Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-26

never saw a bob-tailed street car and
there are ever many who never
n saw the old st. Cloud Building at
Ninth and streets, where the Wash
ington Loan & Trust Building now stands. To
many this vicinity has changed but little, but
to others who look at it as it appeared half a
century more ago, it has changed conSid-
erably and conditions have changed whole
lot, too
Recently the writer was given by John B.
Iarner a view of Ninth and F streets taken
about 1885, but which appears much older, and
would be regarded were it not for the fact
that the building of w. B. Moses & Sons at
F. and Eleventh streets appears in the picture,
and as the firm did not move from Seventh
street and Pennsylvania avenue to its uptown
store until that date, the photograph could not
have preceded it.
The picture was evidently taken in the busy
time of the day. for traffic seems to be moving
rapidly. The various types of wagons and
carriages then in use can be plainly seen, and
two teams just off the corner of the Patent
Office fence appear about to collide We miss
the familiar traffic cop of today at this busy
corner and disregard of present rules that is
plainly occurring along street. The Ma
sonic Temple can be plainly seen in the fore
ground to the right and in the photograph,
up toward the Tenth street corner, is an old
fashioned pump, or "one-armed BARTENDER, as
some used to call this most useful friend OF
the wayside, that so often supplied US with our
on our way feeling better and happier Though
not one ever to speak of its own importance.
yet as a temperance advocate it accomplished
more than oratory.
A T the present bank corner can be seen the
drug store of Harry Stamford, and the
sign above-to the right-that of Mum & Co,
and higher up the name of Charles j. Gooch,
also in the patent business. A familiar sign
in the middle of the block the south side
4Izak 1f 0ir1fVN
one of the early dining rooms of the city and
one of the best. It was at 922 and 924, and
was run by Charles B. Smith, and little far
ther on was later the drug store of Henry
Evans at 938 F.
AS the writer remembers the neighborhood of
Ninth and streets when boy, he recalls par
tcularly the Critic Office at Sill Ninth street
northwest where his father editor at the
time of his death The firm then consisted of
Ringwalt, Hack g. Miller.
The last named, Jacob C. Miller the founder
of the paper, died August 80, $780, The writer
recalls him as a kind-hearted man who always
remembered him with tickets every time a cir
Gus came to town For some years he lived
at 1912 Twelfth street northwest, but at the
time of his tragic death-if the writer is not
mistaken-he resided on Grant place, when he
was stricken with typhoid fever.
The Daily Critic Office, which at an earlier
date was the Chronicle Office was removed to
make way for the Gayety Theater.
In the block to the north-at 604 Ninth
street.-the recalls the Temple Cafe where the
meals were IS cents and board by the month
could be had for $40. Mrs. S. D. La Fetra, a
temperance advocate and worker, was the pro-
prietor, and the place bore excellent repu-
tation For transient guests a charge of 50
was made for room and board for one day.
Seraf1no Welati's is still in the same block after
more than half century, but its nearby neigh
Dor. Frederick Freund also a caterer and con-
fpcfi0npr Ninfh hos l0Y1o
moved away, the proprietor and his wife hav-
ing died some years ago.
Well the writer picture in his minds
eye this good old German couple resting them
selves in chairs in front Of their business house
at the close of warm, busy day. They were
real life partners and enjoyed the respect of
every one. Just above their place. at the
southwest corner of Grant place and Ninth
street was the Fourth Presbyterian Church.
This handsome house of worship, no doubt re-