davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-09-22

THERE is no spot in Washington.
perhaps. that affords the lover OF
the quaint and curious in human
nature a mere profitable field than the
street market beneath the sheds on the
south side of Center market. The block
is rich in original characters. and an
hour or two spent with its busy inhabI-
tarts will reveal things interesting and
enjoyable to the student OF the odd types.
Saturday night is the best time to take
in the sights of the street market. Then
it is at it's best. Old negro mammies.
putting slowly on their corncob pipes, will
tell you of the wonderful medicinal quail
ties of the queer-looking herbs and roots
they have piled up before them on little
stands If business is slow and you have
the time to spare, they viii tell you some
of their experiences as slaves down in
old Virginia.
Saturday is the big day along the curb,
and from u O'Clock Friday night until )
and o'clock Saturday morning the mer-
chants assemble from the nearby farms
of Virginia ar,l Maryland. Through the
empty streets of midnight Tho frst wagon,
loaded to the top with products or the
farm, makes its appearance ard from theh
on until early morn they arrive IN
as quaint and picturesque as their own
ers. rhe horses always seem to be tired
and the wagons, with some exceptions,
are badly in need OF paint, new canvas,
etc. -
Arriving at the market, the farmer Will
first unload his stuff and place it on his
stand. Then. if the night air be chilly,
a fire is started. Hot coffee IS brought
from some nearby mushroom, and they
gather about the Blaze and talk over
politics. crops and TIE chances O. vain.
Along toy, ard nlornins the converse ton
will languis, and the farmer Will crawl
into his empty WAGON for a short sleep
before the business rush Others will
take his place, but the first housewife will
find them ali ready for her trade no mat
te how early she makes her appearance
along the line.
Business starts along the curb about s
O'clock and from then until after IL
In the evening the street is crowded with
a surging mass OF basket-laden women
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-09-22
a SHORE Party OFF To5e A LARK

ing an excellent bed that is better htteu
to sleeping i'm rough seas than any bun <.
These hammockS are swung so close to-
gether that scores of men are slowed
away above the space that in daytime
may be used for dining room or almost
any other purpose.
: All hands are called from these sleeping
places at s o'clock in the morning, for
there is vast amount of deck scrub
bling and general cleaning to be done
The men tumble out to the sound of the
bugle dress secure their hanmocks ana
contents and roll them into neat cyln-
der for storage in the hammock nettlngS
below. Nothing is left but the hooks as
evidence that n hundred men have Just
been sleeping swung beneath a certain
deck Fifteen minutes is the maximum
time allowed for this dressing and cham
bermaid work. The decks that were
few minutes previously hung with in
Vulnerable hammocks give no evidence OF
having ever been dormitories and Il lands
man might search all day for the sleep
ing quarters of the crew and get no ink
ling of their whereabouts.
In these same big rooms below deck the
meals are served. Mysteriously. just be-
fore mealtime nnumerable tables and
benches appear and are set for the COM
ing of the food. There is no small amount
of this required, for :oo healthy boys liy-
ing i'll the open ana DONG plentE Oh
physical work always have an appetite
somewh here about them. The crews gal
ley where the food is prepared is fitted
with nine great cooking ranges. with
twenty big copper coffee urns holding
eighty gallons each. and with great steam
cookers in proportion. There is no cere-
mony i'm the manner of eating in the blue
Jackets mess. Each man is brought a
great plate piled high with all the things
that go to make up the given meal.
Meat. beans. potatoes. rice, bread, all
are on the one dish, making such pyra
mid as would discourage the appetite OF
seven men OF the swivel chair type. All
this. however, is neatly tucked away by
the jack tar. Having disposed of which
he esthetically withdraws his handker-
chief from his sleeve. this being his only
available place for carrying it, and wipes
his chops with satisfaction.
The following report of the food pre-
pared for Il single meal aboard the Della
ware will give an idea of the daily por-
ton of 800 enlisted men: Two hundred
pies. 81 large pans of cake. 1,SOO buns.
5000 buckwheat cakes. 1880 chops. 800
pounds roast beef. 90 gallons of gravy
120 gallons of coffee or tea. 400 pounds
potatoes, 200 tins of vegetables, Al gall
Ions of baked beans, IN gallons of chick
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-09-22
OFFICERS ON DECK THROWING rherEp1clnE BALL

