davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-09

that | made the acquaintance of the far
famed Gen. Butler.
Gen. Butler was very fond of riding
on the front platform of the car smok.
ing his cigar. In fact, | never could get
him to ride inside He said 1t depressed
him, and I couldn't blame him. Hot or
cold, he would insist on riding on the
front platform with me. Finally the
president of the road, John w. Ihomp-
son. well known to the oder business
men of the capital told me that | must
make Gen. Butler ride inside or take the
consequences. .
II told Gen. Butler the next time that
he rode with me that he should get IN
side the car or 1 would lose my job ne
inst took his cigar from his lips ana
laughed. Let him fire you. said he. N
he fires YOU on my account Ill see that
YOU have better Job right away. Some
dimes l almost wish that he had gotten
ne fired. Maybe / would have done pe.,
ter-at least, I always have wondered
what kind of a job Gen. Butler wouio
have found for ms.
"Another splendid man was Samuel j.
Randall, Speaker of the House for TOUR
terms. and one of the most courteous
men that ever rode on street car that L
was managing He always gladly gave
his seat to lady.
Senator James w. Nye, decidedly dem
ocratic in all his habits. was frequent
passenger on my car. He grew TO kno"
me and many times told me instances OF
life in Nevada, where he was one OF the
first territorial governors.
Occasionally the motorman as ne
plunges ahead in the small hours of the
night is a witness of many dramatic and
tragic affairs. / well remember the
chase of the 'Hirth' murderers about the
year of 1876. The police OF the entire
city were hot after the murderers for sew
eral weeks At last the trail grew cold
and all but one man appeared to give up
hope of finding the guilty party That
man was Lieut.. George Johnson or the
metropolitan police. who never day or
night, seemed to give up. Many a night
as / neared Florida avenue and Ith street
l have seen the alert, 1.-THE figure Of john
son as he prowled like a wolf over the
neighborhood that was suspected OF har-
boring the SlayerS. He was rewarded at
last, gaining his leading clue in overhear-
ing bitter quarrel between man ana
woman as they discussed the possession
of a watch that had been in the posses
sion Of the murdered man..
McWhirt, who was born in Virginia
sixty-eight years ago, comes of Scotch
descent and has the happy faculty OF
looking upon the bright side of every
question Days and years in the open air
have retained his vitality to marked de-
gree, and he looks many years younger.
at Colonial Beach, where the family
spends part of each year.
Probably the next oldest carman in the
District is George Wenzel who has been
railroad man for the same number of
years - Mr.. MoWhirt but who began
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-09

ument or memorial of any kind serves to
show to the interested and reverent visi-
tor where the heroine of the civil war;
lies buried and many who search dill
gently fail to find 1t, unless accompanied
by Frederick people.
It has been the custom to keep a small
American flag flying above her grave,
because 1t was the emblem she loved
so we'll and for which she defied the
marching Confederates. Often for months
even this simple tribute is missing, for
many visitors cannot refrain from taking
it as their only memento of the old lady
whom so many reverence with true 10y
atty to her cause AS soon as the flag is
known to be missing it is replaced, but
the occurrence is becoming more and
more frequent, and the flag is more often
absent than present.
From the four most closely connected
relatives of Barbara Fritchie-three
nieces and IA nephew, living in and near
the city of her birth-permission has been
obtained to remove the body of Mrs.
Fritchie and her husband, Caspar Frit-
chic, from their present unsuitable rest
ing places and renter them in Mount
Olivet cemetery. Frederick. Here they
will be provided with lot by the GENE
Requests for cooperation in building
suitable monument have been sent to
prominent persons all over the United
States among them Mrs. William How
ard Taft Mrs Taft has sent a contribu-
ton to the cause and will be made an
honorary member of the Barbara Fritchie
Memorial. Association. Within a year
President Taft, while in Frederick to ad-
dress a state convention, motored to
Mount Olivet cemetery and was there
presented by Mrs. Abbott. niece of the
famous heroine, with a dolly made OF
linen spun by Barbara Fritchie.
The proposal to remove the bones OF
Barbara Fritchie to a spot near the
grave of Francis Scott Key recalls the
many difficulties met by the Key Me-
morial Association before its mission
of securing $4,000 for monument to
the famous author was successful.
The movement to provide this memo
rial started in Frederick, and appropri-
ately so, not only because here rests the
body Of the author. but because Fred
erick county was Francis Scott Keys
birthplace. Here he was educated and
spent many of the best years of his life
and when he died, in 1S43 in Baltimore,
it was with the wish that his body
might rest near the place of his birth,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-09

