Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-08
BIRTHDAY OBSERVED
Oldest inhabitants Celebrate
Anniversary of Organization.
is FORTY-FOUR YEARS OLD
President Noyes Pays Tribute to
Late H. A. Willard.
CHALK TALK BY BERGMAN
Patriarchs Wolf and Singleton
Make Speeches-Music by Profs.
Samuels and Eibner.

+! Wolf and William II. Singleton. a chalk
talk by Clifford Il. Bergman, cornet
solos by Prof. Sam Samuels. piano solos
| by Prof F. Eibner and songs and music
| on the auXeophone. A buffet lunch was
served.
| 1t was nearly midnight as the last MEM
1 bers of the association left the hall. de-
claring that the anniversary celebration
!! had been one of the most successful in
the history of the association
President Noyes' Report.
| Calling the meeting to order, President
| Moves announced that before the enter
| tainment began it became his duty to
make his annual report. Members of the
association gave close attention. The
reading was frequently interrupted by APP
plause.
| There was just one passage sorrowful
| in the report, as Mr. Noyes corrected the
figures in the present membership be-
cause of the death of one of the wee
presidents.
This association has been saddened by
| the news of the death in New Hampshire
OF Henry \. Willard, venerable and
most highly esteemed member of the as
| socia ton and one of its vice presidents.
Report of the President.
At the last anniversary meeting of the
association | stated that the needs of the
/ Oldest Inhabitants, as an organization.
were: % To secure from Congress legis-
lation authorizing us to occupy jointly
with the Veteran Firemen the old Union
engine house, and CO to increase the as
sociations membership from eligible
and worthy Washngtonians. Both of
| these needs have been met wholly or In
part. The desired legislation concerning
! the use of the engine house has been Sc
cured and 81 new members have been
added to the rolls, a net increase, after
deducting deaths, of 45. The association
now nur bers 356 members. Analysis OF
til ::;4 applications which remain on file
! shows that ID of this number are between
fifty and six years of age, 129 between
sixty and 20, los between seventy and
eighty, 30 between eighty and ninety.
and 4 between ninety and one hundred
| Thus the bulk of the membership is be-
! tween sixty and eight years of age.
| The associa ton is representative and
democratic organization, bringing together
! many occupations and conditions of men
in Washington on the common plane OF
! Washingtonianism.
! Il have TO report no long record OF
! works for the public welfare achieved
during the year by the organization di-
rectly or through committees. The as
| ISOLATION is not devoted to either civic or
commercial development of the capital
/ 1t is a rival neither of the Chamber of
Commerce nor the Board of Trade. The
latter organizations deal primarily with
the material Washington of the present
| and future. its buildings, streets and
parks, it's commerce and Its manufac-
lures. The o. l. A. is concerned with the
men of Washington. and primarily with
| the past. Its main function is reminiscent
and preservative. 1t preserves the rec
ords, souvenirs, traditions and memories
1-f natrn ttra
| city's present and future only as they
are built upon the precedents of the past.
! 1t fosters the loyalty of the Washing
| tonan to Washington, the Self-respect of
| the Washingtonian, and the affection and
! pride which he feels in his own and the
nations city.
] Washingtonianism.
| The basic requirement OF the associa-
| ton is that Identification with " ashing-
| ton which comes from thrty-five years
local residence of a man at least half a
century old. While it's strength Is In
Renaissance. not in action. its foundation
and basic principle of Washingtonianism
furnish one standard Of public action. I'M
der which it may rally all its members,
1t is naturally the organized champion
and defender of the Washingtonlan as Il
| man, leaving to other organizations the
material development of Washington as a
/ city. 1t may appropriately feel that its
characteristic and exclusive public func-
/ ton is the defense of the Washingtonian
! himself against all aSSallantS, the ad-
/ vocate of all movements to elevate and
| dignity his status. And in this connec-
/ ton the association might well create as
its only public welfare committee strong
and representative committee on the
| status and rights of the Washingtonian.
| The o. j. A, thus founded solely on
! Washingtonanism. furnishes the nation a
| sometimes much needed demonstration
that such things as Westinghouse eX-
| list. 1t answers in part the query: What
! is a Washingtonian?" which with the
| equally perpleXing questions, What is
wL1sky?" and What is Il Democrat
has attracted public attention.
What is a Washingtonian" as tested
by eligibility TO membership among the
| Oldest Inhabitants?
| He is not necessarily a native of Wash
| ington. That foundation would be too
| narrow. There are too many forces re-
/ ducing TO a minimum the opportunities or
| local self-surport and too many, other
| disabilities which drive the Washington
| youth from his native city.
He does not necessarily abandon Young
residence in the states. Hundreds OF
! observation-disclosures employed in the govern
! ment service. thoroughly identified with
| the city from long residence mere, nave
| been able to retain voting and other state
! privileges elsewhere, and are welcomed.
as members of the O. l. A
/ While there is no requirement that q
! member of the association shall have
I legal residence nowhere else than III
Washington. those who have lived here
! for thirty-five years will i'll very few
| instances have retained their. outside res
| idence: II retained, it is held only by a
feeble grip: and their sons. for whose
welfare and not their own the Oldest
| Inha bitants now take most anxious
| thought viii never have acquired 1t at
| all Thus the O. l. A., while not nomi-
nally composed of observation-disclosures claim
ing residence nowhere else, is sub
| stantially and in fact representative of
! this class of Washingtonians. which
grows larger and larger every year, in
| creasing not only in numbers but in re-
! sources and influence. and is destined
| finally perhaps to include all the people
Of the District.
/ Isolated Washingtonian.
What is this isolated Washingtonan
claiming residence nowhere else? What
are some of his characteristics as sug-
gested by friend or foer
+! He is among all Americans by far the
largest contributor to the upbuilding of
he National Capitals donor of the
city's site and of lots sold to get funds
TO erect the original public buildings
and as taxpayers, local and national
yet in his financial relation to the nation
he is pronounced by the ignorant or ma
licious a greedy mendicanf.
He Is an American who is told that his
only rights in his home city are those
or evacuate, to beg or get out; and if
! he does not or cannot get out and nra-