Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-28

rough stone pavement or grouped about
the sidewalk are mud-Stalned farm
wagons with the dusty teams and drivers
making a scene unmarried by violent con-
trdstS Of color. All is in harmony, and the
prevailing hue is a rusty red. The changes
time has wrought have not been for the
betterment of the old building. 1t is of
the grim style of architecture predominant
in this city years ago, and everywhere else
throughout the country, and. being 50 Sc
verely plain, shows its dilapidated state the
more. 1t is three stories nigh, built of press
ell bricks. now so shabby with age that
they look as if an extra hard shower would
turn them back into the primitive clay out
of which they were made. The roof is "a
great slated gable affair unrelieved by the
usual dorman windows, a picturesque fea-
ture of old-time houses. The lower floor is
given up to store keepers, and they have
built out over the sidewalk TO protect their
shops from the weather and 10 give addi-
tionai room for the display of their goods
a row of ugly wooden awnings. The upper
stories are pierced by a double row Of win
dows. The layers of bricks have assumed
curved directions here and there and have
forced the woodwork of the windows out
of the wonted precise upright and horizon
tai lines. few rickety blinds still remain
hanging on their hinges. while the glass
panes have mostly been broken out of the
sashes, leaving numerous jagged openings,
through which the wind and rain find &C
cess to the dark halls that sheltered such
unusual occupants in days gone by. The
whole aspect of the place is decidedly mel
ancho1y and this appearance Is intensified
rot little b. the quantity worded sign
painted between the two rows of windows
and taking up the whole length of the
house.
The Sign Explains.
This sign explains the nature Of the bust
ness conducted within in the war time and
was painted over another sign put there.
no doubt. many years before. Today TIE
a lint Of -
modern sign reveals In many places por-
tions of the old lettering, and the blending
of the two sets OF lettering into unmeanIng
forms makes a curious combination of
hieroglyphics not easily read at the FIRST
glance. In order to better emphasize :he
nature of the business, there were also
painted below the main sign the hideous
black hexalinear figures SO often affected
by certain advertisers even in these present
days of refined and elegant commercial
announcements. By ever presenting the in
evitable fate awaiting the busy people
crowding the pavements below, buying and
selling commodities for the table, their
gloomy signs become quietly suggestive Of
Biblical advice to "eat, drink and be merry,
for tomorrow We die.
During the war the desire of SO many
people to bury near their former homes the
bodies of their soldier friends and rela-
lions who had died on the battefelds or
succumbed at last after a lingering sick
ness in the hospitals in and about Washing
be in demand so much so, in fact, that at
times had one occasion to go into the
dingy old building described above the
scene presented, with the remains CT SOL
diers boxed up and awaiting shipm ant, must
have caused sensations similar TO the effect
produced by a visit to the cryptS of
Palermo's queer old church. In these places
in Washington, too. il was only the remains
of the rich or distinguished that ware given
temporary resting place, for it requiraI 40
small expense 10 carry out the wi;,its Of
those who probably never anticipate The
grateful act Of the government in gather
ing its dead defenders in such beautiful
cemeteries, but who apparen ,ly feared that
death on the field or in the hospital meant
a nameless grave.
The men who engaged in this work of
respect to the dead so ne times were put to
severe straits and even personal danger on
their missions to the battlehrlis and at
times had to resort to a flag Of truce that
they might pass through the lines 10 Sc
cure the dead body &c one of the heroes
that would have received otherwise the
hasty attention bestowed on the NOR al
remains of so many Of the brave fellows
who were placed in a trench along with
many another, slight covering of earth.
and perhaps stick, most often unmarked.
TO show that there reposad a soldier