The Washington times., 1895-04-02
ENCT[D THE COMPANY
Police Took Possession of the
Wholesale Market.
QUIET BUT FORCIBLE AFFAIR
Shortly After tho Rendering of the Court Of
appeals Decision That the Property Be-
longs to the District, the Authorities In
vaded the Place, Drove Out the Farmers,
and Mounted Guard-Unlawfully Used.

The police captured the wholesale mar
o'clock yesterday afternoon without firing
shot This fenced-in inclosure is situated
between Tenth and Twelfth streets, Lou
isiana avenue and B streets northwest, and
has been unlawfully occupied, it is said,
by the Washington Market Company for
twenty-one years.
At O'Clock yesterday the court OF ap-
peals handed down its final decision-that
the Enclosure was the property OF the Dis
trict. The ink with which this decree was
written was scarcely dry before the steady
tramp of feet was heard on Twelfth street,
and Capt. Austin, at the head OF Police
men Sprinkle, Hunt, Goss, Williams, Breen,
and Ricketts,. of the First precinct, march
ed into the iDclosure and took formal pos
session in the name OF the District of CO.
lumbia.
Scattered about in the big yard were a
number OF country teams, while numerous
idle colored and white men stood about the
place. The sudden charge OF the blue
coats caused some CONSERVATION among
the idlers at first, but they soon regained
their equanimity when Capt. Austin ex-
planned the nature OF his mission.
COMPLETED THE EVICTION.
The police then proceeded with the evic-
tion and by o'clock nothing remained in
the stock yards, stables and enclosure
but great fiocks OF cooing pigeons, who
sought their nests in the caves and lofts
OF the big frame rookeries, and two oil
three vagTant ours.
Shortly after 6 O'Clock the evicting party
OF bluecoats returned TO Lieut.. Amss'
station. and Policemen Eerndon and
Schuyler We're placed in command of the
place for the night
The countrymen who formerly stabbed
their teams or kept their droyes of stock
in the enclosure were nonpiussed at the
action OF the authorities, but took the mat
ter good-naturedly when Informed of tine
true state of affairs. An old Montgomery
county countryman, with loBg gray whis
/ kers literally beSprinkled with hay seed
said TO Policemen Hunt and Sprinkle:
Deed, I'm kinder glad you men has
taken possession of this place. Now, Al
/ the Commissioners III only put down the
! price of stabiing and lodgin's I'll bring
EN- i'll the biggest pair of watermellun
that grow on my place this summer W
Then he mounted the saddie-herSe OF hi,
| four-horse hay wagon, and said: ''gee-haw
JaspaT, pull out, thar"
USED FOR TwENTY-oNE YEARS.
The property taken possession OF yester
day has been occupied as wholesale hay
and cattle MARKET, with stables and stock.
yard, lodging house. and hay scales. fol
nearly twenty years, the company
claiming ownership OF the ground. which
4 is sort OF unknown quantity, and appears
on the official map OF Washington only as
a white spot. 1t is inclosed by a high
board fence, and on it's Twelfth street side
are three large and unsightly frame stables
/ and a two-story shanty, which has fig
/ ured as a lodging house for farmers.
In the stables are 5l6 narrow stalls, while
in the tumble down lodging house art
| wooden bunks in tiers, in both the lowe
| and upper stories. A long side of the
stables is a long series OF pens, under roof
| for cattle, pigs, calves, sheep, sc. Fol
! quaTtering their horses in the narrow stall:
| the farmers were charged 20 cents fol
| each animal, the farmers TO furnish thei
own feed: from 10 10 cents for eacI
| head OF cattle, sheep or calf, while tht
4 drivers or the hay wagons ana other We
4 hicies from the country were compelled
! to pay 20 cents for the privilege or sleep
ing on the soft side OF pine plank, with
/ out m attress, coverings or pillows, i'll
the structure known as the dodgers
r0ost"
BY the original agreement it is saiC
the market company agreed TO charge tn
/ couBtrymen only enough for themselves
their beasts and vehicles, to employ twC
or three men to be placed in charge o
the enclosure and keep it in order.
IN BAD REPAIR.
Instead of that it is alleged that tht
place was kept in bad repair and the in
closure reaped a golden harvest for tn
corporation. Or, as one of the former EN-
ployes expressed if:
''The place was a veritable mint @
| money"
The I56 stable stalls, which were neanl
| always occupied, brought into the com
paDy's Golfers $50 per night, withou
mentioning the extensive stock pens ant
bare wooden bunks for the men. In ad
dition to these sources of revenue the eat
ing house in the northeast corner of tn
inclosure has been regularly rented tC
Caterer Jacob Kirby, colored, at $50 pc
month, for many years.
The superintendent of the place was Ed
ward B. Crane who was not present a
the time OF tie eviction, but returned u
find the place cleaned out and two pc
Iicemen on guard duty.
IT is said Judge Hagner decided tel
months ago that the District was en-
titled To possession of the property. tn
market company appealed from this de
cision.
4 CONCLUDES THE CASE.