Evening star., 1950-06-18

TanlR avenue. is where the ia
nous Kentucky editor and orator,
Henry Watterson. otherwise af-
fectionately called 'Marse Henry" I"
was born on February l6. 1S40.
His father, Harvey Magee Wat
terson. was serving in Congress
from the State of Tennessee at
the time. The elder Watterson
soon tired Of congressional life
and declined to be q candidate
for reelection IN 1912. President
Tyler sent him on q diplomatic
mission to Buenos Aires. and he
later served as Speaker of the
Tennessee State Senate and held
other political positions. He sub
sequently engaged in newspaper
work here and practiced law here
for Is years before taking UP his
residence in Kentucky and becom-
ing member Of the editorial staff
IF the Louisville Courfer-Journal.
Henry Watterson. the son. also
began his newspaper work in the
Capital City on the Washington
States. Democratic paper print
ed from 1858 to 1861. From here
he went to edit the Republican
Banner in Nashville. Tenn.
FamiH Divided
The beginning Of the Civil War
found the Watterson family some
what divided in its sympathies.
Henry Watterson entered the Con-
federate service and became chief
Of scouts of the army of Gen. Jo-
seph E. Johnston. His uncle, Stan
ley Matthews. who was appointed
a United States Supreme Court
Justice by President Garfield in
1881, served as lieutenant COL
onel of the 23d Regiment, Ohio
Volunteers, and later colonel of
the 57th Regiment, Ohio Volun-
teers. He, too, served in Congress,
succeeding John Sherman in the
Senate.
Henry Watterson's connection
with the Louisville Courier journal
began in 1867 when he purchased
the Louisville Journal, which he
consolidated with the Courier, be-
coming its editor and continuing
as such UP to within a few years
of his death. Like his father and
uncle. he too served in Congress,
being a member of the House of
Representatives from 1876 to 1877.
He died in Jacksonville, Fla, De-
cember %, 1921. and was buried
in Cave Hill Cemetery, Louisville,
KY.
Another notable man who board
ed on the north side of Pennsyl-
vania avenue between Third and
Fourth streets was Roger Brook
Taney. Chief Justice of the United
States Supreme Court. However,
he only made this a brief stopping
place during the sessions of the
court, his actual residence being
in Baltimore.
His Washington home. where he
resided from 1882 to the time OF
his death. October IL, 1864, was
the westernmost of the five houses
on Indiana avenue between Third
and Fourth streets. site of the
present Municipal Building. This
row was built by Thomas Blagden
and locally known as Blagden' S
Row.
Douglass zavely. writing of this
row in 1902 said:
"Hemon Baldwin was the archi-
tect of these houses and one was
occupied by Robert Toombs of
Georgia, at that time Unitec
States Senator. Other houses in
this row were occupied by Chief
Justice Taney and the Minister
from Peru to this country. In
comparatively recent years SEN
ator Christiancy of Michigan was
an occupant of one of the houses. y
Deoth Of Judge Toney
AS usual, the writer thought he
would like to get first-hand infor-
nation regarding the death and
funeral of Chief Justice Taney
and so he looked up The Star OF
October 13, 1864, and this is what
he found:
Death Of Chief Justice Taney
"The venerable Roger B. Taney
Chief Justice of the United States,
breathed his last at his residence
on Indiana avenue, near Third
street, at 10 minutes to 10 o'clock
last evening, in the presence of his
family. Judge Taney had reached
the advanced age of 81. He had
been in i'll health for several years
past. the predominant disease
which caused his death being a
chronic affection of the bowels.
He did not. however. take to his
bed until Monday week, and it
was then apparent that it was
his last sickness.
THE family physician, DR..
Grafton Tyler Of Georgetown, and
DR.. James c. Hall of this city
have been in constant attendance