Evening star., 1935-04-27

cutting in ~ Constitution avenue.
In other parts of town historic homes
and Offices have given way for gasoline
stations, parking lots or fine new
buildings Of private business houses.
Washington's skyline has undergone a
change
When vreckins Arm signs con-
tract TO tear down a building. the
place comes to them "as is" What's
left in the building by the owners
usually is plunder. But sometimes 1t
isn't. For example, take the fine old
Riggs House. built by the founder OF
the Riggs Bank, on K street. AS soon
as pre-emptied watchman assumed
charge. Yes, of course. it was empty;
nothing of value Or was there? Co
lonial door locks and hinges. handmade
nails and bricks, random width floor
boards. Treasure trove for your breath
less collector of antiques-who will go
to almost any length to obtain them.
Automatically, however, they have
become the property of the wrecking
company and may be sold or retained,
unless previous agreement had been
made as to their ultimate ownership.
The brick in these very old build
ings Is gold-brick-before the drop in
that commodity. English handmade
brick. brought over in ships as ballast,
in the long ago. Is greatly sought after
and the scramble tor 1t is something
fierce, as also Is the price. Perhaps
you have wondered at men sitting on
the site Of a former hotel or store and
patiently scarping the mortar from the
bricks that were once its walls. Those
bricks are plenty valuable and . large
consignment recently went as far as
Wisconsin to build the home OF one OF
that States richest citizens.
Floors and wainscoting are carefully
removed for future use and in ripping
up and tearing out. small sums OF
money. silver tea spoons are often dis
covered. But finders is keepers and
the miner" usually keeps the matter
to himself. Pots and pans. old cloth
ing and like plunder also go to the
workmen but every now and then the
head of the wrecking company seizes
an object dart and adds it to his
private museum. At the Riggs estate,
it was an old leather hat box. quite
evidently Of the period Of the first Mr..
Riggs. II had contained one of those
memorable titles" of distant years.
fiaring as TO brim and crown. And
lust so flares the sprawlinS hat box
which bears the initials. "F. r."
On the north side Of New York
avenue, near Fourteenth, there STOOD
for many years the home OF a we'll
known Washington physician, DR.. Hill
Several years ago this house was
wrecked to make way for expansion
of the New York Avenue Presbyterian
Church-"Lincoln's church" In
hidden closet was discovered 2 CHARM
ing old English silver tea service.
Truth being stranger than fiction, IL
bore the engraved initial III" the first
letter Of the surname of the family
owning the million dollar wreekng
company. 1t is greatly priced and IN
daily use IN the apartment OF that
family.
When the old Ebbit House was
forced to give way to the National
Press Club Building, the spoilers"
armed with picks, rams and shovels
started in their dusty, dirty work.
Things ran smoothly until the cellar
was reached. Then hilarity ana
finally unconsciousness prevailed. Alas,
or perhaps, hurah. q cache of fine,
nellowed wines and liquors was come
upon and the laborers proceeded to
toast the wrecking company, Press
Club stockholders the nag and the
city fathers.
Aancock;s, famous for its mint
juIeps, fried chicken and cobwebs,
came down with crash. during pro-
hibition. when purchased by the Fed.
eral building project. Then, number
less prominent citizens and statesmen,