Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-05-11
NEWS FROM ROCKVILLE.
A Pivot for Scientific Observation-Activity
I'm Real Estate-Other Items.


corrsspondencs Of The Evening Star.
ROCKVILLE, May 10, 1891.
The question Of the variation of latitude is
one that has for several years occupied the at
tention Of the scientific men of the world, and
Investigations in regard to the matter have
been watched with much interest. This sub
ject is now being pursued by the international
Geodetic Association. of which the coast and
geodetic survey Of the United States is a men,
Der, and for this purpose an expedition has
been sent to Honolulu, of the Sandwich Islands,
of which DIR. Marcuse of Berlin represents Ger
many and Mr.. E. ID. Preston the United States.
In order to facilitate observations looking to
the solution Of the question the coast and
geodetic survey has selected this town as a
point Of observation. and has erected a small
and temporary building, suitable for the pur-
pose, on the premises of Mr.. Edwin Smith in
West End Park. Mr.. Smith is an assistant and
. chief of division in the Office at Washington,
and will devote a portion Of his time to taking
observations at this point. The building is now
completed and ready for the reception of a Ze-
NTH telescope. which will be placed in position
In a few days The house now contains an astro-
nomical transit and a chronograph. and will
soon be supplied with an electric battery and
all other necessary apparatus for the work 1t
Is proposed to take observations at least every
five days. when the weather Is favorable for the
same. The building here is situated on an emil
nenee overlooking a large extent of country
and near a point from which a view of the
Sugar Loaf mountain, and the Washington
monument can be obtained and from which
point satisfactory experiments in signaling by
means of flashes Of light were made some
time ago by Capt Perry Maus, U. s. A.
Similar observations TO those taken by Mr..
Smith will be made at San Francisco by Prof.
George Davidson of the U. s. coast and geo.
detic survey, and number of the observatories
of the country will also take part in the work.
The handsome residence of Mr.. VIM. Whiting
ct West End Park was on Friday night the
scene Of q brilliant german, which was partici-
pated in by the youth and beauty of Rockville
and the surrounding country. The parlors
were handsomely decorated with a profusion of
plants and flowers and brilliantly lighted. A
sumptuous repast was served to the guests and
the handsome favors were dispensed by Mrs.
T. Cunard- The german was led in fine style
by Mr.. Whiting, the following couples partici-
pating: R. y. Peter and Miss Bertha Bartlett.
W. W. Russell and Miss Ida Lowry, Jas. p. b.
yeirs and Miss Cora Edmonston, Reynolds
Nicholson and Miss Rosa Stansbury, Harry
Roome and Miss Sallie Griffith, Clagett Pyles
and Mrs A j. Almoney, w. E. Burford and
Mrs- W. Whiting, A j. Almoney and Mrs. W.
E. Burford, Arthur Peter and Mrs Capt Hay
cock, g. Minor Anderson and Miss Daisy Mason,
Charles Maddox and Miss Alice Edmonston
Among those present were Misses Minnie Lowry
and Mary Hodges, Capt Hayeock and Mr.. Thos.
Vinson-
Mr.. Barton Trail, a well-known citizen of the
county, died yesterday after a short illness Of
typhoid fever at his residence near Warning sta
ton. in the forty-ffth year of his age. De-
ceased was twice married and leaves a wife and
nine children. During the late war he was for
some time in the southern army, leaving here
with the troops after Early's unsuccessful raid
on Washington During the time he
wounded by a shot in the knee, from the effects
Of which he was famed for life.
During the past week the following transfers
Of real estate have been recorded in the Office of
the clerk Of the circuit court: Annie c. Gotwald
and husband to John H. Soule. lots H. az, block
20, Takoma Park. $40; Baltzley Bros. to Harry
D. Hall, lot 10, block %, Glen Echo, 81 AS 20;
Edward Lea and wife to Isaac Hartshorne, one
fourth acre of land, S1O0, Baltzley Bros. to
Martha III. {. Burgess, lot IL. block II, Glen
Echo, 81 200; same to Elizabeth VI. Power, lot
Is, block II, Glen Echo, 81 200; same to
Henry l. West, lot 8, block IL, Glen Echo,
81, 200; Reister Russell and others to Carson
Ward, lot at Gaithersburg, $3.50; Lewis X.
Christhiff and wife to Alice E. Harriss, 2
acres and IS perches near Germantown
Station, $1,000; Alice E. Harriss to Jacob
NJ Young, same land, 81 100; VIM. W. Metzger,
trustee, to Chas- Metzger, Dol acres Of land,
e4.ZOO; Alice Harriss and husband to Peirre
Waters, lots at German town station 81, 500; Ma
tonal Chatauqua to Emma Dean Powell, lots
Is, -, National ChataUqua subdivision, $500;
Fred W. Pratt to BaltzIey Bros, Is acres near
Washington aqueduct, $4,000; Washington
Grove Camp Meeting Association to Jesse H.
Williams, lot 3, block A. cottage department.,
-; Annie Z. Brooke and others TO Mary E.
farquhar, 20 acres OF land, s.; Mary L. Far
quhar TO Mary A r. Motion, lots 6, Z. 8. ., sec
tion 6, Bradford's Rest. g; METROPOLITAN In
vestment Company to Vim. A. Wilson, lots IS.
Il, section SO, Garrett Park, 3,5y5.67; same TO
Mary A. Traylor. lot IS, section 30, same place,
$500; same to Chas J. Fallon. lot z. section lO2.
same place, sSoo same to r. 2. Galloway, lot
IL. :
ChaA w. Thompson, lots 70, So section IO2,
same place, q, 104.67, same to Heinrich Calm,
lots As, 46, section l02, same place, S9.ls4 80;
joseph i. Ofutt and wife to s. I. Albert acres
Of land, Is, 500; Mary A Carter to Catharine
Carroll, lot adjoining Rockville, $500; James L.
Lodge and wife TO Sylvester I. Sterrick, acres
Of land, esoO; John W. Benjamin to j. r.
Creemsr, acres, roods, 20 perches of land,