Evening star., 1945-12-23

AbrGham Lincoln and Tao
White House days.
cracking Of the fuel; nor does anything
appear more cozy and cheerful now
than did the red-hot parlor stove and
the red-hot lids of the kitchen range
in the good old days of yore.
What pleasure we used to have pop
ping corn on the old kitchen stove,
especially during the holiday season, and
roasting chestnuts and chinquapins.
What fun we used to have pulling of
our red-topped boots with the bootjack
in wintertime and toasting our feet by
the fire; and, oh, how difficult it was,
sometimes, to get them on the next
morning.
But at Christmas no section in the
city was more interesting than the two
flat-iron blocks where now stands the
Department of Justice Building-aside
from the Center Market Square, where
is now the National Archives Building.
These two squares numbered 381 and
382 were between Ninth and Tenth
streets, and were separated by what was
once known as Louisiana avenue. On
the north was Pennsylvania avenue and
to the South Constitution avenue
This area had been for a century and
quarter or more a great market CEN
ter. Especially at Christmastime, it was
always crowded with customers purchas-
ing their turkeys and all the trimmings
that go with this delicious bird. Indeed
even during the coolest weather, the
merchants in this avenue could always
be found ready to serve their customers,
some OF whom had dealt with them for
years. Perhaps no man along the line
as the retail market was called, is better
remembered than Joe Roth of the firm
OF Roth & Geoghegan, poultry dealers,
at 932 Louisiana avenue. In 1879. Mr..
Roth's occupation was given as huckster,
an dthe following year he formed part
nership with Samuel Geoghegan and
began the produce business at 938 LOUIS
lana avenue. Here he remained until
his death about l6 years ago.
Nathan Algia Poole was also of the
early merchants along Louisiana ave-
nue., between Ninth and Tenth streets.
In 1879 he moved there and engaged
In the wholesale oil business, as we'll
as being a general commission mer-
chant, the firm then being known as
N. A. Poole & Co. and his partner being
Alexander M. Brooke and later Joseph
H. Brooke. Subsequently Mr.. Poole
opened wholesale and retail grocery
store on the south side of the Avenue.
and it was here that his future son-in-
law, S. A. Reeves, got his first start as
businessman
This was not Mr. Poole,s first venture
in the grocery business, for he had ear
iler engaged in this line at 1900 and
other addresses on Fourteenth street.
At one time, probably right after COM
ing to this city, he was associated with
Jonn I. Henderson at GOT C street as
general manufacturing agent.
Old Horse Market
In the early '80s some of the mer-
chants engaged in business along this
avenue, and whom you may recall, were
Marshal Overfield, dealer in fruits:
Jesse D. Gibb, Alexander Simon, George
Donaldson and William H. Robertson.
butchers; John A. Blake and P. H.
Heiskell, agricultural implements; Sam
uel Bensinger and Lewis Clark, who
operated the horse bazaar, where
nearly all the broken-down plugs and
castoff horses of the street railways
were sold
Some Of these horses were bought
by Patsy Mann and found their wav
to his factory near Giesboro. on the
Potomac, where they were converted
into soap, glue and other articles.
These horses sometimes brought as low
as dollar apiece. although some very
good horses were occasionally auctioned
on here. However, it was amusing at
times to listen to the auctioneer's de-
scription of the decrepit animals offered
for sale, as it was anything but ac-
curate, and even the buyer was not
deceived.
Louis P. Krey, later a successful COM
mission merchant in this city, kept 4
cigar store at No. 909 in 1885, and had
as neighbors in the commission busi-
ness j. T. Clark & Co., Andrews &
Wade, Curtis F. Dutrow, Havenner g.
Firor, William S. Hoge, Edward B.
Lanerty, Isaac B. McKeever, George E.
Mattingly, Miller & Yager. M. j. Owens
d Co., Joseph Prather, Albin Price a.
Co., Jacob S. Redman, Redman g. Chap
man, Bernard Robinson, Oscar j, Roller
A. Sandman & Co., j. F. Saum e. Co..
Snouffer & Yakey, Spicer, Compton 81
Co.; Thomas NJ. Spillman, Strang &
Tucker, F. G. Swain & Son. Tolson g.
Loving and c. F. Wilkins & Co.
Perhaps the people of Washington
are no different from the people of
any other city when it comes to cele-
brating Christmas, but we do take the
day seriously and enjoy ourselves in
good old Southern style, and try to see
that others do the same. This spirit
reaches down not only to the lowliest,
but even to the White House, where the
President often demonstrates his ad-
miration for st. Nicholas and joins in
the spirit of the season.
And so we find President Lincoln buy
ing toys for Little Tad for Christmas
and at other times The principal toy
shop then, within easy reach Of the
White House at 1907 New York avenue;
and here the Great Emancipator would
70 hand IN hand With his young son.
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