Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-10-11
BACK IN THETHlRTIES.
Mr.. Boss, Walking Encyclopedias, Tells Of
Old Warrington.
Papers and Local DoinEs
Times - The Cholera Plague.


Times The Cholera Plague.
Cant you give me a good story for Sat-
urday's issue?'' asked Star reporter of
Inspector Hollinberger Of the District de-
tective corps the other morning.
We'll" replied the inspector. perhaps I
| could. hut 1t would take me some time to
think about it. II you want anything real
ly good, you should so and consult the local
walking encyclopedia"
why, does Washington boast of such an
Institution
Indeed she does, and from him you can
get events, names and dates from sixty
years ago down to the present time, and
moreover, you can rely on the correctness
Of everything he gives YOU"
Fifteen minutes later The Star man
found himself at the house. corner of 18th
and + streets south. designated by the in
spector as the residence Of the aforesaid
walking encyclopedia.
IN IN response to his knock, a masculine
found silver-haired silver bearded man an
parently about sixty years Of age busily
parel.
Mr.. Boss?" asked the reporter.
that's my name, sir; what can do for
YOU? going on with the sewing
understand you are a storehouse of
taG.s s ABOUT washington and would like to
nave some CT your knowledge for The Star
readers. responded the reporter.
MT Boss skillfully threaded his needle,
LOOK on his glasses and wiped them. show
ing In doing SO a pair Of bright keen. blue
eyes, and said: Il shall be happv 10 accom-
mooate you and The Star. The Star Is a
great paper; a splendid paper i well re-
niemDef wnen 1t was first started as a
penny sheet: there is q good deal Of diner
ence between The Star then and the present
Star. The world has moved and The star
has Kept up with It,
\ have always been interested In news
papers he added reminiscently "for I
served my time on the old Globe. starting
IN when was twelve years old, in 1897
IN an article In your paper hast Saturday I
saw something about what a circulation the
oio washington papers had throughout the
country. There was no such thing as special
correspondents, as now. who can transmit
Dy wire the days doings at the capital to
tne papers from the Atlantic to the Pacific:
there was no United Press to give the news
70 all papers. No, there was nothing Of
tnat sort Everybody depended on the
weekly issues of our two Washington papers,
In those days the circulation Of the latter.
with which, OF course, l was acquainted,
was about 5000 for the daily, 10, 900 for the
tri-weekly. but mounted into hundreds OF
thousands for the weekly.
speaking Of the Globe, we had much Of
the public printing and every sheet Of the
census Of 1910 passed through my hands.
There was not as much OF the census in
those days as there Is now
Pennsylvania Avenue.
washington has changed very much
since the sos" continued Mr. Boss, dream
lily watching the smoke from his pipe as it
curled upward into space. ''The other day
in street car heard a man talking about
the changes on Pennsylvania avenue since
very slight compared with those Of the
three previous decades. In the early sos
there were rows Of poplar trees in the ave-
nue. about thirty feet from the curb and
between them a raised walk about foot
high extending from 18th street to the Can
itoL In 1882 this was done away with and
1t was decided to macadamize the street,
The laborers were at this work when the
cholera broke out in September, 1882.
A Horrible Time.
THAT was a terrible time. The building
many years after used by your paper and
known as the cid Star building was con-
verted into a cholera hospital. At that time
1t was owned by a man named Stone. who
conducted an engraving establishment
there. Many of the laborers on the
avenue dropped while at work and were
carried into this improvised hospital. The
cholera pit, as 1t was called. where the VIC
Tins of that dread disease were buried
east corner 9Th and N streets northwest.
Years after I told man who resided on
that corner that he lived over the cholera
pit and when he understood nv mea ming
1t SO scared him that he moved away al
though the bodies had been removed long
before.
The Old Round House.
"A great place Of amusement in those
days was the old round house. which stood
in that little park opposite the National
Theater and between E street and the
avenue. All the circuses used to show
there. and circus season was a gala time.
although the circus Of those days was very
inferior to the ones which delight the small
boy OF today. They did not carry any =
menagerie to speak Of with them and Ere.
lied mainly upon their acrobatic feats and
horseback riders. However. not knowing
with eager eyes to the coming of the cir
Gus.
The Snow Mobbing.
"One Of the most exciting episodes in the
history of the '30s was what was after
ward known as the Snow mobbing.' On
the northwest corner Of 9Th and Pennsyl-
vania avenue there was a drinking saloon
kept by bright young colored man named
Snow. In some way-the story was dis
credited afterward 1t became rumored
around that Snow had spoken disrespect-
fully about the wives and daughters Of
certain laboring white men. The result was
that secret meeting was held and It was
decided to wreak summary vengeance upon
the alleged offender. With this intention a
mob started for his place. which, from few
IN number. was augmented into hundreds.
When they reached there they did not find
Snow. but smashed things generally.
1t was necessary to call out the militia,
and the mob was finally dispersed without
loss OF life or any very material loss I do
not remember the exact date Of this rather
sensational event, but it seems to me that
1t was in 1884.
Many Changes.
you have doubtless heard of the Blod-
gett estate. which comprised a large part
of the northwest section Of the CITY, Well
in 1880, on what Is now the east front Of the
genera, post Office. there was a brick build
ing. owned and occupied by Mr.. Blodgett
while where the patent Office now stands
there was a little log cabin, occupied by a
Mr.. and Mrs Orr. At that time you did
not have to pay $40 and $50 q foot for land
around F street. and property worth mil
lions now could have been bought for a
few paltry hundreds. Real estate men
have plenty of fine examples to point to