Evening star., 1951-02-11

frances. IL always seemed gloomy
and shut up.
While I was employed on The
Star, records the late William w.
Mahoney, "the rivalry was keen
among printers here, as well as
throughout the country, as to fast
typesetting. knowing my own ca
pacity, was not enough conceited
to enter a contest in the first
class. the prize being a gold COM
posing stick, being won by Mr..
Spencer Bennerman Of the Chron-
icle Office. r. A. Mclean Of The
Star being In the contest. ! did
enter In the second class, winning
the prize Of a silver stick. My
record for one hour and a half on
solid nonpariel was 2,240 ems. It
would require some calculation to
determine the number Of times
ones arm and fingers had to move
to reach that figure. There were
IL or IS competitors. Fred Det-
weller of the firm Of Judd &
Detweiler and E. w. Marcoe. for
merly Of the Intelligencer, were
the proofreaders.
1.-TWO fires occurred at the pres
ent location while / was on the
force, and. while destructive, never
lost an issue. Mr.. McElroy Of the
National Tribune Offering hts
office; the second by Judd g. Det-
weller. next-door neighbors."
Memories of Lambert Tree
Lambert Tree, another Of the
early washington printers, has left
behind a very interesting story OF
his arrival here on November 2.
1920, which he read before the
Of the Oldest Inhabi-
tants so years later. and which
gives an idea Of conditions in this
city at the earlier date. Upon this
occasion he said
"I departed from Philadelphia
at / o'clock pm, November !,
1920, by steamer to New Castle.
Del; thence by stage to French
town, and from there to Baltimore
by steamer, arriving at the latter
place at Z am. on the morning
Of the I'd November. I left Bal
timore by stage at 8 am. arriving
in Washington at 7 pm. Of the
same day. Thus, 50 years ago. i
travelled 80 hours to make q dis
tance which I have often since
made In between four and five.
The city, as seen at this time from
the parapet of the Capitol. pre-
sented to the eye view Of open
fields, with here and there house
or small cluster Of houses.
1.-THE Capitol itself was IN .
most dilapidated condition. the re-
suit of the occupation Of the city
by the British in 1914. The streets
were mere country roads. and
sidewalks almost unknown"
A BENJAMIN Franklin Relic
Back in late 1898, among
the relics presented to the
Association Of the Oldest In
habitants was a mallet once
owned and used by DR.. Benjamin
Franklin, and presented to the
association by Robert A. Waters.
Mr.. Waters accompanies the
mallet with the following history:
Being a cripple. and not able to
attend your meetings, through the
kindness Of our worthy marshal.
j. A. Wineberger, ! proffer you
this little mallet as q memento Of
that great patriot and statesman.
DR.. Benjamin Franklin. It has
been in my possession about sixty
five years, and the circumstances
under which received 1t are in
teresting. During the administra-
ton of President John @. Adams
I was an apprentice to the late
Col. Peter Force. editor and pub
Usher of the National Journal. q
Wing paper supporting his ad-
and Mr.. John Agg
was the associate editor, he hav-
ing an Office room in the printing
office building. Myself and fellow
whose name was John
Wright, we being the two youngest
were commonly called
the devils of the Office. and were
detailed to clean up his room. In
removing the rubbish, old torn
paper. etc.. I picked up this little
mallet, and, handing 1t to Mr..
Agg. he remarked: Keep 1t. my
boy, that little mallet once be-
longed to DR.. Benjamin Frank
lin"
Mr.. John Agg owned and lived
on the farm adjoining the Sol
diers' Home. to the north, as early
as 1925 where he died. The farm
is now owned by the Robinson
family. -re
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