Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-13
Southwest Washington, or the Island

by law, we employed colored boys to buy
them, and paid them In crackers. Nearly all
the boys went barefooted. even those mod
erately well-to-do. until frost suggested a oov-
ering.
There were no policemen and but one con-
stable, Mr.. Magyar, who was inclined %
be tolerant under O gruff demeanor, sirnu-
lated to uphold the dignity Of his Office We
were not much afraid, as we could outrun
him.
Easter was our time for picking eggs not
only even and pint and butt against side
Of goose and keet eggs but many hens nests
were surreptitiously picked before the eggs
got cold.
Every game had its season, some to last
longer than others, but all with q remark
able recurrence. Why this recurrence no one
could tell, even If he asked himself the ques-
ton. OF course, All Hallow's eve was set apart
by the almanac, and this was a night when
turnip and cabbage fields suffered, and those
who had no such fields were gamers. Speak
ing Of almanacs, nearly every family had the
Hagerstown almanac, which is still published
with the same old illustrations and the same
old predictions which fathers religiously
consulted and believed. But few families had
more than the almanac the Bible, Josephus
and prayer book, If of one faith, and hymn
book II Of another.
Shilling prints with shilling frames we're
the only ornamental wall fixtures in most
domictleS Wonderful works of art were they,
but they filled the artistic soul of the multi
tude, and were opponents of better things to
come"
few weeks ago the writer rode over much
of the western part of South Washington
accompanied by Mrs. Virginia Handy West
who was born on THE Island" and is the
widow of Charles E. West at one time a
partner in the firm of Rudolph West &. Co.
She proved to be well posted on South WASH
ington, and kept the writer busy jotting down
of
part of the city
Among the places pointed out by Mrs West
was most naturally, her old home, where
she was born and later married. The num-
Der was 238 Fourteenth street opposite the
Bureau Of Engraving and Printing, and now
business property. An old picture shows two
three-story brick dwellings with lawn in 'front.'
the other house being numbered 240 Four
tenth street. This property is now being being
overhauled for use by the Department of Agri-
culture, though it has ceased to be residential
property for some years, and even the fronts
have been remodeled for this purpose
THESE houses have very interesting his
tory. Mrs. West tells me they were built
in 1858 or 1859 by her father, Samuel w K.
Handy, who employed George bearing con-
tractor, to do the work, and that during the
Civil War, as she was later told her by her
father the first floor of both houses were
used as Gen. Caseys headquarters In 1908,
No. 238 was sold to Alfred Costello
AT one time Mr.. Handy was engaged in
business in two-story store at the corner
OF Fourteenth and streets southwest but
later moved to Pennsylvania avenue to the site
afterward occupied by Cornwells grocery store
Mrs. West tells me that opposite to her old
home, at the northwest corner of Fourteenth
and c streets, a man named Altman lived,
and had cows, hogs and everything that goes
with rural life, and, of course, she did not