en- fricassee. 800 pounds of cabbage. ~
large pans of pudding, 16S tins of fruit
and about go pounds OF chickens for
roast.
The fare is sumptuous and bountcous.
Great care is taken to make it the best
possible There is provision. for instance.
for the refrigeration of $1,000 pounds of
fresh meat and the ship is seldom with
out it. Despite the Cry that goes up from
the jewellers in cities against the high cost
of living. Uncle Sam is feeding these
hardy men and feeding them we'll. under
circumstances where markets are most
inaccessible. for something less than So
d month each Seven thousand dollars a
month is the cost of feeding 9G0 men,
This figures out about % cents a day for
the qualification of appetites that are
nothing ii not ravenOus.
These men get busy at an hour that is
surprisingly early. To the landsman who
has been accustomed to q nap after Z
O'Clock and who is not used to ship noises
there is due an interruption of his sleep
along about $50. when the metal deck is
being nOisily scrubbed just overhead. The
officers not on duty breakfast at S and
ordinarily get their morning maps. Be
ing accustomed to the noises little thing
like the changing of an iron ventilator
weighing 300 pounds against other metal
of its kind and within six feet Of the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-09-22

place of slumber. is no- interruption.
BY O'Clock there is not Il particle OF
exposed surface about the decks that has
not been scrubbed TO spotlsSsnesS. IheTe
are some 400 petty deck officers and crew
who perform this V ork. II is largely done
in the first three hours OF the day. Inc
rest of their working time is devoted TO
drills. including infantry drills, boat drills,
drills looking to the mastery of the IN
finite system of signaling that must be
understood by many men on every snip
wig-wag semaphore, sound signals
searchlight, blinkers and the infinite va
riety of flags meaning different things in
different positions must be mastered.
In the engineering department there are
oS6 men OF the Delaware. These are
largely engine tenders. tiremen and re-
pairmen They work deep down in the
ship and here. last year, boiler mead
blew out and the steam scalded nine or
them to death. There are men of almost
every conceivable trade aboard every bat
tleship. There are electricians boiler
makers. blacksmiths plumbers. sailmak-
ers painters and what not.
To all these are added a marine guard
of fifty men-a reserve of fighting men
who have little to do with the operation
of the ship and are used chiefly as dis
enlargement to Latin American revolu-
tonists, having formed the habit of go
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-09-22
SATURDAY. Might at the ''Str@@t Market"

he must take advantage Of the shoppers
to assist the pocketbook of the family.
The countryman who has spent many
years of his life blowing his fields and
planting his crops is another picturesque
type. His form is bent and his face tan
ned with the suns of many summers. but
his eyes still twinkle with the light OF
youth AS man of business on the mar
ket line he is a success. He can bargain
with the housewife for an hour. and 1t 10
seldom that he gets the worst Of the
bargain He is genial sort Of mer-
chant. though, ard he is ever ready to
handy CHEEKY words with his patrons.
!.
After o'clock in the evening business
begins to slow up and the countrymen are
prepared to drive some sharp bargains
with a late class OF trade. These pa
irons never make their appearance until
after the regular crowds have gone to
their homes with filled baskets. Some Of
them are small boarding house keepers
who hope to buy their Sunday eataoles
cheaper knowing the farmer VIII accept
almost any price rather than carry ms
produce back to the country again. Some
of them are people of the poorer classes
who must make their scanty hoard 60
long way and feed many mouths. Ihey
wait until the last moment TO make tneir
purchases, and often they are rewarded.
Their few dollars will buy nearly twice as
much as they would have done earlier IN
the day. They take keen interest in
getting the very most that they can for
the least expended.
Now and then there is a big rush on
during the regular hours of trade, and
when these late customers show up there
is nothing left to purchase. On these oc-
casions they leave with empty baskets
and saddened faces. Midnight. and the last
customer has departed. A few twnklng
lights here and there show where the
wagons stand in the gloom. The farmer
is loading his empty boxes and baskets
hack into his wagon. His wares are sold
and his pockets are heavy with money.
The horses are harnessed up and off he
drives in the night to his little home
nesting over the hills. There, a good
housewife is waiting for him and he
knows that tomorrow is Sunday. After
church he can take of his coat and lean
back in his chair. reading his paper and
dream Of banner crops.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-09-22

