davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-01-28
Ter Writes of the Lands of Thomas Wrenn

stones are pieces of the native country
rock. gneiss. His friends and his de-
scendants know the little plots filled
with ashes of these good people and
they consider that enough. Thomas
wrenn married his cousin. Julia Ann
Wrenn. and she passed from earth be-
fore his time was up. They had many
children. Charlie died before the civil
war and was not married. Sophia died
unmarried. Harriet Susannah died
soon after the close of the war Sarah
Adams Wrenn married James y. Hall.
She is dead and Hall lives close by the
old home lands. Among the children
of Sarah Adams Wrenn are Edward
Hall Of Washington, Lucian Hall of
Chesterhrook and John Hall of Lang
ley. Julia Thomas Wrenn married Ir-
wing Furlong. They live in the new
house on the site of the old Wrenn
house. Their son, Charlie Furlong. is
one of the largest growers of black
berries, raspberries and strawberries in
the neighborhood Of Washington.
Several of Thomas Wrenns children
died in infancy, among them John
Richard. Mary Frances. Lucy Ann and
Martha.
This particular part of Fairfax coun-
ty. though close to Washington and
looking down on 1t from some of the
hills. was wild and wo ded country be-
fore the civil war. and there were only
few houses. large tract OF this
wild land adjacent to the Wrenn plan
tation was owned by Col Thrift, who
was killed at the battle of Balls Bluff
As plain Jim Thrift he was well known
and liked as n school teacher in that
part of the country, and the Rambler
believes that he lived for long time
at Fairfax Court House.
We come now to the monument
which stands in the Wrenn burial plot
In the Rambler's narrative of Rokeby
two Sundays ago he wrote of Joseph
Longson, one of the pioneer Methodist
preachers in America, and said that his
ashes rested in the Wrenn cemetery
and that the Methodists of Virginia
and the District of Columbia had erect
ed monument over his grave. There
was some confusion in this. Joseph
Iongson does rest in that plot by the
side of his wife, who was Ann Tup-
man, but their graves are marked only
by rude bits of gneiss, of course, un-
inscribed. In the same plot sleeps
another pioneer Methodist preacher,
and the marble monument stands at
the head of his grave. The inscrip-
ton is:
I'm Memory Of William Waters the First
Native ltinerant Methodist Preacher in America.
Born October 10. 1851. Died March 20. 1897.
He was pioneer leading the way for the
vast army OF American Methodist itinerants hay
ing the everlasting Gospel to preach.
"fervent in spirit, prudent in counsel. abun-
workman That needed not to be ashamed"
All around this monument are other
graves, but the rude stones marking
them do not tell the names of the
sleepers. The little cemetery occupies
the top of knoll by the side of the
Nido to the Wrenn home. Above the
graves grow chestnut and cedar trees
and at one unnamed grave grows a
green box bush.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-01-28
We're All Like Her.

TERRENCE v. POwDERLY of labor
fame was talking about compul.
sorry arbitration.
The trouble with the world in gens
eral." he said thoughtfully. "is that We
all know just what the other fellow
ought to do. but we take little account
of what we ought to do ourselves.
II found a young bride one day bends
ing with q stern and severe air over .
dry-looking volume.
what are you readingT 1 asked.
IAN excellent work. she replied
called Happiness in Marriage
"'What advice. 1 said, does it give
to wives?
81 don't know she answered. I'm
reading the advice to husbands
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-01-28

verified into a plain dwelling. 1t was so
long tavern that some people say it's
boards and rafters were preserved in
alcohol, while other people say it would
have survived much longer had it not
been a tavern. The last of the tavern
keepers were Henry Bixler and Henry
Poole. They got the place from Benja-
min Whitaker. He was one of those
men whom other men call "a char
acter" Ben Whitaker, who is dead,
got the tavern from Joseph Burke, who
was the proprietor of the place during
the civil war. The military population
of that part of the environs of Wash
ington was always large during the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-01-28
Doing a Tenderfoot.
sS1D FACE prospects," said a Chis

sSID FACE prospects," said Chicago
II lawyer. ARE as barren as the
unirrigated lands of eastern Colorado.
Those lands are so horribly barren
that the possession of a section or
square mile out there is considered an
incumbrance rather than the reverse
"A tenderfoot on a burro - Colorado
burros cost from 25 to SO cents apiece
rode out to a farmers one day. and
the next day the farmer rode the burro
back into town, very much pleased.
That tenderfoot.' he said, wanted
to go into the farmin' trade, and 1
swopped him a section of land for this
here burro, but at the last minute i
found out he couldn't read, and So
haw. haw. haw-I writ two sections
inter the deed instead of one Haw,
haw! Them tenderfoots had better
stay back east"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-01-28

