Evening star., 1946-10-27
Other IaIoweens
By John cIogett Proctor

cent Is 1879 there were few houses
north and east of st. Aloysius
Church except the colony known as
Swamp Poodle. East Of Eighth
street Sc. there were few buildings,
and in the section north Of Dupont
Circle residences were few and far
between.
Anything Loose Was Taken
To Add Fuel to Bonfires
There was then plenty Of open
space for fireworks on Independence
Day, lots OF room for Halloween bon-
fires, and the boys and girls had
acres upon acres for play. These
same acres are now blocks Of houses.
In those days the Police Depart
ment was kept busy protecting
private property from being de-
stroyed in Halloween bonfires. Prior
to 1885 such detachable things as
front gates were subject to seizure
and anywhere q box, barrel, hogs
head or other portable wood could
be found, it was added to the blazes
that lighted up the heavens as If
the city were afire.
Many Of the small frame houses
had small stoops of one, two or three
steps required to make access easy.
In many cases these were not nailed
to the houses, and when q 7foraging"
or scouting party Of boys found one
that was not secure, 1t was quickly
carried away and consigned to the
flames. Many a person almost broke
his neck in an unexpected fall upon
leaving home the following morning.
Until prevented by fire regulations,
the bonfire was a common form of
celebration. During the early part
of the administration Of President
Tyler, in 1s41, when the repeal OF
the Subtreasury Act was passed, q
thousand or more jubilant Wash
ington Wings marched in procession
from Capitol Hill to the White
House, with torches, music, trans
parencies and fireworks, escorting
q catafalque on which WAS . coflin
labeled 1.-THE subtreasury." It is
noted that "the procession moved
slowly along Pennsylvania avenue, ~
and "bonfires were kindled at the
intersecting streets, many houses
were illuminated and there was
general rejoicing.
Flagrant Practices Criticized
BY Star Editorial of 1882
But the destroying of private prop
erty in this way was not the only
method used and other forms OF
celebration equally as despicable
were employed.
The Star opposed this type Of So
JAILED sport, and the day after the
Halloween celebration Of 1882, said !:
Last evening. All Halloween, the
boys throughout the city had their
fun, If mischief can be called so, and
crowds Of them could be seen in all
directions bent on playing some trick
on their neighbor.
In some cases, not content with
throwing vegetables in through a
door or window, the fronts of houses
were daubed with filth, and even the
streetcars were invaded by some
youngsters with small packets of
-four. which they bursted SO to
powder the dresses OF passengers.
About 7 O'Clock pm. a crowd of
boys set on ire an old hogshead
of straw near North Capitol street
and Massachusetts, avenue, causing
an alarm OF ire to be turned in and
a run Of engines. The fire was
extinguished with q few buckets Of
water before the arrival Of the en-
gines, and as the firemen drew OF
they were followed by crowd of
boys, who jeered them for being
taken in"
But naturally. as one might sup
pose, there were other forms of
celebrating Halloween more pleasant
tn r,articinants and decidefily more