Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-08-15

ington induces me to devote some more space
to the information obtained from the old time
directory which seventy ago gave the names
| and residences Of those pioneers. In 1922 the
members of Congress found their homes at the
various boarding houses which abounded on
| the avenue Capitol Hill and Georgetown The
hotels were crowded, should judge, and the
overflow filed tho boarding houses Several
small hotels are mentioned-Sanfords Queens,
ONeale's, Franklin Hotel, Kennedy's. Peck 8
Hotel in Georgetown, McGowan's and Solomon
Drews, near the market on 7th street.
Gen. John II. Eaton, Senator from Tennessee,
in 1922 boarded at ONeale's Hotel on Pennsyi-
| vania avenue between Goth and Dist streets. and
| there probably he met the fair Peggy O'Neale,
for she was the daughter of Mr.. William o Neale,
| who kept the hotel. She was the widow OF Mr..
Undertake, purser Of the navy, who commit
| ted suicide, and was one OF the very fair women
| of that day. For years Mrs. Eaton filed a
| very conspicuous space in the social life OF
| Washington, and her story has been told SO
| often and so differently that all who read have
| heard it. / had known her from my boyhood.
| and when last saw her in New York in about
| 1872 she still retained some remains OF that
beauty which had rendered her SO conspicu-
| Gus. She was in rather reduced circumstances
| and had received but little of the property OF
| which she had been robbed, but was far from
depressed and was in hopes Of regaining more
| of her property.
JOHN RANpoLPH's ARIsTocRAcY.
Her father, Billy ONeale, was one Of Wash
| ington's characters story is told of All in
| tsrview between John Randolph and Mr..
| O'Neale which exhibits the aristocracy of the
| Roanoke statesmen. Mr.. Randolph had boarded
| with Mr.. Neale before going to Russia, and
| on his return from that mission he had quite
| an ovation, and among others who called was
Mr.. O'Neale, who was announced, but Mr..
Randolph seemed not to recognize him, when
| Mr.. O'Neale reminded him he had boarded at
| his hotel.
oh, yes; Billy o'Neale, victualler. Well,
what do you want?'
MIR. Cummings who was a swell tailor in
| those days. called to pay his respects. as he
had made the acquaintance OF Mr.. Randolph
by making some clothes for him. and he was
| announced, but Randolph seemed not to recog-
| nize him, and he said:
II made your brooches, SIR"
"Oh. Maj. Britches. How are you, SIR"
'No, sir said Mr.. Cummings. II made your
well, sir, didn't I pay, you sir. What more
| do you want?'
In Congress from Baltimore at this time was
| Gen. Little. who was matchmaker. Gen.
Little had offered a bill recognizing the army
| or an amendment to an army bill, which Mr..
| Randolph opposed and said the gentleman
| from Maryland was more familiar with tic tics
| than with tactics.
The mess" OF Senators and members of Con-
gress who boarded at "Dowson's Capitol Hill
will illustrate the mode of life here. Col. Ben
| ton, James DeWolf of Rhode Island j ohm Holmes
Of Maine. Nathaniel Macon of North Carolina,
SamL Smith Of Maryland. the Vice President
| Danl. d. Tompkins, Mark Alexander of Vir-
ginia. VIM. S: Archer of Virginia, Weldon N
| Edwards Of North Carolina, VIM. Eustis OF
Massachusetts, Thomas II. Hall OF North Caro-
| lina JAS Hamilton, jr., fSouth Carolina, James
Jones OF Virginia, John Randolph. Jonathan
Russell OF Massachusetts, and Edward +. TAFT
| nall of Georgia, all of the same political party
When Mr. Randolph fought the duel with Mr..
Clay, which Col. Benton SO graphically describes
| Ill his Thirty Years in the Senate" he had
asked Col. Benton to become his second, but Cci.
Benton declined on account of the relationship
existing between Mrs. Clay and himself. Mr..
Tattnall of Georgia became the second of Mr..
