Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-17
EARLY HISTORY OF CITY
Daily Race of News Correspondents
to First Telegraph Office.
SCENE OF POLITICAL STRIFE
Long-Ago Dwellers in Section Which
Slowly Grew From Green Fields
to Active Mart.

another fine dwelling which later be
came noted for its annex, the leading
Niger jail or Georgia pen. and d
prolific garden which supplied the tables
of the Indian Queen. now Metropolitan
Hotel. in the first half Of the past CEN
fury were the features of that portion
of Washington between eth. 9th, and
d streets.
Within these lines Maryland and Nir-
ginia avenues intersecting. a large space,
duplicating Mt. Vernon square. the seat
of the Washington Library. was planned
for park. But for no such purpose was
il improved. For a long time was 1t the
open commons which took i'm adjacent
streets and squares plated for building
purposes.
The lay of the land was nearly level
hut the slight fluctuations made the
formation of one or two shallow ponds
possible after heavy rainfalls; the largest
near the northeast corner of the space
1t had been In the fields of Motley Young
and David Burns. and but few trees were
standing when settlement came.
The Improvement of streets was not
apace with private enterprise. Country
conditions existed long. With the ex-
ception of wagon tracks in 9TH street and
along Maryland avenue to 18th street.
which was part of the link in the great
southern mail route and we'll worn. there
was next to nothing done in street i'm
provement till 1850, and sparingly them
Notwithstanding, in the thirtieS there was
some settlement about the corner of 9TH
and D streets and some years before had
two fine houses been erected, one at G
and Sth streets and one near E and Sth
streets. we'll worked garden had been
located in square. All else was in the
open.
The space adjoining eth street, as the
population of the Island increased, be-
came the rallying point in political cam
paigns. Quadrennially were the names
of the candidates f1oated to the breeze
the hickory pole bearing those of the DEM
ocrats and the pine mast the wings.
Across this space from 9TH to 18th
streets was the scene of some animated
racing during the Mexican war The
telegraph was then new. having It's
office above the city post Office on 9TH
street between E and r streets and lines
northward Communication southwa I'd
was by mail and the boats formed the
connection with Potomac or Aqua Creek,
Va.
Daily Race of News Men.
There was great rivalry between the
papers in obtaining and publishing news
from the front, especially between the
Sun and Clipper in Baltimore. Each OF
these had a correspondent to receive the
papers from the south and they would
prepare ttlc Telegraph OlSpdtCneS On tie
upward trip of the boats.
Their messengers were Robert Ball and
James Humphrey. Daily at the wharf
they came. mounted on the fastest horses
obtainable. Each an expert rider and
light of weight, they were about evenly
matched.
The dispatches We're fastened to a stick
and thrown off before landing was made
When secured by the messenger an ex-
citing race for the telegraph operator
would occur.
1t was not long before this arrangement
was known. Hundreds were accustomed
to gather on the route and encourage
their favorites with Go it, Jim 'Hur-
rah for Bob. etc.
The stretch in Maryland avenue with
the turn at eth street was usually lined.
1t is needless to say that the sporting
fraternity was represented and bets were
any unfairness. That each rider did his
best was evident from the steeds often
running neck and neck. which gave the
riders an even chance to the foot of the
steps to the office.
Each of the four squares has it's own
story and the first which came into use
was that between B. c, 7th and Sth
streets, No. ABB. about 1916, later achiev-
ing some notoriety the site of the prin-
cipal slave pen in the District 1t was
laid out into eight lots on the original
plan. which We're appOrtioned in 1896,
| lots j. & TO &. the east half of the square
to the United States and the west half.
| lots to D, to Daniel Carroll. The north
| east quarter lots q and I In 1899 were
| owned by John Francis Mercer of Mary
land. d representative and afterWard gov
ernOr. and the southeast quarter lots
and by Margaret Sprigg. No improve
| nentS noted; the ground in 1902 is
appraised at 3 cents per foot and later
| at half that amount rising in twenty
years TO > cents.
In 1914 Tench Ringgold, then marshal of
| the District. bought lot =, the northwest
corner of the square. and the next year
| Thomas MunrOe, then superintendent of
| the city and postmaster. bought this lot
| and lot south, One-fourth of the square.
| On this he erected the two-story basement
| and attic brick building fronting 9Th
| street. which was listed for 81 600 and
| the ground at and cents in the thir-
| ties. There grew about this part of the
square number of trees which gave 1t
! the name of Locust grove: and for very
| many years was the square inclosed this
| being the only building upon it, and niue h
was used a garden.
In the twenties Henry Hillman lived
| here and in the early thirties the we'll
known James Maher. long the public
gardener and for years the proprietor of
| the Western Hotel. 1t afterward be-
| came noted as the slave pen.
Where Slaves Were Kept.
A high brick wall and an addition to
the building being erected the traffic In
slaves was carried on we'll nigh to the
civil war, though, it is stated. it was more
used for the keeping of slaves en- route
south.
| In the corner at Maryland avenue and
9Th street were buried the bodies of
those whose freedom came by death visit
| ing the pen. a simple pine box being the
caSket
An old native of the section is wont
TO relate how he was frightened. when he
| was boy, seeing two colored men lower
| a white box in the ground and cover 1t
| up He asked what they were burying.
| Told it was bucabOo, he was scared
off. and for years afterward nothing could
| induce him TO pass the corner after dark
The character of the place seemed to
affect the neighborhood. for there was
mere than one adventure with footpads
nearby.
| About 1910 George Milburn. returning
| one night to his home. was attacked near
18th and B streets and robbed of watch
and money. So badly injured was he
! that death followed soon afterward.
Later two young men. one carrying a
.arge sum OF money. were overhauled In
! he same place by two ruffians. They
were not searched and We're allowed to
so. Il $4,000 prize being missed.
/ While. until 1884. the records are silent
as to improvements. it is known that a
| house had been erected near he corner
! of 9TH street and Maryland avenue for
| at that time J. r. Baker conveyed such
| to c. G. Baker. Afterward A HoImead
| had a store on this corner, and Hughes
| flower garden was at B and 7th streets
! down to the civil war.