Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-09-25
street near NJ street. conducted by Ed
ward Bush.
"Walking Funerals" the Rule.

"Walking Funerals" the Rule.
| AS undertakers they were the prototype
| of the modern funeral director" and
had to do with what is now seldom
! seen, the walking funeral The burial
| places being mostly within the city
| limits. and but few public carriages
available, the relatives and friends, mar
shaled by the undertaken, walked behind
! the hearse to the place of interment
A story is told of cabinet maker who
| practiced as an herb doctor, attending
his patients. ministering to them on dying
beds. taking the measure following DEATH
making the coffin. conducting the funeral
procession. reading the burial service and
as sexton of burial ground. attended
to the filling of the grave
The funerals of that day were not as
expensive as they are now. as is shown
by bills of less than so each on file in the
records of the Probate Court, and held
against estates of prominent people
Prior to 1890 John Stilings opened
ca binet making shop at the northeast cor
ner of 9TH and T. streets southeast, and
conducted business there thirty years or
more. In the forties, however, with James
5. Harvey. he established an undertaking
business on 9Th street between G and II
streets Subsequently he drew out and
devoted himself to business at his old
stand. Mr.. Harvey continued on 9TH
Stco' uh'ii HIS deatn, ana was succeeded
by his son. r. F. Harvey. who later
moved to r street near 10th street, where
now is the Speare establishment. A
grandson of the elder Harvey is in bust
ness on 14th street near Rhode Island
avenue. Samuel Kirby, late in the
thirties went into the undertaking bust
ness on the west side of Sth street be-
tween & and d streets. where he sub
sequently erected a large factory, and for
many years was engaged in manufacture
ing. and conducted many funerals.
Cotemporaneous with Mr. Kirby was
the firm of Lee & Espy. Henry Lee and
James Espy, cabinet makers, on Mary
land avenue between AZ and 9th streets,
formed a partnership and established a
business as undertakerS on Pennsylvania
avenue between I'd and ~ streets. Mr..
Espy in few years withdrew, and Mr.
Lee carried on the business for number
of years. being succeeded by his sons. one
of whom. William-now has an estab-
lishment on the same site.
In Business in the Forties.
In the forties. among other cabinet
makers. some of whom carried on under
taking were Peter Calan. on the east
side Of eth street between and H
streets; G. w. Wheeler, south side of
Pennsylvania avenue between Itch and
18th streets; Warden and Shields. south of
the Avenue between 18th and 18th streets:
j. D. Brown. south side of the Avenue
between 14th and 18th streets; Henry
Kaiser. south side. of the Avenue between
9th and 10th streets; John Angel. west
side of 9TH street between E and F. streets
southwest: William Joy, corner of AZ
street and Maryland avenue southwest;
y. u. Bradburn. south side of H street be-
tween 18th and 18th streets
Edwin Green had moved up from Alex
andria, and had an extensive establish
ment at the southwest corner Of 18th
street and Pennsylvania avenue, the old
site Of The Evening Star Office. Leonard
O'Cook was engaged in chair making at
the southeast corner of 7th and D streets
southwest. A. & W. Thompson, cabinet
makers, were on the south side of F
street between 18th and 14th streets.
James E. w. Thompson was engaged in
the undertaking business next door.
Manufacture Of Blinds.
For long time-in fact, down to the
civil war-venetian blinds were in vogue.
the principal manufacturers being Will
liam NOEL, on the south side of the Ave-
nue. between 9th and 10th streets. About
1916 he formed a partnership with Joseph
K. Boyd, an uphosterer. on the north side
of D street between 10th and 18th streets
and the firm of NOEL & Boyd engaged
for many years in the cabinet, upholstery
and the venetian blind business. At this
time such blinds were much used in the
government departments as we'll as in
private residences. ..,...
In the forties Douglas Moore came over
from Baltimore and engaged. in the up
holstery business on the north side of
Pennsylvania avenue between .9th and
10th streets. and for thirty years or more
was engaged in that business. and in pa
per hanging. David a. Baird was an up
holsterer located on the east side of 9Th
street between III and / streets and An
drew Reese was on the south. side of the
Avenue between 9th and 10th streets