The Washington times., 1922-06-25

square ON Seventh street north.
west that was later occupied by
the old Postcffics Departmeat.
The Government bought II from
Blodset and the Thirteenth Cor
sress held q session In Il after the
Capitol was burned BY the British.
There was also the Little Hotel.
ersctsd IN 1875. II had . very suc-
oessfui carceer. The most popular
hotel in Washington In those days.
however. was the Metropolitan"
which stood on the site of the
present Metropolitan. at sixth
street and .Pennsyivsnia avenue.
Jesse Brown was the joviai iard-
lord. and he was known Tar ind
wids for his genial personaii,y.
Brown carried the story Of Capt.
John Smith and Pocahontas
around with him and was forever
reading It. His admiration for
the Indian princess was 20 great
that he changed the hotels name
to the indian Queen" and over
the doorway he hung . gaudy
painting Of the princess.
= Browns prices were very low
in comparison 20 present-day
standards. One dollar paid for
three meals with liquors and for
26 cents one could secure . good
room for the night An old din.
nsr-bell that could be heard all
over the city called the Congress-
msn and the politically great to
their meals. and they liked the
genial host.
washington, was doubtless q
very ugly city. but there was
nothing slow. about It In the social
way. Everyone who counted
themselves anything. lived in the
Court or western end Of the
city. The Presidents house was
opened day and night for any
and an who wished to call. II
was the scene Of many brilliant
balls and receptions..
The. poorer rsaidepts followed
tho examples sst By their richer
brothers and sisters. and the head
OF the house who could or would
not have at least three recep-
tons . week was ssAiy hacking
In social requirements
Those were ths days q ne
great land speculation. Parcels
Of land were sold and resold .
dozen times In the course Of
twenty-four hourA Fortunes were
made and lost over night. Gam
bling houses wsrs wide open Ths
sky was the Limit and the play
was stiff. Everybody dreamed Of
becoming millionairss and many
prominent people were rufnsd
when the crash oame. Among
them were James 0reenleaf.
Samuel Blodget, Thomas Law and
James Lincoln. Tor . brief time.
however, the people nved IN &
golden bubble. Poor Indeed was
the head Of . family who could
not gather his sons and daughters
about him In the family coach
and drive to church even though
that church was but nsxt door
to where they resided George
Washington caught the land fever
and wrote glowing isttsrs to his
friends. advising them to buy
land In Warrington .
It was not untl 1880 that the
streets OF Washington were paved.
and then II was done very cheapiy
and. very badly. There was only
one schoolhouse In the District
and that was poorly attended. On
August rs. 1895. the Washington
branch Of the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad was opened, but stage
coaches continued to come in
from the West UP until 1854. In
1S4o. the city had q population Of
23.ss4 people. In 1860 the census
gave It a population Of 61.122. In
the entire District Of Columbis
there wers then 5000 people.
In 1922 the mudhole has be-
come the inspiration Of poets, the
theme Of historians, the homo OF
the famous. and the mecca Of
people from all the quarters Of
the globe. The mudhole has como
into its own. .s