Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-06-06
ANCIENT LANDMARK
Building From Which National In
telligencer Was Published.
MAKES WAY FOR MODERN STRUCTURE
Those Who Conducted Business
Within Its Walls.
MAKING OF HISTO RY

The projected improvement of the north
west corner of It'll and D streets northwest
recalls the home of the National Intelli-
gencer for half a century. about which
there is much local history. The stories OF
the incidents in the lives of parents and
grandparents, many of whom spent their
entire lives on the paper, are treasured in
numbers of old Washington families. The
improvement will consist of fine building
fronting 80 feet on 7th street and % feet
on D street, erected for Miss Josephine
Davis daughter of the late Henry s. Davis.
on plans drawn by Mr.. ]. G. Hill, for bust
ness purposes.
The site. lots and 2. square 431, has as
interesting history the old buildings.
On the laying out of the city it formed
portion of the farm of Davy Burns, one OF
the original proprietors, and in the parti-
ton by the commissioners the title as city
property was confirmed in Mr.. Burns, DC
tober ;, 1892. At his death 1t descended to
his daughter, Miss Marcia, who in 1902, by
her guardian, Thomas Oakley conveyed 1t
to Thomas LanSdale. After the marriage of
General Van Ness. then member of Con-
gress from New York, to Miss Burns a
conffrmatory deed was given in 1915. In
1878 the title in Mr.. Lansdale's daugh-
ter Violetta, and from her and her husband,
Glover. from whom the property was
bought by Joseph Gales, jr.. and w. w.
Seaton the same year for $3.50 the two
lots containing s. $50 feet, and here was
erected the office of the National Intell-
gencer. so well known to the old-time
citizens.
A Century Ago.
The Intelligencer vas established here Oc-
tober 81. 1900 by Samuel Harrison Smith
of Philadelphia. who had a few years be-
49,
Independent Gazette of that city. Mr..
Gales had by this time established the Raj
eigh, n. c., Register, on which his son was
trained. The Intelligencer office was locat-
ed for about twelve n onths in one of Thorn
Laws houses on New Jersey avenue and
c street southeast. and for ten years or more
afterward was located on Pennsylvania ave-
nue. between 9th and It'll streets, opposite
the Metropolitan Hotel. The elder Gales
brought his son, just then of age, to MIR.
Smith in 1907 and offered him as an assist
ant The offer was accepted. and so salts
factory was the work of young Gales that
in 1909 Mr. Smith took him into partner
ship.
Richmond Petersburg and Raleigh, and
had formed matrimonial well bus
mess alliance with the Gales family, by
marrying Miss Sarah Gales. He came here
with his bride in 1909 and found employ
ment with his brother-in-law, 10 Gales. jr.
The following year Mr. Smith retired from
active newspaper work, leaving the man.
age ment to MIR. Gales. and two years later
Gales and SeatOn became equal partners.
The paper became daily January l. 1913,
and though Mr.. Gales was Enslish-born
and Mr.. Seaton of English descent. it was
earnest supporter of Mr. Madison's pol
icy in the war of 1912. Mr.. Gales was in
Ncrth Carolina when the British invaded
Washington, In August. 1914. Mr.. Seaton
was member of Davidson's company. and
all the employees of the office Were in the
service.
BY special arrangement with the Secre-
tary of War sufficient number was ex-
cused from military service to get out the
paper-then the only organ of public infor-
mation-until the approach of the British.
Regular issues appeared until and includ-
ing the morning of August a. when the
mails were annulled. the post office closed
and the work of removing the government
books and papers commenced.
British Admirnl's Design.
The British admiral. Cockburn, it is be-
lieved, intended to capture the editor, Mr..
Gales. during the invasion. and the Intel
ligencer, on resuming publication few
days afterward said: He determined to
burn down the printing office and its con-
tents, which purpose, however, he was
prevented from executing by the entreaties
of the females of the contiguous houses.
which would have been consumed with the
office building Uhe men of the families be-
ing absent with the troops. But the adj
miral vented his spleen on the printing ma
terials and other property in the building.
He had the library, of several hundred
volumes, removed to the street assisting
himself in the work. and burned; threw
all the type and printing materials out of
| the upper windows and broke and destroy
ed all the presses, thereby inficting a loss
on the proprietorS of some thousands of
dollars. and then departed"
1t is unnecessary to say, the paper being
first the organ of Jefferson and the origi-
nal republican party, and subsequently the
leading exponent of the Adams-Clay, or
wing, party the office, both on the avenue
and 7th street. often had the leading men
of the day within its portals. and not in
frequently some of these were contributors
to the paper. Indeed on the roll of en-
ployes as writer's. compositors. pressmen.
clerks, &c, there are names which were
prominent in the annals of the country.
and it is with some degree of pride that
numbers now filling positions of honor and
trust look back to the days when their
fathers grandfathers and great grand
fathers worked on the old paper.
Among the assistants in the editorial
rooms presided over by Mr.. Gales. are -
Cannon, ]. G. Gallagher, w. A. Read. n.
Sargent, Elias kingman, Oates, A. G.
Allen, JOS. Lawrenson, L. A. Gobright,
John Sessford.
The business Department.
In the business office were Major Thomas
Donoho, who went there as boy during
the war of 1872; Levi Boots, who accepted
a commission in the regular army and
served in the Mexican and civil wars. at
| tanning the rank of colonel; Samuel Glenn
and John +. Coyle, whose father was a
compositor, then in the teens. Mr.. Ed
| ward Fletcher entered its service in 1851,
and is now on the Post.
George NJ. Grouard was the general fore
| man of the office, with Samuel McElwee in
charge of the composing room and Edward
Decide of the bindery. VIM. Woodward and
VIM. Kerr preceded Capt. Moore fore
man. Gabriel Barnhill James King, -
Amidon and Jos. Handley were pressmen in
the olden time, and after the wheel for mo-
| tive power was superseded by an engine a
yellow man namel Clarke run 1t.
The carriers of the olden time were all
grown men, most of them natives of Ire
land-the McCarthys. Gallaghers. Corridors
and Haggertys being recalled, and one of
| them, Patrick Corridor, now over seventy
years of age. is living at 9th and NJ streets
northeast.
Old-Time COmpOsitOrs.