Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-09-22
Fifty Years Ago
In the Star

Albert Hawkins, who was the executive
coachman" so years ago
Possino of the and more, back in the
Goodman horse and-buggy days.
The Star of September
20, 1890, thus tells of his official de-
parture from the scene:
Albert Hawkins, coachman to the
President, has resigned. There were few
kmore important characters in the eyes
of the multitude than he. When the
band played and the crowd yelled, be-
cause the President of the United States
was riding to the White House on inaug
uration DAY. how many people were
there that looked upon the Presidents
face without subsequently taking a good
look at the man who was driving him?
If his position was less important than
the President S, it was at least more con-
spicuous, for he sat higher up in the air.
But all this glory was to Albert an old
story. Gen. Grant. Mr. Hayes, Gen. Gar
field, Mr.. Cleveland. Gen. Harrison-he
held the ribbons over the horses that
drew each one of them in proud pro-
cession to and from the Capitol. His
face is as familiar to the residents of
Washington as the face of any Senator
more familiar, in fact, than the faces of
most Senators.
There was a happy time for Albert
when he drove four horses as an ordi-
nary thing but now he performs this
feat only upon state occasions. We be-
come more and more democratic every
day. It was not considered bad taste for
Gen. Grant to ride behind four horses
and he constantly did So and in those
days it was the customary way for the
President to go about, but Hayes didn't
like it and so the custom lapsed for four
years and was only fltfully revived by
President Arthur.
albert is black. In the good old times
in Washington nearly all the coachmen
were black. and if there is anything finer
to gaze upon than big, black coachman
in an old-fashioned family livery 1t has
yet to make it's appearance He knew
his Importance and he gloried in it.
There are good many of them left. but
the white man is fast taking the colored
coachman's place John r. Mclean still
sticks to them and two gentlemen as
black as the ace of spades, in a livery
OF drab and yellow. attend to the navi-
CATION of his yellow wheeled batouche.
THE japanese Legation, too. that has
for so long had the handsomest carriage
in the diplomatic corps, delights in the
possession of a slim but stately colored
coachman who has a pair of whiskers
through which the wind may gently
blow He is proud of these whiskers,
and justly so, for any man might envy
them.
Then there are the two coachmen
who perch upon the box of car
riage belonging to a prominent private
citizen here. They look like twins. They
are old as crows and gray and sedate and
dignified They hold themselves erect.
they look proud. but it is the pride of
conscious worth and there is no vulgar
glancing among the common herd, who
walk for their appreciation. They wear
livery of dark blue with yellow facings.
They drive one of those glorious old glass
coaches, full of plate glass windows,
painted claret color and hung upon
leather hinges and with dark-red run
ming gear. The whole thing Gas the Ne
gro chimney sweep said creates respec'
as it goes along
Then there is another one that is
fine old boy, too. He drives the coupe of
a distinguished Army officer. Jove!
How important he looks as he moves
soberly along with that stout old family
nag! No fast driving for him! Leave
that to these smooth-faced foreigners!
Then there are some old white coach
men that are fine on the box also. and
several can be seen during the season
that would look extremely like Senators
if it were not that they resemble more
closely the judges of tie Supreme Court.
But these types are practically things
of the past. The swell coachmen and
footmen of the present day are white and
middle-aged Here are an ideal pair:
The coachman, big and burly, short side
whiskers cropped close, erect, with whip
in hand and driving rapidly-an extra
high seat makes him taller on the box
than the footman."