Evening star., 1933-01-15


1872, when somewhat similar epi-
deinic prevailed among the horses
of this city and elsewhere.
To those born during the last quarter Oh
century this would not mean very mucn' Du'
to those who can be classed as -umers-ehe
men and the women who know what 1t means
to depend almost exclusively upon equine trans
portation-it means q great deal
The District of Columbia had population at
that time of about 10000 and except for those
who were centrally located in the city and IN
easv walking distance of their work, nearly
every one depended upon the privately owned
horse or upon the street car to get to and from
work and this, we must understand, too was
even before the days of the bicycle winch ia'ei
cut in largely upon the use OF the morse anu
MANY years before the introduction o. the ao-
tomobile which has almost completely put oo'
of use horse-drawn vehicles; indeed to sucn an
extent is this SO that during the recent snow
storm but one horse sleigh was 10 pe seeh oii
the streets of washington.
In 187e-a few years subsequent to the une
referred to-according to the city directory
there were 81 livery stables here and IN ezeofse-
town. and some of Ehese, at least, TOOK care Oh
more than 800 horses, besides which there weie
many private stAblm throughout the city. Inc
street car lines doing business in washington
at that time included the Columbia Railway
wv
avenue and from Bladensburg road nortneast
to Fifteenth street northwest the car barns
being near Fifteenth street northeast; the
Anacostia and Potomac River line; the Capitoi'
North o Street and South washington ran
way Co.-probably what we used to cali tie
Belt Line; the Metropolitan Railroad Co. WHICH
then included the r and Ninth street ineS'
the washington & Georgetown Railroad Co,
which, included the present Pennsylvania ave-
-, nr,I Eorrta
known as the Capital Traction Co., and tne
Brightwood line.
IN 1872 the Seventh street car line had its
ban, and stables ON the triangular-shaped
block bounded by street and Florida avenue
and from Seventh street east to where the
block comes to point
Florida avenue at this point and at this time
was the gateway to the city. and In the ONCE
of the railroad company at the southeast cor
ner of Seventh street and Florida avenue
was the first place prisoners were taken
prior to the second precinct station being To-
Gated a block farther north on Seventh street
and on the opposite side of the street, as we
ascertained q few years ago from Philip Young,
who, in letter to the writer, said:
"As to the first location Of the second pre-
cinct, know Of my own experience that It was
in the same building which was occupied by
the washington & Georgetown Railroad Co.
as their Office, which stood on the southeast
corner of Seventh and Florida avenue, which
block also contained the stables of the rail-
road.
why am so sure of this Is because the
only time was ever arrested in my life,
friend of mine and myself had been out to the
farm of the late w. w. Corcoran, which is
now part of the Soldiers Home, and cut our
selves each Christmas tree, and we had taken
them to our homes, when, 10 and behold, VINO
should run across us but Sergt Poole OF the
second precinct and asked we had been cut
ting Christmas trees. We said We had. but
that we had permission from the overseers OF
the farm, but he would not take our word for
1t until some one went out to see Mr.. Gerhardt
and verified our statement. From there the
station was moved to brick house which stood
q little north of the northwest corner OF
Seventh and Florida avenue, as there was a
vacant lot at the corner which at that time
had pump on 1t. It was from this pump that
I used to have to carry water for our home ana
stock
This same house was occupied by shoe
maker by the name of Daniel Genau. A little
later Gov. Alexander Shepherd built small
frame church next to the brick house, which
was, think, branch of the New York Ave-
nue. Presbyterian Church. After some time it
grew too small and they erected the church ON
Florida avenue between Sixth and Seventh.
"At this station Squire Wall, a colored man,
used to preside and from there they moved to
the frame house that you refer to in your
article. This house not built by Mary Hall,
but by lady by the name of Mrs. Tomkins.
who had a son and daughter. The son was a
doctor who did not live with his mother, but
the daughter did at times. This Mrs. Tomkins
kept the Eagle Hotel as it was called almost
opposite to where she built her new home.
This Eagle Hotel was located between the PARK
Hotel and saloon just north of the Eagle
Hotel which went by the name Of Tivola, ana
conducted at one time by the late Bud
Eggleston; also by man by the name Of Pet
tiers, and later by family by the name or
Ludwig. There was what we used to call q