Evening star., 1902-01-09
EARLY RECOllECTtONS
"REMINISCENCES INDUCED BY MIR.
JOHN EDWARD BATES.
Progress of the Capital City Since He
Entered Business Life Fifty
Years Ago.

J0hn E0"arN BhIes, WHO celSpTdleu Liz
fiftieth anniversary of his wedding Mon
day night last at his residence, No. 112t
18th street, was born in Fairfax county
Va, in 1923. and has lived in this city al
most continuously ever since. He is one
of the oldest citizens in the District, where
for almost fifty years he has engaged ir
business pursuits.
Mr.. Bates tells some interesting reminis-
cences of early Washington and its envi-
ronments In talking to an Evening Star
reporter the day following the celebration
of his wedding anniversary he said:
YES 1 have very vivid recollection OF
the first time l came to the national capi-
tai. The town was then nothing but a
village compared to its present size, witt
low buildings mostly built Of frame, and
with dirt roads for streets.
"Of course street cars were things un'
heard of in those days and we had to de
pend entirely upon buses, but usually the
distances were not so great that one could
not walk to any desired point of destina-
ton. / wonder what We would have
thought then If we had seen trolley car
or an automobile speeding along our high
ways. OF course telephones or electric
lights would have been regarded as the
handiwork Of some magician or supernat-
ural spirit
Andrew jackson was President when
first came to Washington, and 1 have q
distinct recollection of seeing old Hickory
riding leisurely down Pennsylvania avenue
with his 'saddlebags' under him, on his
way to the Capitol OF course that build.
those days as it is now, as neither one OF
the imposing wings that now adorn it had
been erected.
pennsylvania avenue, as / said in the
beginning was wide dirt road, and when
it rained it sometimes became almost i'm
passible.
Few people can remember the old "Tiber'
that crossed the avenue at I'd street, dir
ty, sluggiSh-looking stream that seemed to
breed malaria on its very surface.
"Then back of the market in South
Washington ran the old canal, another dis
ease-breeding menace to the city.
Ninth Street SpRnned by Bridge.
Busy 9th street at the intersection of
Pennsylvania avenue was spanned by a
low foot bridge. The city limits only ex-
tended as far as K street on the north, and
many a time 1 have hunted rabbits and
other small game in the woods that skirted
that part of the city. How strange 1t all
seems to think that all these old landmarks
and pla ces, once so familiar to me on ac-
count of their almost primeval simplicity,
have been obliterated by the steady march
of time. Now in their places have been
erected magnificent and imposing buildings,
wide and inviting, smooth-coated avenues
and beautiful squares and parks And.
then, how the newspapers have changed
their methods of gathering and dissent
mating news. Nothing better illustrates that
point than does the progress Of The Even
ing Star.
81 can remember 1t from its very begin
ming, when it was a very small paper. In
fact | have been a constant reader of the
paper since it's first issue. 1t has steadily
kept up with the march of progress, until
now regard it one of the greatest news
papers in the world.
1.-The magnificent building 1t has reared
on the corner of 11th street and Pennsyl-
vania avenue is not only a monument to
it's industry and success, but q credit alike
to Washington and the entire country.
Only a few days ago 1 made tour Of in
spection of the building and watched with
amazement the rapidity with which the
type was set by machinery that seemed al
most human in its mechanism; and the way
the papers were run off the presses and
issued to the public was indeed a revela-
ton"
Mr. Bates spoke pathetically of his old
associates and friends, many Of whom have
passed to the great beyond.
He recalled Familiarity with tears glisten-
ing in his eyes the late Richard Wallach
and Col James G. Berret, two of this
city's earliest mayors, both of whom, he
said. were warm personal friends of his.
Mr.. Bates was engaged in the drug busi-
retired from its active pursuit about five
single druggist or physician living at the
tice Of either OF those profession when he
f7,~cf 70 Uac oh -