Evening star., 1901-02-18
What a Star Reporter Learned on a
Tour of the City.
AN ANIMATED GUIDE BOOK ALONG
Crisp MonoIogue While the Car
Covers the Capital.
INTERESTING AND INSTRUCT

With index. finger pointing in the dlrec-
ton of the United States treasury bulidlng
thus spoke a young man the other morn
ing to a score and more of ladies ana gen.
tlemen who had taken passage on the
Seeing Washington car, which was just
about to start on twe-hour tour OF the
city from 18th and G streets. An Evening
Star reporter was ameng the passengers.
Such beginning of a monoiogue ABOUT
places of note and interest in washington
was naturally reassuring. There was none
of the role of the guide or the dryness OIL
the guide book about that Introductory SEN
tence. The young man was one OF tne III
structors who accompany each Seeing
Washington car, and after the remark
noted he crisply related how the treasury
building was erected, its construction ana
uses casually remarking that the rows
OF columns on the east and nortn lroits
We're copied from the Temple OIL Minerva
Then the car started and at intervals as
objects worth remembering were APP
preached, the instructor gave brlef. out
telling. paragraphs of their salient points.
After indicating. for instance the pulluing
where Liberator Lincoln was shot ana
where he died, he pointed out the alley on
+ street through which John Wilkes Booth
rode after his awful deed.
High Lights of Incident.
Later on when the car was on 9th street,
he pointed out the stable on G street where
Booth secured the horse which he bestrsde
that tragic night. This same continuity OF
narration was observed throughout the
trip. The high lights of incident We're
thrown upon every subject brought up
whenever an opportunity afforded. me
public buildings were rapidly described, ana
the detail in some instances was amusing.
When the Congressional Library was ap-
preached. for instance, and its character
istics related, the instructor gi1bly re-
marked that the cost was: Six million
three hundred and twenty thousand one
hundred and twenty-four dollars and 1lfty-
four cents.
The house that Washington built and oc-
cupied on Capitol Hill. the old Hillman
House, now n hotel, cause necks to crane,
and Inc short but succinct description of
the Capitol building was gem of conden-
sation about The eternal capital of the
eternal republic as the instructor effec-
lively quoted. Like all other mortals the
instructor was not infallible in his state
ments. While describing the old Capitol he
said that Chief Justice Field once lived
in the corner house.
The next house, he remarked, was
the residence of Miss Mary Condit-Smth
who experienced the tcrrors of the siege
in the American legation at Peliin. When
she came home she married her sweetheart
Lieut.. Richard Hooker of the army. He
tnuS transferred the young Iil'tH from one
Branch of the service to another without
consulting either General Haywood or Cen
eral Corbin.''
Pointers to Even the Initiated.
Mainly however, his facts were estab-
lshed ones, and that they were interesting
and Instructive to a very decided degree
even to one like the reporter, who was born
III this city and has had an active news
paper experience here of over twenty
years. The reporter. for instance, did not
know just the location of the room in
which Henry Clay died at the National Ho-
tel until the instructor pointed it out, noi
did he know that the frame house perched
on the high hill above the Baltimore and
Ohio depot on G street was the first in
which gas was used in this city. These
are but interpretations to give an idea OF
the scope of the story passengers on the
Seeing Washington car listen to. Dry hu.
NOR also ran through the recital.
Flashes of Humor.
AS the car turned into II street, at 18th
the instructor said:
The brown store house to the right, with
white shades in the windows'-and here his
wants in the entrance-"and coored shades
in the door is the Columbia Athletic Clut
house"
There was slow-up as Rhode Island
avenue was reached ana Admiral Dewey
house was pointed out.
THAT is the residence presented to the
hero of Manila by the proud and emotiona
people of America" said the sage. 'It i:
also notable for being the most rapidly
transferred piece of real estate on record ,
While along the river front he remarked
1.-The wharves here are where Washington
gets its unrivaled supplies Of fish and oys
ters. In the autumn they are watermelon
marts. Here was discovered the reason
t1,Hf fhn ntn
being found that the seeds were planted IL
the spring.
Pointing out small family hotel he
said 1t was a dry house, because the pro.
prietress was prominent in w. G. T. L.
circles. Mrs. Carrie Nation will stoI
there when she comes to Washington" he
added.
Passing the Baltimore and Ohio depo
attention was called to it with this addi
ton.
1T was here that William Jennings
Bryan made his only speech in Washing
ton during the last campaign
In this way he kept up the human interes
Of the" trip. In Georgetown it was tht
same way. Going west on street, h,
said:
Would Make "a Little Mush.
1--WE are now approaching a house bull
in 1912 by the first colored frAe man in thu
District. His name was briggs and h
had a family of twenty children, fourteen
sons and six daughters. briggs was wag
His favorite saying was: If had a Httl
water would make little mush if / hat
| q little meal There's the house. Nov
| think of having a twenty-chidren famil,
| in homestead like that. At that tim
| Georgetown was known as the city o
| houses without streets and Washington wa
known as the city of streets withou
houses.
Surprlse~ Mt Such u Junior.
According to the instructor the Ashbur
ton treaty was drawn in the old Corcora,
house when Daniel Webster occupied 1t
When ne announced that its present occu
pant was 1.-The junior senator from New
York, Chauncey A. Depew," an irreveren
tourist wanted to know where the Senat
got its antiques from If Chamcey was
| junior
After telling about St. Johns he said tn
mansion adjoining on II street was tn
British embassy when Bulwer was min
| ister." 'It was there that Bulwer Lytto
| wrote his immortal poem, Lucille"
So 1t went for two hours The few error
the instructor developed were abundantl
recompensed by the vast fund Of facts h
developed. This recital could have bee
much Improved by the elimination of 10
of advertising matter interspersed in tn
| b,,t th}c phiIa. hoJ5 3td ,,ox -,