Evening star., 1897-04-30
AFFAIRS IN GEORGETOWN
The Mail Box Scheme Being Successfully
Worked.
A Brave BOOtblack Saves a Child
From PrOba BILE Death-Other
Items OF Interest.

Within the past two or three weeks sew
eral hundred mail boxes have been placed
upon the residences in this section of the
| city. The boxes are not the kind adopted
by the Post Office Department, where the
carrier Is required to deposit and collect
| the mail on every trip, and where a little
sign, working automatically, announces If
any mail is in the box, without requiring
| the letter carrier to open the same to as
certain. Instead the boxes are plain cast
iron affairs, and it is understood they have
been placed all over the city. The people
purchase them in good faith, and partially
believe that they are compelled to have
them on their doors, or else suffer the con-
sequence.
The box in question, which is fiat shaped,
! with only three sides, is fastened on
the jam of the door, which when
closed completes the fourth side. The
only way to see what is in the box is to
open the door. A small slot is provided for
the placing of the letters in the box by the
carrier, while the lettering on the box
states that it is United States mail. The
agent of the concern who has been placing
the box on the market, who thoroughly
worked the town. claims 10 have sold over
800 boxes. 1t is not exactly sold, but an
agreement is mutually understood that
| the box is to remain in the possession
of the company, while the householder
pays in advance % cents, which is equiv
alent TO five years rental of the mail
boxes. The boxes themselves do not cost
over ) cents to make them. The household
er is not permitted to remove them when
| moving from the house, but upon notifying
the company man will be sent by them
to do the work. The boxes are fastened to
the door jam by only four screws and can
easily be removed
The agent of the company who visited
| this section Of the city took In most all of
| the unpretentious residences, and exhibited
fhR nl 10 of he Not Too orfv 1nv,f
| requiring all houses to have boxes placed
| for the reception and collection Of the mail.
| This had the effect of frightening a good
many people, who made no objection when
the price was announced at twenty-five
cents for five years rental. Had the price
beeen sleeper there would have been some
objection. but the moderate limit for the
| cheap box Influenced many people to sub
/ scribe rather than raise any objection. 1t
| Is impossible for the carrier to collect any
mail from this style Of box. though it is
/ in the box when delivering mail. Not long
| ago the company had a wagon in George
| town loaded with these boxes, which were
| being put up In various houses that had
subscribed to the use of the same.
| For the Home for Incurables.
The annual tea party and dance for the
| benefit of the Home for Incurables will be
| held this year tomorrow afternoon at Rau-
| scheF's Hall, corner Of Connecticut avenue
| more of social success than ever before,
| the affair being given to raise funds to
! carry the worthy charity through the
! warm summer months. The party will
open at o'clock In the afternoon for chill
| dren. and at o'clock the youngsters will
| be permitted to dance. AT $50 o'clock
there will be fancy dancing by number of
| coming promising social lights. who have
been trained for the same by Mrs. Norris
| of Baltimore. Mrs. Gen. Phil Sheridan and
| Mrs. John F. Rodgers will have charge of
! the fancy table. assisted by a host of young
| ladies. Miss Helen Long, the daughter of
| Secretary Long; Miss Lowering. daughter
| of Representative Lowering. and Miss Sim
kins will have charge of the flower tables,
the floral beauties all being donated Miss
| Myer will have charge of the candy table;
| Mrs. Mcclure in charge OF the tea table,
| with a number of fair assistants: and Mrs.
| George Westinghouse, at the head Of the
] perfumery and toilet table. Mrs Ham
| mond and Mrs. George Lothrop Bradley
! will have charge of the cake table, contri
| buttons for this table being solicited. One
| Georgetown lady, prominent in society.
| twenty-five handsomely dressed dolls for
| the affair.
Brave BOOtblack.
| A daring rescue occurred yesterday morn
| ing in front of the Office of the First Co
| operative Building Association, on 32d
| street. There was a band on one side Ct the
street, and the little child of Mr.. I. ]. Beck
| er, a tailor CT 1923 a2d street. started to run
4 across the street to see it. Just as the
| child started to run, a car OF the Tenley-
| town line came down the street. The child
| reached the middle of the street without
| seeing the car. and those who witnessed the
Incident expected to see the tot ground to
| pieces under the wheels. Sandy Alexander,
| a coloTed bootblack, seeing the predica-
| ment, dashed across the street in front of
| the moving car, at which the motormal:
| was struggling to put the brakes down
| hard, grasped the child in his arms and
| escaped beir.g struck by the car by only a
hairs breadth.
| General News.
| There is a good prospect of large party
| CT Georgetown people taking trip through
| California this summer. Among those who
| contemplate going are Mrs. E. ]. Young
| Miss Emma Code. Mr.. and Mrs. George
! Birch and son and Mr.. and Mrs. George
| w. King. The party will leave the city
| some time in July and be gone for several
| weeks.
| The funeral of Miss Fannie A. Perley,
| who died yesterday at the Homeopathic
| Hospital. will be held tomorrow afternoon
| at 2;30 o'clock from the residence of Mr..
II. A. Charles. at Glen Echo. The inter-
ment will be at Beechmont cemetery ah.d
/ will be private.
| The annual competitive drill of the boys
| brigade of the Peck Memorial Chapel as
| sisted by the Georgetown instrumental
/ Club. Mr.. Vinton Birch leader, and other
| excellent artists. will be held this evening
| at s o'clock at the chapel, corner Of 2Sth
| and NJ streets.