Evening Star Newspaper, May 4, 1896, Page 9

THE EVENING STAR, MONDAY, S252 % MAY 4, 1896-SIXTEEN PAGES. CODE OF HONOR As Carried Out on the Famous Bladensburg Dueling Field. SCHE NEW PHASES OF AN OLD SUBJECT Scenes of Mortal Combat at This Historic Spot. VOICE OF PUBLIC OPINION Despite its Interest from a romantic and hisiorical standpoint, none of the several writers who have told of Blandensburg’s notorious dueling ground has undertaken to gather and weave Into a connected narra- tive accounts of the many so-called affairs of honor that have occurred there, being satisfied to describe the few that attained Prominence through the standing of the parties engaged. The paucity of information on this subject is doubtless owing to the delicacy the chroniclers of the time to record events that reflected no credit on the local community or th fon at large. Few references to duels are made in the new of Washington, Georgetown and Bal during the period when they were of ent oceurrence, and when a was mentioned at all the statement was coupled with a homily on the practice in general and an expression of the hope that such af- fairs would ultimately be prevented by the at. The N al tent rule of local or other tit felt cali atal ending briefest form. not duels, lon to men- to the not through these and biographical and verbal ac familiar with ht the storie: enacted on which th ined fr facts, have brought to n person: tmy interesting even S tield of he rc da ge chronicler have pa: by, seme of them for the reason, no ¢ it that the principals were not of s t imy nee to deserve permanent notoriety through the medium of the art r Local int . however, has sufficient in in the pr t in- an reise of that patience re- in making a reh for all informa- t could be obtained, and the reward ample in securing much material while it m ot be valuable from ical standpoint, will at least be the perusal of those who find nt and instruction in studying the of the District of Columbia and its vicinity nd private F affairs of the code It was the most ed dueling ground in the world, tha than fifty hostile urre - However thi re » lacking as to the m, and t s evidence of not nh a third of at number as hav- 2 place on the bloody field. to understand how the to be eted for mated within easy acc he jurisdiction of lent op- for the hotbloods of W, 1 and Baltimore, the present Bladens- € or toll-gate pike, within a mile of the village cf I ourg and half a mile be- yong the I right at @ litt m which crosse road under at this point and a short walk will bring you to the place where Deeatur, Mason and other men of lesser prominence living in the first half of the present century fell to satisfy what they were to censider claims of honor that justed only through the shedding of bl So far as I have 1 able to z the tir: meeting on the burg field place in IN. This B00: er the seat of government had been reme to Washin: In the affair, Rey Cenier of Now York and Repre: George Washington Campbell of Tenn| appear to have established the place as the favorite resort for the settlement of pri- vate differences. Gardenler fell with a bullet from his opponent's pistol in his body. The attending physician decided that he ‘could not recover, but he ultimately pulled through, and was re-elected to Con- gress by the federalists of his district. De- spite his wound, he lived for twenty years, at Kingston, N. ¥., in 1822. a New York newspape' and his daughter n os the Journalist. Camp- bell, after leaving Congress, served the United States as minister to Russia. About this time Lieut. Col. Thomas Flournoy of the army wounded his opponent in a duel at Bladensburg. n, and the principals tative Par 3 entative Death of an Army Officer. A very sald affair was that which took Place on May 26, 1814, when Ensign Ed- wart Hopkins of the thirty-sixth infantry Was killed on the Bladensburg ground. The young man had entered the army a little more than a year befcre he met his tragic death. His was one of the regiments or- ganized for service in this vicinity, and three months after Hopkins fell it’ took part in the battle of Bladensburg, which resulte the defeat of the American in troops and the destruction of the pub- ic buildings in this city. The reg- t was stationed in Georgetown, and just before the duel occurred part of it had been dispatched to St. Clement's Bay, in St. Mary's county, Maryland, t check the raids of “Cockburn'’s savage: Hopkins was a Marylander, and it is said that his people lived within sight of the place where he fell. His antagonist is un- known to history, and the cause of the duel is equally obscure. A search of the War Depa: ent records showed merely that in a duel” on the date named. is evident, however, that this duel called forth a general order from