The San Francisco call., 1905-08-09
FIRE DESTROYS
OLD NEGATIVES
Valuable Photographs of
Historic People Perish in
Flames at Washington, Dc.
NOW A SOCIAL DESERT
National Capital Loses Most
of Its Official Hostesses
During the Hot Weather
BY JAMES 5. TYLER.

CALI. BItREAU. POST BUILDING,
WASHINGTON, Aug. S.-A fine oil paint
ing of former President Grover Cleve-
land. valued at $1,000, was completely
destroyed in the fire that gutted drug
store at Eleventh street and Pennsyl-
Vania avenue and spread to the art pho
tograph gallery of George Prince in the
two floors above. Water and smoke also
ruined many valuable negatives Of prom
inent men throughout the country and
these cannot be replaced at any price,
as many of the subjects are dead.
Among the pictures destroyed was one
of General l. s Grant and also of many
inauguration and other historic scenes.
There were also destroyed several $500
sets of pictures of Presidents Mckinley
and Roosevelt. Ever. President and
Vice President of the United States,
members cabinets and Senator'S and
Representatives galore during the last
quarter of a centur- have posed for
Prince Next to Bells collection, which
antedatcs Princes by many years. the
latter's is the best in the country.
The selection of Milton d. Purdy to
succeed Assistant to the Attorney Cen
eral William A. Day is a we'll deserved
recognition of the past services of a
young man of sterling worth and ability.
Although a young mamie is surely on
the sunny side of 40-Mr. Purdy has had
no little experience in solving the COM
picking mysteries of the law
He is a native of Ohio, having first seen
the light of day in Llorain County. When
a youngster his parents moved to Mimi
esota and in the public schools of that
State he received his early education
Before coming of age he began the study
of the law and became a successful prac-
titioner.
Before he came to Washington Purdy
was States Attorney in the county where
he lived and where he made an enviable
reputation He became an Assistant At
torney General of the United States sew
eral years ago and was the senior as
sistant when chosen to the higher and
more responsible position
There are few hostesses in official life
left in the national capital and there
will be still fewer during the early part
of August. After that an influx to town
of many of those who departed in the
early spring may be looked for.
The official family is more widely scat
tered perhaps than any President and
Cabinet has ever been before, with the
President and the younger members of
his family at Oyster Bay; his eldest child,
Miss Alice, just arrived in the Philippines;
the Secretary of State and several other
from Long Island to Maine; the wife of
the Secretary of War in England, while
the Secretary is In the Orient; the daugh
ter of the Secretary of Agriculture in
Paris. the Secretary of Commerce and
Labor and Mrs. Metcalf at their home in
California, the Attorney General here,
there and everywhere over the map in
a Government launch, and the family of
only one Cabinet member still in town.
that of Postmaster General Cortelyou.
The First Assistant Secretary of War
General Robert Shaw Oliver. will Join his
family this week at Murray Bay, near
the mouth of the St. Lawrence River.
where they have cottage. He will re-
main there for about a month. During
his absence the lieutenant general of the
army, General Adna r. Chaffee. will act
as Secretary of War
After Chaffees departure August 10 for
France to witness the maneuvers. Major
General Bates. assistant chief of staff,
will act in place of Mr.. Taft. The family
of General Oliver has been absent for
more than month, having made visits
to New York State before arriving at
Murray Bay.
The hostesses of the navy yard. marine
barracks, and even delightful Fort Myer.
adjoining Arlington and overlooking the
Potomac for miles, have departed for
cooler spots, in spite of the attractions of
these places for the summer season CON-
pared with the city proper
When the dreadful news of the explo-
sion Of the cruiser Bennington reached
the national capital the Assistant Secre-
tary Of the Navy Mr.. Darling, was the
man at the wheel, for Mr.. and Mrs. Oar
ling and their" little girls are spending the
summer at Chevy Chase Inn, just beyond
the district line and all his superior Of
icers were away.
Aprcpos of the fact that the usual re-
form movement is afoot, advocating the
use of water from the John Brown spring
or of Kansas crude oil in christening the
new battleship Kansas on August II, 1t
may be remembered that it was Mr.. Oar
ling who wrote to the Christian Endeavor
Society just before the christening of the
Connecticut:
''lt is inconceivable that the breaking of
bottle of wine upon the Connecticut can
:niure her as battleship or work the
slightest injury to any man, and as an
example it seems to me that the cause of
temperance would be better served If
more of the worlds product of wine were
spilled overheard to wash the hulls of
battleships"
Progress is no respecter of sentiment,
and now the old Webster building, where
the famous orator, lawyer and statesman
from Massachusetts lived while he was a
United States Senator and served as
member of Presidential Cabinets, is to
be torn down to make room for a new
Police Court building. which the District
of Columbia has been sorely in need of
for many years.
Since 1878 the Police Court has been
held in a squatty old building at the cor
ner of Sixth street and Louisiana avenue.
which was once used as a Unitarian
church and of which organization Daniel
Webster was a member. This building,
which is a veritable miasmal sepulchre,
adjoins the Webster building. and both
are to be demolished and removed for the
new Police Court structure.
The Webster building is four stories
high and is used for law offices. 1t is a
double building. Webster lived in one
part of the building and the other was
utilized for his law offices Some of the
Oldest Washingtonians tell with rare zest
of the famous dinners given by. Webster
IN this old building. which at the time