Evening star., 1943-07-25
By John Clagett Proctor

forget to mention our old school mistress,
Nine. Burr. She was a real French
woman, abandoned by her parents and
brought up in New York at one of their
large schools She was a splendid
teacher and most lovable person, so
that our work was all seasoned with
affection"
Early Library Site
The south side of New York avenue
is also of Importance because No. 1926
served for five years as the Pubic
Library, following the passage by Con-
gress of the act of June g. 1896, and the
subsequent act of June 30, 1898. Incl
dentally, the obtaining of this library
was in the nature of a victory for those
who had fought SO long for a tax-sus-
tanned library for this city, even if we do
have to pay about nine-tenthS of the bill.
But the proportion was not quite so pad
as this when the bill was passed. How
ever, all sorts of arguments had to be
advanced before Congress agreed to the
bill, and it was undoubtedly the argu-
ment advanced by Theodore w. Noyes
on June g. 1894, as chairman of The
Board of Trade Committee, before the
House Committee on the District of
Columbia that resulted in the approval
of the measure.
AS stated in The Star at that time,
Mr. Noyes said:
"Of the 50 semipublic libraries
in Washington, containing over
million volumes, not one is free
circulating library, with reading
room open at night for the benefit
of the public. AS far as these
books are concerned, the people Of
the city are in the position of the
mythical Tantalus, starving and
famishing with an abundance of
food and water Just out of reach.
Urged Library Fund
Mr.. Moves continued, saying:
up to June 80, 1898, the Gov
ernment had donated 80000000
acres of land to the States for pub
lie schools, 100000 acres for State
ulllpelSlClSo dllu 1lSdliS 1O,ooo,ooo
acres for agricultural colleges. Part
of more than 100000 acres
of swamp land granted to the
States had also been used for edu-
cational purposes. There had been
a series of cash appropriations to
the States for educational purposes
aggregating millions of dollars,
cole of y,bb1io
land Not foot of land had been
thus donated to the District.
Leaving the public school Land
grant out of account entirely, II
the Government found it wise to
donate large sums of money and
millions of acres of ground for
State universities and colleges. it
would also find it both wise and
consistent to furnish the District
with a few feet of public space
necessary for what Carlyle calls
the peoples university, the free
public library"
Up to 1853 there were few persons en-.
gagged in business in this block. Indeed
few were so engaged in $780, and among
these we're: At 1916, James Fitzpatrick
bricklayer;;- 1918, Charles Rittenshofel
locksmith and bell hanger; 1925, M. c
Berry, boarding house (home of the Pub
lie Library 1893 -1903) No. 1880, Francs
A. Ashford, physician.
Apparently this was somewhat OF al
educational center, for on New Yorl
avenue, near the northwest corner, abou
1921. James McCleary bought two lots
where he erected a schoolhouse as vel
as a dwelling in which he resided. at
tached to which was a Weu-kept foWe
garden. When he purchased the prop
erty it was dumping ground, But evi
IDENTIFY he prospered, for he taught il
this locality until 1888, when he sold th'
property to Mrs A. Milligan, who taugh
here for while and in few years moyet
across the way to the south side of New
York avenue.
About Zalmon Richards
At the northwest corner of New Yorl
avenue and Fourteenth street was for
number of years the Union Academy, tn.