and men. The farmer forgets all apout
the subjects of the conversation OF the
night before. Now, with a Keen eye TOT
business he cries his wares and ioudis
declaims that his prices are much cheaper
and his goods much better than those at
the stand next to him. He considers that
there is no friendship in business, ana
will never hesitate to underrate the Soods
of the man who shared his conee a lie"
hours before.
This however, does not apply to the
negro NANNY. She never becomes eN-
cited and seldom. if ever, makes any en-
ergetic bid for your custom. She is con-
tent to sit behind her small stand with
her pipe in her mouth and let You come
to her Once You stop before her and
ask concerning her roots and dried per
r;es YOU are lost. In quaint southen dia-
lect she will VOW that they VIII cure
nearly every known disease, and even IL
YOU are in the best of health the chances
are that you will make purchase before
YOU leave her. 1t is well worth the price
of her wares just to listen to her original
remarks as you scan the genial old race,
with its hundred wrinkles.
Once she receives a sympathetic listen
er she will dwell on the good old days
before the war, when she was the per-
sonal servant of this or that great SOUTH
Gfn lduN. SoI1StIIHeS DIS sic td.hS a iiiio-
comes into her old eyes and her voice
breaks with emotions called by memory
Then she will puff furiously on her pipe
and switch the subject to her herbs
There are many housewives in Washlns-
ton who stop before these stands every
trip they make to the market. 1t is not
because they have any use for the barks
and roots that they buy. but because
they love to chat with these women OIL
a bygone segment of life. There is some
thing about them that takes the Listener
AVA from the rush and roar OF the city,
baci; 10 green fields and blue skies.
There are other characters along the
street market WHO possess their Original
qualities There is the little negro plcka-
ninny in from the country to reap mar
vest at carrying baskets. He is at your
elbow everywhere you turn. and Oh. now
many miles he will carry your heavy bas-
ket for dime! He is a product Of the
farm. and, like his parents, who brought
him in on the wagon with the produce,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-09-22

fired for the purpose of determining
ranges. establishing registration marks
and promoting the efficiency of the gun
ners. The forts on the District and the
Maryland side of the river practiced
throwing their shells in the fields over
here
Some of the wartime houses of this
neighborhood are still standing. This
house was built long before the war. The
first house to the left of the pike after
passing Fort Marcy was John Wagea-
mans home. He was the father of the
Waggaman family in Washington. l used
to go to school with Thomas F.. Samuel
ard Pierpont Wagsaman. | think there
We're other boys and a sister,.
The old Waggaman house is square
structure covered with the wide. rough
clapboards so commonly used in the long
ago and with pyramid roof. now COW
cred with tin. but doubt at another
time shingled. Back of the house is a
very old Stable built of logs and nearby
is q springhouse built of native rock. "A
family by the name of Solomon live there
now" continued Mr.. Faulkner.
.Outside of the Notifications a number
of officers cottages were built and there
was also a chapel. When the war was
over a neighbor of mine, Amos Young.
bought the chapel and moved 1t to TINS
place You can see it there through that
clump of trees" and Mr.. Faulkner lndi-
Gated small frame structure few hun
dred yards west and on the south side or
the pike Harrison Bayless and his fami-
ly live there now.
"Across the road there is the old Cant
house, Basil Cant lived there and his son
John lives in the house now. An addition
to the house has been put up. but yol
can plainly see the older part. There
used to be targets in the Cant field. just
across this road, at which the gunnerS in
the forts over the river used to fire
Sometimes old veterans who served in
Forts Ethan Allen and Marcy come back
here to look over the ground. There is
one-his name is Lockwood-but his I'M
tials escape me for the moment-who
lives at White Plains, \. Y. He has
called on me three times since the wal.
He was in the 4th New York Heavy Ar
tillery. stationed on those hills until near
the close of the war. when TIE regiment
was sent south. ! came TO know him
when he was soldier IN the forts
Nearer Fort Marcy than Tie James
Faulkner homo IS q little blacl-gmith shop
and an old dwelling on a gentle Ill. The
name on the rural mail box is CoydeIia
Faulkner. She is the WIDOW Of William
Faulkner. dead about fo"r years. and VINO
was brother of James. This lady was
living in that house during the war. She
is living there now.
'An this fort land she said, was
owned by Gilbert VanderWerken. He's
dead now, but his heirs still own 1t and
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-09-22
Civil War D@f@ms@s Near the Chain Bridge