the War Department, which may be found in the National Intelligencer for May 26, 3sl4. Probably the army authorities had wind of the affair and attempted to stop it. The order, as printed in the Intelligencer, bears date of May 20, but this may be an error, as Niles’ Weekly Register, shortly thereafter, mentions that a Lieut. Ross Was dismissed from the army for engaging contrary to the general order of May The order follows: “Any com- missioned officer of the army of the United States who shall send, or accept, any chal- ht a duel, or who, knowing that pted, or is about : ul or accept, a challenge to fight a uel, and who does not immediately arrest and bring to trial the offenders in this case, shall be dismissed the service of the United States. J. B. WALBACH, “Adjutant General. m a cold winter's day in Feb- ; that Gen. Armistead T. Mason, enator from Virginia, fell a victim to the bullet of his cousin, Col. John M. Mc Carty, his life's blood staining the snow covered ground. Next to the affair be- Hopkins was “kille It tween Decatur and Barron, this is th 3 is. the Most famous of Bladensburg’s sanguinary frays. Gen. Andrew Jackson, who, while President, dismissed four naval officers for engaging in an affair of honor, has been accused of having heen responsible for thie meeting. The Senator and his cousin te. sided near Leesburg, Va., and the trouble between them arose through an objection by Mason to McCarty depositing a’ ballot at an election in that town. A proposal to fight followed from McCarty, and. was declined. Then McCarty posted’ his kins. man as a coward, and Mason's consequent challenge was not accepted, on the ground that he had proved himself guilty of cow ardice. When matters reached this Junc- ture a number of Mason's friends joined in a letter begging him to take no further notice of his fiery cousin, and, realizing the wisdom of the advice, he decided to let the matter pass. Gen. Jackson's Advice. Some months afterward, so the story goes, he made a journey to Richmond in company with Gen. Jackson, and was ad- vised by the latter to challenge McCarty boundary. Turn to your | the AW A CHA LIKE THIS For 98c. It's just like giving it away. y full, and 1 of $3, that they're worth. It's ah: woed Rocker, in Polished Antiqt k finish, w Ligh back, broad, flat arms, sealoped ». You'll be surry if you don't get one. But our three {RR REFRIGERATORS. ith top ‘MATTINGS. The saving of wear and tear o the carpets makes the buying Matting at this name the lowest prices. Our stock is brand new—ani bigger than it ever ha gest hereabouts. ing patterns—direetly from Japan by ours N ‘Ives —see us. season an economi- been—hbig- It's full of pleas- importe matter how little you want to pay n | see what it buys. of | Refrigerators with you at sl : nom. | range. The makes we handle are cal investment. Good Matting is es leed’to be the best the cone cheapest. We haven't any but knowledged to be the pest—the co} the geood—but we are able to | struction the most perfect ice savers the most economical. d est prices. d To quote a price doesn’t amount to much unless you are on the spot to We'd like to talk —and as variety of styles and guaranteed low- a iit aa ae ee SN i VE THROWN THE DOORS WIDE OP 5 We're bound this shall be the greatest value-giving honse in Washington—as it is the most complete. Je've got the greatest buying advantages—and they shall be shared with you generously. There’s nothing but new stock in this new store—and nothing but what is fresh—and fully worthy of our guarantee shall cross the threshold. For tomorrow we make some offers that are entitled to your prompt attention. Don’t hesitate for want of the cash—because here ; YOUR CREDIT IS GOOD. EW, THE GOUGH THAT BEATS "EM ALL. tufted such Only $9.49. We want you to see it, because it is constructed on new hygienic princi- ples that make it more desirable than any other. with an imitation of leather that is very durable. Spring edge all around, It’s full size, covered and fringed. You won't find a piece of furniture anywhere marked less than $15. As long as this lot lasts you may have them for RICH DINNER nort ac- Big ¥ BARBY CARRIAGES. matter FEA Made NIE of Solid ers, cled pieces at $12 Drass. ends, It s and it’s ou i again. Despite the protestations of his friends, Mason sent the ominous note, and lost his life as a result. . A year and a month following Mason's tragic ending Stephen Decatur, post cap- tain or commodore in the navy, the beau ideal of naval commanders, a brave sailor and a man of ability, fell at the hands of a brother officer, Post Capt. James and Bladensburg received its greatest no- toriety. So famous has this duel by and so fully has the story been told, it need not he repeated. A clerk in the Treasury Department named Randall