Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-09-03

WHilNGTON. n. c., Sept. -
georgetown was city OF Importance
hctore Washington was imagined and.
although now part o. tho CAPITAL. II
stiil retains Il most distinctive indi
Niduality There are few historical
cities that look tho part so we'll Til.
narrow cobblcG streets are generously
shaded by old oaks and sycamorcs, and
nncd with houses older still, many Of
them opening their front doors direct
Is upon the curb. others set conserva-
lively back among the Trees and some
splendidiy isolated IN the midst OF
wide grounds. There are whole blocks
OF houses that have seen over cen
fury OF the city's lie
For long time both before tho
Revolution and after. Georgetown WAS
ono of the leading cities OF the United
states IL was a great port. and the
waters of the Potomac were bright
with sails from every country in the
world 1t was also center OF the
tobacco business. and Rock Creek, then
navicahle channel, was lined with
high -raftcrcd warehouses. sweet with
the fragrance Of the leaf and the twit-
tering of swallows.
After the founding of Washington.
the Importance cf tho older city WAS
for time enhanced rather than di-
min!shed; Cor Senator's Congrcssmrn
and diplomats all came there 10 live.
There were few notahlcs OF late Colo
NAL and Revolutionary days who did
not live in Georgetown at some time.
Benjamin Franklin WAS manager OF
the post-offlce in l77s, when there
were only scvcnty-five post Offices in
the United states. and IL often cost
"a cents 10 send letter. the
rate being according to the distance.
Lafayette was entertained in George
town. President jefferson lived there
Cor "A while. and his house stu, stands.
IN later day Calhoun and Webster
made their homes in the old city. But
10 rccitc the notablcs who have dwclt
in Georgetown would be lengthy
process and OF less interest than tho
many important things that happened
there, and the lives and customs OF
the old Georgetown people The city
itself is e mine Of such Information.
for descendants OF many OF the old
families still live there. and cherish
and tell the stories that have come
down to them through generations.
Some OF them have written books, and
Of special interest is q volume by
Sally Somcrvell Mackall. from which
some of these incidents arc taken
Town.pcopIe wcrc Landowners.
Most OF the town3r' uplc were OF
Scotch descent and owned great es
tatcs in Maryland. while making their
homes in Georgetown. Thus samuel
Maffitt. who was Justice OF the peace
=
ago. owned 5000 acres, and II was his
pride that he produced everything con-
sumcd by his family upon his own
land He had his own turning mill.
gr!st mill, wool factory and black
smith shop. manned by his own slaves.
George Washington Parkc Gusts,
grandson -in-law of George Washing
ton. was another owner Of very extern
sivc lands. and is said to have held
no less than 1000 slaves. Although
he spent most of his life riding over
his estates. he had both lands and
negroes that he had never seen.
The homes OF these landlords in
Georgetown were among the finest of
the old Colonial houses. one of them,
Tudor House, built by Thomas Peter
in 1906. is still occupied by the fam
lily, and it's original appearance care
fully preserved. IT stands in the cen
ter of large grounds. set with old
fashioned box hedges, and shaded Ivy
wide oaks. The house is an imposing
pile with the high pillarcd verandaa
and long French windows of it's pc
riod. One of its prizes is a palm
over century DID, which was brought
back as a souvenir by Thomas Peter
and his wife when they went on
journey to Philadelphia They made
the trip in their own carriage ana it
took four days.
Very perfect accounts of how peo-
pic lived in those days may be had
from their descendants i'll Georgetown.
The men spent most Of their tire rid
ing over the immense estates. rhc
women were even more busy, for they
had to make their own cloth and soap,
were the medical and spiritual adj
vsers Of all their slaves and usually
the mothers of large families. Yet
there was much social life. Dinners
and dances were OF frequent occur
renee, the former usually taking place
in the late afternoon, while the old
square dances occupied the evenings.
Elaborate designs were painted in
bright colors on the floors under the
cut-Glass chandeliers. and there tie
Colonial DANES and Gallants bowed and
piroucttcd. Even tho most aiIlucnt Of
the young women usually made their
own dancing slippers from satin. ana
IL was always considered n proof of
popularity when debutantc succeed
ed i'm dancing through her shocs'' i'm
one evening.
Bad Shoes for Walking.
All of the shoes. for that matter.
were made on the estates, usually by
negro shoemakers. and they were
rather poor footgear. The result was
that nobody walked: 1t wasn't consid.
cred good form. unless one wan going
only very short distance, md, in that
case slave walked before With a