Evening star., 1935-07-14

the gift Of the turkeys, and he didn't
mean to send any more In this case
he was little unjust tc the women.
the secret having leaked out through
the market men. A barrel Of turkeys
is a good deal for private individual
to buy, and would be apt to cause
comment, but I never heard that he
sent any more turkeys at Christmas" >"
CHRISTIAN HINES In his recollec-
~ tions around the period Of 1900
says there we're but three frame houses
in the block between Eighth and
Ninth, D and e streets. one Of which
was occupied by Mr.. Eakins. one by
Mr.. Thecker and the other by a
woman whose name he was unable to
recall. He also mentions Mr.. Orr as
living in an old frame house on the
site Of the Patent Ofice Building, and
to the north Of which was jenkins
farm.
Lambert Tree. who came to Wash
ington from Philadelphia by stage and
boat in 1920, in 80 hours, tells US that
at that time F street was deemed the
boundary of the city ''as almost all
the ground beyond the point was oc-
cupied by fields of corn or wheat, or.
when not under cultivation, overgrown
with scrub oak and briar bushes.
Mr.. Tree, who became clerk in the
Washington city post ONCE in 1927.
says that there were only four clerks
and a messenger employed there at
that time, and that only one mail a
day was received from the North and
seaboard, and but three a week from
the Northwest and Southwest. Three
or four mail pouches ano two or three
bags of newspapers comprised the
amount forwarded to the East and
North, and about the same amount for
the West and South.
Ninth and F streets has changed
wonderfully in the past half century
even though two Of the corners are
practically the same-the Patent Of
flce Building and the old Masonic
Temple But back in 1877 for while
1t did look like the Government was
going to lose one Of It's best buildings
together with its crest store Of patent
models. when the building caught fire
and did considerable damage before
the blaze could be extinguished.
As q youngster going to school at
old Grace Church, Ninth and 8 streets
northwest. the writer recalls witness
ing this FIRE. It started shortly after
II o'clock am. on September "a, but
because the employees thought they
could subdue the flames. an alarm was
not sounded until as minutes after
ward. However. when the knowledge
Of the fire became general. 1t must
have been about IL o'clock. when the
noon recess was due. Anyhow, 1t Is
safe to say there was not corporal's
guard Of boys to respond to the school
bell at / o'clock that afternoon. and
undoubtedly, the same old Please ex-
cuse Johnny" note was handed in the
next morning.
THIS was one Of Washington's no
i table fires. Martin Cronin was
chief Of the department at that time,
and, upon arriving at the fire. at once
turned in q general alarm. Secretary
Of the Interior Carl Schurz, who had
his ONCE In the building. urged that
immediate assistance be requested OF
Baltimore, and the mayor Of that city
was accordingly appealed to to send
over what firemen and apparatus they
could spare. Alexandria also was tele'
graphed to for aid and sent the
steamer Hydraulion and the relief
hook and ladder company with their
truck, which was put On the boat and