He. too. passed away. Then came a toll
taker named James Kirby. He. too. has
passed.
All those toll-takers were of the period
before the civil war. During the war the
toll gate was suspended. On the resump
ton Of toll-gathering after the war, there
came in succession John Mahoney and
John Elliott. and each Of these left good
memoir in the country around. Eiliott's
sons, Bud" and Jim. are dead, but
Buds" widow, with several children,
lives at Walkers Chapel.
About quarter of a mile east OF where
the oldest of the Langley taverns stood
the traveller will see today on the north
side Of the road n log house with a stone
chimney. A family Of colored people lives
there now. This Is the oldest house in
Rambler's belief. 1t is probably older
than Salona. the Maffitt-Smoot house.
on the way to Mclean. and older than the
Commodore Catesby Jones house sha-
ron. and the CAN'T house, Rokeby.
The property belonged to Richard Reid.
For uncounted years the log house was
occupied by Mrs. Green. another Char
acter." but woman remembered to
. this day for her charity and other forms
OF goodness. When she died. about 1873,
Parson Crenshaw of the little M E.
Church said in his funeral sermon: II do
not see how Sister Green can be spared. :"
daughter Of Nancy Berry. a woman who
had gray hair when the continental pa
triots were clashing with the redcoats
and the Hessians.
Il
This brings to the Rambler's mind the
little M. E. Church. 1t was built on the
north side OF the pike where the road
turns off to Lewinsville, Vienna and
Fairfax, about the year 1859. OF course.
it was used as a hospital during the civil
war. as nearly all other churches in this
part Of the country were. and that little
church was not far distant at times from
today, remodeled and much improved, is
the home of Douglas Mackall, the Wash
ington lawyer. The building was hauled
a few yards away and on higher grou Id
The Methodists erected a new building on
the site Of the old.
were no Methodist services until tho
building of the church in 1859. The
first Methodist minister whose name
can be recalled by the Oldest resident
was James A. Duncan. He preached
in a little house across the road from
lives now, opposite Runners store
The house in which Judge Rogers lives
was occupied as quartermaster store
of McCalrs division during the war
The list OF ministers in the little
church building-that which is now
fine dwelling-and the new church
building, would be a long one, but
there were among them Pastors Ben
ton. Baton, Brownwell. Judkins, Smith,
Smithson. Hammond. Crenshaw, Dolly.
Keene, Waugh. Haddoway and the Rev.
Mr.. Henry, the present minister
When the Rambler began this MARIA
tive ne did not mean to tarry quite SO
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-01-28

long on recollections of this hamlet,
for he was on his way to the lands
and home of Thomas Wrenn, one of the
large landholders in that part of the
country adjacent to Washington.
The house of Thomas Wrenn-his full
name was Thomas Sanford Wrenn-was
one of the old mansions of northern
Virginia, but it was brought down by
flames a few years ago and a new
house stands on a part of the founda-
ton of the old and is dwelt in today
by one of his children and his grand
children and. the Rambler believes. by
his great-grandchldren. A few hun
dred yards from the house and within
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-01-28

into it. The teacher there says that
not one drop of liquor was sold in
Noatak during the whole of last winter,
nor was there any desire for it.
One of the most interesting schools OF
Alaska is that of Point Barrow. 1t is
the most northerly school of the world
The settlement there consists of six or
eight white men, in addition to the
teacher and about 200 natives. The
whites are engaged in whaling. The
natives are Eskimos. The Eskimos fish
and trap and catch whales and seals.
They have also reindeer which add to
their income. and on the whole they
are well to do.
The schoolhouse at Point Barrow is
Eskimo villages. The building cost
$4,000. but it includes also the home of
the teacher. Part of the school outfit is
used for Industrial training. A black
this has a portable forge which is ear
ried about from place to place. The
boys are taught how to use tools. They
learn carpenter work, and make all
sorts of things from dog chains to the
covering of canoes. The shop was built
by volunteer labor.
X
In nearly all of these schools more or
less industrial work is done. This re-
lates to the girls as well as to the boys.
The school at Selawik. in the Arctic
circle. has a sewing department and a
sewing machine. The machine Is used
by the women of the village, and girls
come from miles around to learn how
to sew and make garments. The ma
chine is also used by the young men
for making sails for their boats.
The Selawik school has a kitchen
where the children are taught to make
bread, using yeast. Thirty-five of the
older women of the town have been
taught cooking there, the pupils rang
ing from ten to sixty years of age.
Twelve hundred and eighty loaves of
bread were baked in that kitchen last
season, and instruction was also given
in such of the igloos as have stoves
In another school, on the Arctic
ing each week. The girls make bread
rolls. biscuits and doughnuts, both at
school and at home. Sour dough bis
cults and hot cakes are now to be had
in every igloo. and they have great
feasts on Thanksgiving and Christmas.
At Wainwright last term. 1000 loaves Of
bread. Al dozen cinnamon rolls, 80 doz-
en- doughnuts and 26 dozen cookies
were baked. The school classes took
charge of the Thanksgiving and
Christmas dinners and prepared and
cooked them.
In other schools. the problems may
deal with reindeer, dogs. seals and
foxes. Money values are thoroughly ex-
planned and time and distance are
taught. In the past these things have
had little significance among the Eskt-
mos. All trades Were by barter Dis
tance has been determined by sleeps,
or the time one has to stop in going to
instance, is three sleeps south of Point
Barrow and one sleep north of Icy
Cape.
FRANK G. CARPENTER.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-01-28

