Evening star., 1934-11-25

civic worker, Evan H. Tucker, IS related to
this family, being a of Samuel Willis
Tucker, grandson of Samuel Tucker, and de-
scendant OF Thomas Tucker.
Enoch Tucker, who owned the farm at Union
town. born October 16 1870, and married
Janet Mcpherson. He was lean and lank,' We
have been told When he died. it at his c
street home, opposite the Metropolitan M. E.
Church. In keeping with the custom of the
day mis- family consisted OF seven children,
namely: Asbury, McKendry, Maria, Virginia,
Elizabeth Conn, BrySon and Sophia. Elizabeth
Conn Tucker married Simpson Preston Moses.
and their daughter, Fannie Jeannette, married
the late Albert Harper, lawyer, and a vice pres
ident of the Association of Oldest Inhabitants.
"A /E ARE told that Anacostia did not become
w Uniontown until 1885, but the map before
the writer, engraved about 1860 bears the old
name by which many of us knew it. However,
it is very nice place in which to live by what
ever name it might be called. The celebrated
John Howard Payne, author of Home, Sweet
Home frequently visited his friend, George
w. Talburtt in this village, when there were
but few houses on the south bank of the East
ern Branch, near the old Navy Yard Bridge.
and here some have gone far as to say. he
wrote that world-renowned folk song that
bears his name.
But then We must remember that the words
of this song were written by Payne many years
before he ever knew Mr. Talburtt, and probably
even revised them several times before he met
that gentleman. The music. of course, was not
his, being the composition, in all likelihood, OF
Sir Henry r. Bishop. But even II Payne dld
not write the piece in Anacostia we have mem-
ories of him in Washington. at least. for his
body lies buried here in Oak Hill Cemetery.
He acted here upon a number of occasions and
visited Mrs Southworth. Washingtons noted
novelist when she resided on the southwest
corner of Thirteenth and streets southwest.
where stands the Governments power plant.
and Payne had the pleasure, too OF hearing
Jenny Lind sing his words upon one occasion,
when the Swedish Nightingale" was visiting
this city.
He often visited the home of w. w. Corcoran
and also that of his banking partner, George
w. Riggs, and there was a strong friendship
between them. After Payne's death in Tuns,
April 9, 1882 his body permitted to lie
buried on foreign soil for 80 years when, in
1888 it was brought to America and to WASH
ington through. the thoughtfulness and gen.
erosity of Mr.. Corcoran, aroused by an incident
which occurred the year before, as told by
Charles H. Brainard, who said
LAS Mr. Corcoran was riding by the Ebbtt
House in Washington one day in the Autumn
of 1882 his ear was suddenly greeted by the
music of Home Sweet Home which the Ma
rne Band was playing in honor OF Lieut.. Mel
willie of the Inflated Arctic steamer Jeannette.
who had just reached Washington, and was a
guest of the house before which it was sta
toned AS Mr. Corcoran listened to the plain
tive air, which never fails to touch responsive
chords in the breasts of all who hear it, his
heart was moved by tender memories of the
poet whose words have made it immortal, and
his acquaintance with whom covered a perio1
of nearly SO years, and that moment he re-
solved that the project he had formed years
before concerning the removal of Mr.. Paynes
remains to this country, should at once be car
ried into effect
A FTER the necessary arrangements had been
n made Payne's body arrived in Washington
on March "a, 1888. and on June 9. following
the anniversary of the poets birth, the remains
OF John Howard Payne were inferred in their
final resting place, and elsewhere in the same