said Mr.. Rose Gen. Grant was a ia
miliar figure as he strolled alone in the
sun in Lafayette Park, his erect, SOL
dierlike figure being one that never can
courteous, and many times in passing
him l have tipped my hat to him. 1t
never failed to bring a response. He
would smile slightly, remove the ever
present cigar, and touch his hat.
Although he sometimes rode on the
cars, President Grant was passionately
fond of horses. and | never Will forget
the fright / once had. as his dashing
team of dark bay horses suddenly ap-
peared just in front of my car at a
crossing on H street. collision was
narrowly averted, but was SO close a call
for some one that l shudder when
recall the happening. President Grant
was a mighty fast driver.
James G. Blaine and his secretary. the
latter a tall, bearded, foreign appearing
man, frequently were passengers on my
car.
the most graciously polite men l ever
have seen. 1t was not condescension,
either. Just simply genuine courtesy.
which, by the way, isn't lost even on
the street car man. ] have seen Senator
Blackburn go out of his way to help
some unfortunate person in need of as
sistance. More than that. he had such
pleasant way of doing things that per-
son couldn't help liking him
did Jerry Simpson ride on the street
cars, and did he travel about minus the
hosiery, as is 50 commonly attributed to-
him?' Mr.. Rose was asked.
HE certainly did go without socks.
to my positive knowledge. Many times
he has gotten upon the car. the ample
strip Of white ankle attesting that he
was shy the hose He was decidedly
unusual character and always at
tracted much attention as he plodded
along the street. his heavy shoes
clapping down upon the pavement.
president Garfield was a steady
patron of the street cars prior to his
election to the Office of chief executive
and while he was a member of Con-
gress After his elevation to the preSi
dency he had little time for any sort
of travelling, but / am quite sure that
he was a passenger upon my car once
after that, few days before his as
SaSSinatiOn.
lat least one presidential courtship
was carried on with the street cars as
the means of getting to the 1adys
home During the incumbency of Pres
ident Arthur he very often used to get
aboard my car at the corner of I'll
street and Madison place. riding for a
number of blocks, where he alighted
to call upon well known Washing
ton woman He was quite constant in
these trips throughout most of one
winter, using the street car upon many
occasions.
president Cleveland never rode upon
the street cars. as far al I know, al
though Mrs. Cls1stand was frequent
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-09

Year after wear 1 ran upon this line.
and year after year he continued TO rlde
upon my car to his business every MORN
ing.
.'As the years wore on he commenced
to look older. He could not get upon
the car with the same old sprightiy
step, and soon / had to stop just frac-
ton of moment longer than / should,
while he was getting aboard. Neither
my conductor nor myself appeared TO
notice ii, however, but each of US knew
by the unfailing signs that the man was
going the route into the silent beyond
1T hurt the old gentleman when. last
year, We We're compelled to help him
aboard the car. and it was pitiful to
see how he hated to receive assistance,
where. for SO many years. he had been
able to help himself. Then morning
he was not there. This went on for a
week, and then again we received his
greeting, and for a single day he was
down at the old place taking interest
in the business. We missed him for two
weeks after that, and then one evening
] saw his picture and an article in the
newspaper, saying that he was dead.
That's the way they go. and when | see
that mans sons going to work from the
same corner every day l wonder if by
any chance l may see them go in the
same way.
My first run was with an old, one
horse car on the + street line of the
Metropolitan Railway Company. This
run was from the east Side OF the Sen
ate wing of the Capitol. TO 'turnaround'
on New York avenue near nth street
northwest. near where the Corcoran Art
Gallery now is. Many is the blustery
night that / have sat in the little car,
waiting after my last run for the Sem
ate to adjourn. SO that l might take my
share of the members to their homes
x
AT that time F street was paved with
cobblestones, as was Pennsylvania ave-
nue. The Ebbtt Hotel was then the
tallest building in Washington. one in
which the city took some pride as sky
scraper The tiny street cars wouldn't
compare very we'll with the modern ones.
They were jerky affairs. and by properly
squeezing the passengers into them
about eighteen could be carried at
time. The tracks were light and very,
very bumpy.
AT the railroad crossings, such as
there were at Virginia avenue. the street
railroad track and the car was bobbed
over the tracks to the other side of the
crossings. 1t was not very pleasant, but
it was the best there was. Also there
were very few loops. When we We're
simply hitched the horse or mule to the
other end of the car and went back.
Many famous men have ridden in my
cars, although 1 have been running on
the 7th street line for thirty-eight years
while most Of the notables go west from
Capitol Hill. 1t was during the year and
. half that was upon the r strest line
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-09
BARBARA FRITCHIEcS HOME.

