Evening star., 1908-01-19
GOING AFTER Fl LYtNG BIRDS
Early Residents Near 18th Street
and Massachusetts, Avenue.
BOYS LEARN OF MEXICAN LIFE
Site of Church of the Ascon 81 on.
Increase of Valuation-Boys
Very Mischievous. --1,


Sixty years ago or more there. were
laws on the corporation books proE! hlting
shooting cattle. hogs. etc. r,inniaS ~
large within that portion o; tie city
south OF Massachusetts avenue Right
on the line "a 18th street, however, ,-tauch
shooting was done and the line was-sot 50
lightly drawn as 10 prevent night hawks
being brought down south. or Massachu-
setts avenue. Al that point WAS a hill.
over which. as the day closed, many Of
the birds appeared. and persons fond Of
shooting on the wing had sport in bring
Ing them down. That was however. when
few persons resided in that section' and
little Improvement had been made by the
corporation 4 line OF gravel ON some
streets was the sidewalk ana cornhelds
and potato patches sometimes over
Tapped the street lines.
The square known 2sa formed part
Of Night Hawk Hin. running To- a point
at Massa chusetts avenue and 18th ;street
from and 18th streets. Plated but for
five lots in 1875. IL was vested inSDaNid-
sons heirs. who retained title many
years. Thomas SGowden Of Prince. George
county. in 1905. bouSht the five, lots on
the northwest part OF the square, There
is no indication that I'll" square was used
for other than farming purposes, no
transfer being made till 1s:0. when James
\. Kennedy bought of Snowden. An i'm
provement was then listed to MARY ihap-
man al st0 on lot , in 1851. Charles
co!ored family. bought on 18th street
near the corner and building a two-story
frame the family was there Ior fifty years
or more. Shorter followed the business OF
plasterer and wliitewasher. Isaac Law
renee. also co1ored. bought and erected a
home adjoining, the same year.
Owner of Corner
In 1872 James Thomas. for a long
series OF years the colored coachman for
Mr.. Gales of the lntelligencer, bought the
corner of Massachusetts avenue, aid l3tn
street and erected a two-story frame resi-
dence. living there twenty years or more.
In 1891 the east front OF the square was
built up. Thomas Robbins. James Scrir-
ener and Fl. r. Croggon being the set
tiers The first was long an employe OF
the State Department, the second we'll
known tailor and the third many years In
the United States treasurer 5 office. Each
erected frame dwellings. the first with
store room in which he conducted gro
cerv. Later he built two frame houses on
Massachusetts avenue. making his nome
in one. and rented the corner property
Cady Martin. Reneeian. Hall and others
following. In the La forties Lewis God
FREY a we!l-known Sainter, was en- Mas
sachusetts avenue. and later a Mrs. Green
and Mrs. Cassie Williams.
On the return OF the army from Mexico
several natives of that country who nau
been Of service TO the Americans were
brought here with their families. one.
with his family. settled on II street near
13th street and his home was an attrac-
ton to the boys Of the neighborhood. VINO
learned much of the Mexican mode OF liv-
ing some acquiring taste for cnih con
carne and other peppery dishes
Included in the squares which IN lae7
were in the name OF James Greenieaf was
that known as .s2. on the lines of Massa-
chusetts avenue NJ. 18th and 18th streets.
of fifteen lots. There Is no evidence that
there were improvements other tnan OF
lot ) on Massachusetts avenue. on winch
$40 was listed TIL 1870 in the name OF
Dayidson's heirs. In 1898 four lots on the
south front of the sauara went TO Thomas
Snowden. In 1907 Peter Callan bought
one of these lots. and two years aIter"ard
the Others were Dartitioned between snow
denis heirs.
Site of Church Of Ascension.
In 1890 lot l. the site of the Church OF
the Ascension, was in the name of Elijah
Chancy. and later George Sweeny and
VIM. Bali We're there. In 1888 A. \.
pringle was on part of this lot and Paul
Raw on lot ), west c. l.. Coltman in
1910 owned lots 3 and 4; David Wilkins
owned lot l. and NJ. T. Cailan had iive
lots on NJ and 18th streets In 1871 Eliza
Ross and William Campbell owned on
Massachusetts avenue. and later George
Wall. a gardener. was on l"th street.
The. valuation OF . cents per foot was
about 1870 Increased half cent, ana
there remained for nearly thirty years.
Most of the transfers were made III The
thirties The purchasers built modest
frame houses. nearly All on Massachusetts
avenue and the rest Of the square was
bare The Wilkins family were grapite
fl,e lie
the eldest died OF old age shortly after
settling here. The son, John. lived here
for many years. At the corner early IN
the forties was sunk a pump. which be-
widely known as Wilkins pump. The
Rosses and campbels were among the
colored residents, and We're well known
throughout the ward. Campbell was one
of the few colorcd slave owners. having
bought some who We're born in slavery.
Messrs Pringle and Ray were painters.
Sample of Mischief.
Ii is said that for pure. unadulierated
mischief there was no better field in
Washington than the one In question, aud
in the numerous escapades the gamns. of
TIE locality usually came out best There
was an old lady who earned "A few pen
MES by the sale o. milk and yeast and
she had incurred the displeasure Of the
boys iv reporting their dongs to their
parents. How 10 get even was The ques-
ton. She usually sat in back room
and at the time being discussed had sick
son. Her customers with their pennies
We're wont to call on Ter about sundown
One day the boys placed the door knob
crepe and ribbon. silently closed the
blinds and stationed lookouts about a
square away Amy with a bucket or
pitcher was accosted and told of the
CREPE on the door. The consequence was
that the old lady left with a full
supply Of yeast ana milk and II soured
JAMES CROGGOE
Murdered by A Statue.