Evening star., 1938-09-04


II has been pied and thrown
into the hell box" as the old
time printer might say. A few weeks
ago it stood in all It's majesty appar-
entity proud of its Well-earned record
acquired during the last 80 years But
Es space was needed for more up-to-
date structure, and it was removed
without ceremony. Not mourner ap-
peared when the first brick was dis
lodged, or if so he kept his grief tc
himself, though a flood of memories
coplous as once was the old Tiber
might well have asserted itself and
retarded its removal
Today only hole in the ground
much larger than a grave in the
cemetery and yet not so large as the
Grand Canyons all we can see and
yet, as we mediate on the past. as we
think of the thousands of persons who
were employed in this building dur
ing its long existence, of the many
mouths it has fed and of the many
ever SO many-former employees who
have now passed on, We cannot help
but look upon this vast opening in
the earth as the last resting place of
some great and mighty being and 10
express ourselves as did the melan-
choly Dane at the grave of poor
Yorick.
Only few years ago, on May ID,
1882. when a bronze tablet on this
old building was being unveiled, the
writer had the privilege of delivering
a brief historical sketch of the build
ing and the surrounding neighbor-
hood 1t was, indeed, an interest
ing building in historic neighbor-
hood, and even as time passes on
It will still be recalled by those who
have worked there and perhaps even
by those who have benefited by the
employment there of parents and
grandparents.
THIS old printing Office was erected
-. in 1856, and were there any
doubt about this Sessfords Annals
might be called upon to prove the date,
for here we find, recorded under that
year, the following statement:
"A very conspicuous object in this
new building for printing Office. etc,
which is over 240 feet long by SO feet
wide and four stories high, with a
cupola and bell. The great num-
Der Of persons to be employed in this
building will add much to the popu-
lation of It's neighborhood.
This building was erected in truly
suburban section. Until then H street
was only on the map, and had not
been extended the entire distance to
Florida avenue-or Boundary street
to the east, as this thoroughfare was
then called-nor was H street sur
faced throughout until two years later,
when we find 1t was graded from
North Capitol street to near the turn
pike gate'-where the Bladensburg
road begins-"and curbing and grading
the footway the whole distance from
North Capitol street was done. 1t
was probably due to the fact that
the printing Office had been placed at
North Capitol and H streets that H
street was graded and graveled from
New Jersey avenue to North Capitol
street as early as 1857.
The old Tiber Greek ran but half
q block away, entering the area be-
tween North Capitol and First streets
NE. at a point between N and o
streets, to the north, and continued
southwark almost on direct course
until it reached where is now our
beautiful City Post Office, where it
took southWesterly course, crossing
Pennsylvania avenue at Second street.
OVER this stream, at a point on
H street just to the east Of the
old building. we find that a new
bridge replaced an old one in 1857
and an idea may be had of the size
of this creek by the statement of
an old chroncler, that during the SOS
tavern built on New Jersey avenue
close to the stream. and known as
Foy's Hotel. was washed away during
a flood; and at a much earlier date
the same authority tells us that John
Logan operated a mill on this creek
at about l. street Logan's Mill, which
stood near the south side of N street,
between First and Second streets N E,
was first known as the Motley Young
Mill and later as the Casanova and
the FenWick Mill, even before it be-
came Logan's The wooden bridge
that spanned the creek, midway on H
street between North Capitol and First
streets NE. was removed about 1874.
A few days ago the writer had a
pleasant interview with the Misses
Webster, Georgianna and Jessie M,
whose father, William A Webster.
moved TO the southwest corner of H
street and New Jersey avenue in 1851,
five years before Cornelius Wendell
erected his mammouth printing office,
which, with its subsequent additions
has recently been removed In his
New Jersey avenue home Mr. Webster
reared a family of six children. all
born on this site except the first one.
Both Miss Georgianna and Jessie Web
ster were born there and their MEM
ory runs back at least threescore and
10 years.
Mr.. Webster. the father, has been
dead for some time, but from what
these daughters have heard him say,
this section of the city, when he moved
there, was rural and almost entirely
undeveloped, and much of it was still
being used for farm land For a long
while afterward cattle. pigs, geese and
other domestic animals were allowed
the freedom of the street and COM
mons.
THE block where st. Aloysius Church,
Gonzaga School and other Cath
olic buildings stand was called Burch's