Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-12
w Hat IT DISCLOSED
FIRE IN AN oLD-TIME E STREET
TAVERN

At the meeting of the Columbia Historian
Society, which was held last evening in the
banquet hall of the Shoreham, paper
was read by Mr.. w. b. Bryan entitled "A
Fire in an Old-time f Street Tavern, and
What IT Disclosed
The old-time tavern, as its history was
brought out by Mr.. Bryan. was shown to
have been unidentified up TO this time. This
was in spite OF the fact that it was the
scene of an incident that created large
amount of public interest at the time. and
was made the subject OF copper-plate u
lustratIon in book, "Portraiture or
Slavery" that was printed by DR.. Jesse
Torrey in the year 1917 in Philadelphia.
The identity of this place was disclosed
through newspaper controversy whion
sprang I'D in the year 1919, following ffe
in the tavern which destroyed that build-
ing The latter was located at the south
west corner of 18th and Il streets, ana IN
about a year the ruins OF the old puldinB,
which had been erected in the early years
of the city, were replaced by a new one,
which is probably the one standing there
today. AS compared with the representa-
ton of the first structure as given IN tne
copper plate which Mr.. Bryan stated was
the first published drawing Of building
in this city other than a pubic puilulns, ~
Is evident that intellectually the oid
structure was very much ike the one that
took it's place.
1t was from one of the attic windows IN
the old house that colored woman,
slave, in December, 1915. leaped TO the
street below In order to escape being car
ried off to the south and separated from
her husband and her friends. 1t seems that
the tavern was used as place of deten-
ton for colored people in charge of dealers
who were taking them to the markets OF
the south.
Results of the Protest.
perate in character as 1t was, either had
the effect of starting a train of events
which had a wide influence or else It was
only coincidence in the history of that
period. AT any rate. as the author OF the
paper pointed out, this deed at the tavern
was followed by a charge to the grand jury
of the District. in regard to the slave trade
through this city, by an impassioned
speech of John Randolph of Virginia IN
the House of Representatives, in which he
denounced the slave trade as carried on in
This city and then later on-in fact, about
a year-came the organization Of the Amer
lean Colonization Society of this city.
Dr. Jesse Torrey, the author OF the book
in which some of these facts in regard to
the deed of the colored woman and other
details of the traffic in slaves In this city
appeared. has the distinction of having es-
tablished the first free library in this coun-
try and also of having been an early advo-
cate of the system OF free public schools.
As a matter of interest at this time In
connection with the hundredth anniversary
of the establishment of public schools In
this city, the writer said that the year
1903, when the schools were opened here,
was an early period in the development OF
the school system of ibis country. Wash
ington in this particular was pioneer. as
in no other part of the country except In
the New England states were publicly sup
ported schools known at that time
Even in New York city, and in Phfladei-
phia and Baltimore, places much larger
one hundred years ago than the strageling
collection OF houses which in the year HOO
was known as the nations capital. there
was not then, and for some years later. an
opportunity for education which could be
obtained through provisions made by the
municipal government