killed a young man named Edward Fox, also a treasury clerk, at Bladensburg on August 7, 1521, in conse- amence of a quarrel arising from the b trayal of a Washing'on girl by the former. The girl was the daughter of Randall's boarding house mistress, and her brother, then a cadet at West Point, had a tigh with the seducer in which Randall severely wounded. When he recovered an- other boarder at the house of the unfortu- nate girl's mother attacked him in the street. Randall believed Fox had insti- gated this attack and gave the latter a caning, with the result that Fox sent him a challenge. Pistols were the weapcns se- lected and the distance was cight paces. ‘the Secretary of the Treasury dismissed Randall from the department, but he suf- fered no other punishment. A recent search through the files of the department revealed no papers relating to the dismissal and it is supposed that they were burned in the great treasury fire of 18%. Ans Noted in the Intelligencer. The National Inteiligencer published no particulars of the fatal meeting, but in its Ceath column, in the issue of Saturday, Au- gust 11, 1821, this interesting notice ap- peared: “Died—On Tuesday evening, Edward Fox, junr., esq., for several years past a clerk in the office of the Secretary of the Treasury. “He fell in a duel, being shot through the body, and instantaneously killed! “How often have we to lament the death by this barbarous custom of men whom we have known, whom we have respected a even loved! If society and common ai Guaintance mourns this catastrophe, what censolation can be offered to a father, a} mother, sisters and brothers, whom it has ! robbed of him who was one of the chief | sources of happiness in this lifet_ The last they heard of him he was in health and happiness, the next intelligence, in a letter from his own hand, left with a friend, to be forwarded in the event of his death, an- nouncing that, when they received it, he is “Othe circumstances of this unfortunate meeting are well known in the city; but in compliance with our uniform rule, we for- bear to speak of them. A more afflicting occurrence has seldom taken place in our society; and we sincerely partake, in this respect, of the general feeling. ‘The next year, 1822, another Treasury De- partment clerk, whose name was Gibson, had an affair at Bladensburg with Midship- man Samuel Barron Cocke, U.S. N. Cocke was shot througa the lungs, but tid not die. According to Hammersiey’s “One Hundred Years of the U. 8. Navy,” Cocke lived until 1835. ‘A question on the construction of the code arose in 1883 frem a bloodless duel fought at Bladensburg In June of that year between two Congressmen, Daniel Jenifer of Maryland and Jesse A. Bynum of North Carolina, who had quarreted over words ut- tered in debate. There were four seconds, all members of Congress, Peyton of Tennes- see and Pickens of South Carolina for Jeni- fer, and Sevier of Arkansas and Hannegan cf Indiana for Bynum. Six shots were ex- changed without Injury to either party, be- fore honor was declared satisfied, entirely too many, said exponents of the code in disenssing the qzestion of construction re- ferred to in the settlement of a dispute growing out of words uttered in debate. Bynum and Jenifer suffered more off the field than on, for the newspapers lampooned them without merey for being such poor shots. Gen. Robert Willlams, until recently ad- ant general of the army, and now on the retired ligt, laughingly related to the writer the story of an affair of honor he had with David Bell of Iowa, who died in 1860. The duel took place in 1847, when both the young men were cadets of the same class at the Military Academy. They had some quarrel, the cause of which Gen. Williams has for- gotten, and decided to settle their differ- ences on the historic Bladensburg fleld. When the party reached the ground they found there several citizens of the town of Bladensburg, who had obtained knowledge Onk, with big, roomful draw R, Of 112 pieces—imported this $15 set For $9.5 > Wy've other full sets fre and ‘a complete line of Cntlgry, Table Linen, ete shape and tastefully decorated. only reason in the world that we offer to quickly call our new Crockery- ware Department te your notice. that preach our leadership. SET. ENGLISH ware—new The bargain at oO ig This is 2m $6. up— quantity. Glassware, = c., at prices of the audience, Cadets Williams and Bell repaired meeting. To avoid this uninvited with thei away ir seconds to a point half a mile ind close to the track of the Baltl- more and Ohio railroad. Shots were changed without greater damage than slight wound to Bell, and he clared satisfied. Gen. Wil that when ’ jor was de- told me ing the ams rest them, had been impelled by curio witness the duel, and had secreted behind