Randolph. With all his cynical and misan-
thropic life which gave SO much offense the
conduct of Mr.. Randolph in his duel with Mr..
Clay was such an exhibition Of chivalry as can
not be excelled in all its annals.
There are living here many descendants of
those whose names are found in this directory
Bennett Clements, jr., was the father of Hamil-
ton Clements Of the Department of State; 7. L.
Duport tobacco store, at the northwest cor
ner 18th and Pennsylvania avenue, now Davis
hat store) was the great grandfather Of Lewis
Johnson Davis, the banker, and his grandfather,
Lewis johnson, was i'll business same place
Gregory Ennis, father Of John +. Ennis then
lived on Capitol Hill Maj James Kearney
| lived corner l4th and streets now, absorbed
| III Wizards Hotel DR.. Kearney of the navy
also resided there. Sam Hanson and ]. K
Hanson were clerks i'll the departments and
| their descendants are yet with US. Gen. Jessup
who for so long time lived on F street next
the corner Of 18th, in 1922 boarded at Mrs.
Peyton's. DIR. George May, the father of Miss
Juliana May, lived at the corner OF 9Th and d.
where subsequently Hudson Taylor lived and
| where now is the Academy of Music Or Lincoln
Hall.
CAME HERE WITH THE GOVERNMENT.
Sam NJ. Mexican came here with the govern
ment and resided for years on 18th street lust
opposite the War and Navy Department, on
the same block with Gen. Towson. VIM. Spell
den. parser. lived on street next the Winder
building, but all are SO modernized except the
Mexican residence as to be ob,iterated. An
drew Ramsay and Vim. Ramsay, clerks in the
third auditors and adjutant generals Offices,
lived on + street near 10th. Whether any rela-
| ton, and what, to Capt. Ramsay of the navy
cannot say. l find Gen Geo. ID. Ramsay was
second lieutenant of artillery in 1919 Rapley
Avery kept grocery store near the market,
and Mr.. Rapley Of the National Theater per-
petuated the name. Maj. Isaac Roberdeau of
typographical engineers, after whom Gen.
Rob. Wheat Of Louisiana was named and who
was killed In the late war, resided in George
| town and the relatives of Gen. Wheat and his
| brother, Leo p, lived ut the Navy Yard and
Greenleafs Point; Henry Wheat, same family,
taught school on 18th street for years. Mich
oias L. Queen kept Queens Hotel on Capitol
Hill and John Queen was one of the contractors
for building the Capitol. The subsequent gem
GRAFTON of Queens lived in the country beyond
Mrs. Beale's. of that family Admiral Queen is
| the representative Edward Simms at that
time kept a store at the navy yard. There was
an italian colony here, who have left honored
and honorable representatives. The Masis, the
Caruss, the PulliZzis and the FranZonis were
| among the most respected citizens Of that day
Maj. VIM. B. Randolph, Ignatius Mudd, Peter
Lenox, Joshua Willard, Josiah +. Caldwell and
Frederick Keller lived on the same square or
near by-on Maryland avenue from 12.h to I4th
| streets-ani in the same locality next the
corner of 18th street. Gov. Alex. Il. Shepherd
was born but some ten or more years after the
| period AN writing Of. That block produced
two rulers of this city, Walter Lenox, mayor,
and Gov. Alex. K. Shepherd. I saw the houses
not long ago, but little changed, and on I4th
street, above the bridge, il the old home of
Maj. Parke g. Howle Of the marine corps
MIR. John NJ. Young now resides there and
has made but little change in its outward
appearance. An old house, which remember
| many years ago, when it stood alone in large
| Enclosure, was built by Richard Bland Lee,
who was judge OF the Orphans Court in 1922.
and is now owned and occupied by Mr.. L. g.
Wheeler. All that region was Greenleafs
Point, and below this house was q row called
| Rodgers Row, built by Commodore Rodgers,
| VINO resided there. Next to Commodore