Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-22
NATIVES DESCRIBE
OLD WASHINGTON
Society Hears Interesting
Stories of Capital in
4 Civil War Times.

and in the early stages of its greater
development following the conflict be
tween the North and South were given
by four members Of the Society of
Natives of the District of Columbia
at a meeting of that organization i'll
the Washington club last night
Heading the list Of speakers, DR.
Samuel S Adams, president of the
society, told Of running home the
night President Lincoln was shot to
tell his parents the news of the great
tragedy and described events which
occurred while the city was under
martial law following the Presidents
assassination. He also recalled other
events and showed pictures taken Of
himself both when o young boy and
later when he was playing on base
ball team in 1872.
Tells of Chimney Sweeps.
The next speaker was James +.
Duhamel, treasurer Of the society,
who recalled the days when it was
the custom among observation-disclosures
to have chimney sweeps" clean out
their Chimneys at a small cost, with
the chimney sweep liable to a fine
of SIS if he set the chimney afire.
Likewise he recounted the days
when the pump doctor" was de-
pended upon to hurriedly put pumps
In shape, while those devices were
the only source of water supply for
many Of Washington's best citizens.
The oyster man, Insurance signs on
houses, showing they were insured
against fire; the soap man, who traded
bar of soap for pan of hog fat,
and other things familiar to the Cap
ital City Of the past also were referred
to by him.
Joseph Keefer recalled the time
here when it was the custom for resi-
dents TO keep boxes in front of their
houses in which to place corn shucks,
watermelon rind and other things for
horses, cattle and hogs to feed on
at night. The animals, Mr.. Keefer
said were allowed to roam the streets
pretty much at will. Mr.. Keefer
then told of the naturalization of
efforts made in President Grants adj
ministration to make Washington
bigger, better and beautiful.
Poem on Old Capital.
John Clagett Proctor, the society's
historian. who was the fourth speaker,
read a poem entitled "Old Timer,
which told Of the Washington as 1t
is remembered only by local residents
of many years ago.
Vocal solos We're rendered by Mrs.
Lottie l.. Volkmer, soloist at the Ia
koma Park Presbyterian Church, ac-
companied at the piano by Mrs. +. w.
Robinson.
DIR. Adams announced the following
committees for the ensuing year:
Membership, Albert Harper, chair
man, and Percy B. Israel, reception,
Miss Margaret Il. Forbes. chairman, to
select her assistants: entertainment,
Mrs. ZeI Weaver Oatley; ways and
means. Mrs Lewis j. Battle, chair
1s,,sA FGn
Iandvoigt. chairman. Miss Josephine
T. Jones and Mrs. Mamie h. Janney
were elected new members Of the
society.
Or. Adams, the president, who re
Gently recovered from an illness, was
given q hearty welcome when ne TOOK
the chair to preside Frank w. Dowl-
ing was in charge of serving reIfesh-
ments following the meeting.
Mr.. Proctor's poem, ''Old Timer,
Saw do Won remember Old Timer, the day
When You were quite young and your mar
How the S' cows S and the hogs ran wild through
And women me Wore dresses clean down to their
When liz Rock. in Rock Creek was our
And ho we We played hooky' its waters to
The sunday school picnic the big omnibus
liz fcrr on six horses which then carried rs
The tables they spread 50 that each one
The lreezers ii ice cream. then such big
The old-fashioned pumps and the hydrants
And the s'I ia oyster man with his bucket and
When men men all wore boots and threw boot
When none but poor people were living in
The ola National Rifles. the Light Infantry
Their chapeau4. in fancy, my eyes still can