Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-26
Another Patriarch.

Another Patriarch.
''Nearly, II not. quite, as ,patEiarchai in his
appearance was old John Russell His beard
was not quite so white. but 1t reached to
his girdle and gave him most fatherly ap-
pearance. He figured in various places. but
was best known, probably, WIN he enter
tained as host at the National Hotel. One OF
the peculiar traits of this genial parsonage
was that he knew what almost every man
wanted as soon as he made his. appearance,
and, like old man Hancock, was well known
not only to great many OF the nations
lawyers, but also to host OF visitors to
Washington, who upon their arrival within
the city limits took early occasion to pre-
sent themselves before him and claim his
attention. Russell, In his early days, was
an engineer in the employ OF the Baltimore
and Ohio railroad.
"a peculiar character in the army of mix
ologists' in ante-bellum days was John,
otherwise known by the pet name Of Dirty
john who off1ciated at an old bar room In
7th street. The pleasant appellation didn't
disturb John in the least. He probably felt
that he deserved it. John was afflicted
with strabismus to an unusual degree.
When at his labors. which consisted In
great part Of pulling up trap door and de-
scending into some place that looked in Its
darkness like the internal regions for q
glass of ale, he would generally hesitate
moment, with one eye fixed in the direction
Of the Soldiers Home and another toward
the dome Of the Capitol, as II to take his
bearings. and then dive into the deep re-
cesses below him and bring forth the malt
extract to his customers.
This John did many times day, for
ale had to be kept in a cool cellar and there
was little demand for lager beer In his time.
John, after he had accumulated suffciency
of wealth to go into business on his own
account, did so, and established himself in
a Subterranean quarter on the northwest
corner of 7th and D streets, which he desig-
mated simply as Johns
Old "Joe" Hamlin and John Dempsey.
'Old Joe Hamlfn was another character
in his way. He kept place In 9th street
near Louisiana avenue when l knew him.
He had soft side in his heart for many or
the men incarcerated In the old Capitol
prison, and found means in the early days
Of the war-whether for love or profit.
know not-of supplying them with 'necessi-
ties. The Secretary of war, stanton, heard
of his little attentions and comforts to the
enemies of the Union and attempted to put
a spoke in the wheel Of Joe's' arrangement,
but in some way the old fellow circumvented;
the great war minister's orders to cease his
philanthropy and he kept 1t up as long as
his friends wanted his services.
Another fellow who tended bar in that
delectable part Of this community. then
known as Rum Row. was a character
known as John Dempsey. He was chief
major domo for old Charley Godfrey. The
'peculiarities,' as one OF, his friends denom-
mated them OF Dempsey was the delgnt ne
took in keeping his. glassware clean. Dust
and cobwebs were an a domination in his
sight He was popular, too, In way. and
quiet and undemQnstratlve to an unusual
degree. Dempsey owned a brace of fancy
terriers with noses like needle points ana
Weighing about six ounces This bartender
finally. while under Influence OF drink. shot
a woman who was under his protection and
wound up the tragedy by mortally shooting
himself. - u
t..The Excelsior" on Newspaper Row.
Another well-knewn purveyor OF ardent
provisions in the past was Tim Sullivan.
who had little den on old newspaper row
which he called the Excelsior. Tim was
a rather popular individual and had fair
ly good run of customers He was
thorough devotee to the Fenian cause. the
Clan-na-Gael order and any other order that
had for its object the freedom OF his native
Ireland. On all holiday occasions Tins
little shack was resplendent with green
flags. gilded harps. Erin Go Bragh notices
and other designs. He was a hospitable
sort of fellow. and on winter nights would
regale his friends with baked potatoes.
cooked in a little, oid-fashioned stove that
warmed his saloon. and diabolical sort Of
a dish-that he prepared himself called
peppery pot 1t WAS an esculent that
might have found favor in Bombay or Cal
as Tim served 1t up required to be Guilt
waited. Tabasco sauce and plenty OF 1t
seemed to be Its main ingredient. and 1t was
Stunned accordingly. Many years ago Tim
joined the silent majority.
Jim Young Of New Orleans.
Sometime during the reconstruction
- 49,