Evening Star Newspaper, February 28, 1932, Page 77

R A R the Civil War was in the making, and the result was that it was n:t sold until December 10, 1861, when tue trustees conveyed title, ac- cording to the statement of J. E. Bucking- ham, sr., to David W. H>ath, who subsequently conveyed an interest to John T. Ford. N looking over the amusement column of The Star for 1861 the writer found that the Tenth Street Baptist Church wes first used for theatrical performances on November 19 of that year, and as evidcnee of this the an- nouncement of the coming to this play house of the famous diva, Charlotta Patti, is submit- ted, as follows: “MISS CARLOTTA PATTI The Public are rcspectful’y informed that Miss Carlotta Patti. the celebrated Cantatrice, whose great suc- cess in the Academies of Music in New York, Philadelphia, and Bost:n, has placed her in the front rank of living Concert Singers, will make her First appearance in Washingtcn at the building formerly known as ‘The Tenth Street Baptist Church, Between E and F Sts, within one square of Pa. Ave., On Tuesday Evening, November 19th, in a . Grand Operatic Concert. Miss Patti wiil be assisted on this occasion by M'me Amelia Strakosch, Sig. Centimeri, The Famous Baritone. Henry Sanderson, The Young American Pianist. Director and Conductor, Cail Schreineor. Admission One Dollar; Reserved Seats 50 cents extra. Seats can be secured, commencing on Sat- urday, 9 am. at the Music Store of Mr. Metzerott. Doors cpen Tk, mence at 8."° performance to com- Apparently Miss Patti was well received, and that the editor enjoyed the show is best told in his own words, for, editorially, he said: “There was a good attendance of the musical pubiic last night at the Tenth Street Baptist Church to hear the gifted cantatrice, Miss Car- lotta Patti. Her voice is a pure scprano, of great power and sweetness, and its thorough cultivation was evident, particularly in her execution ¢f the ‘Echo’ song, which was warmly received by the critical audience present. Mr. Henry Sanderson performed in brilliant style, indeed. His execution of the ‘Second March Prom the Prophet’ was thrilling. Mme. Stra- kosch and Sig. Centimeri acquitted themselves admirably throughout. By the advertisement 4t will be seen that another concert will be ‘given on tomorrow evening, by which time we hope arrangements will be made for thoroughly -warming the building, as we have no doubt a large crowd will attend.” OLLOWING Miss Patti's “Grand Opera Concert,” came George Christy’s Min- strels, which had been playing at Odd Pellows’ Hall. And again we refer to The Star’'s amusement column which said: “George Christy's” New Opera House Tenth Street, near E Street. The above Temple of Minstrels will be opened On Thursday Evening, December 5, for a Short Season, by the world-renowned George Christy’s Minstrels, From Broadway, New York.” “The setect entertainments of this cele- brated compary will be under the immediate direction and personal supervision of Mr. George Christy, the acknowledged Burton of the Ethiopian Drama, whose performances in New York City for the last 18 years have been attended by the elite and fashion of the great metropolis. “For particulars see small bills and future advertisements. Admission—Parquet 50 cents; Dress Circle, 25 cents.” Regarding the performance of this renowned minstrel company The S'ar on the evening of the show said: “Tonight the new Christy Opera House on Tenth street is to be opened by the celebrated George Christy Minstrels. They will open with & program of unusual spirit, crammed with many of the good things so irresistibly attrac- tive to the elite of New York for the last 18 Elsewhere in the same issue the writer picked up the following interesting item: “New Theater.—A number of gentlemen have, we learn, united with Mr. John T. Ford of Holliday Street Theater in Baltimore to build a modern and elegant temple of the drama in our city. The location will be the site of the place now occupied by George Christy’s Min- strels, on Tenth street, which is very centrally situated. The proposed building will, in size, elegance and style, be similar to Laura Keene's Theater in New York, and will seat as many suditors. It will be completed and opened early in the Spring. Until the timbers are framed and everything in readiness to com- mence the new place, the present building will be occupied by Christy’s Minstrels.” Tm is no wonder that The Star praised George Christy’s Minstrels, for old-timers are doing it yet, but what was said at the time will no doubt be most interesting now; so here it is: “George Christy’'s Opera House.