entwined with the Stars and Stripes
cannot fail to stir the impulses of the
least demonstrative lover of his country.
Francis Scott Key has his monument. an
enduring memorial of bronze and gran
tie. Barbara Fritchie's is to come, and
an association of patriotic women that
has been formed to provide the fund is
asking the people of the United States
today: Shall not the sons and daugh-
tiers of the flag give honor where honor
is due%'
Some poetical license must be allowed
any poet. Whittier, it is believed, in
dulged rather freely. but while some of
the lines he penned may be more stirring
than historically accurate, his poem in
the important essentials of heroic i'm
pulse and courageous defiance of pos
sible death is as certainly true as the
fact that Barbara Fritche lived and died
in Frederick.
The story of Barbara Fritchie has be-
come widely circulated through the
medium of the school, for, wherever read
ing is taught, her life and the supreme
deed that made the fame that has out
lived her. is related to children. To these
young heroine worshipers will be given
the opportunity of giving a small but ex-
pressive share Of the memorial fund.
A message will be sent to the school
department of each state in the Union
asking that all schools under their Juris-
diction join the movement toward the
national fund and send the pennies Of the
children to the association in Frederick
Md.
In Frederick resides a niece of Barbara
Fritchie, Mrs. John H. Abbott in whose
possession are number Of the belong
ings of Barbara Fritch!e. which she
used In her lifetime. Yearly hundreds OF
visitors to this city make the arduous
trip up the steep hill to the Abbott
home to see the relics of the old lady
OF whom they have heard so much. blu,
know SO little Of actual truth. Photo
graphs Of this collection have been taken
and mounted upon post cards and also In
Photographic form. Through the asso-
citation they will be distributed broad
cast over the country at an advance price
over the cost. all profits to be devoted
to the erection of the memorial. Mrs
Abbott also owns one of the Original
photographs Of her aunt and from this
the likeness that appears on post cards
has been reproduced.
For more than fifty years Barbara
F'ritchie and her husband have rested
in the little German Reformed cemetery
in an obscure spot, unkempt in appear
ance and difficult to recognize when once
It .s found. Their burial places are
marked only by simple headstone, upon
which appear their names and dates OF
birth and death-nothins more. No mon
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-09

passenger. President Hayes never
rode upon the street cars, rumor hav-
ing it that he feared an attack. Justice
Fuller of the United States Supreme
Court was a frequent passenger with
me from his home in Dupont Circle to
the Capitol. while the late Justice Har
Ian frequently rode on my car.
When Benjamin Harrison was Presi-
dent he rode on my car practically
every Sunday from his home to the
Church of the Covenant y street and
Connecticut avenue. / never knew of
President Mckinley riding in a street
car. nor did j of President Roosevelt.
although / frequently had members of
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-09
The important Thing.

