Evening star., 1897-02-20

n.
Of the entire city pastured their cows and
horses. too. on what is now the beautiful
grounds of the Smithsonian, Agricultural
Department, Botanical gardens, Monument
park and the White lot. Those who lived
uptown, of course. had no need Of pastur-
ing their horses or cows there for there
was plenty of pasturage in that section Of
the city. for many Is the COW and horse
have seen at pasture on Lafayette Square,
Franklin Park and on the fields and COM
mons everywhere north of X street To US
boys. who lived or the island as all Of
South Washington was then called, and as
1t was made by the creek or canal, we
thought we were IN the woods when we
got as far out as K street, though the
'slashes' hardly began until NJ street was
reached. From there out 1t was farm land
or woods.
In my boyhood days there was a great
deal of business done in what were known
as arks by those who lived on the upper
Potomac. They had no other way to bring
their wheat, corn, oats, hay and other
produce to market. These arks were large
wooden floats. put together in a substantial
though inexpensive manner, with wooden
bolts and pins. They carried a great deal.
These arkS We're fioated down the river and
helped with poles where they were not car
r1ed by the current. On their arrival in
Georgetown, after their contents were Sold
the arks were taken to pieces and the lum-
Der sold / have seen hundreds of them.
Ih1s was before the opening of the Chesa-
talk about push and enterprise II it was
a new invention, and they the only discov-
erers and owners of it. Though 1 have al
ways tried to keep up with the procession
In business way, / assure you, 1 have
seen evidences of get there spirit among
the grandfathers of some of the business
men of today that surpassed much of their
so-called push These ark owners had
goods to sell. and. though they did not
come with lightning speed, they got down
to market just the same.
Once a Boat Landing.
1T may seem strange to those who cross
over b street at 18th, where Pettitt &
Dripps' iron foundry is now located, on
their way to the monument, when they are
told that all the excursion steamers for
many years started from that point, by
way of the canal, but such is the fact. So
also did all the excursion parties for Ar
ington or Custis' Springs, as it was then
called. 1t was a favorite excursion place
The boats generally used were barges or
Nat boats. and were chartered for that
purpose. Frequently they were poled, but
often they could sail. The water was deep
enough In those days to cross over into
Virginia from almost any point, the course
being direct. Many of the excursions were
met by Col Parke Custis. who was by
marriage one of the Washington family,
and who lived at Arlington long before
Gen. r. E. Lee lived there
The rowing clubs and the yachting clubs
~,
as many of our older people will remem-
Der. Even boys Of forty-five or fifty years
OF age will remember the swimming pool
on the north side Of the Monument lot
which was known as the Tobacco Box
1t was as popular in it's day as the bathing
beach is now during the bathing season.
The colored Baptists for many years cele-
brated all their baptizings at the Syca-
more, which is about where the bathing
beach is located, though nearer somewhat
to the Long bridge. remember very well
the laying out of Jackson City, at the Vir-
ginia end of the Long bridge, and heard
the speech of Gen. Jackson on that occa-
sion. / also remember that the crowd of
invited guests invaded the rooms where the
lunch and drinkables were set out, and
that after Gen. Jackson finished his speech
there was not enough of anything left for
him to get a bite.
There was not a railroad anywhere in
the United States in my early days." said
Mr.. Riley, land business had to be done
by staging or by boats. often went to
Baltimore and even farther By the stage
route. The trip took four and a half hours,
there being three changes Of horses en-
route The stages were generally drawn
by four horses, and held nine or ten per-
sons and in pleasant weather two extra
passengers on the top of the stage The
fare was $4 for each passenger. In 1876.
when the first railroad trains ran between
here and Baltimore. they charged $3.50 for
each passenger. The stages met this cut
and held on for some time, but finally
when the railroad reduced the price to
$50 the stages suspended business. The
stages from Baltimore started from the
Indian Queen Hotel afterward known as
Browns Hotel. and now as the MetroDoli-
tan. The start was usually between 9 and
10 in the morning, there being but one
stage each way each day generally, though
on special occasions there were as many
as three stages started out each day. This
did not include all the travelling, for many
persons drove their own teams over the
road very frequently"
Mr.. Riley celebrated his seventy-sixth
birthday recently, but does not consider
himself by any means an old man yet
He personally supervises his extensive
business interests at his wharf and else
where throughout the city.