Evening star., 1948-06-13

Old Schuetzon PARK WSS nGSt
opened at the close of the Civil
War and some Of the writer's hap
piest youthful days were spent In
this amusement park, into which
he frequently gained admission
upon displaying return check
given him by some kindly disposed
man who was leaving the grounds
for home, after a strenuous day Of
dancing, target shooting or bowling.
These little return checks. as
many will recall, would remind one
Of the old streetcar transfers given
to passengers changing cars at a
junction by the transfer agents
who long ago used to stand on
certain of our Washington corners.
Since then the style OF transfers as
well as the method of handling
them has changed, but the little
strips of heavy paper, or cardboard,
no doubt, are still fixed in the
minds of those who did not own a
horse and buggy but who were
forced to depend on the old bob
tailed car.
They Were Passed Around
However, when q boy once got
hold of one Of these Schuetzen Park
pasteboards 1t meant that the whole
gang Of boys thereabout would soon
be in the grounds, for after the
first BOY got inside safely he passed
the check through a crack in the
board fence to another boy, and so
on until all who wished were inside.
Usually the boys got jobs delivering
ice cream to patrons OF the place,
and in this way pickeo up as much
as a quarter a night, which was
considered big money to "kid"
so or 70 years ago.
One can never forget the gala
occasion of the Schuetzen Verein,
when those having the affair in
charge would haul out real can
non and bang it off for an hour or
two on the common just opposite
the park. Seventh street above
Florida avenue was sparsely set
tied at that time, and the farther
out you went the fewer were the
residences to be seen.
The park was on the east side
of Georgia avenue about between
Hobart and Kenyon streets, run
ming back about two blocks. 1t was
really a good-sized place and, though
there were upon special occasions
as many as several thousand paid
admissions, there never seemed
to be any crowding In the grounds.
Opposite the park. good block
away, running south along Sher-
man avenue, was old Reedy Branch,
making deep cut into the earth
and winding its way southeastward-
ly into Eighth street, while close to
Seventh street road-now Georgia
ayenue-were four or five gravel pits
which supplied the District with the
gravel it needed for its street i'm
provements.
Beyer's Park
These gravel pits probably were
operated by the Board OF Public
Works and could be seen years after
they ceased to be used and until
this area was built up, some 40 or
more years ago.
Beyer's Park then occupied the
territory to the south now used
as the baseball grounds, and except
for 1t. Johnson's old home and the
Maryland House-and, OF course.
"Chinch Row'-was about all there
was on the east side of the road
near Florida avenue. OF these, only
the johnson house remains.
At the northeast corner OF Flor
ida and Georgia avenues was then
Koss' drugstore, and at an earlier
date there was the Gross Keys Tav-
ern, north of which were small
including the old second
police precinct, north of which lived
William H. Prince, and at 2l24,
nearly opposite what used to be
Pomeroy street, now w street, was
the residence and feed store OF
Jacob Killer.
Opposite the eastern side of the