The Washington herald., 1919-02-23

- While in company with a member
of Congress who was proceeding to
The Capitol the other day. l halted
him at Second street and Pennsyl-
Vsnia avenue. and. pointing to tht
middle of the roadway OF SeconC
street where it inteIseCts the avenue
said:
There is the location of one of my
fayOrite angling spots in the long
ago."
He seemed surprised and urged me
TO tell how as lad of Il l had caught
many a string of catfish and reaches
trom my perch on the Second street
Bridge, as the boys termed II.
/ pointed out the course Of the IL
ber. now arched over and performing
sanitary duty as a subterranean sew
er. and explained where. after flowing
beneath the Botanic Garden. it con-
meets with the James Creek Canal, al
most within a pistols shot of the
Capitol. He was much interested in
the pictures of the past and made nu-
meTous inquiries concerning old
Washington.
There was another arch bridge
across the Tiber at Indiana avenue.
near First street Between the two
bridges and further north it was an
open stream flowing through a de-
preston or gully. Between the arches
the boys employed seines made from
mosquito netting to capture the small
fishes and ees, for in those days the
Youngsters regarded eels as members
Of the reptile family, or as Buck hel-
cher expressed it. they were second
cousins of the snake" In the winter
these open spaces were filled by skat-
ers and many Jolly ice carnivals were
held in the former lowlands. lonS
since filled and now occupied by mod
cTn structures.
The close of the civil war found the
streets OF the city in wretched cOndi-
tion and covered thiCkly with dust.
The only buildings about the west
front of the Capitol grounds were sew
eral squatty. ill-constructed frame
dwellings grouped between First and
Second streets. Pennsylvania avenue
and & street. The boys Of that neigh
horhoOd formed band known as the
Capitol Scouts" with Lum Swigert
as the leader. One of the principal
pastimes of the scouts" was to camp
out overnight in some obscure locality.
One Of their camps l recall was on a
broad common between Second and
southeast. bout where the Grant row
Of large buildings now stand. Later
small frame chapel was erected in
the center Of the commons and occu-
pied as the first place OF worship by
the st. Marks Protestant Episcopal
congregation. I am informed l re-
member the little church in a minia-
ture wilderness where love apples"
and jimsOn weeds grew in abundance
Il was here the boys pitched their
tents constructed from blankets.
sheets. cOunteTpanes and carpets pur-
I0ined from their homes After the
tapitOl Hill boys had descended upon
the scouts" in force and the latter
were routed in a stone battle they
came to the decision that Capitol Hill
was not a desirable camping ground
Later camps were pitched in the
woods beyond UniOntown. now Ana
costa. and in the fields across the
historic old Long Bridge. Occasionally
One-night camps were pitched on the
circus grounds. then in that section of
the mall between Four-and-a-Halr
and Sixth street. Maine and Missouri
avenues northwest. These grounds
were enclosed by high board fence
and creek flowed through the CEN
ter.
Fifty years aSo Missouri avenue.
between Third and Sixth streets. now
sometimes referred to as Misery ave
nue.. was an exclusive residential
section in which were located the
homes Of some of the best and most
influential families OF the District
Many Of the buildings remain as land
marks Of Washington society OF long
ago These eTstwhile centers of social
activities are now mostly occupied
- ten"ments BY people OF many races
and colors. Many men afterwards
prominent in local and national affairs
gre" to manhood on select old Mis-
souri, avenue OF yesterday.