winner.
and that was before the days of two-year olds
and spurts of a mile. The jockey club Of that
day was presided ovG- bS Gen. Samuel Spriye
OF Maryland, and among the active mem
beers OF l. were Gen. Scott, Gen. Gibson. Gen.
Macomb, Major HOOK who had been wounded
In duel and rendered almost helpless. but who
was one OF the leaders in all social eniCym jnts
III which he could only be locker on; Col
Timothy Z. Andrews and General Jessup.
The races were the attraction of the day
anu when Congress was In session a quorum
was very difficult to obtain. That old race
course had seen some very exciting scenes. I'm
de- the Judg . stand. legend said tina; Post
Boy, fam Il racer, was buried. He fell lust
before reaching the stand and broke his leg
and W As killed and buried where h. fell
As EARL as 1879 there was a gathering of
notabies or that period from all parts Of the
country to witness q famed race which had
been mads in October, 1922 at the Long Island
course between Sir Charles" owned by Mr.
James j. Harrison, of Brunswick Va, and
american Eclipse, whose grandSire was the
famed English Eclipse. The race was TO lie run
here for $4,000, half forfeit on the 18th of No
vember ensuing. The attendance was very large
but Sir Charles when brought upon the track
was lame He was Withdrawn and forfeit paid
The disappointment was very great, and after
the noise and hubbub had subsidized Col VIM
L. Johnson of Petersburg mounted his horse
and called for Mr.. John Stevens of New York
and said: Mr. Stevens, will produce a horse
to match Eclipse by the last Tuesday in May
next for q stake of 0,OO0 81, 600 forfeit to be
put up now"
Mr.. Stevens accepted the match. and the con-
dltlOns an i the antlcIpatiOns OF that race COM
Penssted somewhat for the disappointment of
the day.
TIE NoRr- AGAINST THE SOUTH.
Not long after Col. johnson announced he
had selected Sir Henry TO run against Eclipse
and the excitement became intense it was
the north agalust the south. and on the 18th OF
| Ell. l.