last thirty years. or during the period
of the enormous development OF Ger.
man industry and foreign trade. for
all purposes. has been nationalized, al.
though not in the manner which Eng.
land has adopted. 1t will continue to
be nationalized after the war under
whatever form may prove most con-
venient.
This is possibly one reason why
strong party in England insists that
there can be no peace until Germany
has been annfhilated economically. and
her carrying trade divided among the
allies. with the lions share, of course.
to England. But saner British states
men know this is impossible. and IL
may be that they have in mind that
by Matchmaking the British shipping
industry during the war England will
the better be able to meet German
competition on the sea and in foreign
markets after the war.
A question beset with some difficulties
is. how far the British nationalized
shipping industry can be co-ordinated
with that of France and Italy after the
war. If the economic pact of the
allies Is to be carried out, some such
coordination will be necessary.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-01-28

Billy Means came to this part of the
country from Loudoun county. and his
appearance in the neighborhood of
Washington was as proprietor Of the
Prospect Hill tavern, also on the pike.
two miles west of Langley. The high
land where the older tavern stood is
sometimes called Prospect Hill and
sometimes Carpers Hill, the latter be-
ing the name Of the family which long
owned the property. That tavern was
destroyed during the civil war, and
close to where it stood lived DR.. Sny-
der and a family named Shirley.
Means had a large family, and the
Rambler has had recalled to him the
three daughters-Liza, Jane and Mary.
Mary. the oldest, died only about four
years ago. at Langley. and sleeps in the
She was the wife of George Walters.
Jane died during the civil war, and
Liza married man named Ashbury
Fawcett. They left the neighborhood.
but their old neighbors understand that
Liza and her husband moved from Bal
timore to some place in Ohio and died
there, good many years ago. Means
is dead. He moved away from the old
neighborhood and died, his friends
believe, at or near Harpers Ferry.
Means disposed of the first Langley
tavern to Burke at about the time of
the coming on of the civil war and
opened a new tavern nearly opposite.
on the south side of the road.
That tavern was taken possession Of
by Gen. Mccall as his headquarters
The house is standing today in an ex-
cellent state of preservation, and, in
deed. it has been considerably improv-
ed. 1t is now boarding house. Several
years ago the Rambler went through
this old building. 1t was at about that
time it's owners determined on repa
pering the rooms. When the old paper
was being removed it was found that
the white plaster walls were scrawled
over by soldiers names with their
regimental numbers. company letters
somehow in this headquarters building
written their names all over the walls,
and after the war when the building
came to be used as a dwelling the oc-
cupants concluded that the only way
to shut out the sight of these names
was with wallpaper. And that wall
paper was not removed until some time
about the beginning of these rambles.
So important Il place did this little
hamlet on the pike become that third
tavern was opened on the north side of
the road. east of the first tavern. where
John Reid, son of Richard Reid. one of
the old settlers. lives now. The only
taVernkeeper there whom the Rambler
can recall was Ed McErnany. Halfway
between Means and McErnany'S was
the ancient tollgate. The dollhouse is
standing now, being included in a
larger structure in which Braden hum
mer keeps little country store. The
first of the tollgate keepers that James
Faulkner, who lives near Langley, can
recall, and his memory goes back to
1889, when he was several years OLD,
was George West. He died. Then
there came toll taker named Thomas.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-01-28

four tragic years. and for long time
the hamlet of Langley was the nucleus
Of Gen. McCalPs division of 10000 men.
A tavern under such circumstances was
a place of considerable patronage and
often of some excitement, though with
so many things happening at Langley
it took more than an ordinary fight be-
tween ordinary men to cause excite
ment there.
The first tavernkeeper anybody can
recall was Billy Means. Billy was also
the postmaster for a good many years
and he kept the post office in the tav-
ern. That tavern was also the post
Office up to the close Of the civil war.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-01-28

