Evening star., 1926-06-13
Local Stage Was War Barometer
When y. c.. Was Center of Conflict
in W1ich He Served the

National has been an especial pet of
the Goddess of Fortune. Fate could
destroy 1t, but it's good luck ever re-
manned. HIere is an optimist who
seems to think bad fire good luck)
During all its existence for over half
a century, no person was ever killed
or injured within it's walls. Once inside
its doors, every life was u charmed
one; neither flood nor fire could harm
it,"
1 think that at the time of the fire
q company had come from New York
to play a spectacle called Olympic
Devils" and that the scenery of that
piece was burned and the company
broke. The following card was in the
National Intelligencer February 3.
1856: 1.-THE actors and actresses, suf-
ferers by the fire on Friday evening,
appeal in their emergency to the gen
erosity Of the public, asking a favor
able response to their invitation on
Tuesday evening. at Odd Fellows Hall.
when All attractive entertainment will
be given, and n good opportunity for
rendering material aid and comfort to
many who We're in a moment renderede
destitute of their all
r 4 X
7 EFT me take this page from the old
- little book: For six years the dis
mantled walls of the National were all
that remained TO mark its site. For
couple of years after its destruction
there was n financial depression that
swept the country. No profession
feels hard times so severely as the
dramatic. and when people are forced
10 economize they always commence
with dispensing with their amuse
ments. Another fact initiated against
the erection Of the National. The pres
idential election was rapidly approach
ing, and the sectional bitterness that
was smoldering between North and
South threatened soon to break into
open flame. In that case, capitalists
feared that Washington would be the
bone of contention between the two
contestants, and it would suffer the
fate of a conquered city. in other
words, the National Capital was too
close to the border of the slave States
to be secure and safe, and the prop
erty owners were very near a panic.
and never were real estate and houses
SO cheap as during the three years
preceding the Civil War. In 1853, 80
and 81 building operations were
almost at stands.ill. every one was
uncertain of the Capitals future, and
so among the thousands of eligible
building situations in the city that
remained unimproved the National
was one of them.
AT the threshold of the Civil War,
people were too much excited TO at
tend mimic representation, when the
curtain was slowly rolling up on a
stage that was a continent, whose
actors were nation and the scenes
and tableauX were sieges and battles.
fearfully realistic. The frst year of
the conflict the Capital was in con
stant danger of conquest, and the
booming of the Southern cannon at
Munsons Hill, but a few miles away
sounded a warning menace that pre-
vented any building enterprise in the
city.
Another year passed; all was
changed: events succeeded each other
so rapidly in the war period that I'm
possibilities became facts. \ mighty
army protected the National Capital,
an army whom the people looked upon
as invincible; money was SO plentiful
that it foated everywhere. and now
that Washington was safe and the
headquarters Of a mighty Nation en-
gagged in war, and filled with the civil
and military agents of the Govern
ment, all flush of funds. the city
jumped upward in population and
wealth like the towns of rich min
ing camp. Real estate made the for
tunes of those who early invested in
it, and trebled in value in a few
months. In these war times the craV-
ing for excitement became chronic,
the people and the soldiers wanted to
be amused, the horrors around them
demanded an antidote. and conse-
quently the houses of amusement were
packed.
I'm the meantime the property had
passed through several hands. and q
portion of the ground now occupied
by the theater buildings had been sold
to Allison Nailor. The board of man.
ayers had changed in several respects,
and among those participating on one
side or another in the various deeds
of trust were Thomas j. Semmes, W.
d. Davidge, J. 3. II. Smith. William
II. Winder. Anthony Hyde. Thomas r.
Sutor. James A. and John T. Lehman.
A decree of sale was made by the
Equity Court. June 13. 1856, and w. ID.
Davidge and Charles Wallach We're
made trustees. No sale was made.
however, at that time. and on the
breaking out of the war Mr.. Wallach
went South. Mr.. John F. Ennis was
substituted in his place as trustee and,
in 1868. Messrs. Davidge and Ennis
sold the entire property to w. E.
Spaulding and w. w. Rapley for
$35, ,100."
The theater was opened as Growers
Theater, Tuesday evening, April 90.
1862. / find that date on the program
and In my previous ramble on Grover.
You saw that the history of the thea.
ter gave the date of sale to Spaulding
and Rapley as 1863. Just little dis
agreement which may be composed.