Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-07
OLDEST INHABITANTS
Meeting of Association at It's
Headquarters.
COMMITTEES NAMED
WILLIAM n. WILLIAMS ELECTED
VICE PRESIDENT.
One Of the Oldest Residents Of George
town Observation-Disclosures
Of Early Washington.
COMMITTEES NAMED

Washington and have shared and aided
in its growth for long term OF years
met last night in room 2 of the Corcoran
building, corner Of 18th and r streets
northwest at the regular monthly meet
ing of the Association Of the Oldest In
habitants of the District of Columbia.
Allison Nailor, the president Of the as
ISOLATION, was in the chair, and DIR. Jo-
seph 7. Howard. corresponding secretary,
and B. w. Reiss, recording secretary,
were present
Both before and after the business ses-
sion the members were gathered In
groups in the room, chatting Of times and
events which have long since been for
gotten except by the oldest inhabitants"
Several important and interesting addi-
lions to the archives and relics OF the as
ISOLATION were presented at the meeting.
Among the first matters to be. consider
ed during the evening was the death of
one Of the vice presidents. Thomas H.
Langley. Although the announcement of
his death had been published In the pa
pers, 1T was officially announced to the as
ISOLATION. To fill the vacancy in the list
of officers William H. Williams was elect
the Oldest members Of the association, be-
ing one Of the three surviving members
of group shown in a photograph which
was taken In the seventies, and which Is
preserved Dy the db6OCldllOu' l1c was
born in Georgetown eighty-four years
ago and is now one Of the Oldest resi-
dents Of that section Of the capital city.
He has been in charge Of the Georgetown
to the many patrons of that market. He
was pronounced as being especially fitted
for the position to which he was elected.
Committees Announced.
President Nailor announced the follow
ing committees for the year: Financial.
Fred G. Calvert, chairman; J. Elliott
Wright and DR.. BENJAMIN w. Sunny;
entertainment, A. H. Raglan, chairman;
1. p. Sejbold and B. W. Reiss.
The illness of two members of the asso-
cha ton, who have been very active In Its
interests until stricken with this last sick
ness was reported to the association. These
members are H. NJ Dellinger, living at 25l
G street northwest, and George Woodbridge,
living at 100 street southeast, and their
illness was reported by those who had Wis
tied them in their homes. By an unani-
nous vote, the sympathy Of the associa-
ton was extended to them and the cores
ponding secretary was instructed to inform
them Of this action by the association.
The report Of the Illness OF members
brought up discussion as to the propriety
of visiting such members by the others In
the associa ton. motion, made at the
meeting In June, that a committee be APP
pointed to visit the sick members. after
mittee to be composed Of the officers, was
passed by unanimous vote. This was
explained to mean that 1t was compulsory
for the officers to visit the sick members,
and it was desired that all members who
can, shall make visits voluntarily. Several
members announced their intentions of WIS.,
iting the two who are reported as confined
to their homes. They had not before known
of the illness.
Three new members were accepted by the
association last evening they having lived
in the District thirtytive years, and having
attained the age of fifty years. They are
Randolph W. Lowrie, D. D., of 413 4th
street northwest; w. B. Marche Of 1928
East Capitol street; and Leander P. VIII
Hams of 931 Westminster street. Mr..
Lowrie was present last evening and signed
the constitution,
Mementoes Received.
Several interesting mementoes were pre-
sented to the association by members last
evening and We're added to the rapidly
growing collection of the association.
Among these was brick bearing the fol-
lowing inscription:
From Hardwood house. CharIestown, w.
Va. Built by Samuel Washington. Where
Dolly Madison was married. Presented by
]. j. Keller. September. 1905" The donor
was rendered vote of thanks by the asso-
citation. Another gift was that of several
began publication In Baltimore in March,
1910, and was published during the cam
paign of William Henry Harrison. Several
of the older members of the association
took great interest in the papers, which
were presented by ]. Elliott Wright. James
A. Weinberger also presented a clipping
from newspaper of 1857, showing the par
ticipation of the Association of the Oldest
Inhabitants in the Fourth of July celebra-
ton of that year. 1t was added to the
archives.
Many of those present were much inter-
ested in newspaper story published In the
Boston Globe of May % last. giving an In
terview with H. M. Dellinger. one of the
members of the association. The interview
as read was, in part:
HE CMr. Dellinger was born on Wash
ington's birthday, 1922, in Washington
county. Md. and he has lived most OF his
life In Washington, D. c., where he was
contractor and builder in 1874, when S. F..
B. Morse, inventor of the telegraph, built
the first line between Washington and Bal
timore. Mr.. Dellinger remembers very well
the way in which s. r. B. Morse was treat
ed at the time in Washington He was
laughed at and jeered at, and was the butt
of all the jokesters' IN and out of Congress
at the time
Worlds First Telegraph Office.
THAT was only sixty-one years ago, in
1874. when the first telegraph Office in the
world was installed in couple of rooms in
an old government building on 7th street.
The general post office stood on the site
of the old building. The first official dis
patches that came over the telegraph wire,
however were received In one of the rooms
of the Capitol some time before this.
"Mr. Dellinger remembers the astonish-
ment with which these dispatches were re-
ceived at the time. The first was the an
nouncement of the death of an American
commodore at Cadiz, in Spain, and the sec
ond was the announcement of the nomi-
nation Of Polk for President by the Demo-
cratic national convention, then in session
in Baltimore These dispatches were re-
ceived with incredulity by the scofrers OF
Morse, and they would not accept them as
authoritative until verified by mail. Even
then there were suspicious of a trick some-
where.
People had the impression" said Mr..
Dellinger, that 1t was the paper on which
the dispatch was written that was sent
over the wire. You have no idea how the
people laughed at the old man (Morse) in
those days You know Congress voted him
$50, 600 the year before to build the line be-
tween Baltimore and Washington Well.