Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-06
Attorney Darr Recalls Early
Days in Address to
Oldest inhabitants.

Pays Tribute 10 N0yes.
Mr. Darr paid tribute to Theodore w.
Moves. president Of the association, for
his leadership in the movement for
national representation. The speaker
predicted that all Of lis will enjoy the
fruits of the sacrifices he is making"
Especially. he said. would the vote be
enjoyed by the natives of the District
of Columbia.
The meeting was featured by inter-
esting "reminiscences by Mr.. Darr in
his address, and by other members of
the association.
Mr.. Darr recalled when Washington
was a city of $4,000. but said that now
that 1t had a population of 100000,
with a police force of 1900 or 1900,
which is not enough to enforce law
and order, which is unable to patrol
the city and maintain order; we are
really and truly a great city"
The snow carnival, which formerly
was held on Pennsylvania avenue, was
recalled by the speaker.
The suggestion was advanced by Mr..
Darr that the association should sponsor
a big meeting to give demonstration
of the strength of the native born, and
the genuine WashingtonianS who had
lived here for many years. Mr.. Moves,
as chairman, recalled that the last
CENSUS SuOWcQ LIE WAHcS
here numbered 10000.
Formed Press Clubs.
In referring to the days of the boy
publishers, Mr.. Darr said there had
been formed THE Fossils Club"
group of the boys who published their
little newspapers. Another organization
of them, he said, had been the National
Amateur Press Association"
He recalled when the Jail was located
on Judiciary Square and when it was
today.
The dream Of childhood that their
school would burn down so they would
not have to go to school was related by
Mr.. Darr to have come true partly,
when the school at Seventh and G
streets burned But they then had to
go to school elsewhere, he said. Miss
Molly Kelly. the teacher of that school.
he said, was now living at the Rocham-
beau Apartment.
One of the features of the evening
program was a paper of "reminiscences
written by George Jacob Davis of
Franklin Park Apartments. member
of the association confined by illness
to his home. 1t was read by Washing
ton Topham, chairman of the enter
tainment committee Among Mr.. Davis
recollections of early days, he said. the
following three incidents engraved on
my memory, have been the most lasting
of all:
of the Goddess of Liberty an hour be-
fore it was placed on the body Of the
Goddess. the placing OF which l
witnessed:
"2. Riding on the first car operated
in washington from First street and
PENNSYLVANIA avenue to Fifteenth street
and return to starting point free OF
charge.
"3. A few days before President Lin
coin was the second time inaugurated,
he was buying the last hat he ever
wore and while doing so he laid his
hand on my head and asked me If I
was a good boy. OF course, I said Yes,
sir but my father told him only when
I was asleep, and the President had a
good laugh.
Tried Hats Of Great.
''I have tried on hats that had been
worn by the following prominent men:
Daniel Webster, Calhoun. Clay, Jeffer-
son Davis, Buchanan, johnson, BeEja-
min Harrison, Arthur. Grant, Colfax
Evarts, Lincoln, Douglas, Stanton. A. H
Stevens. Thad Stevens and others
cannot now recall.
Previous to the war the city had It's
gangs of boys. few Of which we're
the G street Pigs, F street BOOSTERS.
Seventh street Rangers, Northern
Liberty, First Ward, Navy Yard, Swan
poodle. Island Crowd and Virginia
gangs. and we were always having stone
battles.
"At election times I saw q good many
roitS. The most notable at Seventh and
xr,taA t11n
Baltimore Pluguglies came over with
cannon and faced the Washington
crowd placed on the northeast corner
OF Seventh and K streets. The author
tiles were unable to cope with the situa-
ton, so the Federal Government ordered
out the Marines. The officer read the
riot act, ordered them to dispense, but
the Marines were hooted. I was up a
tree. The Marines fired on the mob
I afterward went into the market and
viewed the men that had been killed by
the Marines"
Tells Of Military Orga nizations.
Mr.. Davis also told Of his part in the
reorganization of military companies. in
which his father, Col James Y. Davis,
had a prominent role. Having reor-
gained before the -Civil-War militia"
he said, and the militia of Washington
being included in the regiment that
went to the Spanish-American War,
1898, it thereby became a part of the
National Guard, so / can claim to be
the cause Of the District of Columbia
having National Guard. Many Of the
men that l drilled became officers, and
went to Cuba. also to France"
Mr.. Davis said he had seen the in
auguration OF all Presidents from
Pierce up to Warren G. Harding.
Referring to the gangs of boys men
toned by Mr.. Davis, James r. Duhamel
recalled that the Northern Liberty
boys, located on I street between Sixth
and Seventh, had two great ambitions,
neither one of which was ever satisfied
to steal billygoat from Swampoodle
and TO dig up a corpse from a grave
yard on Fourteenth street and get
human skull"
Fred Emery recalled early days of the
horse car in Washington, and predicted
that with the present growth the city
should reach a million population in
1945.
Others who participated in the remi-
niscences were j. Eliot Wright, Henry
l.. Bryan and Percy B. Israel.
Albion K. Paris submitted In writing
his resignation from the auditing COM
mittee. which was accepted.
Washington Topham reported prog
ress on plans for July exercises.
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