The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1902-08-22
OLD SETTLER TALKS.
Has Been Resident of Washington
for 81 Years.
National Capital, Now Noted the
World Over for Its Beauty, Then
Was Measly Country
Village.
Especial Washington letter.


mer l have ever seen in the
national capital, and l have
been here 6! summers"
The speaker does not look like one
so far advanced in years. He has been
selling postage stamps for our city
post office for very long time, as
every patron of the office knows, but
nobody would suppose that he had
seen so many cycles of time. He
added:
Il was born in 1927 and am in my
seventy-siXth year. l was here when
Jackson was president, and in my
youth and young manhood 1 knew
Henry Clay, John C. Calhoun and all
those worthless of whom you have read
SO much. Even until this day am al
most as proud as l was in my youth to
be able to boast that have sat on the
knee of Daniel Webster"
William L. Turpin is the name of the
vigorous old gentleman who has seen
this city grow from an obscure marshy
village into the beautiful capital of the
republic. There was lull in the bust
ness of the evening, and the narrator
stood by the window and received lot
of very interesting information, in an
swer to quite number of pertinent
questions.
There was no city here in those days
beyond block or two north of Penn
sylvania avenue, between the capitol
and the white house. All of South
Washington was morass the greater
part of the year, except the high
ground beyond the canal, and that was
called the Island. Very few people
lived down there except those who ham
died freight from the numerous sailing
vessels that used to dot the Potomac.
The popular ports were Alexandria,
Va, five miles down the river, and
Georgetown, which is now a part of
this city.
"The Renaissance most interesting
to me-" said Mr.. Turpin, sis the public
meeting where l first saw Miss Ram
say, of Georgetown. 1t took almost
year for me to find some mutual ac-
quaintance who could introduce me to
her. When l was at last formally in
troduced and asked permission to CALL
which was granted, l was the happiest
young man in these parts. lived on
East Capitol street and although it
was four miles to her home in George
town, l walked there to call on her
twice week for two years, and then
we were married. That was 81 years
ago and both of us are still living and
in good health.
"There were no sidewalks nor curb
stones in those days. All east of the
capitol was woody country. We had
some graveled paths, but no side
walks. West of the capitol as far as
the white house we had some side
walks, but almost every highway was
graveled. After passing the white
house trudged along gravel paths
until 1 came to the old wooden bridge
over Rock creek, and after that the
paths were dirt paths, hardened by
much walking. Of course I walked
over there and back at night. We had
no electric lights, no gas lamps, no
gasoline, nor even candle lights along
the way. The moon and stars furnished
the light. l would not meet or pass
single person on my walks back and
forth more than once a week. Butt
was never lonely because 1 had my
mind occupied with my love.
"When we were married / bought
some ground on Massachusetts, avenue
for Is cents square foot. have lived