A DDISON MINER was talking az
\ Delmonico's about the extravaganza
and the heartlessness of New York.
II know a man." said Mr.. Miner. who
was held up by a footpad the other night
Hand over your money, the footpad
growled. leveling a revolver at my friend,
or I'll blow your brains out!'
But my friend shook his head SADLY
BLOW away he said ia far rather
be In New York without brains than
without money"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-09

that have grown familiar through the
years. AS a motorman / learn the faces
of persons who habitually get upon my
car at certain times and certain places
for months in a stretch, so that the sight
OF them becomes part of what / expect
Some way / will learn their names. Then
one day they will be missing, and read
ing the papers | will see that they have
died. or have left Washington. 1t makes
a fellow feel rather lonesome sometimes
Mr.. McWhrt is the dean OF Wash
ington carmen, He has been on the front
end of a car for forty years, and has
seen the complete evolution of service
in Washington from the old. single
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-09
Wit and Hum0r.

WILLIAM DEAN HoWELLs, at a din
W ner in New York. praised humor,
which is compassionate, and decried wit.
which is cruel
I'm q word" said Mr.. Howells ''the
Joke where you see the point IL always
ever SO much funnter than the one where
you feel T."
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-09

(F'rom early photography
President Roosevelts family as pas
sengers."
Mr.. Ross relates that when he com
menced driving horse car. almost
thirty years ago, there was hardiy
store on street west of 9Th, and
that the street was as quiet as a coun-
try village after nightfall. But few
passengers. were aboard the cars. and
but few pedestrians braved the poor
lights and cobblestone paving after
dusk had settled.
The carmen of the days when horses
and mules were the motive power did
not fail to get their share of fun out
of their work Older officials Of the
Metropolitan Railway Company laugh
ingly relate an occasion when one OF
the cars was bodily carried to another
track A crew Of men had been salt
ing" the track one snowy night IN
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-09

his work a few months later. When a
boy he carried water to the workmen EN-
gagged In laying the tracks for the lines IL
the northeast section, later taking team
which he drove until the grip cars were
installed.
Fielder Lynn, whose home is across
the Potomac in Rock Hill. Va, is one
of the oldest carmen in service, having
run car for the Capital Traction Com
pany for thirty-one years. Mr.. Lynn's
first service was with the old Washington
and Georgetown railway, which was the
first line put into operation in the Dis
trct.
The line was laid from the west side
of the Capitol grounds, near where the
Peace monument now stands, dowr
Pennsylvania avenue and out to Rock
creek bridge, at the end of Pennsylvania
avenue. The runs at first ended here
buses meeting the cars and transport
ing passengers on a transfer to the west
ern part of Georgetown before that city
was incorporated with Washington.
After running one Of the first ffteer
ears ever put into service in Washington
for some time, Mr.. Lynn was transferred
to the double-horse cars that ran from
the eth street wharves to eth and Bound
airy streets, now 18th street and Florida
avenue. Cable cars were then laid over
this route, and the line pushed out to the
Chevy Chase loop at Rock Creek bridge
He was running his car at the time
President Garfield was assassinated and
tells vivid story of the excitement that
was rampant in the capital at that time
Mr.. Lynn relates that there We're very
few passengers at night, and that the
poorly lighted streets in the early 7Us
were not very conducive to nocturnal
travel. On many Of the trips the entire
route was covered with ractically nc
passengers transported. The old Lady OF
the Lake was then the only steamer OF
any Importance that locked at the 18th
street wharves, Mr.. Lynn says He has
had one death on his car. and during his
entire service has had but ten days leave
of absence. Like many of the older car
men, he has been driver or motornan
throughout his entire service.
A unique and interesting character Is
that of Richard Rose, Uncle Dick" as
he Is Familiarity known to practically
every carman in the service of the Wash
ington Railway and Electric Company
He has run the starting Office at 36th
town, for the last seven years. Prior to
that he was conductor and was noted
for the qualities of old-fashioned polite
ness to passengers on his car.
Throughout much of his career as a
driver of horse cars and as a conductor
on the cable and electric cars, Mr.. Rose
ran" on + street and he has a weatt n
of "reminiscences of interesting charac-
ters Part of the way is past Lafayette
Park, in front of the White House.
beginning with Gen. Grant, several OF
the Presidents, until the time of Cleve-
land. rode upon my car many times
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-09

