St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-12-24

" no AlFC1 HI TIC VI
jackson and John Quincy
Adams.
Special Correspondence OF the Globe.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 22.-When a man
has reached the half-century point in
life, he becomes a link binding together
two generations of his fellows. Reach
Ing backward, he grasps hands with
those, now dead, who were forces in
society before his own activity began;
while all around him are the young men
of his race, longing to take their turn at
the helm of the ship of action, and equal
or surpass the efforts of those who have
preceded them.
Judge Flandrau," remarked the
GLOBE correspondent few days since
to that prominent citizen of st. Paul,
who was spending few days at the
nations capital, sit seems to me that
you told me some years ag1 that you
lived during your boyhood in Washing
ton. Does my memory serve ME cor
rectly?
II came to Washington sixty-fve
years ago last October," responded the
JuOSSs utlCIAy OOllflOuo VI LldG
he was giving away his age. That is
longS time ago, isn't it? Let me see
John Quincy Adams was then president,
and it was several months prior to the
commencement of Jackson's first term.
Well, was quite young at the time,
but old enough to remember being in
trOduced to "Old Hickory" before he
retired to the shades of the Hermitage
TO die. That happened in 1885. think.
remember the old hero very well-how
he looked and his manner of speech,
and the great fondness that all had for
him who were privileged to approach
him intimately. To his equals he was
stern and rugged old Roman, but to
women and children. recall, he APP
peared the kindest of gentlemen.
THE EARLY CAPITAL.
''At the dawn of my recollection
Washington was very different city
from what it is today. There were no
pavements, and, alter rain storm. the
streets would be in condition fright
full to behold. Both the treasury and
the war, state and navy departments
were then in large, old-fashioned brick
buildings. L was quite boy, and very
well remember the burning of the
treasury building, though l cannot re-
call the year.
"Who were the prominent public men
In that period?"
well. as boy. knew Thomas H.
Benton. Clay. Rhett and Calhoun, of
South Carolina, and Daniel Webster
There were two private scho0lS-one
each in Washington and Georgetown.
Each one of these was presided over by
man named Abbott-not relatives,
however. At different periods per-
sued my studies under each of these
gentlemen. You remember Robert
Ould, Confederate commissioner for the
exchange of prisoners during the war?
His father taught the only public free
school in the district. This was located
in Georgetown.
"Georgetown college, under the con-
troll of the Jesuit fathers. fiourished
then as now. The recollection comes
back to me that there was an eternal
feud between the pupils of the private
schools in Georgetown and this Catholic
school. The Catholic boys used to come
out for their exercise escorted by their
preceptOrS, as theirs was a boarding
school. We young Americans greatly
prided ourselves on the fact that we
were free to come and go as we pleased
Let me see, | recall even yet the words
of
ONE OLD BOYISH SONG
we were accustomed to sing for the pur-
pose of annoying them when they APP
preached. 1t Fan somewhat as follows:
= The college pigs are in the pen
They can t get out but now and then,
And when they get out
They strut about
10 see us Georgetown gentlemen.
"Then the fights that we used to in
dulge in with them when we accident
ally met. Really, | think we anticipated
the war in those famous battles among
the boy students of the schools of Wash
ington and Georgetown.
The present beautiful and fashion.
able portion of Washington proper,
extending from Lafayette square to
Georgetown, was almost entirely all
open common. Georgetown was then
the stylish and fashionable place of
residence. Here lived the diplomatic
corps, and here lived or boarded all the
statesmen of the period who were men
of wealth, besides all the army and
naval officers. Here at Georgetown, in
short, was centered the society of the
nations capital. In those aute-bellum
days the largest hospitality was shown
to transient distinguished visitors from
abroad: and. altogether, while the two
cities were more or less provincial COM
pared with these days, there was very
considerable social life.
Zone of my boyhoOd friends was the
Russian minister-Prince or Count or
Baron Bodisco-1 have forgotten his
rank. He was man of sixty years old
or thereaboutS, He had two nepheWS-
Valdimar and Boris who were about
my own age and school friends of mine
One day the old gentleman surprised
the entire community by proposing for
and marrying
BEAUTIFUL GEORGETOWN Girl.
named Harriet Williams. Miss Will
Jams brother. Brook Williams. another
achoolmate - afterward married the
minister's niece. Brook made some ill.,
veStments i'll st. Paul, ana there is now
an addition or subdivision of the city
which still bears his name"
Readers of the GLOBE will remember
that while this reminiscent strain was
being INDUCED Ill by the Judge, we
were strolling leisurely through the
northwestern portion of the city to-
ward Georgetown. The day was baImy
and springlike, the sun shining
brightly, and soft southern wind
blowing. Every square the Judge
would pause to recall some incident of
his Doyhood, or to point out some his
torical residence or monument that bore
some pleasant association for him. ]
stroVe to turn his memory into political