Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-22
MR.. NOYES'OWN STORY
HOW HE REACHED WASHING
TON IN 1647.


Washington and his early experiences
here were related in the fiftieth ami
versary number of The Star as follows:
In the latter part Of December. 1S47, l.,
sickly youngster, left my home in
Maine for Washington, in quest of a
milder climate. Partly for exercise and
partly for economy's sake I walked a
good part Of the way from Philadelphia
to Washington. On the last day of that
month I had walked from Baltimore as
far as Beltsville, when I was overtaken
about shutdown by jolly old fellow who
was driving into Washington with a load
of produce for the Washington market.
very promptly accepted his invitation to
ride in with him to the city, but after
For 1t soon appeared that he only wanted
to get to Washington in season to place
his wagon In a good position for the
market next morning.
He stopped at. every grogshop on the
them at that time on the old. much
Travelled Baltimore and Washington turn
pike. He not only took many drinks him
self. but insisted that 1 should drink with
him. In those days 1t was a mortal Of
and the whisky sold at those places was
vile stuff, but as he grew more stupid
and less vigilant managed to empty my
glass into the spittoOn as often as it was
replenished.
A Dismal Ride.
The weather had meantime turned very
cold. l had no overcoat, and altogether
my night ride into Washington was
pretty dismal affair. 1t was nearly mid
night when we reached the city, and Just
as we came to the Center Market, then
called Marsh Market. the bells were ring
ing the old year out and the new year in.
The market house then was a set Of
tumble-down sheds. moss covered, door
less. and the lodging place for tramps
and Migrants of all sorts. Back Of 1t was
the filthy old canal. the city cesspool. the
receptacle for all the ofYal OF the city.
l lodged for the night at one of the
small taverns on 7th street. opposite the
the morning paid levy" for my lodg-
ing and FTP for a cup Of coffee and
some doughnuts at the market house. In
those days the old Spanish silver cur
.rency was in use. and the small coins
the FTP" 81 cents. When the coins were
worn beyond recognition they were
scratched with cross and then passed
only for 10 cents or cents respectively.
After my light breakfast I started out to
see Washington, heading first for the
Capitol, as most visitors do.
$3.50 Week for Board.
On my way to the Capitol attracted by
a sign. stopped and engaged board at
the boarding house of Michael McDer-
mott, southwest corner OF Sd street and
Pennsylvania avenue where Mades Hotel
now IL. Mr.. McDermott had large
coach factory and warehouse on his
premises, running through to Missouri
q mil al Co. 1~~, S-l
at McDermott's. and got good. substan-
tial fare. with no frills. McDermott
boarded his workmen. hearty set of fell
lows, and what with their boister0us de-
mands upon Sally. the colored cook. for
immediate service. and their running fire
Of criticism upon her cooking. the meal
hour at McDermott's was always a very
noisy and jolly affair. Sally could al
ways answer in kind to their bantering
and give them plenty of sauce in return.
sum of $3.50 per week. my next thought
was as to the means to pay it. The total
Of my funds that morning was $1.621s. l
had been engaged by DR.. Alonzo Garce-
governor of Maine, to write letters for
his paper, the Lewiston (Me.) journal.
AMI also by Mathews & Norris, the pub
fishers of the Yankee Blade, popular
humorous paper Of that day.
Wrote for New York Papers.
Subsequently l wrote some letters for
the New York Spirit of the Times and for
the Philadelphia Saturday Evening Post
These were all popular publications then.
but the Yankee Blade and the Spirit Of
the Times are dead. but the Saturday
Evening Post, the oldest paper in Phila-
delphia, has been started on a new career
Of prosperity in the hands Of enterprising
men, and has now a circulation many
times what it had in its most prosperous
days in the olden times.
These were all weekly papers. and as
my pay averaged only about 81 a column.
the income was not large. But as was
said in explanation of George Washing
toms remar kable feat of throwing a silver
dollar across the Potomac river where it
was q mile wide q dollar went further in
those DAVIS than now