a tree for that purpose. He did not apprehend the young men, Some of the Later Events. Two editors from Richmond, Va., J. M. Dantel and E. W. Johrson, after carrying on a war of words in their respective jour- nals, decided to fight it out with pistols at Bladensburg. This was in 1852. They ex- charged shots, according to the current account, were induced to patch up their differences and left the field as friends. ‘The next year Robert Ridgway, another Vir- ginia editer, was challenged hy S. G. Da- vis, a member of the Virginia legislature, and they also met at Bladensburg. Pistols w 1. Davis fired at the word and missed, and. as Ridgway declined to shoot, a reconciliation was effected. Alexander M. Dallas and R. M. Hoale went out to fight at Bladensburg in 1Sal, but were airested on the ground and bound over to keep the peace. They had quarrel- ed in the Netional Hotel. Jefferson Davis He In the United States Senate, was also prevented frem fighting a duel by his fath- er-in-law, Presicent Zachary Taylor, who placed him under arrest, and then sent his secretary to the ground to arrest Davis’ opponent, Col. Bissell, a member of the House. Hissell had accused Davis of cow- ardice in the Mexican war. When arrested he was b->ught to the Write House, where President ‘Taylor made the two shake hands. The celebrity of the Bladensburg field has caused it to be considered as the place where 21] the noted duels near Washington occurred, Through this ralsconception the affair between Randolph and Clay and the tragic meeting between the unfortunate Jonathan Cilley of Maine and Graves of tucky, also a member of the House, ‘ometimes said to have taken place As a matter of fact, Cilley was killed on the Marlboro’ road, just be- yond Good Hope, and Clay shot at Ran- dolph at a polnt near the Chain bridge, on the Virgiria shore. Scharf, in his History of Maryland, says that a fatal duel between Daniel M. Key, son of Franc!s Scott Key, and J. H. Sher- burne, both midshipmen in the navy, was fought at Bladensburg. This is an error. The duel took place-on the Arnold farm, about two miles from the present Pennsyl- vania Avenue bridge. —_—__ Getting Even With the Advertiser. From the San Francisco Argonaut. An Englishman recently recetved a posal card saying: “Dear R.: Have you seen the March number of the —? Is It true? I sincerely hope so. Yours, FE.” He at once smclied a rat, so he sat down and indited this reply, which he mailed to the editor of the magazine in a sealed but unstamp- ed envelope: “Dear E.: I haye seen one previous number of the —, and I hope never to see another. This is quite true. Yours, R.” This precious missive cost the enterprising editor who had evolved this cheap advertising trick just four ceats on account of unprepald postage. Old Scalping Knife Found. From Hardware. An Indian scalping knife was found in a tree in Clearfield county, Pa., recently. The blade was imbedded twenty feet from the ground, and as the tree counted 175 rings from the point of the knife to its hilt, it would indicate that the blade had been in the same position for almost two centuries. The stamp on the side of the knife consists of the representation of a crown and a bot- tle, and it was no doubt imported from England in the early days of the colonies, and was probably traded to the Indians. ———"— +02 To Recognize Cuban Belligerency. Representative Hyde of Washington has introduced in the Hovse Senator Morgan's joint resolution for the recognition of Cu- ban belligerency, ard will ask the foreign affairs committee to give him a hearing on the subject. POLICE MAGISTRATES. ————— Comprehensive Criticism of the Bill Providing for Them. HR. THOMAS ANSWERS a MAJOR MOORE Confusion That Would Result From the Proposed Measure. PRESENT POLICE COURT os Mr, Thomas, attorney for the District has made a report on House Dill 691) which provides for the appointment of five police magistrates for the District of Co- lumbia, and also the amendment thereto. Attorney Thomas says the major and su- berintendent of police assumes that the proposed amendment to section 2 will ob- | viate the constitutional objection suggest- ed by him, in his letter of the 23d ultimo, on the original bin. “I cannot coacur in th's view,” says Mr. Thomas. “The amendment simply changes the original section, so as to attempt to make police magistrates’ courts aux- iliary to the Police Court for one purpose, but not for others, and is intended to ap- parently remove the constitutional objec- tion to the original section without doing so in fact. To illustrate: ‘The proposed amendment to section 2 provides, ‘that said police magistrates shall be auxiliary to and have concurrent jurisdiction with the Police Court.of the said District, ex- ept as hereinafter provided, of all