Evening star., 1935-01-27

OiSolCC HiSnC De aDle 70 note MANY
changes in the City of Washington;
l. might be able to tell much of the growth
OF the National Capital of the different
metnods and ways OF doing things from those
employed in the olden days; might even be able
70 point out farm land existing here at that
time, now congested subdivisions with thousands
OF houses and greater number of people re-
siding there.
Indeed, one might point out the courses of
branches and streams which then flowed through
the city, now converted into sewers or entirely
obl1terated by nature, and the same early resi-
oent might even surprise some folks by as
soc1atng the very ground upon which they
reside as one-time cemetery, for there were
several OF these still in the city limits within
the memory Of many an old-timer.
One in particular the writer recalls was a
cemetery for colored persons, known as the Free
Young Mems Cemetery, in the block bounded by
v, w, Twelfth and Thirteenth streets, where
now is the Children's Hospital. Until 1877-78,
when the central, or administration building
and also the east wing of the hospital were
erected, there was mute evidence of the use to
which this square had formerly been put, such
as mounds, gravel walks, cedar trees and
monuments.
The establishing of this hospital, according
to . reliable source, began with Dr. Samuel
Clagett Busey, who was in charge Of the de-
partment Of diseases of infancy and child
hood established In 1869 by the Columbia
quacy Of the dispensary, DR.. Busey in March,
1870, succeeded in interesting DR.. Francis A.
Ashford In the project Of q children's hospital.
They, in turn, interested Drs. William b. Drink
ard and William w. Johnston, and also the
board Of lady managers Of the Washington City
Orphan Asylum.
For the purpose of cooperating with the
physicians in the undertaking, the orphan
asylum designated the following members of its
board: Mesdames L. P. Lee, j. Zeilin. w. Stick
ney, j. G. Harkness, A. G. Brown, A. E. Perry,
H. p. Reynolds and Miss Margaret Washington.
A conference was held at the home of Mrs.
A. J. Brown, where Misses Virginia and Sally
@. Miller and Miss M L. Thompson also were
present. DR.. James G. Hall, who owned the
ground where now stands the Garfield Hospital
(before the Schneider brothers, Lewis H and
Christian s., moved there), as well as Thomas
Miller c. II. Leibermann and Grafton Taylor,
were also interested, but most active in per-
fecting the Organization DR.. William P.
Johnston, according to DR.. Busey.
OR. HALL bore an excellent reputation as a
physician. Indeed we are told he was
'family physician of every President OF the
United States from Jackson to Lincoln; for
many years attended the family of every justice
Of the Supreme Court, through many admins
trations the family of every cabinet officer and
for long series of years every foreign legation
resident in Washington, and every prominent
Senator and member of the House of Repre-
sentativeS, the heads of departments and many
honored citizens. He gave large bequests to the
Washington City Orphan Asylum and to the
Children's Hospital"
Another cemetery not far distant was the
one belonging to st. Johns Episcopal Church,
Sixteenth and H streets. 1t occupied the block
bounded by r and S, Twelfth and Thirteenth
streets, and here the noted Thomas Law, Wash
ington's first rich man. who married Mrs
Washington's granddaughter, was buried. This
graveyard was laid out about 1920 and was
condemned between 1887 and 1885, when the
bodies are said to have been removed. Charles
Goldman later used the ground as a brick ward