Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-06
OLDEST INHABITANTS
Business Transacted at Meet
! ing of Association.
BANQUET TOMORROW EVENING
Forty-First Anniversary OF Date OF
Organization.
COMMITTEE REPORTS RECEIVED
Site for a Hall-Arranging for Me-
mortal Session-Paper on
s. Potomac Canals.
BANQUET Tomorrow EVENING
COMMITTEE REPORTS RECEIVED

The meeting of the members of the Oldest
Inhabitants Association of the District OF
Columbia in the their rooms in the Cor
coran building last evening was largely at
tended and considerable business was
transacted. Photographs, accompanied by
cards giving epitome of the lives OF
members were received, and plans for the
banquet at Freund's tomorrow evening
discussed. Mr.. A. II. Raglan presided IN
the absence of the president Mr.. Allison
Nailor. who was reported still indisposed.
but improving. Mr.. Benjamin W. Reiss,
secretary, performed his usual duties.
The committees on the offer of a site for
q hall by Maj. G. A. Armes and on a me-
mortal meeting reported progress.
A. W. Kelly reported that the arrange
ments for the banquet in commemoration
of the organization of the association in
December 1868, We're complete.
Secretary Reiss announced that seventy
five members had signified their intention
of attending the banquet, six were uncer-
tain and about sixty are yet to be heard
from.
Mr.. T. V Noonan reported on the nomi-
nations of Henry A. Willard H. X. Willard
and J. b. Entwisle for membership and
they were elected.
The secretary reported from the commit
tee on identification cards that many had
been received and he suggested that the
dered.
The applications for membership of DIR. J.
Ford Thompson, DR.. g. B. Welch and Cha
pin Brown We're received and referred to
the proper Committee.
The secretary read a letter from Miss Es
meralda Boyle, suggesting an interview
with Mrs. George s. Gideon, now nearly
ninety years of age and it was referred to
Mr.. James Croggon.
Services of Francis Catcher.
ago in Littell's Living Age a notice of the
service of Francis Catcher a colored mes
senger of the War Department. Mr.. Reiss
added that he remembered Catcher well,
and he had never known any one who pos
sessed larger share of the respect of the
community.
]. Il. Mccarthy read Endorsements of
Francis Catcher. The first was as follows:
FRANCIS Catcher has served during the
last six years. and l have pleasure in GER
tifyng that he has performed the duties
signed him with zeal. intelligence, atten-
tion and integrity and is entitled to the APP
probation of the department.
Given the Sd day of March. 1925.
-. c. CALHOUN"
There were also Endorsements of James
Barbour, May u. 1873; p B. Porter, 1929;
John H. Eaton, May g. 1881; Lewis Cass
1881; c. ]. r. Poinsett 18TH; ]. C. Spen-
Ger, March II. 1913; ]. NJ. Porter February
81 1874; VIM. Wilkins March, 1915; w. L.
marcy, Mdrcn IS, 1919, G. w. Crawford,
July ~. 1850; z. VI. Conrad, March 9, 1853:
Jefferson Davis, March 3, 1857, and John
b. Floyd, December 20, 1860. and that of
Edwin NJ. Stanton, announcing Datchers
death. February 49, 1862, in which he said:
my acquaintance with him was brief but
long enough to inspire me with sincere re-
spect. and his manly virtues and honest
worth are attested by forty-three years
faithful service in the War Department
and by certificate of fourteen Secretaries of
War. What man has left on earth a
nobler record? The certificates of Francis
Datcher's faithful service to this depart
ment are directed to be entered on the rec
ords of the War Department"
F. G.. Calvert. J. B. Mccarthy and Mr.
Reiss gave their recollections of Francis
Catcher as genteel, Christian man. and a
desire was expressed that the paper find its
way to the archives of the association.
Potomac Canals Described.
Mr.. Mccarthy read the following paper on
the Potomac canals:
AT a recent meeting of this association
reference was made to the fact that there
was a canal at the Great Falls on the Vir-
ginia side of the Potomac. many years ago.
Since then l have given considerable
Enough somewhat hasty study to the mat
ter and have been rewarded by finding that
the canal did exist and played very i'm
portant part In the navigation of the Poto-
mac in early days, and that a canal was
also built and successfully operated at the
Little Falls.
''These canals were authorized by the leg
islatures of Maryland and Virginia in No
Nemher, 1ISi. Both were surveyed and laid
out by Gen George Washington few
years before his election as President of
the United States. He was a subscriber To
The stock of both, and in addition was
granted by the legislature 100 additional
shares of the stock valued at about $3.50
per share for his services, besides being