of- fenses against the laws, ordinances and regulations of the District of Columbia, and all such cases brovght before them at any of the sessions hereinafter pro- vided for the eccused, when entitled there- to, shall be tendaved a trial by jury inthe said Police Court, and except in cases where the accused shall elect and be en- tiled to a trial by jury, as provided in section 2 of the ect of March 3, 1891, en- titled “An act to define the jurisdiction of the Police Court of the District of Co- Tumbi: the trial shall be by the police magistrate.” . Right of Trial by Jury. “It is immateffal,’In view of the dec'sion of the Supreme-€ourt of the United States in Callan vs. Wisom 127 U. S., 551), wheth- er a defendant ‘entitled to a trial by jury waives that right wr not. {n order that the court assuming: to try him may take cognizance of the diise for the purpose of trial by jury orjby the court, on waiver of a jury trial, if;ig ;essential that a jury should actually exist, under the control and as a compinen} part of the court it- self. In other ;worgs, a court without a jury as part of itself is not a constitu- tional court for the purpose of trying any case coming -within the constitutional right of trial by jury. “This objection ts"said to be removed by the use of the ‘words ‘auxiliary’ and ‘con- current’ in the pneposed amendment to section 2, but upom reading the entire sec- tion as amended it will be seen that there will be no concurrent jurisdiction what- ever. By the terms of the section as amended the magistrates are to have ex clusive jurisdiction in all cases where trial by jury is not demanded, and the Police Court ‘exclusive jurisdiction where such trial is demanded. Thus it will be seen that the jurisdiction of the Police Court only begins where the magistrates’ ends, and the jurisdiction of the two do not run together, but are absolutely separated by the very terms of the section.” Confusion That Would Result. “There is nothing in section 2, as amend- ed, defining the word ‘auxiliary,’ or stating in what connection it is to be used, but as the section climinates from the Police Court all jurisdiction, except where trial Ly jury is demanded, presumably it is in- EA] ENTH AW tended to mean that such magistrates may certify cases to the Police Court for trial by jury, and that such action constitutes them auxiliaries of the Police Court. It will thus be seen that there is no such iden- tity of jurisdiction, authority or procedure as would justify the designation of these magistrates’ courts as any part of the Po- lice Court, nor, indeed, could there well be any indiscriminate commingling of jurisdic- tion between the Police Court and the magistrates provided for by this bill, in respect to cases triable by jury, without such confusion as would militate against the proper administration of justice in either court. ‘There is now bill pending in Congress providing for review of judgments of the Police Court. to the statement that from fifty to 100 prisoners may be arrested on Saturday night, in the summer time, and detained in the cells until Monday morning, the bill provides no remedy against this. and the bill, if it becomes a arrested on Saturday morn- e 10 be tried by the magistrates, un- the magistrate should hold court on Sunday, a thing not to be presumed. “It is also submitted that persons de- randing a jury trial and who cannot fur- nish bond or leave collateral for their ap- pearance in che Police Court. would have to be confined in cells until such trial could be had, and they certainly would be more ntmerous than those who now demand trial by jury. Police Officers at Court. | “With respect to the detention of police officers at the Police Court, I do not per- ve any provision in the original or the proposed amendment of the bill which would obviate an objection to the present system. The number of police officers de- tained in the Police Court after 11 a.m., while new small for each day, would be materially reduced by a change in the pres- ent system requiring each officer, who mekes an arrest on a warrant, to come to court with the case regardless of the fact whether he hus any personal knowledge of it or not. Only officers having personal knowledge of each case should attend court. “As to the items of expense mentioned in the letter of Major Moore it is difficult to understand the calculation by which an in- crease 0: 5,000 in the cost of administer- ing police justice in the District without in any way lessening the expense of the Police Court will become a saving. The records of Police Court show that the re- ceipts uniformly exceed the entire ex- pense created by its administration. “As to the necessity of this, as affording speedy trials, ete., it may be said that the Police Court