Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-05-03
HOW OUR FATHERS RULED
In Georgetown More Than One Hundred
Years Ago.

a HIGHLY SARCASTIC COMMUNICATION TO THE
CITY AUTHORITIES OF wAsHISGToN-MES
PLACED IN PRISON FOR DEBT OR MADE TO
skayE IN sLAvKRY-GRADING THE STREETS.
The commissioners Of Georgetown held their
last meeting at the house Of Mr.. George Baker
January 20. 1889, writes Mr.. Hugh 7. Taggart,
after having for nearly forty years attended TO
the affairs Of the town. 1t was incorporated
under the name Of The Mayor. Recorder,
Board OF Aldermen and Common Council OF
Georgetown" on December 25, 1889. Robert
Peter was made mayor by the act Of incorpora-
ton and John Mackau CAN'T, recorder. and
Brooke Beall Bernard O'Neill, Thomas Beall of
George James Macubbin Lincoln and John
Threlkeld. aldermen. and ten persons, to be
elected viva voice. were to be common council
men. who were required to have visible prop
erty of the vslue of ElO0. and the voters were
to be "Freemen above the age of tweuty-one
years, having visible property within the state
of the value Of $50 current money, and
"vho had resided in the town for one whole
year."
The first meeting Of the corporation of which
we have any record held November rs,
1871, at the house OF Joseph Semmes. at which
there were present Thomas Beall. mayor; Criah
Forrest and Daniel ReintzeIl. aldermen, and
Valentine ReintZell, IT,, Thomas Corcoran.
Charles Beatty and James Claggett, common
councilmen. During the meeting John Threl-
keld, alderman and William Deakins, jr., coun-
Gilman. appeared and took their seats. On the
following day Robert Peter and Charles Ma
gruder appeared and took their seats and
were fined shillings and pence each for nom
attendance in due time.
BURNING OF POWDER SHIP.
On May 2, 1871, the people Of the town wit
messed novel spectacle. The ship Terma-
geant, belonging to the house Of the Messrs.
Clagett and which anchored in the stream
OF the town, was discovered to be on fre. The
Inhabitants and the seamen in the haroor
quickly collected. but were deferred from eff
forts to extinguish the flames by knowledge of
the fact that the cargo consisted In large part
OF powder.
As the flames progressed and reached the
powder terrific explosion took place, which
shook all the houses in the town. Cinders and
pieces OF the ship few in every direction. and
the extensive tobacco warehouse of Francis and
Charles Lowndes. some distance from the
water. saved with great difficulty.
On the first Monday Of January, 1892. Criah
Forrest was elected mayor and Robert Peter
and Charles WOrtEington were elected alder
men. At a meeting held on the 9th of March,
1872, Peter Casanave and Charles Beatty APP
peared as aldermen and benjamin Stoddart
was passed to an ordinance for the reassess-
ment Of all the property in the town, and a
bill was also passed to levy tax upon dogs,
whereupon. in the quaint language Of the jour
nal, The house discontinues and dissolves for
the present"
John ThreIkeld was elected mayor January 7,
1873, and Peter Casanave was elected mayor
January 6, 1894; and at meeting on the eth of
NAV Adam Eing and John VI. Beatty appeared
o. councilmen. and KANT resigning as recorder,
William Hammond Dorsey was elected in his
stead On the 5th Of January, 1875, William
Turner was elected mayor, and at this meeting
authority was given for the removal of that
part Of the Jail built for debtors for the greater
convenience Of finishing the market house.
THE TOWN JAZZ.
The previous meetings Of the corporation are
silent as to the Jail. but at this a committee
was appointed to procure a lot for the purpose
of building new one for the use Of the cor
poration; and notice was given that the next
general assembly would be asked TO vest in the
corporation Q right to the county wharf, to the
front wall Of the streets and alleys terminating
n the river, and to provide that the fines aris-
ing in the mayors court be appropriated TO the
use Of the corporation and to give said court
the right to license ordinary keepers and re-
tailers in Georgetown This right was then
vested In Montgomery county court.
The meeting sdjudged a house built by Adam
King, one Of its members, in one OF the streets
as . nuisance and rather inconsistency allows
II to remain, provided Mr.. King pays an annual
rent to the corporation Of Els.
SAFE KEEPING OF LAW BREAKERS.
The corporation elected Daniel Reintzell
mayor on the 10th Of October. 1876. and John
Mason, John French and Anthony Cooler took
their seats as councilmen. The next meeting
Of the corporation was held at the house Of
Clement Sewall. and from the proceedings had
IL appears that the constables of the town. 1gna-
titus Newton and John Sanders, had in their Gus
fody . certain Michael Dulsney and a certain
Matthew Dulaney on suspicion of having burned
the records Of the tobacco warehouse, and 1T
being well sscertained that the county Jail is
not in Q state to insure their safe keeping. and
that 10 10 the general wish of the inhabitants
that measures should be taken to secure the
persons Of men who appear to have been
guilty CT so heinous a crime, the constables
were directed to keep the prisoners in their Gus
tody ''ironed at hand and foot, in one of their
own houses or in some other place OF safety,
under a constant guard by day and night by
four men, well armed until the adjourned
county court to be held at Montgomery county
court house on the I'd of January next" and
then to deliver them to the sheriff of the county.
Llovd BeaIl was elected mayor January 2. 1897,
aud John T. Mason recorder in place Of William
Hammond Dorsey, who had resigned.
LIMITED SLAVERY
On November 3, 1877, an ordinance was
passed concerning gambling and petition was
sent to the legislature of the state asking for
some changes in the charter to allow the
reelection of a person once before elected
NJ MAYOR. &c. The legislature granted the pc
t:tion and passed act for the purpose, which
also authorized the corporation to control
Migrants loose and disOrderly persons, and
provided that if any such were committed and
al the expiration of the sentence should not
paw the amount Of their fines and prison fees,
that the sheriff with the consent Of the mayor,
might sell such persons as servants for any
time not exceeding four months.
At the meeting held February rs. 1913, a
committee appointed to examine the con-
dition OF the bridge on Falls street and to have
it pulled down if. in their opinion, in case of a
freshet. il would endanger the market house.
This bridge located the north side of
Falls now Bridge street. near the present Poto-
mac street, across a rayine which commenced
at q spring near what Is now the corner of High
and ith streets. The rayine took southerly
direction to Falls street and then to the river.
The market house of that day, n frame strUc
ture was built over the ravine about where the
present Bridge street market house stands For
about fifty years this ravine has been filed up,
arched and converted into a sewer. Back of
DR.. Loockerman's residence on 1st street there
was in this ravine pond OF considerable depth
and area. which was used by the boys of
McLeod's school Of whom many are still living)
for bathing and swimming.
ACHEAP GOVERNMENT.