Evening star., 1896-06-27
WAS HlNGTON IN 1884
An 0h-Time Directory and Its Queer
Contenta
Prominent Legislators and Citizens
and Interesting Facts About
the Town.

have recently examined an old and rare
book-"A Full Directory for Washington
City. Georgetown and Alexandria, 1874
cn the first page of the cover are the
words: Thos Connor. bought January 16
1885. 1t is bound in leather and on the
outside in gilt letters: Chief Justice Mar
shall" 1t was published by "E A. Cohen
& Co., Pa. ave-. two doors below Gads-
by's."
At that time Rock creek had a very wide
mouth. on which was a fishing shore and
fish would ascend the creek as far up as
Pierces Mil
Gen. jackson was then President: Martin
Van Buren. Vice President; Roger b. Ia
ney was Secretary of the Treasury and
Lewis Cass. Secretary of War. The Treas
ury Department was then In a rented build
Ing. south side of Pennsylvania avenue
between 14th and 18th west" Amos Ken
dali was fourth auditor; John p. Van Ness
was mayor OF the city. At that time there
appear to have been only three hotels I'm
the city, viz: Gadsby's. Fullers and
Browns. The members OF the cabinet,
Supreme Court, Senate and House lodged
In boarding houses. which were then quite
numerous. None of the houses seem to
have been numbered. The rates OF postage
were for single letters composed of one
piece Of paper for any distance not exceed
ing 30 miles. 81 cents: over 30 and not eN-
ceeding ~ miles, 10 cents; over 81 and not
exceeding 10 miles, 121x cents: over 100 and
not exceeding 400 miles Is cents: over 400
and not exceeding 800 miles, % cents; dou-
BILE letters double rates. Those Were the
days OF high postage.
License taxes We're $50 per annum for
keeping a tavern: 800 for billiard tables:
$50 for grocers: 800 for vendors of lottery
tickets: 800 for pawnbrokers; 800 for
auctioneers: So per day for theaters. Male
slaves between fifteen and forty-five years
OF age were taxed 81 per year; females. 81.
Male dogs. 81: females. s.. Hacks could
charge % cents from the Capitol to the
Presidents. and the same from the Presi-
dents to the western limits of the city.
The direccory gives the figures, which
were revised by the State Department.
showing the number of inhabitants in the
United States in 1890. There was a total
of II s66. .020 in twenty-four states and four
territories. The District of Columbia in
Guiding Alexandria. had 1854 inhabitants.
6, 152 of whom were free colored, 6,l52
slaves and 724 aliens.
Prominent Statesmen.
Among the Senators Of that day were
Daniel Webster. Silas Wright. William Will
kins. Theodore Freiinghuysen, John NJ.
Clayton. John Tyler and VIM. c. Rives Of
Virginia, Jchn c. Calhoun. Felix Grundy.
Henry Clay. Thomas Ewing and Thomas
Morris Of Ohio. VIM r. King of Alabama
and Thomas H. Benton of Missouri. OF the
forty-eight Senstors on the list. one IIr.
Calhoun had been twice elected Vice Pres
identtn 1926 the ticket with John Quin-
~ Adams. and In 1879 on the ticket with
Andrew Jackson: one (Wm. Wilkins ran
on tine ticket with VIM Writ in 1873 and
was defeated. Daniel Webster and John
Tyler ran on the same ticket in lS;1. and
were defeated by Martin Van Brren and
Richard M. johnson. Theodore Frelinghuy-
Sen ran On the ticket with Henry Clay in
1Si5, end was defeated by James X. Polk
and George NJ. Dallas. Jchn Tyler ran a
second time-n the ticket with Gen. VIM.
Henry Harrison in lSp c'T1p and Ty.'D.
and on the generals death--one month af-
ter his Observation-Disclosures President. TO
the great grief and disgust of the whigs
who had elected him. William r. King
was elected Vice President on the ticket
with Franklin Pierce I'm 1853. Henry Clay
ran for President three ttmes--in 1S25. 1888
and 1915.
Among the members Of the House are
the names of John Quincy Adams. Frank
lin Pierce. Rufus Choate. Edward Everett.
M.llard Fillmore, William Cort Johnson,
John Y. Mason aid Henry A Wise OF Nir-
ginia, Thomas A. Marsf all OF Kentucky.
Andrew Stevenson, Speaker John Bell. Da-
vid Crockett, Cave Johnson and James X.
Polk Of Tennessee, William Allen. Thomas
Corwin. Tt os. l.. Hamer and Elisha Whit
tlesey of Ohio and Dixon H. Lewis of Ala
bama.
The Bix Man Of Congress.
Mr.. Lewis was physically the largest
man who ever sat in Congress. He would
break down an ordinary chair, and one had
to be made for him with a seat double the
ordinary size. On one occasion he broke
through hack in which he was riding to
the Capitol. OF these names one John
Quincy Adams) was elected President in
lS25. one (FIanklin Pierce) was elected
President in 1853; one CMillard FillmoreD
was elected Vice President In 1919. and be-
came President on the death Of Gen. Tay-
|
Orchard NJ. Johnson) was elected Vice
President on the ticket with Martin Van
Buren in 1887; one John BelD ran for
President in 1861. and was defeated. and
one Uames K. PolD was elected President
in 1S45.
The directory states that Georgetown was
originally laid out under an act of the
colonial assembly of Maryland. passed 18th
May, 1I51, George Gordon and Geo.ge
Beale, proprietors of the land. In 1883 the
town was Incorporated. Robert Peter be-
ing the first mayor. John Cox was mayor
| of Georgetown in 1884 and Bernard Hooe
mayor of Alexandria.
There was considerable trade at that
time with the West Indies and South Amer
lea by means of sailing vessels. and Alex
andria and Georgetown received large ship
ments of sugar, molasses, coffee and rum
taking in exchange wheat, corn and TO-
bacco. The directory gives the names End
residences Of sea captains, sailors. rope
makers, ship carpenters and sailmakers
The dilapidated and decaymg warehouses
IN tneSe lOWnS snow Inat tnolr occupation
has become a thing Of the past
There were then three newspapers in the
city. Gales & Seaton published the Ma
tional Intelligencer, Francis p. Blair the
Globe and Duff Green the u. S. Telegraph.
Curious Advertisements.
1t is evident that lottery brokers did con-
siderable business, for there were four OF
them in Alexandria, one in Georgetown and
eleven in Washington. One firm adver-
| tised in these words: Citizens and strang-
ers disposed to enrich (?) themselves will
do W ell to call as above and select some of
the many lucky numbers daily distributed
fl ON this office. p. S.-Orders from the
country promptly attended to. Prize tick
cts received and cashed." About that time
wildcat money was prevalent, and many
counterfeit notes were in circula ation-con-
seQuently these brokers did a fiourishing
business. The names of two slave dealers
are credited to Washington.
The Attorney General at that time had
one clerk John Marshall was chief jus
tice, and all the members of the Supreme
Court boarded at Mrs. Dunn's. on Capitol
HILL" A. NJ GANGEwER
A Mystery Of the Rifle.
1