Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-24
OLD-T|ME CHRISTMAS
Features Of Popular Ce|ebra-
ton Sixty Years Ago.
MUCH DRINKING TO EXCESS
Open House Kept in All Hotels and
Restaurants.
SOME OUTDOOR ADJUSTMENTS
Congressman Who Remained Here
During the Holidays Owing to
Limited Travelling Facilities.
SOME OUTDOOR ADJUSTMENTS
BY James Croggon.

tiN- NY vi wan Vol lOuSlE kItpWH lie tUy-
laden sleigh with reindeer was real to
most children below their teens.
The old-fashioned winters of intense
cold and snowstorms were common.
There was much sleighing and skating
For the former the Avenue afforded a
broad. level course, and day and night
1t was the point of attraction for every
one who could be out. There could be
seen every conceivable outfit. For the
skaters there was the Tiber or the canal
with its basin. now the site of the whole
sole market south of the post Office. as
we'll as the river and numerous ponds.
where the skating was more appreciate
than any other form of amusement. If
there was ice about Christmas time skat-
ing was enjoyed by hundreds. Coasting.
too, was a favorite sport.
Two Fires Recalled.
The winter of 1851 was intensely cold,
with snow on the ground but clear over
head. In the early morning of Christmas
eve the building at the northeast corner
of Sth and D streets. known as the
Bakers Hotel or Franklin Coffee House,
was burned. BY hard work the volun-
teer firemen saved the adjoining prop
erty. The water froZe it FELL incasing
the fremen in ice, and when the fire was
eXtinguished the hose and apparatus were
found frozen hard. Before the firemen
had recovered an alarm came from the
Capitol a little after 8 o'clock. For
tunately, one engine company, the Ana
costa, at the Navy Yard, had not been
at the Baker fire, and it's apparatus was
I'm good order when it arrived on the
ground. The fire was found to be in the
library.
The engines of the other companies,
Columbia. Perseverance, Franklin, Union
and Northern Liberties, had to be thawed
out most of the hose being frozen.
Brandy from a nearby grocery was used
for thawing. The suction engine of the
Columbia company was lifted up the
steps of the Capitol and rolled into the
rOtunda, where the fire was fought from
the east ,s side of the building From the
gines in the old-cashioned way of passing
buckets from the fish pools. and the
flames were fraliy subdued. Many visi-
tors were attracted to the scene of these
oblivious of the approach of Christmas.
And the following day it was the point
of interest.
In 1852 the killing of a wife by her
drunken husband at their home near the
x Street bridge over Rock creek, three
Gays before Christmas, was the subject
which confliLted With the CHEEKY observ-
ance of the holiday in that end Of the
town. and. in fact. throughout the city.
The prominence Of the husband, who had
enjoyed the esteem of the community,
and the character of the crime, drove the
thoughts Of many from the holidays, and
lessened the drinking that day. The
husband was tried for murder soon after
convicted and executed. In answer to
the court. why sentence should not be
pronounced, he arose and made such a
pathetic appeal for his life as to thrill
his hearers. and his speech was referred
tn fnyS fhA atoc< ynf<1
of oratory ever heard in the city.
Animosity Buried.
Washington contained then less than
1000 dwellings,, mostly frame. and the
increase was less than two hundred an
nually, the population not exceeding
10000. The city other than the central
portion and eth street yet bore the de-
scription of a struggling village. The
market house, town pump. church. school
or store were the nucleus, but in some
cases even these were isolated. The
boundaries of the wards were established,
but those of neighborhoods were indef-
mite. There was rivalry between the boys
of different parts of the city, and there
was little good feeling between the races.
Consequently there were clashes, and
stone battles were not rare. 'Sylum Hill,
In the square between 9th and 10th and
G and II streets, the intersection of
Massachusetts, and New Jersey avenues
and other points were known as battle
grounds. There were also smaller Skin
mishes when boys of one neighborhood
met in the territory of others. AS rule,
however, these conditions did not prevail
at Christmas time animOsity being buried
for the time being. and the Christmas
spirit prevailed-even race prejudice for
the time being did not show itself On
the other hand the friendship Of colored
boys was sought by the white. for under
the law the uncorroborated testimony of
a colored person was not taken and
through such the white boys were en-
abled to purchase frecrackers, pistols.
powder and other articles tabooed by the
ordinances. At that period
celebrating at Christmas without the use
Of powder was like the play of Hamlet
minus the title role. at least to the men
and boys. who when such material was
exhausted resorted to drums. horns and
other sound producing instruments.
How the Day Was Spent.
Christmas day was observed in many
of the churches. The services at the
Catholic churches. ST. aPtrick's. ST.
Peters, St. Matthew's and st. Mary's,
were held before daylight; those at the
Episcopal churches. Christ, st. Johns,
Trinity. Epiphany. Grace, and at the
Lutheran churches. st. PauES and Con-
cordia, later in the morning. while at
the Methodist churches. East Washing
ton. Foundry. Wesley, Union. Ryland and
Mskendree. sunrise prayer meetings were
held. Consequently there was little con-
flict with the home and other jOlIfica
tons, the entire population joining i'm
some way or another. AS before stated.
snow and ice furnished the requisites for
sIeighing and skating and snowbaling
was not rare. AS rule. the male popu-
lation was on the street visiting around
and partaking of the good cheer dis
pensed everywhere. Though the Wash
ingtonian movement had left its impress
on the public eggnog and other season
able drinks had their effect. particularly
on the young men and boys: and the
crowds of boys Keeling on the streets
became the subject of scathing criticism
in the press of that day Tables were
set out at the hotels and not a few of
the guests, particularly the southern
public men, entertained in their rooms.
The same may be said of the taverIs and
restaurants. The grocer followed suit
turning his counter into q refreshment
table. Wizards had become a leading
hotel since it's opening in 1S47, by the late
Henry A. Willard; the old Indian Queen
of Jesse Brown was then conducted by
his sons. and was OH the eve of being
rebuilt and enlarged; the National 9Th
street and Pennsylvania avenue, opened
4Os as Coleman's, was then managed by
w. II. willard; the United States, be-
tween Sd and AZ streets, was conducted
by E. H. Fuller; the st. Charles, at the
corner of Sd street and the Avenue, was
Gilbert's the Irving House, after the
Kirkwood House, on the present site of
the Raleigh, was then conducted by VIII