No citizen shall whisper or look be-
hind in school time. None shall be
noisy or rude. He shall not wear his
skin parka into the schoolroom. and
he shall be fined If he comes to school
with dirty face or uncombed hair"
The laws give also the duties of the
citizen-pupils and the work each is to
do in cleaning and keeping the school.
They provide for the records of at
tendance. of the game killed by the viii
lage hunters. of the weather. and also
OF the amount of paper, pencils and
books to be used.
This school is governed by the mayor.
who has three police officers. One is
a truant officer. one a health officer and
another the monitor of the kinder
garten. One of the police officers is
always present in the school room, and
this is so during the recess and after
hours, when the schoolhouse is used
that the republic has done a great deal
Of good.
similar enthusiastic report comes
from kivalina, where they have
peace officers. two health officers and
two commissioners of work. The term
of Office lasts for two months. The
teacher there says that the peace Of
as the children are good and spend
much of their time in outdoor sports
The health officers watch over the
cleanliness of all the children in the
village: They make every one clean
himself of vermin, and when a new
child comes to school he is taken to
the bathroom where his hair is combed
and his body rigidly inspected. He is
made TO wash his face and hands. and
IL his clothing is dirty he is sent home
to have it washed or changed. The
commissioners of work do the hard
labor of the school. They take care
of the fires, sweep the schoolroom and
bring in ice and snow for the bath
tank. They can call upon other chill
dren to help them, but they are
responsible for the work and do it well.
X X
Kivalina has q town council, and this
is SO OF nearly all of the Eskimo VIII
lagos in the far north. The council
Of Kivalina is composed of five men,
Three are old Eskimos, and the other
two are younger men who can read, write
and speak English. This council takes
charge of all matters relating to the
village. including food and fuel. Last
sufficient; this summer. under the drec-
ton OF the council, driftwood was
brought down on RATS from a beach
twenty miles away, and a municipal
Woodpile large enough for next winter
was built. The council is now con-
sidering the supply of dried fish for
next season, and it will establish munic-
ipal fish traps along the rivers
The Eskimo town at Noatak, which
is on the Noatak river, some distance
above kotzebue sound in Arctic Alaska,
has government consisting of five
the people. 1t has also peace ofiicers
who are annually elected. These men
have charge OF the order Of the village,
and they have kept liquor from coming
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-01-28

view of travellers on the electric cars
running to Great Falls is a family
burying ground in which many of the
Wrenns and some of their neighbors
rest and in which single tall marble
monument stands. This monument is a
conspicuous landmark between those
little stations called Chesterbrook and
Ell Nido.
The Wrenn family is an old one in
Fairfax county. Thomas Wrenn was
born on his fathers place and died
there in the T0's-the Rambler be-
lieves in the early 7o's-at the age of
eighty years. No monument marks the
grave of him and his wife. Their head
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-01-28

chief meeting place of the people, and
in many cases they come to the teacher
to settle their troubles. Children are
taught that they must not swear. nor
use vulgar language. They are shown
the bad effects of drink and are not al
lowed to use tobacco in school, This is
a great reform. Tobacco has always
been common among the Eskimos. The
custom was brought in by the whalers,
and the people are so addicted to the
use of the weed that it was formerly a
rarity to find a child over ten years of
ago who did not smoke. chew or SNUFF.
mix their smoking tobacco with shred
ded willow pith to make it go further,
and they char the fungus of the spruce
tree and mix the powder with finely
In chewing tobacco 1t is said that
many of these people swallow their
saliva.
The use of alcoholic liquor is also
diminishing. This has been one of the
curses of these natives. The poorest
of whisky and alcohol is brought in by
the whalers and traded for furs and
whalebone. The Eskimos of the far
north learned how to distiIl alcohol
from molasses, sugar and -four. They
mixed these together with water and
boiled them in an old oil can into which
was inserted gun barrel fitted with
dough or clay to render the joints air.
tight. This gun barrel was then passed
the steam from the mixture SO that it
came out drop by drop as a crude
spirit, which was caught in a recepta-
Gle. drunken Eskimo acts like a
crazy man; and every attempt is made
to keep liquor out of the villages.
X 4
Sanitary methods are being taught by
the school teachers and doctors. The
bureau Of education has a number of
medical directors who visit the schools
and instruct the teachers how to care
for the people. There are also trained
nurses who work among the sick, and
a war is being waged against tubercu-
losis and other prevalent diseases.
There are now fourteen doctors and
fourteen nurses who are continually
working among these people. but the
number is not sufficient. and an appro-
priation from Congress is needed to
establish an efficient medical service.
l have been greatly interested in the
school republics, which have been
established all along the coast OF the
found in the Seward peninsula and in
the Yukon and Kuskokwim basins
There is one at Wainwright. between
Icy cape and Point Barrow. which has
enacted its own school laws and gov
ems the school under the teacher. All
are eligible for membership. The Of
ficers consist of a president. mayor and
judge. each with term of one month
There is council. which meets every
Friday afternoon. At this the presi-
dent takes the chair and laws are en-
acted. No bill can become law with
out it is passed By the council and In
signed by the mayor.
Among the laws are: "No citizen
shall speak Eskimo in the schoolroom