Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-16

of the insurance company, to hang on the
front of the buildings to notify the fire
men of the fact that they were interested
in whatever loss might ensue Some of
these tablets may yet be seen on few OF
the old-fashioned buildings today.
out-of-Door Sports.
The old race course north of Columbian
College, which he'd been the scene of many
notable trials of speed and endurance Tor
nearly half a century, now on the de-
clne-a national trotting course having
been established in Alexandria county,
where the sporting people were attracted.
Many of the popular sports OF today were
unknown. Base ball and foot ball were I'M
heard Of but there was some attention
given to athletic sports. Some Of the older
people often pitched quoits about the court
house and in many open places about the
city, and the boys had their games of
cricket, town ball, round cat and box, play
ed with rubber balls; shiny, or handy,
played with hard ball; prisoners base,
short fox. or long fox, etc, minus ball or
stick; as also kite flying and marbles and
mumlipeg. Boat racing was not unknown.
Two or more clubs existed. the Falcon and
Ariel being well fitted with racing craft.
On the river front and in the mouth of the
canal as well as round the G street
wharves and in the Eastern branch, were
many sailboats, and often there were sail
ing matches between the boats of different
sections. including Georgetown and Alexan-
dria Races with ordinary rowboats and
bateaux were not rare, and there were
many proficient skff paddlers. There were
public bowling alleys and billiard saloons
to be found such as Farrar's. al 9th street
and Missouri avenue; the Anatheum. on
the avenue west of AZ street; Wash
ington Hail. John f. Morses, corner 9th
street and the avenue; Fielder Burches,
above the avenue; Cops on Louisiana
avenue. with shooting gallery; H N
Robeys. on the avenue near 18th street
and John Douglass, on Louisiana avenue
near 9th street. There were also some pri-
vate alleys and tables, whose owners al
lowed well behaved young men to use them
at times. That there was some good blood
in the youngsters of that day may be in
ferred from the fact that even some of the
boys known as wharf rats are now of
high rank in the government service and
in the professions. Often in the winters
there was much sleighing on our avenues
and streets, and hundreds of sleighs of
every description made merry scenes as
long as the sport was possible. When the
snow on the avenue was worn out, the scene
was changed to less Travelled streets. Then,
too we had more facilities for skating
than other communities in this latitude, for
the extensive water front, with the old
Washington canal and Rock creek, were
supplemented by many ponds on ungraded
streets and squares.
The Local Government
We had then a local government very
unlike that of the present day, consisting
as it did of a mayor, board of aldermen
and common council. in which the o.d-time,
easy-going conservatism of the population
was seen by the long connection of the in
cumbents with the city government. Mr..
Seaton. who left the mayoralty in 1850,
after service of ten years, was member
of the councils from 1890 to 1910. His
partner Mr.. Gales had served in the execu-
tive chair before him. General Weight
mar was mayor in 1894. and Colonel Force
from 1895 to 1910, and they were long mem