w. +. Barry. Gen. J. G.. Barnard. chief
engineer of the defenses of Washington.
and Gen. G.. ". Cullum. The following.
relating to the Chain bridge forts. is alb
stracted from the report OF that board
The two works at the Chain bridge viz.
Forts Marcy and Ethan Allen. form no part OF
the defenses of Washington strictly speaking,
but are of the utmost importance tete-de-
uont to the Chain bridge. over which it is in-
dispensable to secure Il debouch. The position
is strong and well occupied. The lines of rise
trenches which connect the works with eneh
other and with the banks Of The river aHori
with the auxiliary batteries fEti view and De
fcnsc OF the numerous rayin"S. aad civ" all me
artificial strength which :he position NEEDS. The
heights from which TN" works can II" g" n
manded and the approaches TO them are un'ier
Tarroit. Kemble and Vermont and of Forts
Alexander ana Franklin.
.'Thc commission suggest that some defensive
arrangements are necessary Immediately about
the head OF the bridge. probably two or three
small works or perhaps blochhouses would SUI
fee.
1.-The group OF small works Forts Alexander.
Franklin and Ripley occupies commanding
pensahle to the security of the Chain bridge
and protection OF the receiving reservoir Inc
10 the strength OF the lines in advance of the
Chain bridge.
From the parapets of Fort Marcy 4
few rods walk through the woods will
bring one to the crest of the bluff thick
grown with trees. that drops down to the
sometimes singing waters Of the Little
Falls. And here is "A place of romantic,
memory haunting vistas.
Westward along the pike and within
rife shot of the historic earthworks is
an old house with modern weatherboard-
ing 1t stands little off the south side
of the road. In it lives James Faulkner
man with white hair, a venerable
beard clear eyes. ruddy complexion
ready speech and an active and tenacious
memory. He was living in that house
before the civil war came on and before
q Federal spade began to turn up grim
battlements of earth and gravel.
Il remember" he said. that after the
commission of officers recommended in
creased protection for Chain bridge {
blockhouse was built at the Virginia enc
and a stockade or heavily timbered bar
rier was built on the second span from
that end. This was kept open by day
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-09-22

sional .lUan beneath it's load of good
things to eat Uncle Sam provides them
with most excellent cooks. and the Phil
ippine boys are thoroughly trained as
servants There is bit of the Formally
of their academy training in their man
ner one to the other, studied used OF
the affiX before the name of the man ad-
dressed the regular occurrence of the
term sir at the end of a remark adj
dressed directly to given man. Though
living in atmosphere where womans
influence is seldom felt, their discourse is
Away such as it might be if women were
present.
The officer aboard ship is likewise a
busy man. There is the executive officer.
the navigating officer, the ordnance Off
GER the engineers, the turret command
without end in the division of the labor
and responsibility of the ship. Each #
these is responsible for certain work and
for the upkeep Of certain phases of ships
discipline. There are watches to be stood.
as. for instance, four-holr shifts in the
engine rooms, three flights below decks.
watches on the bridge, officer of the
deck and many others. A tour of in
spection with the executive officer, includ-
ing the running up and down four flights
of ladders into fifty tiers of compartments
of the ship-a task about equal to climb
ing the top of Pixies Peak-WiIl convince
the casual visitor that this service is not
all play.
The wardroom and the senior officers
quarters arc on the main deck The cap
tain alone lives upon the small upper
deck. The junior officers mess occupies
the most favored position below the main
deck. and here, also. are tucked away
the greater number of the $50 men who
so to make up the crew of a big battle
ship.
These quarters below deck are marvel
Gus examples of economy OF space Were
it possible to apply the principles here
used, landlLbbers might do away with
nne-tenths of the hotels and boarding
houses and yet live comfortably and
healthfuly. The seaman lives in his ham
mock. 1t is his sleeping place by night
and his haversach, getaway grip, trunk
and savings bank by day. Every man III
the service has his definite place to swing
his hammock. If he is wanted al any
time of night he can be Immediately 10
Gated. The hammock bed of the navy is
little like the hammocks of the front
porch in which many of have slum-
bered and received crick in the side
for our pains. 1t is of canvas. and is
stretched taut between two hooks, MAX
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-09-22

