Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-28

returned to Newark N. j.. where he established
and entered into the manufacture Of stage
coaches, omnibusses and railroad cars. Twice
his factory was burned causing great loss, and
twice he rebuilt and conquered the difficulties.
The first railway passenger coaches in New
Jersey and probably in the United States were
manufactured in his factory in New Jersey.
Years ago he met MIR. Adams, who was in
some financial trouble and he proposed to
Mr.. Adams that the latter go into the business.
Mr.. Van Derwerken built the wagons and OBJ
tanned the horses and thus advanced the means
for starting what has grown into the great
Adams Express Co. In 1S49-50, his wife's health
being bad in Newark he sold out his factory
and removed TO Washington City and took
personal control OF his line of omnibusses in
this city. On the appearance Of the street car
system he came within two votes in the United
States Senate Of getting the franchise after
ward obtained by the Washington & George
town Railroad Co. His omnibusses ran from
Georgetown along Bridge street from High
where his warehouse was, thence along Penn
sylvania avenue to the Capitol and Navy Yard:
also on Seventh and Fourteenth streets In
1852 he retired from the omnibus business and
confined his interest to the street car lines
referred to.
JUST before the beginning of the Civil war
he moved from the city to virginia and
built the present homestead, Falls Grove. in
Alexandra County, now Van Derwerken, Airing
ton County, va, where he resided until his
death His previously active life forbade the
quietude his retirement brought and so he
opened the large stone quarries on his estate, on
the Virginia side Of the Potomac River near
the Chain Bridge, where he had large estate
embracing much of the stone quarries on the
Potomac River, and from them supplied much
material for various public and private city
improvements and enterprises. He left widow
and three married daughters Mrs. A. b. Grun-
well of Georgetown, ID. c.: Mrs. T. B. Jewell
of Kansas City. Mo-, and Mrs. George E. Truett
of Lynchburg, Va.
sThe funeral occurred at O'Clock this after
noon January "a. from the family residence.
Rev. Mr.. Rathbun of Fails Church conducting
the services The honorary pallbearers were
MesSrs G. T. Dunlop, S. Thomas Brown, M. j.
Adler, d. o. Munson, A. P. Douglas and Mr..
Buxton. The interment was in Oak Hill Gene
terry, Georgetown"
Judging by the number of commendatory let
tiers the writer has received regarding his recent
stories on South Washington, they evidently
struck q sympathetic and responsive chord
Some were, no doubt, intended rs personal,
and could not be used, but here is one the
writer win take chance on letting the public
read:
MY Dear Mr. Proctor:
your article in last Sundays Star evoked
o flood of memories and made the writer, after
more than half q century tread again the well
worn paths of early childhood The stately
home at Sixth and is easily recalled as the
home of E. G. Wheeler, merchant doing bust
ness on the corner Of Seventh and B, and that
brings to mind the stream of water flowing
along where B street now is and the wooden
bridge on Seventh street which SPAWNED it, over
which horse cars, other vehicles and pedes-
TRANS crossed. Buzzards Point is associated
with operation of brick kilns, and Greenleaf
Point, on the west side of the canal, terminated
in the United States Arsenal
Ss1TNHE old Greenleaf home was on near
Four-and-a-haf street, and was occupied
by the family of Mr. Samuel Humphrey who
had a grocery store on the corner 1t is now
known as Neighborhood House, where active
community work is carried on for the betterment
OF this section. Greenleaf Steam Coffee Mills,
the first of its kind in the City of washington,
which my father, Terence Riley, established In
1647. was located in this vicinity, later moving
to H street near Four-and- "a half street, under
the firm name of T. Riley q Son, and finally
locating at the intersection Of Maryland and
Virginia avenues. at Seventh street. under q