Evening star., 1938-10-16
By John Clagen Proctor.

In bygone days, when Washington
was all that Tom Moore said it was
and the few people then residing in
the new Capital all turned out on
Sunday morning to attend divine
service in the old tobacco barn on New
Jersey avenue, the carpenter shop at
the White House or in the Capitol
Building itself, residents were not
particular as to what kind of con-
veyance they used to get to their des-
tination. For any kind of vehicle
was better than walking when the
ground was soft and muddy from rains
and the city without paved streets
and sidewalks.
A few people then had carriages or
maybe it was two-wheel and four-
wheel chaises, and only a limited
number of carts and wagons were
available for any purposes, and natu-
rally sleighs were much used IN winter
time But at times the streets and
roads were in such a horrible condition
that only horses could travel on the
ground. and sometimes even they failed
to do it successfully. In Ibis connec-
ton. a story is told that was actually
printed in the National Intelligencer
dated February %. 1921, and signed
by "Old Chronicle" who went on to
say:
"The communication of Hyazinth
Zephyr which appeared in your paper
the other day induces me to state
to you several melancholy accidents
which have occurred in this city since
the late improvements of our streets.
The fact may be perfectly relied upon
and can be substantiated by eye
witnesses.
The 28th of last month, as Fred
erick County wagner was whistlinS
his team. consisting of six fine horses,
all merrily jingling their bells, just
as he came near the valuable i'm
provement at the corner by the Office
OF the Secretary of State, driver,
wagon, horses and all suddenly disap-
peared. Luckily, however, the end of
the drivers whip remained visible
above ground, which, being laid hold
OF by hackman, brought the whole
affair to light.
The same day dandy sank into
q great hole near the Mansion House
Hotel, and would certainly have dis
appeared entirely had not the i'm
mensity of his pantaloons buoyed him
up till a plank was launched to his
assistance by the aid Of which he
floated to terra firma.
Two days after lady, in large
hat, was pulled out of hole near the
corner of F street by the feathers,
as it happened, very luckily, that her
hat was fastened to her head by three
dozen and half hat pins. N. B.
The lady did not wear false hair.
Last Wednesday poor, lame sailor,
in attempting to make his way to
the Navy Office, stuck in the mud
and was extricated only at the ex-
pense of his right leg, which was
left in the hole. Luckily, it happened
to be a wooden leg, or there is no
knowing what would have become Of
the poor man.
"All persons are hereby cautioned
against travelling in the aforesaid
places, as it is very much suspected
that several worthy persons who have
been missing some time from this
place are at the bottom of this bot
tomless business"
However, more reliable reference
to events of this kind, occurring in
the early days, is to be found in Mrs
Thorntons diary for the year 1900,
where we find noted an accident that
occurred to Mrs. Washingtons grand
daughters husband, Thomas Peter, in
which Mrs. Thornton says:
"Mr. Peter came In after dinner. AS
he was going to mount his horse it
took fright and threw him into the
mud. The servants were so long
cleaning his great coat that evening
came on, and DR.. T. invited (him) to
stay all night, his family being absent
at Mount Vernon"
Pennsylvania avenue, once referred
TO as the "Appian Way of our Re-
public" was graded while Thomas
jefferson was President, at cost of
$4,000. We are told that Mr.. Jeffer-
son personally superintended the
planting of four rows of Lombardy
poplars along that portion of it be-
tween the Capitol and the White
House, row along each curbstone
and two equidistant rows in the road
way. which was then divided into
three parts. Says an old-timer:
I'm the winter and spring the drive
way would often be full of mudholes,
some of them ankle-deep, and some
of the cross-streets would be an almost
impossible bed of red clay, worked
by passing horses and wheels into a
thick mortar
"On one occasion, when Mr.. Web
ster and a friend undertook to go to
Georgetown in hackney-oach, to
attend dinner party, the vehicle
got stuck in mudhole, and the driver
had to carry his passengers, one at
time, to the sidewalk, where they
stood until the empty carriage could
be pulled out. Mr.. Webster, in mar
rating this incident years afterwards,
used to laugh over. his fears that
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