HE bones Of Bar
bara Fritchte. sa-
cred TO many hum
dred of thousands
OF patriotic Ameri-
cans as those OF
any saint In the
calendar, are to be
removed from an
obscure corner of
the old German
Reformed Church
graveya rd in Fred
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-09

ciated the throes through which the
t.onal spirit evolved its independence
and stability.
II is uncertain just when the Hauers
came to Frederick. In that day the
tourney was slow and laborious one,
and many dangers beset them that since
have been forgotten They must have
come by stage over bad roads, but all
these difficulties doubtless sank out of
mind with the dawn OF good fortune in
their new home. 1t was In 1T91 that
Washington stopped at the historic tavern
then kept by Mrs kimball. All the town
was untiring in it's efforts to do him
honor. 1t was left to Barbara Fritchie
then Barbara Hauer, to bring q full set
of Liverpool china, q priceless possess
sion and the only one in Frederick, to
adorn the table at which he was served
At the time OF Washin ston's death she
funeral held by the people OF Frederick
as memorial. With number of her
girl friends she acted as a pallbearer.
The occasion was marked by q soiemnity
and a devotion that was genuine to these
early Inhabitants Of Frederick, who had
come near enough to the great man to
love him.
Barbara Hauer was married to John
Casper Frirchie, q glove maker. May s,
1906. The union was more than COM
monty happy They lived in a house on
the spot which is pointed out by the
tablet on the bridge and part Of their
home was given over to Mr.. Fritchie's
business until his death, which occurred
in 1S49 Mrs. Fritchie lived on in the
house with a Miss Yoner. a distant rela-
tive and a devoted companion, who never
left her in her declining years till they
were told in death.
A neighbor has described her personal
appearance as follows: II do not suppose
she weighed more than 10 or lis pounds.
She was slight in figure and scarcely Of
medium height: her eyes were small but
penetrating and keen and her hair was
dark In her dress she was remarkable
for plainness: the variations were few
indeed About the house her costume
was usually of plain Quaker colored cal
leo, and when she visited nelghbors or
attended church you could rest assured
that she would be clad in a black CASH
mere or alpaca dress"
When the civil war burst from heated
brains into bloody activity Mrs. Fritchie
was an old woman. bowed down with in
firmities, but her mind was as clear as a
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-09

els Scott Key watched with such strain
ing eyes in the dawn Of that morning
in 1912 after the night-long lombard
ment of Fort McHenry by the British.
The bringing together in the same
burial ground of the bones of these two
patriots whose names are so lovingly
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-09

"Dean" 1f Washington's street car men.
Began his service June I6. 1872.
track lines of nearly fifty years ago to
the present system A veteran of the
Confederate army, this unassuming man
carries seven wounds, one OF which was
received at the battle of Gettysburg. The
most serious one was from the explo-
sion of shell at Reems station on the
Weldon railroad that left a bad scar on
his neck.
Il remember a very kindly gentleman.
the head of one OF the leading hardware
firms on Pennsylvania avenue who fire.
quently rode on my car" he continued.
When first knew him / was driving an
old single-horse car on the 18th street line.
/ could not help liking him, for he was
always so courteous and pleasant He
was IN the prime of life when he first
commenced to stop my car in front OF
the old home, near NJ street northwest
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-09
CCHOOL Children of the

CCHOOL Children OF the
- Country Will Contribute
Pennies to Pay for Proposed
Observation-Disclosures of Bar
bara Fritchie Reside in Fred
erick, Md.-Burial Place OF
Heroine Now Only Marked
by a Headstone in the Little
German Reformed Cemetery
at Frederick-Features OF the
Proposed Monument.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-09
TORIES OF Pre-

TORIES OF Presi-
dents of the United
States who rode on
the street cars or
Washington; of dig
nitaries of older
days who jostled
elbows with the
humblest citizens in
the most matter
of-fact fashion. to-
day are interest
ingly told by the