Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-12
IN PRIMITIVE PERIOD
@
Swampoodle and Its Early
Associations.
ECHO OF FORMER DAYS
HOW "BUCK" CoNNERs LOST AND
WON HIS MONEY.
Reminder of Olden Times and Hard
Fought Stone Battles-Cattls
Roamed Streets.

city comprising the fourth and fifth wards.
and extending east and north Of the Capitol
from LIST street to lexington or Boundary
street, and eastward to the banks Of the
Anacostia river.
Its promontories were Crow Hill in the
north and English hill to the west, the lat
ter historical and famous. There Gen. Ross
encamped after the victory Of Bladensburg
and previous to his descent upon and de-
struction of our national Capitol. and q
short time before his own defeat and de-
struction at the hands of the uncomfortable
Americans.
Crow Hill must have been named from
the interminable focks Of crows which
probably made it their resting place.
"Swampoodle," or "Swamp-Puddle," was
well watered by numberless fine springs,
the frequent overlooking of the Tiber. or
Goose creek. Anacostia and the Potomac;
hence its name and undoubtedly Its chris
tening.
That period may be called loosely the
Neolithic or Stone Age of Washington.
Every Washington boy of the old days
well remembers the many hard fought stone
battles, the first, second and third ward
boys had with the boys OF other sections OF
the city, under the leadership of Col. Billy
Moore, Governor "Aleck' Shepherd and
others.
There were no asphalt pavements then:
no granolithic sidewalks; no electric or gas
lights, or better substitute for them than
sperm oil lamps, just sufficient to make
darkness visible, and suggest a mark for
observation-disclosures with stone or brick
bat.
The roads were made worse than muddy
by cows. pigs and goats when there was a
rain or freshet, and a sand storm on Sa-
hara was mild in comparison to its streets
when the sun shone and the wind blew.
1t was during these times that Burke
Corners had this adventure. Some called
him Buck" some Burt, and some Burke
Corners. He was of Irish descent, and was
regarded rich, something remarkable for q
Swampoodler.
Burke Corners got on a spree! No one
thought such thing possible; not because
he didn't have the money, but that he
would part with money to buy It, Nobody
believed that there was any kind of whisky
that would let him separate himself from
his hoardings. a7t
A Discussion In Riley's Saloon.
He was in Rileys saloon one day, and a
discussion arose with John Stuart, the
bartender. about the new railroad station
Buck owned three or four houses on G.
street near the proposed station. These
nttle houses were not worth more than q
thousand dollars apiece Buck thought
them worth two thousand at least Peter
johns son, said he thought the railroad
would pay "more'n twenty-five hundred for
each one and the ground,"j
II was then that Buck made his rash
promise. which resulted in his undoing He
SAID that If he got more than two thousand
collars for each house he would treat the
whole house, "
After a good deal Of Hekering Buck re-
celVed S2,5S5 for each house and lot and
the same day he presented himself at RI
leys saloon. NC ,.f4t IL ~
Come on. boys" he said.
Buck received the congratulations of his
Irlenus ana treated over and over again
Buck began telling them what a fighter he
was In his youth. and every one agreed
that he knew it was all So, and that she
was s, good man yet. that he was"
Riley treated and Buck then excused him
self and left to tell his tenants the rail-
road had bought his property.
The first was Widow Murphy She came
trembling to the door for she had had
many stormy scene with Buck when I'M
able to pay
"Oh, Misther Conners," she cried. ct
haven't clint and Mary has the mumps
and Patsy lost his job and I am so both
ing at all, at ALL"
Stop it," says Buck. Wipe off yer
eyes; don't want no money. 1 have
sould Their house"
"Sould Their house?' echoed Mrs Murnby
Yes, and I have got the money, too"
and he pulled out great wad of yellow
notes and green, and, counting out 800
threw that sum down on the table In front
or the astonished and frightened Mrs. Muir
Am fwhat am to do wild this?' she
said
You can spind IT," he replied IAN git
thin new clothes"
'Oh, Mtsther Corners God bless We! But
1 owe We back rint," she added.
Here is receipt in full to date. keep
that; and here's another hundred for two
months In advance wherever We may 60
when ye quit this"
The widow had discovered that Mr.. Con-
ners was not strictly sober.
Made Presents to Other Tenants,
Buck visited his other tenants and gave
each one of them two months receipt in
advance to protect them from the railroad,
he said. Buck proceeded to visit other
places in Swampoodle.
Come on, b'ys!' was the slogan, and
the byS' were no ways slow, but came
on again and again, every time and between
times. until Buck finally started for home
Next morning and all day the black bottle
made many trips to Rileys side door. Then
when the street Oil lamps of Swampoodle
were lighted he went the rounds again with
1.-The b'ys."
The marble and granite cutter of Swan
poodle was one of the crowd of his friends
present, and Mr. Corners contracted with
him on the spot for 5000 monument to
the memory of his late sainted and la
mented wife. He also ordered from a
friendly hveryman a pair of high stepping
horses. Also rubber tired runabout to
be sent from Paris, where they said such
thing had made its appearance
Father Boyle called on him next morning
and gravely rebuked him for his wild be-
havior. ifE ~
Buck was not sober yet; and In turn ad-
monished ther praste.'s He drew his
check for 800, an amount one hundred
times larger than he had ever given at
one time before He kept up his reckless
spending for two weeks. ~
Then Buck got sick He kept his bed
and failed to show up anywhere.
Ordered the Horses Sold.
When the lveryman brought around the
horses, he sent them back and ordered
them sold. He sent for the marble man
and stopped the order for the $1,000 nonu-
ment, but was forced to compromise for a
slightly smaller and cheaper one.
Then Widow Murphy called and left a
package. 1t was wrapped In many old
newspapers. He looked at the dates and
learned 1t was several weeks later in the
autumn than he had thought 1t to be. Out
from the papers rolled the now hateful
black bottle.
The sight of 1t brought back to his mind
many events. The sale Of the houses the
free receipts for back rent to all his ten
ants. the one or two hundreds he had given
Widow Murphy and the many yellow notes
and green he had handed her to have the