Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-10-19
Heard and Seen

4 Washington family has hand
some portrait of Bishop Asbury.
whose memorial was dedicated here
last week, with President Coolidge
attending
The equestrian statue of the first
Methodist bishop stands at Sixteenth
and Mount Pleasant streets and looks
over the city to the south. straigbt
down at the White House.
The portrait of Bishop Asburv
hangs in the dining room of the
nome mentioned. squarely facing the
very small daughter of the house.
Inc oishop is shown in a thought
tui pose, with y Bible held in his
hand' his fingers being inserted be-
tween the leaves about midway, so
that the volume appears divided in
two parts.
The child was observed to be nav
ing more than usual attention TO the
portrait for several days last week
FINALLY, one dinner time. she suddenly
asked:
Why has the bishop two slices of
bread?'
Why. what do you mean, dear"
asked her mother
1 want TO know why he has those
two slices of bread in his hand"
SO came the opportunity to explain
that the bishop held the true bread
of life in his hands.
Upper Sixteenth street has seen q
marvellous development within the
past 20 years. Today thousands of
automobiles whirl along the broad
way, past stately mansions and
apartment houses.
Then. clay banks and empty fields
n ;N~
scape. u street was the stopping
point of the old herdics, horse-drawn
forerunners of the modern bus
Above u street there was not much
of anything except Henderson's cas-
tie, as the residence of Mrs. John
b. Henderson was known to all.
The east side of Sixteenth street,
across from the castle, was f1anked
by very high and steep cliffs, adown
which the children slid.
Some negro families lived up in
that general direction. There was
one group of colored boys known as
the "Hatchets." from the popularity
of formation of their shin bones
The '.Hatchets" were the terror of
the small white boys of lower Six
teenth street, that is, the portion
below u street. After one grows up
it is difficult to recall the mixture of
by the gangs"
Small boys playing in those days
would look up to see the terrible
"Hatchet gang" bearing down upon
them. Then would come a Scurying
to cover as the ''Hatchets" began to
throw stones
Missiles would reply TO missiles. 1t
seemed, to the participants, that II
veritable battle was raging. although
as matter of fact older people going
along the sidewalks probably did not
see much amiss.
One of the charms of visiting the
Zoo by way of Sixteenth street was
in running the gantlet of the
'HatchetS' 1t was d red-letter day
when one of these dark foemen was
given a tremendous crack on the
head with rock.
To reach the Zoo 1t was necessary
to cross fields to get to SNAKE roau,
as it was called by the children then,
Quarry road. as it is known today
The serpentine designation was
given because Of the twisting and
winding of the thoroughfare. One
Of the ambitions of youth was to be
able to walk down this steep place
without allowing the knees to bend.
At one point along Snake road
there was house, probably one OF
those still there, where a fierce dog
usually ran out at one. He acted AZ
If he were the guardian to the other
animals one was to see soon.
Yes, there has been a very great
change in upper Sixteenth street dur
ing the past 20 years or so.
CHARLES L. TRACEWELL