—There was naturally a rush last night to the opening of this place of amusement by so celebrated a company as that of George Christy’s, and the spacious house was filled to repletion, upstairs and down. “With such comicalities as ‘The Raw Re- cruits,” ‘The Three Contrabands,’ ‘African Giant and the Black Tom Thumb,’ ‘Stocks Are Up and Stocks Are Down,’ performed by a cap- ital company, led off by the veritable George Christy himself, it is little wonder that the fun was uproarious and the applause enthusiastic. Tonight they propose to give another illustra- tion of the fact that ‘the world moves.’” Although the press did not say so, yet it is THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, FEBRUARY 28 1932 7 S———— £RPTE1ERE RN S BFRSL) Drawing of the First Baptist Church, erected 1833, destroyed by fire 1861. Site of building in which Lincoln was assassinated. more than possible that either Mr. Christy or one of his best singers sang at least 10 verses, more or less, of that good old song, “Wait for the Wagon,” which went like this: “Will you come with me, my Phillis dear, to yon blue mountain free, Where the blossoms smell the sweetest, come, rove along with me? It's ev'’ry Sunday morning when I am by your side. We'll jump into the wagon, and all take a ride. Chorus: Wait for the wagon, Wait for the wagon, Wait for the wagon, And we'll all take a ride.” Once in a while we will hear a rare old song on the radio, but the writer has no recollection of having heard this one recently, though he well remembers hearing his mother singing it when he was a child. Apparently Christy had a lease on the prop- erty, for Mr. Ford was not able to improve his theater and open it under his auspices until August 28, 1862, The Star of the following day said: “Ford’s Theater opened last night, under very favorable auspices—a large and appre- ciative audience witnessing the initiatory per- formance. Mr. J. S. Clarke fully sustained his high reputation as one of the very best come- dians on the stage, and was received with tre- mendous applause. Tonight will be presented the eccentric and laughable comedy of ‘Mar- ried Life,” with Mr. Clarke as Mr. Dore. ‘My Neighbor’'s Wife’ will conclude the performance. Miss Jennie Parker will appear this evening in conjunction with the brilliant galaxy of star performers announced in our advertising col- umn.” As will be seen, Mr. Ford did not operate this playhouse long before he met a seri- ous reverse, for just four months later the building was destroyed by fire, and this ended the PFirst Baptist Church which formerly oc- cupied this site. A full account of this fire can be found in The Star of December 31, 1862, a part of which follows: “Ford's Theater Destroyed by Fire.—At about half-past 5 o'clock last evening, an alarm of fire was given, and Ford's fine new theater was discovered to be in flames. How the fire originated is yet a matter of doubt. The car- penters were at work on the stage all the after- noon, and about the time of the alarm the traps were lifted some three or four inches by a current of hot air, which compelled the work- men to leave their posts. One of them ran into the adjoining saloon and informed Mr. Fitz- simmons, Mr. Ford's agent, and also Harry Ford, the treasurer, that the theater was on fire. The head carpenter, Mr. Gifford, states that he heard an explosion under the stage, and that in an instant thereafter the stage and scenery were in flames. “It was at first supposed that the fire orig- inated from a stove in a corner back of the stage, in close proximity to the scenery, but it is now believed that the gas had escaped from a defective meter underneath the stage, and that the xplosion which the head car- penter heard was caused by the accumulation of gas, which had by some means been set on fire. “Some time before the fire, while Mr. H. Ford was engaged in selling tickets to two gentle- men, a2 man came in and said he was sent to take the state of the meter. To do so properly, under the stage, it is necessary to- strike a light, and it is possible that the match used was thrown carelessly down, amongst a lot of shavings, as one part of the cellar is used as a carpenter shop. “Mr. Fitzsimmons and Mr. Ford at first at- tempted to get into the building by the back way, but the flames drove them back, and they then turned their attention to the office, and, having obtained assistance, they managed to remove the books and private papers. When the treasurer opened the front doors a sheet of flames came cut like a wedge, and was suc- ceeded by a cloud of black smoke, under which Mr. Ford crawled into the office and secured the books; but in