Evening star., 1936-12-29
NATIVES SOCIETY
HEARS HISTORIAN
J. +. DuhameI Tells Of Time
When Race Tracks Flour
iShed Here.

DAYS when race tracks flourished
In what is now the heart Of the city
vere described last night to the
Society Of Natives Of the District Of
Columbia by James F. Duhamel, the
society historian, at meeting in the
Washington Club.
At a brief business session the So
ciety adopted resolution authorizing
its president, William E. Richardson,
to appoint a committee Of three to
urge national representation for the
District at the next public hearing
on national representation before the
House District Committee. The reso-
luton was introduced by Miss Eta
l.. Taggart.
Horse and Buggy Days was the
topic Of Duhamel's address I'm Its
infancy" he said. the city of Wash
ington heaped more honors on mans
best friend. the horse. than on any
man or thing"
Before 1900. Duhamel said. a race
track was laid out in the vicinity of
Seventeenth street and Pennsylvania
avenue. In 1903, he added. race
track was below Columbia road. be-
tween Fourteenth and Sixteenth
streets. Later, about the year 1912,
continued Mr.. Duhamel, popular
race track was laid out between Con-
gressional Cemetery and the Navy
Yard.
THE Civil War forced the race
tracks farther from town and the
popular tracks we're on the ridge be-
low Good Hope Hill and on the Piney
Branch road, near Brightwood. Later
came the track at Benning that was
the most popular resort Of the kind
that Washington ever had, but got
too popular and caused its DOOM -
Duhamel related
"As early as 1917 the grand jury
vigorously denounced horse racing as
o great and growing evil" Duhamel
said He then told how strict laws
enacted before the World War to stop
race track gambling in the District
had caused the old Benning track to
close.
Many years ago. Duhamel pointed
out. the horse and buggy were respon-
sible for many business enterprises.
The city below K street was filled
with saddlers. harness makers, black
smiths, carriage factories. caYiage
painters. livery stables, veterinarians
and even whip makers and manufac-
turers of harness blacking." he said.
At the societys business session a
resolution expressing regret over the
recent death of Maj. Edwin B. Hesse
former superintendent of police, was
adopted
Another feature of the meeting was
chalk talk" by Capt Richard H
(Dlck) Mansfield, who draws the WHO
Remembers?" and Those Were the
Happy Days" features for The Star
Capt. Mansfield drew illustrations OF
styles of the latter part of the last
century and showed how cartoons
could be drawn with few lines
The society was led in singing Christ
mas carols by William r. Schumacher
with Mrs. Lewis J. Battle playing piano
accompaniment. Mrs. Mary L. Will
Lis gave several recitations.
Mr.. Richardson. the president, an
nounced the appointment of a COM
mittee to select the native Washingto-
nian who has rendered the most dis
tinguished service to the District dur
ing the past year, the citizen chosen to
receive certificate from the society.
The committee, which is to report
at the next meeting of the society, in
accordance with a resolution adopted
at previous meeting, consists of John
Clagett Proctor, chairman; Frederick
G. Umhau. DR.. Clarence A. Weaver
Mrs. Maud H. Shelton and Miss Eta
l.. Taggart
Miss May P. Bradshaw and Ward
p. Mccarthy were elected new mem
bers Of the society.