The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-07-06
THINK THEY SEE GHOSTS.
CorcOran Art Gallery Grounds
Known as the Graveyard.
Old Plaster Statues Resemble Phan-
toms and Negroes Refuse 10 Go in
Jhe Vicinity of Thcm-yScird TnIcs
of Ghosts Alarm DusI.y Citizens.

Jhe Vicinity OF IhcuI-H eird THIcS
OF Ghosts Alarm DusLy Citizens.
A portion Of Washington's negro popu-
lation living in the extreme southwes-
tern section of the city. has put the
CorC0ran Art Gallery on the ''hoodoo'
list. and a number of the more supersti-
tiOus cOIorcd people Who lave heretofore
passed daily by the big at building on
Seventeenth Street on their way to and
from their homes. can 40 longer be per
suaded TO venture within many squares
of the new home of the great art colIec-
lion.
CoIored people declare that the grounds
of the Art Gallery have been converted
into cemetery, and if there is any
thing which a Washington darky dis
likes. it IS u graveyard, however artistic
the surroundings may be Strange tales
of ghostiy figures. MANY times the natu-
raj size Of a man. and Of supernatural
and UUearthly appearance. have been
told by the negroes residing in the lower
part Of the city. between the Art Gallery
and the fats of the Potomac
Gradually the COEored people have
abandoned their custom OF passing
through Seventeenth Street Now the
street. once gay with colored folk, is de-
serted. \ coIored person is rarely seen
there The dusky damsels and the stall
wart negro men have given up their
practice of saUnteTing through the shady
retreats offered by the broad street back
Of the War Department. When they wish
to stroll on summer evenings in the Mon
ument Grounds, they make wide circuits,
and approach the favorite retreats from
other directions
The Government itself is directly
responsible for this great CONSERVATION
among the Washington coIored people 1t
was owing to its alleged indiscretion that
this deplorabie condition of affairs was
brought about Apparently, through the
great rush of official business, and the
stress of foreign affairs. the Government
has overlooked the fact that the negro
has beliefs and customs which must not
be disregarded. when, through the
management Of tie CorcoTan Art Gal
Iery, It was ordered that the mammoth
plaster statues of ancient men of Greece
and Rome which formerly occupied
inches in the old Corcoran Art Gallery,
on the northeast corner of Pennsylvania
Avenue and Seventeenth Street be pIac-
Cd in the large .ard back Of the new
building, instead of being given places Of
prominence within the structure. The
Government now possesses too many re-
ally excellent works of art, TO care prop
crIy for the plaster casts of famous works
in marble
In accordance with the wishes OF the
Corcoran Art Gallery management, the
many statues were arranged IN symmetri-
cal order about the grounds in the rear
Of the handsome new building. Here,
| since their arrival. they have been ex-
posed to the vfcIssitudes of storm and
hon
warped and cracked the plaster in many
places. while the rains have added to the
/ work of destruction inaugurated by the
other elements.
The plaster casts. once the pride Of the
| old Corcoran Art Gallery, in the infant
days of art at the Capital, are now crum-
/ bling away. They have become grey and
| weatherbeaten- In addition they have
| become sources Of great anxiety to the
/ coIoTed race. Tales OF ghosts and spooks
| and witches are numerous, and midnight
walks Of departed spirits are said by tho
| cOIoTed folks to be common. These sto-
! rics are believed among the negroes IN
| these quarters. who have not been unable
| 10 outlive the stories Of their childhood.
| An oId-fashfoned negro could not be in
| duced to walk past the COrcoran Art Cal
/ ieTy on a TICODIit night for all the none
| which Mr. Gage has stored UP in the BIZ
/ vaults at the Treasury
/ The entire ueiShborhood IS on the black
! list. SupcThUman statues. twice the size
/ Of = man appear particularly gnoStly i'm
/ der Washington ueonht night stat
ues Of Giotti. OF Michael Angelo, Reu-
| hens. PhiGiaS- and others are not caltS-
/ lated to produce feelings Of eqUanimity
in the cuIprCd breast. Gdunt faces OF de
/ parted ones. stern and fOTbiddinS, have
not satisfied the Washington negro ; Idea
! OF art EyeIeSs sockets. IN colorless faces
IL terrible aspect upCsl- a dark and quiet
/ street, aTS gruesome things 10 pass At
! night OF, The way home from picnic or
| a camp meeting. Nor DO the flowing
( tiTgcian draprries. Tor the Roman toSa
! appear conventional 10 The daTky's eyes
/ They are too suggestive Of the shroud-
| Thus il has come to pass that Seven
teeuth Street has become as quiet as the
/ tomb after nightfali- The negroes know
il ROW as the graveyard. And All pc
/ cause plaster statues are not considered
} worth preserving by the United States
The prejudice against the display Of
uhautoT1-Iike objects has taken deep root
among the uegOes- Since January the
| curator OF the CorCOran Art Gallery VINO
resides IN the large building, has been
unable to keep house servant Tor mor*.
than a week at d time Eighteen COOKS
and maids have come and gone since the
! first of the year and the curators wife
Is in despair. 1t is becoming more ana
| more difficult 10 obtain a servant, because
/ OF the fame OF the alleged cemetery.