The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1902-04-14
JUG OF APRLBJACK
TURNS ON THE Light
Enterprising Scheme of Gen
tIeman to Secure Electricity.
WIRES BUT NO CURRENT
Appealed to Commissioners, But No Law
TO Cover the Case-Bought Good
Brandy and Secured the Necessary
Legislation.

The question is frequently asked why
the electric lighting cen panies are allow.
ed to string wires almost at will west of
Rock Greek and are prohibited freut doing
so east Of that stream. To answer the
question one has only to appeal to the
plain statement Of the law, but to ex-
plain how the law happened to be as it
reads is another matter. To put the mat
ter briefly, an afternoon ride and two gal
loss of appIejack we're practically re-
sponsfbIe for the conditions described
It appears that an enterprising resident
of one of the subdivisions near Cleveland
Park several years ago bought fine prop
erty out there and proceeded to ft up
the house for summer boarders. He went
to considerable expense In the way Of
outside furnishings, and among other
things put in about $500 worth of electric
wires and fixtures. But when the owner
appeared at the District Building TO ask
;; for permit to connect his house with
the lighting cables a few blocks away
he was told that the District Commits
sioneTs were without authority to grant
him the privilege asked. The owuer plead
with the authorities. explained the diem
ma he was in, but ali il vain. He was
Obliged 10 go home mad and disap-
pointed nan.
In thiEsaug the matter over the owner
| or the premises described bethought him
| or friend who holds a seat in the upper
| house of Congress, and in the same con-
| nection he thought of q much reputed
brand OF appIeiack made yearly il one
| Of the counties of the Old Dominion, which
might he called Appomattox. The COM
/ hinatioH seemed promising, and the owner
| Immediately acted upon the mental sug
| gestioa ard sent for two gallons of the
| seductive beverage to be sent to him
Eond eff King Alcohol.
The Senator in question is reputed not
| to be afraid of any beverage in which,
| king alcohol is the reiguing sovereign.
| IN short, he loves good liquor. ana upon
/ this Bell-hnown fact hangs the tale OF
the extension Of electric lighting west
| of Rock Greek.
/ One day IN the month of May. so the
/ story goes, the owner OF the boarding
1 house drove over TO the north end of the
/ Capitol by previous arrangement and pa
| tiently waited the appearance Of the Sen
| ator referred 10. When ne appeared the
/ resident OF the growing northwest section
! took him in his carriage and drove him
| by somewhat roundabout route to the
/ house cut toward Tenleytown. They ar
rived in the edge Of the evening, between
| daylight and dark.
| The Senator vas welcomed by the hos
/ tess as well as the host who WAS not
/ long IN producing the aBDiejack. It was
| sampled and found good, but It was get
/ ting dark. so that the hest and his Sen
/ atorial friend could no longer tell the
| difference between apFlejaek and water.
/ Finally the Senator suggested that it
would be well 10 have little light 10 en-
| joy their seventh drink of appIejack The
F.! hast excused himself and departed for a
[ remote part OF the house When he re-
/ turned he bore in each hand an ancient
| tallow dip in tin eandlestiek.
Tallow Dips Brought In.
| The Senator's curiosity was aroused.
| bat he said nothing until he had imbibed
/ another glass Of applejack, when he asked
his friend If that was the best light he
/ could afford. The suburbanite stated that
/ it was. He explained how be had fisted
! up his house fer electric lights, and how
/ he had been denied permission to connect
/ with the lighting cables in the neigcbor-
hood The Senator was quite thoughtful
during the recital, and though he drank
| several more glasses Of appIejaek his
/ thoughts seemed to be elsewhere Dinner
! was served and conversation turned on
! many topics. but The Senator, as often as
/ he tasted the appIejaek, was absorbed in
/ his own meditati0ns for 4 time
/ The next morning the Senator said, as
/ he babe his friends good-by at the steps
/ TO the Capitol
{ Come back here at 2 o'clock and may
! have something TO tell you.
/ That day il the Senate a joint resolu-
/ tion was introduced permitting the
/ stringing of electric wires for lighting
/ purposes west of Rock Creek. It went
through on a question of privilege and
when the property owner appeared on
/ the scene at 2 o'clock ia the afternoon
/ he was told that the resolution had gone
I over to the House, and if he wanted it
/ passed he should go over there and look
/ after the matter
| Within few days the law was passed
/ by the House Of Representatives and
/ signed by the President, and 1t is not
widely known to this day that this par
/ ticuIar piece Of legislation was inspired
amid the odoFs or Virginia appIetaCk.