Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-07-14
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zone of the best messengers to cabinet
offcer the government ever had was
Henry Coleman" said Major Strong OF the
Department of Justice. Henry had been
a slave in Richmond but managed to save
enough money to buy himself. Then, just
before the civil war, he saved enough 10
buy his wife Although a slave, ne was
greatly liked by southern people Iney
helped him get up the money to pay the
price on himself Northern people VINO
went to Richmond likewise helped MIN
when they knew what his ambition was.
Soon after coming to Washington ne was
appointed a messenger in the Department
of Justice and remained here many years
until death took him away ne ser va
with a number of Attorneys Generai anu
they all liked him Attorney Generai Gar
land was especially f. nd of him. ana WHEN
old Henry became i'll once and was con
fined to his home for long time MI Gar
land went to see him every day. He would
sit for an hour so by the old man peo-
side and they would talk together ABOUT
many matters The scene was one OF deep
interest There was a man who had once
owned many slaves and man VINO mad
been a slave himself To all appearances
however. there was no DISTINCTION peL"een
them except in color and position Henry
knew every man of prominence IN the
United States and understood some,hing OF
their political history. He was a splendid
takes In a position that requires tact and
ability We need more men Ike Henry in
the public service. A good messenger In a
department is worth keeping
4 * x
There was marked scarcity OF black
berries last season. also of dewberries,
but the supply this season more than makes
it up" explained a commission dealer to a
Star reporter. Indeed. the indications are
that the quantity of blackberries, by this
1 mean the bushberries. will be larger than
for many years Dewberries have been
coming in for several weeks. but the BUSH
berries only began to come in this week
from Maryland and Virginia Just now the
prices are. of course. well up. but in week
they will tumble low enough for every one,
and much too low for the people who have
to work around in the sun to pick them
The supply of bIackberries that came to
the markets in this city up to ten years
ago came from the immediate suburbs but
the development of the suburbs has sent
the berry picker far back into the country.
The old-fashioned berry fields have been
transformed into city limits and villages.
In my early experience in the commission
business the bulk of the berries that came
to the market were picked in the fields
which are now Mount Pleasant and Co
lumbia Heights The doing away with the
berry bushes sent the piCkers toward Rock
fields in the vicinity OF what is now Con-
gress Heights and all around the Insane
Hospital grounds furnished a great many
berries The hills across the Aqueduct
bridge and all along the valley leading out
to Biadensburg were favorite places for
the berry pickers. There are some berries
to be found in the sections named but
they are used up by those who reside in the
immediate localities, the picker for the
market being regarded as an intruder. The
market pickers have TO go on an average
H. H.. i
less than one mile. The price is practically
the same. however. Notwithstanding the
extra efforts that are necessary to get
them. AS it Is now the pickers go to the
ends of the suburban electric railroads by
the cars and from there work out into the
fields where the berries are found. though,
of course. the greater quantity are brought
to market by the country people"
'It is remarkable how the peculiarities
of travellers are indicated by the satchels
they carry" explained the superintendent
of depot baggage room TO Star reporter
land after one has handled baggage for
ten years he can read its owners as vel! as
II he had a personal acquaintance with
them People may not think so, but the
baggage and satchels they carry tell us
plainly how to treat them. or at least how
they should be treated. for sometimes 1t Is
not policy to say all one knows or thinks
he knows. which is a most the same thing.
The woman who is always mslaying some
thing, forgetting umbrellas and parcels
losing her ticket or putting it away so care
lessy she cannot find it when 1t is needed; ;
who does not know what train to take or
when 1t starts. carries satchel which
tells us the story as fully as If its owner
tod it We call it the Careless On the
other hand, the satchels Of the Miss Prims
as we call them, the careful, experienced
Tra -EY.. fc- oil
a hurry. knows where he or she is going
and why they are going; the people who
get on railroad trains to travel and for
that only. tell US their peculiarities as pain
~ and with unerring accuracy The big
baggage, the trunk, has less of the char
acteristics than the hand baggage but
after the Varnlsh wears off even trunk
talks to US. l can pick out a bishops trunk