Evening star., 1936-08-30

after all, perhaps the court building
will fit in we'll with the idea of the
reservation which was set aside for
judicial purposes, However, if We
would be consistent, another site
should be selected for the statue of
Gen. Jose de San Martin and the old
Tension Office Building.
There are many things about Judi
eiary Square which are of historic
interest to the old Washingtonian
end the young Washingtonian as we'll,
end reference to the statue of San
Martin, which was only unveiled on
October 28, 1925, recalls to the writer,
who was present at the time. the
ghastly, sickly look upon the face of
fir. Coolidge, who was present and
delivered the address of acceptance.
and the writer also remembers, just a
few years ago, when Mr. Hoover laid
the corner stone of the new Post
Office Department Building, and the
~an and haggard look upon his coun-
tenance at the time, which only goes
10 show that being President Of these
United States carries with it q vast
amount of mental concentration, ef-
fort and worry.
The site for the San Martin statue
was selected by the Ambassador Of
Argentina, with the concurrence Of
the Secretary of War and the Chief
cf Engineers, and with the approval
of the Joint Committee on the Library
quite an array of authority-and
It will probably always remain where
II is, regardless of any apparent in
congruity.
1T WOULD seem that there Is an
. intention to limit the area Of
Judiciary Square (or Judiciary Park,
as 1t Is sometimes called) to the
space between z and F and Fourth
and Fifth streets, whereas Judiciary
Square, as the early resident remem-
bers it, lies between Indiana avenue
and G street and Fourth and Fifth
streets, and includes what is also
known as Reservation No. 9, contain
ing 1e is acres of land, originally set
apart for the purpose to which it Is
now being largely put.
However, from the beginning, this
reservation has been treated by Con-
gress somewhat like stepchild, and
1t has been used for most everything
under the sun, including-at a very
early period-circuses and menagerles,
such as Van Amberg's celebrated
shows; Welsh, Mann & Delaven's
circus, in which Dan Rice, famous
clown, appeared, and Gardner &
Franconi's Hippodrome, which was
the subject Of romance, for, accord
ing to the story as handed down from
that period, in this show one Of the
chief lady performers, who was the
central figure on the floral car, was
fine, robust, handsome woman, meas
uring about feet in height.
In casting her eyes around the au-
dience she captivated man, not the
gentleman of the flying trapeze, but
diminitive carpenter, and the result
vas-as most any one could guess
after the usual formal introduction.
either he or she popped the question
and a marriage ceremony resulted.
The hippodrome lost one of its best
attractions, but not for always. Soon
the hefty lady tired of her insignificant
spouse and returned again to the
specta cular life.
According to the plan Of Washing
ton, showing the holdings of the orig
inal proprietors, this area appears to
be lust within the boundaries Of the
David Burnes tract, and on the earl
lest maps the reservation is indicated,
and both Washington and Jefferson
designated 1t as Judiciary Square"
THE topography of the land in the
vicinity of the Court House, ex-
cept In the western part, is said to
have been comparatively level. Through
the northern part Of the ground,
around 1900, a stream, fed by springs
near Sixth and l. streets, entered the
reservation and passed out near Fourth
and E streets, flowing southeastward-
iy to the Tiber, near C street."
AS the present generation traveIs
OVeT Ullc SUlCCCS VI w ooAAAA6vSA sNNsSJ
It, perhaps, never thinks OF the city
In its earlier days, nor. for instance.
Of this ordinarily small stream, and
- "a years ago. it was very dan
ferrous and treacherous stream at
times, as we are told by Mr.. Croggon.
who In writing of this vicinity, tells us
how Baalem Burch was drowned IN
It in 1852.
''Mr. Burch," he says, was well
known carpenter and builder, re-
siding on Fourteenth street, south
of G street, and having spent the
evening with his brother, Capt. Samuel
Burch, near New Jarsey avenue and
I street, started for his home. 1t
was Just after a storm, the run was
raging torrent, and the night very
dark. Some days afterward, the body
of Mr.. Burch was found near Indiana
avenue and Third street, and the
belief was that he stepped from the
log which was laid over the stream ut
Fifth and @ streets"