disposes of its business each day, and there are no delaps in the dis- position of District cases except such as are requisite for a proper,defense by the par- ties charged—delays in the interest of jus- tice, and which would occur in the mag- istrates’ court necessarily. Present Courts Are Sufficient. “When the population of the District has increased so that the number of cases brought before the Police Court is too great to be properly disposed of by the present system, it will be quite time to consider the necessity of establishing such addi- tioral courts as will accommodate the in- creased volume of business. judge Kim- bail, who tries District cases, except where trial by jury is demanded, as a ruie dis- poses of the business in his court before midday, and Judge Miller, who tries United States cases, and District cases where trial by jury is demanded, generally gets throagh his work by noon. [t is hardly necessary for me to refer to the fact that jarge number of District ordinances and regula- tions are important enough to require an assistant attorney of the District at each magistrate's office to prepare the charges and properly prosecute the cases. Certain- ly, violations of the Hquor laws, building regulations and the laws and regulations affecting public health couid not be for- mulated by police officers, as provided for by this bill. “In my judgment, this bill should not re- ceive the recommendation of the Ccmmis- stoners, since, irrespective of the legal objection to it, it would not remedy the supposed defects in the present system. Its enactment would entall an additional expense of $20,000 annually upon the tax- payers of the District. If any considerable portion of this sum was appropriated to Increase the police force this would ma- terially relieve the principal objection of the police department to the present Folice Court system, and also afford the commun- ity better protection.” A 1o-piece set—finished in blue, pink or brown—new patterns and each a large piece. you will say $2.50. 50 other styles at different prices. All new effects. REED AND RATT AN AN FURNITURE. Not a luxury—hbut a living com- | = Saas fort. What makes a house look “CORATED TOILET cooler in summer than plenty of this openwork furniture sitting around? We have single picces and complete sets—in the hand- somest designs you ever saw. Strong and _ serviceable great deal lower in price than y« 2 imagine. Worth $5—and it’s an extraordinary a special lot—limited in §1 % AERARMAN 1 STREETS. FORTY YEARS AGO When the Boys Ran to Fires With the Machine Bridges Over the Canal and the Tiber —Names of Gangs That Ruled the Various Localities. THE DAYS OF LONG AGO. Air—“‘Auld Lang Ssne."* ‘The days of yore we'll not forget, Nor scenes we used to know, The girls of old, the boys we met, In the days of long ago. We walked the atreets of living green, (Note 1) Few pavements did we know, By bridges frail we crossed the streams, (IL) In the days of long ago. And fish we caught at Tiber's wall, (1) We waded to and fro, And rivals stoned on bill and mall (IV.) In the dayr of long ago. We plenics held at rural springs, (V.) With sprightly lacs and beaux, When hearts were filed with joy supreme, In the days of long ago. When to the tune of “La de dah,” (VL) We made a martial show, In time of feace, prepared for war, In the days of long ago. When we ran the old machines, (VIL) To meet the firey foe, And on the flames we sent the streams, In the days of long ago. Now we are weak, and gray and bald, The weight of years doth show, But young we feel, as we recall, ‘The days of long ago. I. Forty years ago but few of the streets of the city had been opened, graded and sraveled, and most of them were overgrown with grass and weed. The ordinary street Was a wagon road, through a mass of vege- tation, while a ridge of dumped gravel, three feet wide, formed the footwalk. IL The bridges over the canal were a brick arch, at New Jersey avenue, and Wooden structures at 14th, 12th, 7th, 4% streets, Maryland avenue, L and N streets southwest. The Tiber was spanned ny an arch on Pennsylvania avenue and 2d street northwest, and frail wooden bridges at Indiana avenue and 3d street, and H street near Ist street northeast, and on North Capitol between New York avenue and O street. A branch of the Tiber entered the city near the head of 8th street northwest, turning near R street, where it recpived a run from the westward, and over the latter wasa simple but strong narrow bridge at 7th street, and at other places crossings were made by means of a single plank or log. Slash run, from near the head of 18th street, flowed southward to near I. strect, to 22d, and thence to Rock creek, at O street. Primitive bridges crossed it at Connecticut avenue and 20th street, and