coming out, he was so suf- focated that the books were taken possession of by some one and he has not seen them since. Mr. Ford also attempted to go upstairs to secure his clothes and $300 which were up there, but the suffocating smoke prevented him accomplishing his object. The clothing and money were therefore lost. 11|N a few minutes the entire building was in flames, and presented a magnificent spec- tacle. The pall of black, stormy sky threw back the light upon the city with singular ef- fect, and so widely illuminated the District for miles around that the impression of people re- siding at the greatest distance was that the fire was in their immediate neighborhood. It was not difficult to read print in the open air at almost any point within the city limits. The roof was shingles, and the flames therefore had rapid egress, and as they shot up presented a terribly beautiful sight. In about three-quarters of an hour after the fire was first discovered, nothing of the beau- tiful structure was left standing but the black- ened walls. This is the second time Mr. Ford has been burnt out in Washintgon, and he has been a heavy loser on both occasions. The first fire occurred on the present site of the National Theater. “Ford’s Theater was formerly a Baptist church, and known as the First Baptist Church of Washington. It was built in 1833 (and was valued at $12,000) and the Rev. O. Brown of Newark, N. J, was the first pastor. A few years ago the congregation associated with the Thirteenth Street Baptist Church, and re- moved to a spacious building on the latter street. Last Spring the building was sold and soon after Mr. Ford converted it into a thea- ter, at a cost of $18,000. He soonr made it one of the model establishments of its kind in this country. The first season, however, did not pay him adequately, and he was at this time just seeking a proper reward for his labor and expenditure when this fire occurred. Mr. Ford’s ind>rest consisted of the improvements. Upon the building the owners had an insurance of $10,00. Mr. Ford had a slight insurance, but is still a great loser, owing to the destruc- tion of all scenery, furniture, etc. By good fortune, he lost but few costumes or dresses as he had just that day, or the day before, sent them\ all to Baltimore.” HE eold building, which was entirely de- stroyed, was 45 feet wide and extended to a depth of 65 feet, to which was added a room 22 by 30 feet, and by this it will be seen that the dimensions of the present building, erected through the efforts of John T. Ford, apparently do not agree with those of the First Baptist Church, and that it is an entirely different building. The old building, as will be seen by sketch made prior to 1853, stood back slightly from the building line, and in front was a paling fence. Space is also shown at both the nortn and south sides of the lot, probably to insure light to the building from these directions. The Thirteenth street building was occupied by the First Baptist Church up until about 1890, when it was sold, and upon its site was erected the Builders' Exchange Building before referred to. The writer understands that there are still evidences of the old church to be seen in the new structures, but if so, this must be slight. A friend of the writer's who attended the Sabbath school here recalls that W. W. Cor- coran’s daughter was a frequent visitor to the church, being a personal friend of Miss Orm, the teacher of the infant class. Prof. Theodore I. King played the organ in the early days, and the choir was largely made up of the Stickney family, among whom was Frank H., who sang here with the lady who later became his wife, Upon this old building was erected in 1853, according to Sessford, a lofty steeple with a fine-toned bell. An account of the opening of the Thirteenth street edifice in the National Intelligencer tells us: “Thirteenth Street Bap- tist Church, Rev. Dr. Thomas C. Teasdale, pastor. This church edifice, notwithstanding the unusual storm, was dedicated to the worship of Almighty God in the presence of an inter- ested audience which numbered several of our most disti ished residents, among whom were President rce and sundry members of ihe National Legislature. * * * This neat, and we may well say beautiful, house of public worship has been erected under the super- vision and indefatigable labors of Rev. Dr. Teasdale. It is an orngment to the city and a splendid addition, in architectural completeness, to the church edifices of Washington. It is built of brick in a most substantial manner, and is 100 feet in length by 56 feet in width, The basement with its spacious