Evening star., 1924-12-14

"HE Rambler believes that some
records of old business fam
lilies of Washington may in
terest you He would define
an old business family as one
which has been in business in Wash
ington for so years. He will tell you
Of family firms that have served you
and that YOU and your family have
served for more than so years, and
perhaps he will tell you of some fam
ily-firms that have not been in busi-
ness here quite half Il century, but
which surely have their place among
the historic business houses of the
District.
The Rambler cannot hope that, un-
aided by you. he will recall all note
worthy associations of these old
firms. He could not do that II he
should devote all his leisure to it, and,
just between ourselves, the Rambler
confesses that in this age of happy
distractions and diversions there are
many things he likes better than to
! write. With 50 much going on in the
air, i'll the motion picture houses, in
crossword puzzles, on the dancing
floors, and with all the joys Of the
bowling alleys in full swing. the
Rambler finds it easy to keep him
self interested in everything except
journalism, but he would not have
you mention this to the editor.
With your permission, or perhaps
without it, we will turn for a short
time from ancient dwellings and
those who lived In them to venerable
business houses and those that built
them and those that maintain them.
With your cooperation, we ought to
make an interesting set of stories.
Generally, when a man calls for CO.
operation he is trying to get some
other fellow to do all the work. but
believe me, dear readers-half MIL
lion strong--the Rambler promises to
do his share of this job. And per-
haps he will keep the promise
When j got this idea of writing of
the old business families the family
firms that came to mind were e. &.
Droop & Sons Co., Lansburgh & Bro,
w E. Moses & Sons, William Ballan-
tyne & Sons, Topham's trunk manu-
factory. j. j. Kaufman, Saks & Co.,
! Woodward & Lothrop, Gait & Bro.
W. NJ. Gait 6 Co. the Palais Royal
and the Hecht Company. There is no
doubt that names of other old Wash
ington business firms will come to
your memory and mine.
thought of the Droop and Lans-
burgh firms because Eddie Droop-
beg your pardon, Eddie-Mr. Edward
II. Droop, and Carl Droop and Henry
(Call me Henry) Lansburgh were my
| friends when horse cars were running
on the Avenue; when Glymont was
one of the great Summer resorts of
! the world; when the Mary Washing
ton was the pride of the Potomac;
| when statesmen sat on the sidewalk
under elm trees in front of the Will
lard and had the bartender serve
them there; when the busiest of the
BUSINESS men of the Avenue and F
street would, in Summer and between
sales. sit on the sidewalk in front Of
| their stores, and when a girl thought
she was having a wild, swell time.
and talked about it for two weeks, If
| her beau took her home from the
National Theater in hack and
stopped at George Harvey's for half
a dozen fried oysters. The Rambler
thought of the trunk factory because
he has known Washington Topham
since the days of yore. or even before
| that time, and because Mr.. Topham
comes to The Star Building now and
then to tell the Rambler. that his
rambles are worth reading-some-
! times.
!; !; < !,
THE Rambler got the strange idea