The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-04-14

and downtown boys, as to who should be
| entitled to possession of the ground.
Following the Tiber from Massachu-
| sets Avenue along its curve to where ID
| Street now intersects New Jersey Ave
nue., upon its left bank, was plain
stretching southwark toward the present
| line of Street. 1t was quite a steep
| hill, upon the summit of which, Stood and
still stands. the Hillman House.. once
the residence Of George Washington. At
the foot Of this hill. about where the Bal
timore and Ohio depot now stands, was
the gabled roof engine house of that COM
pany, a great structure in its day, and
large enough to shelter two locomotives
at a time. North of this building, run
ming out to the Tiber. was located the
Wye. or, as 1t was called, the Wire
which served to turn the trains around.
Passing from this point northward to
about where First Street would have
crossed it. the Tiber curved south to In
diana Avenue. where, as before mention
ed, II was arched over by the railroad
company in order that the cars might be
brought by the shortest way into their
depot, which WIS located. at that time. at
the corner of Second Street and Pennsyl-
vania Avenue. on the right bank of the
1iber. IL was the custom for the engin-
eer of the incoming train to whistle its
approach when at the brick house, that
stood near to where IL Street now cross
es the track. The banks of the Tiber at
Second Street and Pennsylvania Avenue
were quite high and unprotected. and 1t
was not unusual for persons to fall over
OF their Teams over the DdDA anu
into the water at this point. A we'll
known hackman of the period, Paddy
WEIGH, who kept his stable at the south
west corner of iftn and | Streets, where
the Assembly's Presbyterian Church now
stands, drove his team over at this point,
and was drowned together with his
horses, believe, while his passengers es-
capped. The Tiber at this place was some
times utilized by the fire ladies of that
day to deposit each others apparatus
when captured during their little dissen-
sions.
There were no streets graded, or even
laid out. crossing or running parallel with
the Tiber. there were roadways, COW
paths, and lanes only. III Street stopped
place, which extended from the top of
the hill south to where Street now
passes the point. All streets running east
and west north of Pennsylvania Avenue,
extended eastward to about Third or
Fourth Street northwest. East of the ir-
regular termini thus indicated were wheat
and corn fields or waste ground. on the
north side of Fl Street, from Third Street
to New Jersey Avenue, was a high HILL
the east end of which was known as
'Burch's Hill. while the west end was
called 'Weehter's HILL occupied by Joseph
Weehter. who kept a vegetable garden
there or about the spot where Third and
i Streets now intersect; the last named
street, when graded, cut the hill longitude
downward and northward to about where
l. Street is now located, where valley
was formed by the ground gradually ris-
ing again northward to form Reedbirds
Hill. A marsh bordered the foot of this
hill along its southwestern slope, and
many marvellous tales of the .iack-o'-
lanterns seen there at night used to be
told, and of the many wayfarers who had
been waited to their destruction by these
'will-o '-the-wisps,' all of which stories
were absorbed by the credulous. and per-
haps many an old grandfather still re-
cites them to a thrilled audience com
posed of Juveniles while the older folks
listen with smiles upon their faces, but
haf believing, too. The real cause of
these so-called 'will-o'-the-wisps is the
chemical union of decaying animal and
vegetable substances by which phosphu-
rreted hydrogen is formed. and this COM
ing in contact with the surrounding
moisture, ignites and forms rings of fire
which are visible at night from the rings
OF smoke rising in the air and rejecting
the light. Phosphureted hydrogen can be
obtained at any chemist's-by throwing
small portions of this salt into glass of
water In a dark room the same phe-
nomena can be produced.
numerous other points of interest con-
nected with the Tiber. or adjacent to it,
might be mentioned: the large tree. for
instance, the remnant of great wood,
that stood at the foot Of Capitol Hin upon
the ground now occupied by the Botanic
Garden; the Seven Oaks. that stood on
the slope east of the Baltimore and Ohio
Streets; the burying ground that bordered
the creek north of r Street, between
Sixth and Seventh Streets; 'Hoover's
slaughter house., at the place where now
intersect New York Avenue, NJ and
Third Streets northwest: the Willow
Tree Spring, on New York Avenue, be-
tween Fourth and Fifth Streets north
west, and many other places well known
to old residents like myself. to whom they
recall numerous pleasant memories"
II is sed reflection that most of those
who looked upon the waters of Tiber
when they sparkled in the sun now lie as
darkly In the earth. and it will not be
long. perhaps. before the memory of both
shall have faded completely away.