Evening star., 1935-05-12

Jury LldL QeClQeQ lie 1dUe VI GcIls
Sickles after the killing of Philip
Barton Key, but was rejected when
challenged, having formed an opin-
ion in the case. Then, speaking Of
Washington as it was in 1880, the
item continues:
Then Washington City proper ex-
tended north about as far as H or
street, above that pasture and open
land to the westward, broken only by
few slaughter houses at about
Twentieth and L streets, and under
brush and underground, known as
the slasheS,' east Of Fourteenth street.
IAN Avenue Plank Walk.
! "a plank walk extended along
Pennsylvania avenue from the Cap
itol to Georgetown. Omnibuses had
not yet been placed in use as carriers
for the general public, and q little
later, when they traversed the Ave-
nue. from the Capitol to Georgetown.
WaShingtonian considered the 10
cent fare a most reasonable charge
for such accommodation.
"THE Capitol was lower and small
er than the stately pile Of the
present day, for dome and wings have
since been added. Two 3-story brick
buildings on Fifteenth street between
the lower and upper part Of the
Avenue, or, to be more explicit, upon
part Of the present Treasury site,
served as Treasury and State Depart
ment, the State Department being to
the north. Similar small brick build
ings on Seventeenth street. where the
State, War and Navy building now
stand, were then the War and Navy
buildings.
The old Corcoran Art Gallery site
was vacant lot, and Lafayette
Square, grass-covered reservation with
struggling footpaths, was surrounded
by three-strip wooden fence. Not
until many years later was Clark
Mills work in bronze placed In the
center of the square.
"The old United States Bank stood
upon the corner where the Riggs Ma
tional Bank now stands. At the
northeast corner Of Fifteenth and G
streets was greenhouse.
"Fuller's Hotel.
"On Fourteenth street. Just above
| the Avenue, where Willard's Hotel
now attracts the wealthy and COM
fort loving, two small brick houses.
! 2-story and attic, were kept as a
hotel by a man named Fuller. Full
ler's Hotel 1t was called. Before this,
however, one Of the houses was used
by q clock and watch dealer, who
was introducing a certain make of
wooden clock called, through having
been manufactured in New England,
the Yankee clock
THE market house across the Ave-
nue. was then merely a shelter
| for country people, who brought their
| goods to sell, and in the reservation
in front of the market, directly on
Pennsylvania avenue, stood the old
auxiliary guard house, or police sta
ton. Upon its roof hung a large
| iron bell that rang 'curfew' every
night at o'clock. Its ringing, how
ever, carried no command to cover
fires,' as in former days, but merely
let the good citizens know that the
guard, whose duty it was to assist the
constabulary, was out and on watch
for the night. At 10 pm. all colored
people found upon the street without
a sufficient excuse for their absence
from home were arrested.
Back of the market house, along
| B street, flowed the canal, on its
way from Georgetown to the Navy
Yard and bridges for man and beast
crossed 1t at Seventh, Tenth, Twelfth
and Fourteenth streets.
| AT the southeast corner Of Tenth
street and Pennsylvania avenue, some
years later, or about SIS years ago,
Alexander Shepherd, who was after
ward Gov. Shepherd, kept plumbing
shop. On the corner Of Eleventh and
C streets, about where the Lyceum
Theater stands, was Carusi's Dancing
Hall. There was also the old Apollo
Hall on the south side Of the Avenue
between Eleventh and Twelfth streets.
"I remember says the Judge, 'one
Of my earliest dissipations was May
ball at Carusi's on May l, 1885.
The ladies wore low necks and short
sleeves, and at public affair we con-
sidered that most shocking-round-
neck dresses and half sleeves at pri-
vate functions. But times have
: changed added he, with q nod Of
disapproval."
And so this old man Of nearly IS
years continued on to describe the
Capital City of a hundred years ago;
and perhaps a description made Of 1t
a century hence will sound just as
marvellous.
RUT, to return to the Bates estate
~ at the head of Tenth and Varnum
streets. No doubt several thousand
Washingtonians still recall the assas-
sination Of President Garfield on july
2, 1881, together with the attempts
made on the assassin's life by Sergt.
John A. Mason and by William
Jones. who was afterward called "the
Avenger."
Masonis attempt on the life of
Guiteau was made on September IL,
1881, eight days before the President