Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-17

who can recall when ODD Fellows
Hall on Seventh street northwest was
one of our most interesting show
places for freaks and the like and
for the playing of the lighter dramas and
melodramaS then SO popular on the local stage.
OF course those who attended these perform
ances earlier than the eighties must be hover
ing around the ffties, and perhaps consider
ably older If they could be Induced to tell their
right age, for the style of play or exhibition
as the case might have been, appealed not
only to the children of that day but to- their
parents and the grown-ups as well.
However it is hard to judge persons age
around so, and if they can pass off for 40, as
many are able to, it indicates good, sober and
clean living, and proper amount OF atten-
ton to work. and If they can remember Odd
Fellows Hall and few other things, so much
the better for having taken care of them
selves.
So far as the writer is concerned he does not
particularly care who knows how old he Is,
since the date of his birth has been published
20 many times that it would be ridiculous for
him to deny it even If he cared to do So and
furthermore he is married and does not expect
to be married again, so he can unhesitatingly
admit seeing nearly all the freaks that were
ever exhibited at this old Seventh street hali,
Is well as numerous little sob plays performed
there by local amateurs and by professional
talent
Well does he recall the enormous and beautiful
chandeliers, with their thousands of glass
prisms refiecting all the colors OF the rainbow
from the many gas jets used to light up the
hall before the days of the electric light What
a glorious recollection for one to retain for
full half century! Some few people are buying
up these old fixtures, as they are still being
removed from old structures and placing them
In more modern houses, and 1t is what the
writer calls good taste and judgment for them
to do so, for nothing to him by way of modern
artificial light decoration is near beautiful as
those old massive hanging chandeliers
odd FELLOWS HALL. What memories the
old place awakensl Here were performed
many of the early temperance plays of the
style Of "Ten Nights in a Barroom." One
dedicated to Father Matthews of old st. Pat
rick's Church is advertised in The Star OF
January, 1875 and it was good that it ran
for a week or more when it had been billed
for shorter stay. The announcement ap-
pealed to the writer. and he copied it that
The Stars readers might share in the enjoy
ment Of reading it, too. So here it Is:
"oDD FELLOWS HALL.
~1875. A New Year Festival 1875.
Friday and Saturday Afternoon and
Nights.
Return to Washington of the emf
nent artists, Rose and Harry Watkins,
and the wonderful child actress and
songstress, Little Amy Lee, in grand
moral drama, entitled,
".HIs WORST ENEMY, OR THE
ANGEL CHILD
dedicated to the memory of Father
Matthews, the great apostle of temper
ance and the Good TemplarS of America.
This powerful play has met with ex-
traOrdnary success throughout the
country, and is faithful picture OF the
times we live in depicting the political
and social aspects of our national life,
kf1n~ fVN
of society.
Admission so cents and 25 cents; re-
served seats, rs centS-to be had at Ellis
Music Store on and after Wednesday
morning."
Following on the heels of this came Blind
Tom the celebrated Negro boy pianist and
vocalist, who always applauded himself even
If no one else did, which of course was seldom
the case and then perhaps sandwiched in be-
tween the more serious performances came
troupe of athletes, and the man who played
on the musical glasses such exquisite pieces as
ct Wander Today Ger the Hills, Maggie" to
be followed later on by the ever-popular Uncle
Toms Cabin" whose pathetic parts have
brought tears to the eyes of many sympa-
thetic attendant
Though it has been many years since the
writer witnessed this dramatization of Har-
Tiet Beecher Stoves great slavery story, yet
he has not forgotten the lump that then
swelled in his throat and the copious tears he
shed when little Eva, In her dying hours, sang
"Uncle Tom, oh, make him free, papa, promise
this to me-" nor the lawyer whose name was
Marks, and Simon Legree. as well as Topsy.
who lust grew; poor old Uncle Tom and
Eliza, who made her thrilling escape over the
scenic cakes of ice, followed by "ferocious'
bloodhound.
Indeed it is undoubtedly true that this play
had a powerful influence in tanning into flame
the smolderng embers of secession in the
South and the forming of the Confederate