The Washington times., 1901-12-08

the only museum in the city. Across f
Street was a row OF one-story buildings.
| used for Offices The Postoflice Depart
ment then required less than one-half Of
its future home, now occupied by the
Indian Bureau and General Land Office.
The portion of the building forming the
quarters of the PostCfiice Department con-
tanned about seventy-five rooms on the
three floors. The postoffce building. with
he exception Of the Capitol, was most
admired by the public. The Capitol was
regarded as the most imposing and the
postoltce building as the most complete.
Il having been one Of the first buildings
provided with furnaces for heating. On
n Street. between Ninth and Tenth, was
located the Washington orphan Asylum,
adjoining the mausoleum erected by Gen
eral Van Ness. in which the bodies of
some OF his family had been inferred. Mrs.
Van Ness for a long time patron and
manager of the asylum, reposed in death
not far from her wards.
The two-storied buildlng-the first Jail
erected by the Government-fronting the
rear Of the City Hail. was then the Wash
ington lnfrmary Cthe general hospital for
the community This was afterward en-
larged. and was used in the early part
Of the civil war until destroyed by
lre) as military hospital. In 1886
large frame building erected on the lot
was used for some months for fair and
il was here that McCormicks reaper and
the sewing machine we're first exhibited.
"A new building had been erected for
the jail in the northeast corner of the
square few years before. and served for
The purpose till the close Of the sixties
under the popular name of the blue Jug"
That section southeast of Judiciary
Square in the neighborhood of c and Third
Streets was known as Irish Hill" from
the fact that most OF the settlers were
of that nationality. The name of Mount
Etna was given to a slight elevation of
land in the neighborhood Of judiciary
Square. the reason for the designation
being evidently occult.
Within the city section were TO be
found the alleys. the names of which are
celebrated in the annals Of the Police
Court Among the most prominent of
these thoroughfares were. Calf Alley. now
known as Express Alley. north of B be-
tween Second and Third Streets: Pop
now McDermott's, south of the Avenue
between Third and Four-and-a half
Streets. Marble on the square west;
jackson Hail. opening on the Avenue be-
tween Third and Four -and-a-half Streets:
Slate opening on L Street between
Twelfth and Thirteenth Streets: Black
Dog. the west part of which is now Thea
teenth Street. Few of these alleys had
been in the least improved, though there
were dwellings in some.
There were but four banking houses
the Bank OF Washington. originally on
New Jersey Avenue: the Bank of the Me-
tropolis, now Metropolitan. on its pres
ent site on Fifteenth Street. the Patriotic
Bank. on Seventh Street, near D. which
liquidated in the early SOS. and was sue
1a1 1a.-T Z 41,-,,, A.. -. 4 q
Riggs, now the Riggs National Bank.
Pennsylvania Avenue and Fifteenth
Street, known then as the Exchange
Bank
Early Newspapers.
hThe newspapers OF that day we're the
old National Intelligencer, published at
the corner OF Seventh and D Streets by
Gales & seaton, and the National
Union the organ OF the Democracy, con-
Quoted by Thomas Richie and ]. p.
Heiss. Both were daily papers. A Ger
man paper. the Gazette at Seventh
Street and Louisiana Avenue; the
Times. Pennsylvania Avenue and Twelfth
Street: Hewitt's Register. E Street, be-
tween Ninth and Tenth Streets: the Co
iumDian Fountain temperance journal,
published by Rev L. Ward. and edited by
the Rev. Or. J. T. Ward. at Pennsylvania
Avenue and Second Street Some of these
were printed by what was called Jug
power. for steam was not then in general
use, and presses were worked by two or
more men usually colored). at a wheel.
and TO aid them there was provided in
some Offices a jug OF whisky.
Naturally. few OF the early business
n mn Of huf
names have been forgotten. There were
a number OF book and periodical stores,
for Mashingtonians appear to have been
always reading people Pennsylvania
Avenue. between Eleventh and Twelfth
Streets was the literary centre T. X
Lundy was at the northwest corner OF
Twelfth and the Avenue; Garrett Ander-
son. William Fischer and William f.
Bayly on the square east, and Robert
rarnham at the northeast corner of Eiev-
enth and the Avenue now Brentano's
"On the north side of the Avenue. be-
tween Four -and-a-half and Sixth Streets.
Franck Taylor had bookstore. while on
the square below W Adam dealt in
books, periodicals. and papers. and G.
Brooke & Co, at the corner OF Pennsyl-
vania Avenue and Fifteenth Street. con-
Quoted literary depot. Col. Joe Shilling
ton established a news and periodical
dePct IN the lalteT part OF tne 5vs IN the
Odeon building. -Four -and-a-hali Street
and Pennsylvania Avenue, which. for
nearly half century was leading
house. Most Of these stores carried fan
cy goods and varieties also and both
Fischer and Anderson dealt also in mu-
sicsl instruments. Richard /. Davis. on
the south side Of the Avenue between
Ninth and Tenth Streets, conducted the
principal music house, and also carried
line Of fancy goods.
Among the bakers OF that day we're ].
c. McKelden. on Seventh. above z Street;
J. NJ. Kraft. northwest corner OF Twelfth
and f Streets: c. Hagar. + near Thir-
teenth Street. and Thomas Havenner.
Funerals were conducted by cabinet
makers. and almost invariably the coffin
had TO be specially made after the death
OF tho person. II is said that one Of the
old-time undertakers. as a herb doctor
treated the patient. as a church member
read and prayed with him. as an under
taker made the coffin and directed the
funeral; as a minister read the burial
service. and as sexton Of the church and
graveyard dug the grave and buried him.
Many changes have come about since
then"