Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-06

taken from the roof of the Moses Buildir
of course the Corcoran Building at the south
east corner of Fifteenth and streets.
OF the modern, pioneer street merchants,
w. B. Moses & Sons, who moved to their pres
ent quarters in 1885, were among the first, and
the Sun Building. between Thirteenth and
Fourteenth, and the Mertz Building at the
northwest corner of Eleventh and streets were
amcng the earliest Of the modern buildings
along this busy tlioroughfare. ......
ITO this account Of street. the writer wishes
to add an unusually interesting letter he
recently received from Miss Louisa S. Weight
man. IS years young" last February the daugh-
ter of r. Hanson Weightman and granddaugh-
ter of Roger Chew Weightman, mayor of Wash
ington many years ago. We do not usually find
such alert minds as Miss Weightman's at her
advanced years. Her letter follows
TO me, perhaps the most interesting section
Of The Sunday Star is the article by John
Clagett Proctor In which each week he deals
with the long ages of some section of our
city.
Il suppose there are many Of our readers Who
like myself, have lived most of their lives, in
Washington and can look back over a long
life with very tender memories of the old days.
my memory goes back 81 years, as I do not
remember much Of the first four years of my
life. Mr.. ProctOrS letter Of August IL interests
me greatly, because I lived in so long, and
knew SO well the neighborhood Of Ninth and
F streets.
MY first eight years were spent in the home
Of my maternal grandfather, Richard S. Coke.
who resided in the house now the Y w. c. A.
building on E street, between Sixth and
Seventh The house belonged to Mr. Joseph
Mcguire, who later moved into it and built
wing to accommodate his pictures, said to be
the choicest. though not the largest collection
In the city at that time. This house is on an
alley and down that alley was pump of fine
water. This pump had two immense iron
handles, one inside for family use, the other
outside for the neighborhood, thus alluring
~ them to get water without coming into our
yard.
Il do not remember much, or indeed any
OF the large buildings accompanying the four
corners of Ninth and r streets, except, of
course. the Patent Once, ut that time a much
smaller building, since the east and west wings
had not been built. At that time the building
was largely given over to the Museum" where
stuffed birds and bird eggs were the delight
Of my childish heart -
Il remember the block Of F. street between
Eighth and Ninth as occupied by rather small
memory. AN.. -. ..~.. g.. :.
THE shoe store Of q Mr.. Creaser-who was
= q real shoemaker and a very good one.
SsNJEXT to Mr. Creaser's stood little house
and would like to know who else of
my generation remembers it.
1t was a little school kept by an old lady
named Peckham, who lived there with her
maiden daughter, Miss Abbie' 1t really was a
tiny house. small parlor occupied the 'front.'
This parlOr we children were sometimes allowed
TO peep into. ,'..'>.''. So ....-.
"Then came the schoolroom, also small. It
was heated In Winter by q small wood stove.
At the one window stood q desk at which three
could sit to write. Around the room were little
benches on which those sat who were not
engaged in writing. Also there were two little
stools, Mrs. Peckham called them 'crickets' on
which, as special favor, we might sit at her
feet.
Back of the schoOlroom was the kitchen
and then the garden, and still marvel at the
numbers of flowers that tiny yard produced
when very good we were allowed to walk
up and down and admire the magnifcence of
that garden.
There were no classes Each child had its
own lesson, so no one was kept back by lazier
mates. If we missed word in spelling we
took our book and studied some more-and
Mrs. Peckham always began again at the be-
ginning-so there was mo chance of a word
properly spelled by accident.
Il, myself, and probably others, commenced
our education at 3h years, and by the time
we were six we were good spoilers and readers.
"The curriculum included arithmetic up to
simple division geography and Peter Bailey's
History Of the United StateS-then we were