Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-25


deal in the last half-century,
mn as will be testified by many
NT whose memories go back TO the
DAYS when some of its main
streets and avenues were paved with wooden
blocks, and hydrants dotted the street corners,
and when Sam Einstein, the poundmaster, was
kept busy impounding hogs and geese found
running at large and cattle as well when found
grazing unguarded on the city commons, all OF
which are now built up with rows and rows OF
houses that in themselves would make larger
city by far than Washington was at that time
with its population of 177,624
OF course the streets were not all paved 80
wears ago. Indeed asphalt pavement was just
coming into use in the District and the best
roadways we had were built Of macadam, Tor
the block paved streets lasted but a short Wniie
and then went to pieces and could not be re-
paired nearly so easily or effectively as the
ordinary gravel roads-at least so far as even
ness and smoothness are, concerned.
Just to think Today, according to the Census
Bureau, there are 485.O00 persons in the Dis
trict of Columbia, and including what is termed
the metropolitan district-which takes In the
nearby Maryland and Virginia towns, populated
largely by people employed principally in the
District-the figures would be around TOO,UOO,
or nearly four times what they were IN 1SoO.
When person can live in city and see IL
grow as washington has in that time 1t makes
one feel that after all, old age has its COM
pensations.
TAKE view of Seventh street, for instance.
- Time has surely worked its changes here.
True the old American House Is still on the
southeast corner Of Seventh street and Pennsyl-
yania avenue where it has stood for more than
. half q century and here and there along
Seventh street we can pick out an old building
but the early inhabitant has seen ever so many
of the present structures erected, in numerous
instances replacing buildings that were relics
even more than SO years ago. such as the old
w. B. Moses Building that occupied Saks 81
Co.'S corner, the National Intelligencer ONCE
on the northeast corner OF Seventh and d
streets, Odd Fellows Hall, quite an amusing
place in its time in addition to being the
meeting place for the members Of that organi-
cation; the building where was conducted the
first public telegraph office on Seventh street
between and r, where now is the old Post
once Building, and other structures which
dated back even prior to 1880. and in conse-
quence known only to a few OF the Washing
tonians now in the venerable class.
How interesting it would be if we could but
draw the curtain aside and present to view the
Capital City as it appeared so years ago; but
this we cannot do, and a pen picture can never
do justice to the Washington Of the past.
The statue of Winfield Scott Hancock, by
Henry Ellicott. is not old by any means, nor is
the Stephenson Grand Army Memorial, just to
the east, and the Bank of Washington Building
was probably erected within the past 20 years,
replacing older structure, and so on all the
way up Seventh street great improvements and
changes have been made, and yet the old-timer
hardly realizes that so many years have passed
since horse cars replaced buses on this
thoroughfare, only later to give way to the
cable cars, and still later to the present system.
fifty years ago Seventh street was one Of
z the citys few main business thoroughfares,
and, indeed, it is one Of its principal business
4Nln k,a,k has
for then washington had but few business
streets, and now, as we all know, we have quite
number
In 1878 in the saks block, between Market
Space and D street, George j. Davis was sell
ing hats, caps and furs, and SO was the firm
Of Petty g. Harvey. The National Bank Of the
Republic occupied the Lincoln National Bank
corner. Simon Katzenstein sold mems clothing
ut $40; Bernhard Silverberg, fancy goods, next
door, and George Watts & Co.. house furnish
sngs, at 314 Hart L. Strasburger's shoe store
was at 306-S, and A. Saks g. Co., before they
moved 10 the corner, were ct 316. Across the
street william II. Dunn sold furniture, and
wash. 3. williams sold the same line Of goods
on the southeast corner Of and Seventh
etreet.
In the block between D and we flnd on
che west side: Dunman q Green in the real
estate business; Calvin NJ. Parks, patent agent;
%. Appleton & Co, selling books periodicals,
ETC.. with William Ballantyne and w. w. Hayne
hs nearby competitors. Louis Heilbrum and his
two sons-fine chaps as the writer recalls them
sold shoes at 4O2, site now occupied by
aOc store. We all, no doubt remember the
rOld Woman in the Shoe" which stood in the
window and helped to advertise the place.
The Heilbrun store was in q part Of the
1ntelligencer Building.
Francis Prott also sold shoes at 426 and
Edward r. Buckley kept a cigar store few
doors above, with william r. George adjoining.
Npaa AZ VvtHf