The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1902-08-25
Interesting Gossip Cleaned Among Employees.
of Government Bureaus.
WHEN WASHINGTON WAS ONLY A VILLAGE
Veteran Employe Tells of the Coach and Omnibus Period
OF Its Development-Death of I First
Woman Inventor in America.

Mr. James McGrath, of the War De-
partmenc watch rec. is a veteran Of
the regular army he was for twenty
years in the army and was non-com-
missioned officer for nearly all Of that
period, and for sixteen years a sergeant
OF ordnance He remembers Washing
ton as 2 large village, when a journey
in a coach OF omnibus from the Peace
Monument to the Treasury was as bad
as travelling through a mountain waste
He was a participant in several historic
scenes. including the capture Of John
Brown. and The execution OF the Surratt
gang CT conspiratOrs- He also witnessed
the terrible destruction of life at the
Arsenal cartridge factory.
Mr. McGrah was born in County
Down, near Belfast, Ireland, and he
came 10 America early in life He en-
listed in the artillery service and was
transferred 10 the ordnance corps
Shortly after joining the artillery he vas
placed IN the expedition to Harpers
Ferry, under command Of Col. R E Lee
afteTward commander OF the Confeder-
acy- The expedition was a famous one
and lasted fourteen days Brown was
captured in the engine house. After the
execution the artillery. part OF the
Fourth, returned 70 Fort Monroe. When
the civil war broke oul he was kept
IN Washington for most of the time and
was in charge at the old penitentiary
magazine, on the Arsenal point He had
one Of the old stoTerooms cleaned out
for the hanging Of Mrs. Surratt and her
spirators and vas present at
the execution. He says that he has had
lots OF kinds Of feelings in his life but
TIE sight CT that execution was about
the worst.
Mr.. McGrath was a witness to the ter
rible tragedy OF June Il, 1864, when
twenty-five girls were killed at the
cartridge factory 4 III Fourth Of July
celebration IN Washington was being ar
ranged for and the girls were making
stars for the illUminatiuns The heat
OF the sun iguited some of the work and
there was a general explosion Not
half Of the girls got out alive. He was
one OF - first in helIing 10 care for
the injured and in taking cut the dead.
IN February, 1860. the Washington
state IN west Pennsylvania Avenue
was unveiled Statues were scarce in
the city then and the demonstration on
the ossacion was great. A large body
OF artillery was ordered out and ne was
one Of the men 10 help get the light
field pieces 20 the circle and put them
Treasury and before getting to the site
OF the statue one Of the guns got stuck
IN the mud and the proceedings were
thereby somewhat delayed Omnfbuses
rolled over tho rough cobblestones be-
tween the Capitol and the Treasury and
made q noise worse than thunder The
mule cars came later and were a great
Improvement Washington OF those davs
was rather rough place and travelling
was worse than IL the virginia hills.
Mr.. McGrath was transferred TO Co
Iumbus, Ohio. where he remained for
several years Columbus, like Wash
ington, has improved vastly since the
war. The place was then town OF so
600 people Mr.. McGrath was appoint
ed to position in the ordnance depart
ment, twenty years ago, and was FOR sew
eral years in the Winder Building. He
has been in the main building since its
completion He is a good watchman and
an Intelligent man. He was appointed
to the position he now holds two weeks
before the expiration Of his enlistment.
and short while before the time for
MS retirement