Evening star., 1914-12-20

that little warped house, and the new
comers over park drives and horse
paths will never Know about it unless
with shrewd eyes they read the story
in the box bushes and the lowering
shrubs that perhaps will mark the
spot for many years.
Many little cabin and cottage homes
stood in what is now the park. In
number of the small clearings a lilac
bush. rose bush or an althea bush.
a bit of lockwood or yucca plant
point out that once upon time IA
home stood there. The Rambler has
often thought he would go into this
subject and write the story of the
people who had their homes in the
park before it became parkiand. And
some time he will do it.
Thinking of things in the park re-
call to the Rambler that among many
picturesque features there are two
rough stone stairways set to help pil-
Grims on their way, but not SO many
Washington people climb these rough
steps should. They are in an out-of-
theway place. No automobile road is
near. A good many men and women
know the horse road which. leaving
Klingle road west of the kiingle Ford
bridge, winds up and over the hill
where. darkly shaded by spruce and
pines, stands the gray stone Klinsle
hOuse-dwelt in now by Patrick Joyce,
superintendent of the park.
Passing around the east and north
faces of the hill. the horse patti leads
down through woods to the field south
of Pierce's mill. Well. while the horse
path passes over that hi" a foot path
cut in the side of the hill follows the
same general course, but keeps close
To Rock creek AT one steep point
along that path cut in the hillside are
the stone stairways. Near where
Piney branch, or what is left OF II.
enters Rock creek you may see a foot
bridge over the creek. By crossing that
bridge you will come upon the path
followed
lighted and rarely Travelled stairways IN
the woods.
THE assembling of Congress recalls
/ that century ago the national
assembly convened in Washington un-
der conditions in strong and strange
contrast to the present splendid set
ting. The Capitol was charred. na me
licked and Smoke-grimed ruin. Inc
Capitol was small structure then, but
il presented an imposing picture 10
the eyes of the plain people of that
plain period. Only the two small free
stone wings at the north and south
sides OF the rotunda had been built
The space between them now covered
by the dome and the. central building,
ON which the dome rests, was blank.
wooden passageway connecting the
wings.
The work of firing those small wings
and their contents was done by the
British on the evening of August "a.
1913, at the same time other public
structures in Washington were set on
fire. That was the evening following
the afternoon on which was fought the
battle OF Bladensburs. one publ:c
building remained That was Blodgetts
Hotel. which had been taken over by
the government for use as the patent
Office and the post office. 1t stood on the
northeast corner Of Sth and + streets.
1t was a large brick structure and ex-
tended along E street about half way
to 7th street. and its west front on sth
street extended about half way up to
f street. Preparations were being made
to burn this building and its contents
when DIR. William Thornton sought out
the British officer In command of the
incend;ary detachment and told him
that the building was full Of private
property. models of inventions and the
like. and the building was spared. The
Rambler has seen a complete and de-
tailed narrative of the episode written
a few days later by Dr. Thornton and
may reproduce these interesting facts
ut another time.
Congress was 10 assemble September
49, hardly three weeks after the cap
ture of Washington and its extensive
damage by the invaders. Other sec
fions OF the country, not recOnciled to
the location Of the permanent capital
on the Potomac river saw in the dis
aster an opportunity to asitate for a
change to another site. They improved