Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-07

ermory Of the Washington Light Infantry.
then in the service Of the United States.
Some Of the Residents.
William F. Bayly. a leading avenue sta
toner, father OF c. B. Bayly Of the Ellis
music store. and long a city father and al
derman: Anthony Best. who engaged in the
manufacture of envelopes by hand for sew
eral government departments. afterward
using machinery: the families in which
were Mr.. Shafer OF Harris & Shafer, jew
elers. and F. c. Bangs. the veteran actor
and Mrs. Edwards were on 10th street.
and Mr.. Wright, a halter and furrier, and
William Doniphin, who had several cows.
were on C street
Much of the square south of the above
described was. like it, Of six original lots.
W. II. Dorsey and the Burns estate in the
early days, when the corporation reduced
Scent valuation of the land to half a cent
foot. James Moore who was a prominent
dealer in bacon and lard as early as 1870
owned the eastern portion of the square
on which is now located the Majestic The
alter. and several years after the west end
of the square In 1924 the value of the
ground was from 10 to p cents. The the
alter site was owned by Col. Peter Force.
who had on 1t a brick building valued a.
for shoemaking and other shops. and here
MT. James Johnson. an ex-lieutenant of
police. was employed about the year 1890
The upper portion was the coach shop of
Mr.. Peck for a long period.
Later the original building made way for
a larger structure, which in the late forties
became the coach factory of Haslup &
Weedon. and portion of the ground floor
was given to the manufacture of horseshoe
halls. Subsequently the upper portion be-
came gymnasium, first under the manage
ment of Prof. Sharretts and next Prof.
Jardine both Of New York, and for few
-nn af~0 sd h,yH Io 1@,-
ers of athletic sports. Then William Mar
shall had carriage repository there and
later 1t became a. theater. Immediately in
'front.' or this building was the favorite
thirtieS and forties, when circuses consisted
OF dozen or SO performers and horses,
with a small band.
Commission Business Established.
On Louisiana avenue about 1850 one of the
dealers in fruits and vegetables In the mar
ket took store room and engaged in the
commission business. being the first of that
row numerous class. He was known as
French John at first but later as Cheap
John. and he met with such success that
ne surrendered his market stall to other
parties and stuck to his store.
Mr. Moore built on Louisiana avenue near
10th street two frame houses conducting
the bacon business In one These were in
June. 1910. destroyed by land were
replaced by brick buildings, Mr.. Moore &C.
cupying one and Mr. Shaffer's leather store
the other. On c street We're the boarding
houses Of Mrs. Kicker. Mrs. Dom and Mrs
harden. which f1ourished. being favorite
stopping places for those engaged in the
market Henry L. Davidson, long a con-
stable. and Mrs. S. j. Hutchins, a dress
maker, lived on 10th street, and at the cor
ner OF Louisiana avenue and that street
was the American Organ. published in the
interest of the native American or know
nothing party in the fifties, with Vespasion
Ellis as editor.
. Abont the center of Louisiana avenue was
located a pump of spa water, which was
regarded as Of highly medicinal quality
and 1t was carried to all parts of the city
frequently crowds Of people waiting their
turn.
West Of the Market.
1t was many years before the square Dor
dering the canal directly west of the market
became of use for business purposes
Thomas Law was an early investor, being
the owner of four of nine lots In 1902 when
the ground rate of 3 cents was reduced to
half cent. In the thirties the valuation
was from 30 to 80 cents, and the few build
irgs upon 1t were owned by Messrs Law
and Van Ness. One of these was valued
at $500, facing the canal, in which S. w.
Handy had hat factory. This was burned
III November, 1910. There was a valuation
OF $1,000 on two frame houses facing Louis
lana avenue near Sluice run. A willow tree
was prominent object here and far and
near the term willow Tree was the rec
ognized name for the locality. The vest
lot was owned by Gen. r. G.. Weigh man
and Richard Smith, with the exception of
small portion. leased TO John p. Ingle On
THIS lot IN the forties was Snyder's black
smith shon. and one night II was burned
The military and civic ball of the Wash
ington Light Infantry was in progress that
evening and many present in uniform were
fremen as well as soldiers. When the
1ss n1ol
generally that the terpsichorean exercises
at the ball were cripp-ed and the fire ap-
paratus: manned ny the militia. made d
spectacle not often witnessed
This lot was used by the WASHINGTON Gas
Llght Company as site Cor tank and
shops, and Capt John McClelland In the
sos located his machine works here.
Charles Lyons had his carpenter shop on
Louisiana avenue. and with the exception
of houses on 9th street occupied by A.
Davis and Ignatius Luckett, the rest of the
ground was used for the storage of wood
and coal, 3. and F. G. Waters having used
much Of it in 1898.
Brick Houses Erected.
In the 4Os the wood and coal yards of
Joseph Fugitt and John B. Boone were on
9th street In the sos the market house
had led to the location of some stores Some
brick houses had been erected on the cor.
ner of 9th street and Louisiana avenue in
which stores were located. John H. Semmes
& Company. grocerS, were here MANY
years and others soons followed. West Of
this was a small hall used for some time
as a practice room for Joe Marcoletti's
band and about 1887 the central guard
house was erected by the corporation.
That there were some queer characters to
be found here need not he said to many of
the older ones. There was one known as
"Nosey.'' for his prominent nasal append
age, but when Bean Hickman appeared