Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-10-07
14TH STREET LAND
ONCE | MILL AF0OT
Oldest Inhabitants Hear His.
toric Tales at Monthly
Meeting.

In these days of high real estate
values it is interesting to know that
a little more than sixty years ago
ground in the vicinity of 14th and U
streets sold for / mill per foot, or
ten feet for cent
| This was one of a number of his
/ torical facts brought out by members
| of the Association of Oldest In
habitants of the District of Colum bia
at their monthly meeting in Union
engine house. 18th and H streets, last
dent. presided.
! John B. Mccarthy told his fellow
members that he was returning from
a rabbit hunt one day about the
year 1855, when he saw the property
sold on the auction block at the price
| mentioned. Mr.. Mccarthy said the
auctioneer told those assembled he
was going to sell the land by the
| foot because the day has passed
when real estate in cities can be sold
| by the acre"
| Color Of LincOIn's Eyes.
| DIR. William Tindall told the asso-
| citation he believes he has learned
definitely, after much inquiry, that
| Abraham Lincoln had dark gray eyes.
This prompted Mr.. Mccarthy to state
| that he is convinced, after thorough
| research, that Thomas Jefferson had
red hair. despite the statement in
many books that he was a blonde.
Joseph l. Keefer asked his fellow
| members to assist him in verifying
story he heard recently that Abraham
Lincoln was once fired upon while rid
| ing by cemetery. at 14th and streets,
! on his way to the Soldiers Home, the
| bullet passing through his high hat. DR..
| Benjamin w. Sunny expressed doubt
| that such an incident occurred, in view
i of the fact that a detachment of cavalry
always rode behind the Presidents car
riage en- route to the Soldiers Home.
, Pen Sketches Presented.
Capt George w. Evans presented the
association with pen sketches of Lincoln
and Theodore Roosevelt, each accom-
panied by a eulogy from the pen of
/ former Secretary of the Interior Frank
| lin K. Lane
B. E. Kelley, 5514 Caroline place. Po-
tomac Heights, presented photograph
of the old Lincoln Hall. at 9th and d
| streets. which was destroyed by fire De-
| cember 5, 1886.
| Ohio freight depot, which stood on the
square bounded by list and End, and
C streets, was given the association by
Gustav Weight, 500 It'll street.
| At the suggestion of Albion K. Par
iris, the association decided to send a
membership blank to each member of
the organization with the request that
| he bring a new member at the next
Meeting. The plan ~ns endorsed by
several members.
Discuss Anniversary Plans.
| The association discussed plans for
! it's fifty-fifth anniversary meeting, to
be held December Z.
Mr. Mccarthy recommended that an
inside stairway connecting the two
| floors of the engine house be built.
At present it is necessary to go out
side to get from the upper to he
| lower floor. The question was refer
| red to committee. August Hartman.
2O9 K street northeast, and Harry o.
Bailey, S14 5th street northeast. were
admitted members.
John Clagett Proctor read paper
| on the history of the German Ian
guage in the public schools of the Dis
! trict. When he had concluded Mr..
Paris took the opportunity to assert
that he is opposed to reinstating the
language in the public schools.
Source Of Contention.
Mr.. Proctor's paper said that from
the time of the introduction of Ger
man into the curriculum of the pub
lie schools it had been a source of
argument and contention, and after
fbeing taught for time in the gram
mar schools it was abandoned for
several years until taken up later in
| the high schools. The first authorize
ton for teaching German in the Dis
trict public schools was passed in