The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-08-28

II tho fiction blacksmiths who ham.
mer out stirring tales of this orphan
boy who rises to fame. the adventur-
some youth who wanders afar In quest
OF thrills. the patriot who is ser,
fenced TO death and miraculously es
capes the firing squad. and the poor
lad who struggles against overwhelm
ing odds to get an education. ever run
short of material, all that they will
have to do il to- take q hasty glance
at the biographies Of a half dozen or
so of the leading citizens OF Wash
tpgton.
Ono Glance Enough.
; A glance will be sufficient. The
fiction boys won't find 1t necessary to
tax their overworked imaginations
even the tiniest little bit. For Wash
inGton has within It's boundaries the
finest collection Of persons with mo
teoric careers that any writer Of son
sational novels could hope to hear
about.
Here's q bit of the evidence. Did
you know that
The head OF q local express com.
pany escaped from an orphan
asylum where he had been placed.
and after a relentless search OF
seventeen years. succeeded In find
ing his mother, Of whom he had
only the faintest recollection2
Ono Of tho best-known physicians
in Washington attended night
school for thirteen years and drove
a fish wagon In an effort to make
enough money to pay for an edu-
cation?
The head Of two Of tho principal
taxicab companies started life az Q
railroad engine wiper7
The proprietor Of one OF the best
known hotels here once was q
street car conductor and later .
waiter7
The foremost mining engineer in
Washington once was sentenced to
death for insurre,<lon and paid
Sl2b.ooo to get out of the jail
house.
One Of the leading music store
proprietors here has specimens OF
every type Of piano keyboard made
since 1850. which goes back a few
years before the time Of birth of
most Washingtonians?
The father Of one Of tho city's
most distinguished experts on in
scots actually discovered the prin-
ciple of the magnetic telegraph, for
which Samuel Morse got all the
credit?
One Of the best-known woman
explorers living here has followed
the Footsteps of Christopher Column
bus wherever he went in Europe
and America?
These are Just a few SAMPLES A.
some OF the colorful careers, detailed
sketches OF which are to be found ir
Who's Who In the Nations Capital,
q orand.new publication which cam,
OH the press yesterday, compiled anc
suited by a group of young Wash
inston newspaper men.
Full OF Information.
The volume is Just chock full O,
curious bits OF information and freak
1acts regarding the prominent mer
ana women OF the Capital.
For instance, there is William r
GUIDE. the florist and well-known civic
leader. He has countless claims tc
distinction. but did not know that he
was the champion Joiner" of the Dis
trict7 Mr.. GUIDE belongs to forty-eiz
dirferent Observation-Disclosures, civic
ana fraternal. How would you like tc
pay dues to that string of organiza
tons? Mr.. GUIDE must get bills until
he grows faint. You've heard the pop
ular song, Mary, Mary Is a Grand
Old Name" Well, the guy who wrote
that song probably knew what ne was
writing about. Who's Who" makes
plain. The mothers OF more than hall
OF the prominent Washington men and
women whose names appear in the
BOOK bore the name Of Mary.
Men whose wives are continually
nagging them about going to church
VIII appreciate the truly remarkable
record OF the Rev. Isaac oliver Baker
pastor OF the Lutheran Church of the
Atonement. During the forty years OF
PASTORAL work since DIR. Baker was or
dained. he has missed only two church
services. and on those two occasions
he was sick.
Every time DR.. Baker does some
thing he counts 1t. He knows exactly
how many times he has done every
thing worth while. He informs the
world through Who's Who" that his
record up to press time was as fol
lows: Nine hundred and twenty per
sons baptized. 1.20l persons confirmed
and AT couples united in holy wed
lock DIR. Baker has said Dust to
dust at 432 funerals, has delivered
$500 sermons Qength not recorded
has made $500 mid-week addresses
and has given 537 talks.
Like Dime Novel.
As romantic as a dime novel is the
life story Of William Van Ness. pro
prietor Of the Chevy Chase Express
Company, who can furnish fiction writ
ers with a plot for an orphan boy
novel. His father died when he was
baby and at the age of four the
child was placed in an orphans home
In Kansas A year later he was adopt.
ed by family in Illinois. He was
outrageously abused, in true story
book fashion. and he ran away to Mis-
souri,, where he lived for seven years.
At the age OF nineteen he became an
apprentice blacksmith and wheel
wright. All this time he was searching
In vain for his mother, whom he had
not seen since babyhood, and OF whom
he had only very faint recollection.
After relentless search of seventeen
years he succeeded in finding her at
Dodge City, Kan.
John ]. Boobar, general mana, ,er
Of the Terminal Taxicab Company
and the Yellow Cab Company. prob
ably deserves the gold medal as
Washington's leading Jack Of ali
trades" Boobar's career reads like
n cataloprie Of "beIp wopted'' oda