lecture room and other apartments presents a pattern of utility. The seats in the main body of ihe house are all handsomely cushioned and the floors thoroughly carpeted. The fine-toned organ is from the house of Appleton and Com- pany of Boston. The steeple which rises so gracefully above the roof was designed ULy Thomas U. Walter, esq., architect, and is 160 feet high. The bell which sends forth such solemn ‘church going’ peals was donated by two citizens of North Carolina and weighs 2,163 pounds. Everything connected with the final finish of the building appears in good taste. * * * Stormy as the Sabbath was, our Chief Magistrate set the generous and noble example of placing his name on the card that was circulated for $50, and after church was over filled his carriage with ladies and went home himself through a dxifting smowstorm on foot.” N February, 1862, this church suffered a seri- ous loss when, during a severe storm, the steeple fell, carrying with it the theavy bell, which served as a public fire alarm in addition to notifying the good church pecple to attend divine service. The roof upon this occasion was severely crushed in, and before it could be again used the Army took it over =% a temporary hospital. It is always interesting to note some of the old Washington families who were active in work of an uplifting character many years ago. Of the committee of this church who were thus engaged just before the war the writer found the following names: Committee on pews—J. G. Todd, D. Q. Force, J. C. Lewis, D. J. Rhees, Henry Olive. On finance—Isaac Clarke, Willilam V. H. Brown, F. H. Stickpey, John C. Shafer, Charles S. Hill. On house— William J. Rhees, D. W, Heath, D. W. Knowles, John W. Clarke, A. J. Thompson. On music— F. H. Stickney, William J. Rhees, Robert Mc- Murray. On benevolence—J. C. Lewis, Evan Hughes, Joseph Reynolds, T. B. Grifin and Charles R. Knowles. The corner stone of the present building at Sixteenth and O streets was laid in 1888, and the church was dedicated January 12, 1890, under the pastorate of Rev. Charles A. Stakely, D. D. The list of patrons who have served the church is: Rev. Obadiah B. Brown, 1807-1850; Rev. Dr. Stephen P. Hill, 1850-1860; Rev. Dr. George W. Samson, 1860-1863; Rev. Dr. A. G. Gillette, 1863-1869; Rev. Dr. J. H. Cuthbert, 1869-1887; Rev. Dr. Charles A. Stakely, 1887- 1900; Rev. Dr. Edward B. Pollard, acting pastor, 1900-1902; Rev. Charles F. Winbigler, 1902- 1909; Rev. W W. McMaster, 1909-1918: Rev. Dr. Henry Allan Tupper, 1918-1923, and Rev. Samuel Judson Porter, the present pastor. Elder Rice, who established the first Sunday school here, later went to Edgefield County, S. C, where he died, and where in a small cemetery today is his tomb. Dr. George W. Samson, among the most eminent of the early clergy of the city, served the First Baptist Church without salary during his time of office. He performed the wedding ceremony at the marriage of the writer’s parents in 1856, when pastor of the E Street Church. At one time he was president of Columbian University. His son married a Miss Polkinhorn, and a grandson is Henry W. Sam- son of this city. Rev. E. W. Pcllard, who served from 1900 to 1902, married the daughter of Prof. Otis = Mason, and died some years ago. His brother, John Garland Pollard, is the present Governor of Virginia, and the celebration now in progress, and which will continue until March 20, was begun by the distinguished Governor last Sunday, the topic being, “Virginia and Religious - American Tobacco Ieads TH!: flue-cured type of tobacco prepared im this country seems to be changing Eu- rope’s habits In the use of tobacco. This type is used largely for cigarette manufacture and in many parts of Europe the pipe and chew= ing tobacco are giving way to the cigarette manufactured of flue-cured leaves. In the United Kingdom, for instance, 70 per cent of all tobacco used was American flue-cured de- spite an intensive effort made to bring about the substitution of tobacco from Britain's col- onies. About one-fourth of the exports from this country went to the cigarette manuface turing plants of the United Kingdom. - r v Nightshade of Tropics HE nightshade, a name sometimes applied to the poisonous types of mushrooms, is in reality & herb or shrub of the subtropical sections. There are more than a thousand species found principally in Central and South America. The name was probably given to the plants because of their power to put to sleep, a power which is lost when the leaves are boiled. White elustered flowers, small-rounded black berries and oval leaves carried on slender limbs are typical of the nightshade. -