at other points it was forded. The stream from Franklin Square coursed east of 13th to below H street, thence eastward acvoss 10th, and southward to the canal, emptying in the basin, where the wholesale market is now located. This was arched at the avenue, D, E and F streeis, forded at G street and bridged at 10th, 11th, and 12th streets and New York avenue. III. Many of the oldest inhabitants remem- ber sitting on the walls of the canal fishing for perch, smelt, sun and cat fish; and some now dead were wont in conversation to recall catching herrifig in a dip net in the stream, from Franklin Square, north of F street. The water in the canal was but a few feet deep, sufficient to fioat a small craft, and considerable trade was done in lumber, lime, wood, etc., along its banks. At low tide in many parts boys could con- veniently wade it, particularly east of 7th strect. IV. It was customary for the boys to run in gangs, and they assuming to rule their respective neighborhoods, collisions tre- wen Credit if you want ft. - IN ? quently occurred. They imes names from lo y or from the ¢ tion of their le . Or the name There were the dower run: part ward): sof the Northern Lil any, Whose apparatus wa Yardites,” “Swampoodle, ete. Favorite battle grounds were and south of the Capitol, Massachusetis avenue between 3d and 4th, “Asylum Hill,” between 9th, 10th, G and H west, and when the contest was be! island and city boys the Mall, betw and 14th streets. V. Pienies were frequent, Arline? re on, then populariy known as Custis’ Spring, having a dancing pavilion and other accessories, being the favorite resort. Trips were me by a small steamer, from near 14th street bridge, and | ow boat. Other resorts were Roach’s Spring. Jackson City: Bomford’s, Berry's and Gales’ ds. cursions down the river were rally on the old steamer Colum- bla day afternvons and evenings as far as Indian Head. Vi. a de dah” was the popular name of a march, to which the old military cow panies kept time. The usual place of sembly was §n front of the city hall, where we the line was formed. In those day had the Potomac Dragoons from Geor town, the President's Mounted Guard, Washington Light Infantry, the National Blues, afterward the Grays, and later the National Guards; the Walker Sharp Sho: \nion Guards, the Boone the Navy Yan, ti American Rifles, the Montgomery rds and oti were also a number of junior companies, such as the Infantry Cadets, Union Light th Infantry, Seott Guards, Marion Rifles, Rough and Ready Artillery, It known that from some of these organizations offi- cers of high rank gained thei srce of Cincinnati, Gen. ¢ Col. Wilson (in charge of ‘public and grounds), the late Gen. Lasel Pothers. VII. The old fre machines (one of which is In possession of the Firemen at 19th and H. str consisted of a gallery engine, suction xine, accompanied by h ris, and they were all drawn to and from the fires by hand. There were then the Vigilant Com- pany, in Georgetown Union and Western Hose, in the first ward; Wth and Pennsylvania ance, Sth and Pennsy! ern Liberty, Sth a’ 3 Columbia,” ¢ Hill; Anacostia, Yard; Metroy Hook and Ladder, Massachusetts av: near 4th, anid American Hook and L: near the navy yard. Onan alarm some one would ring the bell, and there would be a run to the engine house, and the ropes run out and manned and the machines would be dragged to the fire. There were but few water plugs, and pumps and reservoirs fur~ rished the water, the suction engine draw- ing and forcing to the gallery engine, and thence to the burning bullding. peli ae HER WEDDING PRE: teran Volunteer lly ts) usus “8 nia avenue, North- It Bore the Famous Firm's Name ang Also “Repairing Depnrtment.” From the Toledo Blade. An amusing incident occurred at a fash- ionable wedding in London. One friend, who determined to save her money and credit at the same time, took a broken ear- ling to a famous jeweler of Bond street and ordered the little stone to be set as a searf pla for the groom. she sagely marked: “It does me no g604, and, coming from such a famous establishment, they are sure to prize it, and think I paid a lot of morey.” When the package was returned from the shop the wedding guest falled to examine her proposed present, and merely dispaich- ed it, with her card and compiiments. Im- agine her disgust, when, strolling through the rooms where the bridal gifts were dis- piayed, to find a dozen people about her offering, and each one smiling. For a mcment she hesitated, then pressed fcrward, and lo! there was the precious white satin-covered box bearing the prized rame, it is true, but, alas! below, “From repairing department,” and, even worse than ail, resting on the biue cotton beside the pin was an old broken bit of earring returned by the conscientious firm.