hut with troops on guard. 1t was closed
and strongly barred from sunset till
dawn. AS anotfer measure of protec-
ton part of the flooring of the first span
that span next the Virginia abutment-
was taken up at night and put down
when daylight came. In addition to all
this there was battery of field guns
on the bluff on the District side of the
river just above the bridge and in pro-
lon:ation of it. and these guns were kept
trained on the bridge SO that if the bar
rier should be forced by an enemy the
TIRE of these guns would sweep the bridge
This part of the country is picking up
now, but during the war and for a long
time after living was hard. In the first
place the inhabitants We're very often
treated as though working in the serv-
ice of the Confederacy, and it is true that
the Sympath!es of many of the people in
the Chain bridge neighborhood were with
the south. The timber was cleared off
and the fields could not we'll be titled
There We're Conferedate foraging parties
and FederalS also did some foraging. The
timber was cut down because the guns
i'll the forts and the various batteries
needed a clear field of fire. and because
woodland might afford cover for attack
Barracks and other buildings We're built
of timber heWed and squared with axes.
Stockades were built of tree trunks
standing upright side by side. Log
breastworks We're built. Such things
ravines or in other good places to COM
1nand the ravines, these wide gullies
being thought to give good ground for
surprise against the forts. Many stock
AIDES were scattered around here. Fencing
through this section was also taken by
the troops, being chiefly used for fire.
wood
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-09-22

some of them are still living in the war
time Nanderwerken home over back or
Fort Ethan Allen.
You see that old pear tree with the
side nearly cut awayo Well the soldiers
horses did that. They used to tether
them there in this yard. That poplar
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-09-22


"a the Virginia end OF the Chain
bridge and "a ramble among
the remains of the civil war de-
lenses there will reward the
effort At the west end of the bridge
one sees the ruins of a burned stone
crushing mill on the left and on the
bluff above and on the right the brick
chimneys of recently burned hotel
One soon comes TO a parting of the
road That leading to the left bridges
|sPimmitt run, bowlder-bedded stream
hich has secured a deep ravine down
from the Virginia heights and has cut
q gorge through the riverside cliff,
which. as means of descent and ascent.
|. determined this place as Potomac
crossing.
A Shady road winds up through deep
woodland till after a mile of sharp turn
ing and twisting IL comes out upon tho
wide plateau that reaches away from the
wooded bluffs. Directly one comes upon
old earthworks which for the most part
are we'll preserved. Tie eye can tract the
contour Of old Fort Ethan Allen and here
and there sections of deep rife trenches.
| From the ramparts the view in all di-
rections is commanding. Close by is an
old house, which. when the fort was
built. was the only dwelling in the inn
mediate neighborhood. 1t was then a
loghouse. occupied by a family named
J.intler, and various members OF this fam
lily are now living in and around Wash
ington. The loShouse has been weather
boarded and is now occupied by Frank
Dyer and his family. pretty home.
dWelt in by Henry Gertshaw, stands
| inside the earthworks and among
hn rin a M ha. ara
| growing there Close by is W. |. Gra-
| hams home. which he calls Grand View
and where was the burial ground in
VIII oh men who died in and abo-t rlese
defenses were given graves their bones
later to be removed TO Arlington.
After lettering among these half
Suined and wholly neglected works you