Evening star., 1950-12-31

D1otll lCt "a IOlulklUld, HQb WllO
went out Of Office the following
June. when the territorial form
OF government was abolished.
The members attending this
reception were some of the
most representative citizens OF
Washington at that time and in
cluded: DR.. John B. Blake, pres
ident; John Carroll Brent, secre-
tary; jenkins Thomas. Chauncey
Bestor, Samuel Stettinius, William
N. Williams, John w. Martin
Nicholas Callan, Seraphin Mast
Andrew Rothwell, Michael Nash
John G. Bruff. w. H. Campbell
Eli Davis Samuel E. Douglass
J. B. Dodson. George Mattingly
James Kelly, Benjamin Reiss
George A. Bohrer. George Hill. jr.;
Robert Widdicombe. David Hep
burn, Paulus Thyson, F. B. Lord
Benedict Milburn. Patrick Crow
ley, James A. Kennedy, James A.
TAFT, John G. Robinson, Patrick
ODonoghue, Evan Lyons, Lambert
Tree, j. w. Ross, Thomas c. Nc
Donnel, John E. Neale, Peter M
Pearson, Elijah Kingman and
John McClelland.
President Arthur, always a
great entertainer, celebrated New
Years Day. 1884, with a lavish re-
ception, in which the Oldest
Inhabitants were accorded a
prominent position, being placed
in line ahead of the Mexican
War Veterans. the Grand Army
and other bodies.
Corcoran Honored
In 1886, before calling upon
President Cleveland, the associa-
ton members paid their respects
to their fellow member. w. w
Corcoran, eminent Washingtonian
and greatly beloved for his philan-
thropieS. His mansion was on the
north side of Lafayette Square, at
the corner where now stands the
United States Chamber Of Com
nerce.
Mr.. Corcoran was then in his
88th year, and j. A. Wineberger
who recorded many facts about
early Washington, marShaled the
procession on that day, which in
cluded George A. Bohrer, Robert
Ball, j. Goldsborough Bruff, John
Marbury and Messrs. Wright. Am
idon, Payne, Parker, Williams,
Pilling. Viehmeyer, Higgins, Ent-
wistle, Bagnam. Drew, Henley,
Shiles, Mankins, Mclaughlin,
Beron, Douglass. Jones, Pettibone
Remick, Chark, Davis and john
son.
On this occasion, 1t is said, Mr..
Corcoran received the members in
the large reception room, and
wished each one a pleasant New
Year. grasping each hand extend
ed in both his own, and as many
of those present were from
Georgetown, he had some recol-
lection of themselves or their IA
theirs to relate.
Georgetown" he said, when
we were boys, used to be a bigger
place than Washington. I re-
member when Georgetown had a
population of 1000 and Washing
toms population was correspond
ingly less"
Mr.. Corcoran gave the associa-
ton a room in the old Corcoran
Building. at Pennsylvania avenue
and Fifteenth street, in which to
keep its records and to hold its
meetings, and they were there for
many years. He did not receive
the oldtimers in 1887, because of
failing health, and succumbed to
infirmities February "a, 1888.
Death of Samuel Boss
On January /, 1925, the as.
sociation met with a sad loss,
when one of the active members,
Samuel D. Boss, fell dead at the
gates of the mansion, as the
members were on their way to ex-
tend their annual New Year greet
ing. There were about 100 mem
bers in line at the time, when Mr..
Boss was seen to fall backward on
the icy pavement. He was picked
UP unconscious and rushed to
Emergency Hospital, were the
doctors pronounced him dead.
An unusual thing happened at
the reception held January /, 1927,
when the Oldest Inhabitants, fail
ing to arrive at the White House
on the minute, were not admitted.
but were told to return an hour
later-but, of course, did not do
so, since the weather about that
time was at the freezing point.
In line were three men whose
total ages amounted to 282 years.
They were Judge Charles S.
Bundy, aged 95; Maj. Willard S.
Saxton, 81. and James T. Pettey,
80.
Maj. Saxton was a Civil War
veteran and a Government official
for many years. and survived to
the age of nearly 104. Judge
Bundy was for many years a judge
of the Municipal Court of the Dis
trict of Columbia, and Mr.. Pettey
had held the Office of auditor for
the District.
The highest temperature on
January /, 1928, was 81 degrees
above zero, and the lowest 12
above, but the Oldest Inhabitants
shook hands with Mr.. and Mrs.
Coolidge just the same.
Six thousand three hundred
and eighty persons paid their re-
spects to the President on New
Years Day. 1880. and Mr.. Hoover
greeted the public again in 1881
and 1882. In 1888 he was in
Florida.
Z