Evening star., 1937-12-12

"Dr. Magruder served a number Of
years in both branches OF the City
Councils, and in 1856 he was elected
on the Anti-Know-N Nothing ticket
mayor of the city, which position he
filled with marked ability. Consider
ing the financial condition of the city
at that time, the amount Of improve
ments carried on during the two years
he held once was notably great"
He is buried in Oak Hill Cemetery.
AS to the Western Market and the
Market House Hall. Though the fire
apparatus of the Union Fire Com
pany was then housed in its quarters
close by, where the Association of Old
est Inhabitants now meets, at Nine
teenth and H streets NV, yet the
building must have been almost totally
destroyed in the fire that occurred
there on February /, 1852, for Hiram
Lodge lost heavily in its records,
furnishings and paraphernalia. Will
liam Serrin was at this time clerk OF
the market.
During the next three years just
what the market people did for place
to sell their goods is not known, ex-
cept that it is probable enough that
sufficient of the building remained
standing for them to carry on, even
though it must have been under diff
ficulties. However, under date of 1855,
hof y1-Eo CT
Of "the old unsightly market house"
was pulled down to make room for
an angular inclosure of iron railing.
COON afterward the debris was re-
- moved, and a market house was
located on K street between Nine
teenth and Twentieth streets NV,
where William Walker was clerk, the
commissioners of the market for 1860
being William Brown and Andrew
Carroll. The clerk received for his
service an annual salary Of $500 and
the stalls rented for $40 for the same
period.
The late Albion K. Paris, we'll
known Washington banker, as a child
became a resident Of the first ward
and resided at 2009 I street, next
door to Peggy O'Neale. or Mrs. John
H. Eaton at that time, of whom he
writes:
When had diphtheria and re-
belled at having my throat swabbed
out with nitrate Of silver, Mrs. Eaton
was called in from next door to ad-
minister the treatment. With firm
hand and violent speech, she under
took to handle me, and then, with
my resistance and consequent objec-
tions, the acid went all over her new
spring lawn dress. One can imagine
the damage caused thereto and, as
for me, was damned by all the gods
at once She was an old woman, frail
in body, who easily lost her temper
when things did not go right"
Mr. Paris also has this to say Of
the old market:
Tn speaking of places and people.
the Western or K Street Market must
not be forgotten. Green groceries and
provision stores were hardly in vogue
in the COS. Hence for real marketing
all the family heads directed their
steps marketward with regularity.
The market was located near the
center of K street, between Twen-
tieth and Twenty-first streets, in
proximity to the present one. II 1t
cannot be said that business was
rushing, it was at least satisfac-
tory
The country people, white and
black, lined the sidewalk, with their
old broken wagons and decrepit mules
stationed nearby. The colored folk
displayed all kinds of herbs and roots
guaranteed to cure any ailment and
kill bugs and reaches at the same
time, all for dime.
There were no limousines or other
cars in those days to transport the
opulent to the market What was
termed 'carry-all' or buggy served
the purpose for those owning them.
So we'll do recollect member of
the most prominent banking firm in
Washington footing it regularly from
his residence near Seventeenth street,
to this market, his basket in hand
and. stringing on behind. the several
small daughters, each with diminu-
tive market basket. People in those
days were certainly more independent
Of neighborhood criticism in the doing
of small, sensible things, than in this
day."
IN LOOKING over a city director
for 1857, the writer found the fol-
lowing butchers with stalls at the
Western Market: Theodore Barnes,
George L. Botsch & Co., William
Chase. Thomas Cissell, John E. Cole,
George Davidson. Peter Dill G. W.;
Dutton, George w. Emerson, Bernard
Geier, John Fister, Michael Gore.
J. H. Hazel Robert Hensey, Charles
Homiller, Thomas Johnson. Joseph
Kuhns, Bernard Lauer, William Lin
kins, John j. PM, George Pfluger,
Louis P. Repp, Schafer & Co., Schafer
& Botch, Andrew D. Sheel, Robert
Smith, William H. Smithy, Conrad
Sohl, Thomas Weaver, Thomas Wright
and John H. Yeabower.
The butter and cheese dealers were:
T. A. Ball, John Bateman, j. H. Cald-
well, Andrew Carroll, Joseph G. Fear
son, Lewis E. Frank, Isaac s. Gray
and William H. Walker.
Produce dealers: Maria Briggs, Ed
ward H. Clements, William Gross,
John Fulbehe, G. J. Mall, John s. Hill,
w. w. Hough, Levi Kidwell, James
Latontaine, August Miller, Richard
E. Sinclair, Thomas H. Smith and
Henry Whalon.
Provision dealers-Bayliss & Scott.
Latimer Eli. j. Goetzinger, p. Nc
Keys. F. Melhorn. John K. Pfiel, John
T. Rabbit, T. H. Smith and James
Wallace.
From K street between Nineteenth
and Twentieth street the market was
moved to its present site, between
Twentieth and Twenty-first streets,
by act Of the District Legislative As
sembly, passed in August, 1871, and
the building erected at cost Of
100000. 1t was begun in 1917 and .