The Washington herald., 1909-07-11
FOGGYBOTTOM THE WINNER
Stone Battle of Older Washington Recalled by Some of the
Participants Other Stirring EventS.
By ]. L. RoDEER.

J. L. AAODAA1ns
Looking directly south from the foot
Of Seventeenth street to-day one sees 1T
tie to remind him Of the view which
would have met his gaze a third OF a
century ago"
The cherry tree in the back yard Of
the Cory Corner WAS abloom with green
and white. Around it were drawn up the
chairs Of the oid-timers. for It had sup
planted the open fireplace as the altEr OF
the retrospective The very air was sur
charged with youth. and staid and digni-
fed men OF affairs dropped age and care
as Il filed their lungs The Sage OF
Foggy Bottom was fulfilling his promise
70 tell US OF the battle OF the SycamOres
and Of the last encounters between the
bands OF youths from different sections
OF ashingt0n-encOunters no longer pos
slble, even II there existed that sectional
animOsity which then obtained between
the residents Of different parts OF Wash
ington, an anim0sity which had It's gene
sis in the volunteer fire department days.
and which did not long survive the es-
Enlistment Of the paid department. which
took its place. The sage continued:
AT the foot OF Seventeenth street there
was a lock; extending south was branch
o. the old canal, with an outlet In the
river channel a couple Of hundred yards
away Eastward the canal stretched 10
the James, or Tiber. Greek. Beyond the
river outlet 20 the left was a sandy beach
beneath tan blufrS. whereup0n were 10
Gated a number OF slaughter houses; al
most through the center OF the bluffs ran
a ravine, sometime the bed Of a creek.
but now a drain for the slaughterhouses
on either side Somewhere there was a
row Of sycamore traes Just where I do
not remember. To the right there was a
channel. which swept north. a little west
and then hugged the banks Of the old tow
path and ran west 20 Easbys Point. max
ing what is now the Speedway and Po-
tomac Park a vast island, which was
a-wash al high tide. but which was the
feeding ground OF Iast fOcks OF reed
birds and soldier UIsckbirds IN season.
In the cha-!,Nt reach OF The syca-
mores. shoulG -sy about two blocks due
west OF the Bureau OF Engraving and
Printing in the spring and fall the Van
SEWERS used 10 haul seine, catching great
/ quantities Of pan FISH. with now and then
[ a goodly haul OF shad and herring IN
I summer /; was used as q bathing beach
/ by particular crowd Of young fellows.
/ whose stamping ground was the neigh
! borhoOd Of Franklin Park. I should say
I Of that bunch OF youngsters that II grad
/ uated q large number Of men of Affairs
/ including one Cabinet minister, whose
/ name any Of YOU could learn without
| reading history. When ! recall that they
/ invariably wore collars and neckties and
/ shoes and stockings all through the sum
mer you viii understand that Foggy
/ Bottom boys and those from the Island
/ held them somewhat in disdain- But We
/ respected them. you can bet they were
I 'gey guid' scrappers when you forced
them into a fight, and they had some
strategists among them. as we'll These
! boys we're known as the Creighton crowd,
from the name OF their baseball club.
/ Alternately the Island boys and The
! Foggy Bottom boys would In swimming
1 time. endeavO- 10 surprise the Creightons
al the sycamore bathing beach. with ths
\ purpose OF holding them az bay IN tnt
I water while their clothes were being tieC
. into knots and their stifened collar:
soaked in muddy water u took I've
years TO successfully accomplish this feat
for tbs Crefghtons-many OF whom Wer'
the sons OF distinguished army and navl
oficers-used 20 post q guard az the nort
and south ends OF the beach. who woulC
give the alarm al the approach OF strang
groups As for the bluffs 70 the east
well. the butchers Up there kept lots o.
dogs who had been educated paruiculari,
10 resent intrusion upon slaughterhous'
property.
"As 7 have said. We had unsuccessfulll
tried for two years 10 surprise them
and had about determined to assault
them in force at any risk when Black
smith Bob, the pitcher OF the old Daisy
cutter ball club. conceived a great diea
We had what was known as the Batea'
Boat Club. made up OF some thirty Fog
gy Bottom boys; for boats, we had 81,
bateau-made by ourselyes-clumsy, ye
! still quite safe; bully for fishing from o
for swimming larks. yet capable OF speed
, making only with the tide
we were TO bring the 'heer 70 the out
let lock al the foot Of the canal In II
, afternoon OF some day when the It'd
would be at its height about dark leav
INK two OF our number there 10 fish. &
order 70 look after the boats. The re
mainder OF us-eighteen IN number-wer
70 creep along IN early evening. dow
back OF the row OF willows which fringe
the White Lot, cross the canal at -Four
teenth street, so down 20 the Lon
Bridge, work our way gradually Up Z
near the outpost then take 20 the va
) ter, clothes and alive wore two gar
ments in those days in FOggy Bottom