Evening Star Newspaper, January 8, 1933, Page 69

SUNDAY STAR, speculated in Washington real estat> and ex- pect to become enormously rich from the pro- ceeds of lots in the new city, purchased—Ilargely on promises to pay on the installmen: plan— from the District Commissioners, will doubt- less result in endless litigation, clouding the titles of District property and destroying the confidence of many persons in the financial prospect of the new city. “The collapse of : the syndicate has been complete, “James Greenleal of Boston, who came here highly re- mended, with letters Irom Presi- dent W on and others, bzcame associ- ated in his real estate ventures with Robert Morris of Philadelphia, famous financier and friend of President Washington, and with John Nicholson, formerly controller general of Penn- sylvania, and, like Mr. Morris, cne of the wealthy men of the country, about 10 years ago. “The afTairs of the syndicate did not progress satisfactoril The sale of lots was not as rapid as expected. It was difficult for the syn- dicate to float loans elsewhere to fir e the plan. Scon perscnal differenc:s arcse between the three financiers. Four years ago a large number of city lots was advertised sale be- cause of cefault of payment of the third in- stallment of the purchase money. The final crash of the great speculative eme came in June, 1797. in an assignment by M Green- leaf and Nicholson of their property interests in Washington to trustees. “By October of that year, Greenleaf was in a debtor’s prison in Philadelphia, and socn Morris and Nicholson, after maintaining in that city a siege of several months in their housecs against a host of constables who were trying to Serve processes, joined Greenleaf in prison. Greenleaf about a year later managed, through bankruptcy proccedings, to get a release from the debtor’s prison. Nicholson died in prison last December, Morris is still in prison, but hopes to regain his liberty this Summer. “William Kilty, a native of England, but long prominent as a lawyer in Maryland, with a good record as a surgeon in the Revolutionary War, has been appointed chief judge of the new Circuit Court by President Jeffers-m history of Buzzard Poin! as a settlement, or as a proposed scttlement, precedes the signing of the Declaration of Independence by six years, for it was during the latter part of 1770 that a subdivision of the proposed town of Carrollsburg was filed at Upper Marlboro, then, as now, the county seat of Prince Georges County, Md., in which the town site was lo- cated. In 1874, when the authors of “Washington in Embryo” wrote to Henry Brooke, at Marlboro, for information regarding Carrollsburg, they received the following in reply: “The property in Carrollsburg was subdivided into lots, streets, alleys, etc., about the latter part of 1770, by virtue and authority of a deed of trust dated the 2d day of November, 1770, the aggregate 160 acres of land, more into 268 lots, to sell the same (except lots to be selected by the grantor, his heirs r assigns, for his or their own proper use) ana to draw or cause to be drawn for by ballot or lottery. This deed is recorded on November 20, 1770, and the plat, courses and distances of the town are also of record in the Land and Special Record. Immediately following are in- numerable deeds from the above grantees to different parties for lots in Carrollsburg, which the deeds recite having been drawn by the grantees respectively in a lottery of the same. It was a custom, apparently, in those days, to dispose of property by lottery; in my res2arches of the old records I have found several such, including the St. Elizabeth Asylum of your eity, which was drawn by an old sea captain. In the Elizabeth matter, as in this, the owner con- veyed the property to the trustees, who sold the tickets, attended the drawing, and deedea the prize to the lucky owner. There is no men- tion whatever in any of the conveyances of this Carrollsburg property of any contemplated ces- sion to the United States. “The title to Carrollsburg was in Rozer, Car- roll and Young, who deeded the same to the parties drawing the lots, by deeds duly ex- ocuted an® vo-~~2al bo- HE plai ¢ CarolSun. g Liuws eight streets running east and west, they being desig- nated by numbers—1 to 80. Of the five streets running north and south, the one closest to James Creek is named St. James street, ana the others in -order, going east, are Middie, Union, North and South streets. The lots were numbered 1 to 268, the last one including a whole block. Lot No. 1 was at the river end, and was smaller than the rest and was of a triangular shape. When the Capital City was laid out, it was agreed by the Commissioners to exchange an equivalent in city lots for Carrollsburg lots, in order that Carrollsburg, as such, might be ob- literated, and that L’Enfant might be able to plat the entire city without respect to any former plan. This, unfortunately, opened up an avenue that most likely led to some unusual protits, for although few lots had been sold prior to July 16, 1790, nearly all had been disposed of by lottery or otherwise m a very short while thereafter, and these lots, which were to a large extent on swampy fround, and which had not offered any inducement for permanent oc- cupation by cither fisherman or farmer, and, before the coming of the white man, were even shunned by the Indians, were in many cases probably bought in for a song and traded in for city lots; the majority of these exéhanges being made in 1793 and 1794. The lots were supposed to be chanced off by lottery right after the town was laid out in 1770, and many of the names recorded as ex- changing lots are those of men who did not come into this part of the country until after it was decided to place the Capital here, and, WASHINGTON, D. C, JANUARY 8 1933. Home of Capt. Joseph Johnson at old Carrollsburg, erected shortly after 1800. indeed, it cannot help but give onc the im- pression that the little paper town of Carrolls- burg, after all, might have had considerable to do with bringing the Capital to this part ot the country. ERE are the names of some of those who held title to lots in Carrollsburg and ex- . changed them for city lots: James Williams, Col. William Fitzhugh, Henry Hil! of Pennsyl- vania, John R. Magruder, John Fowler, Joseph Neill, Darby Lux (William Russell), Samuel Galloway, William Lux (Matthew Ridley), Uriah Forrest, William Hemmersley, James Wharton and Charles Carroll of Carrollton, signer of the Declaration of Yndependznce. The last named came by his lots in a per- fectly natural way, for in the lottery he held tickets numbered 1 and 2 and in the drawing was given lots 13 and 264 in Carrolis- burg. Lot 13 he exchdnged for lot 1, square 665, and lot 1, square 666, and in this trade did not benefit since all the lots were on Buz- zard Point. Lot 264, which he also got through lottery, was likewise exchanged for property formerly in Carrollsburg. Others who owned property in the original town were James Campbell, Barnes and Red- gate, John Craik, Dr. James Craik of Alexan- dria (Washington's physician), David Ross, James Earle, Samuel Coolidge, an early hotel proprietor; Thomas Ringgold, jr., Benedict Cal- vert, Matthew Tilghman, Charles Carroll, jr., of Charles; Capt. William Macgakin, Notley Young, Henry Rozer, Jonathan Slater, Ignatius Fenwick (Ralph Forster), Samuel Collard, Dan- iel Carroll of Duddington, Prederick Gramer (John Smith), William Sidebottom, John R. Magruder, William Clagett and Joseph Wil- liams, John Traverse, James Johnson, jr., Wil- liam Digges, Ann Lick, James Wharton, Rignold Hillary, Charles Stuart, Prances Leeke and Capt. Joseph Johnson. The last named operated for many years a line of steamboats between Alexandria and Washington and is said to have run the first steamboat on the Potomac River. He remain- ed on the point after the exchange of lots and SUBURBAN HEIGHTS ] erected a very nice brick home there, which was standing two years ago, when the writer visited that part of the city. Capt. Johnson was an ancestor of Mrs. John C. Kondrup. AMUEL Snowden and Roger Johnson were also Carrollsburg lot owners, as were Dr. Upton Scott, Samuel Snowden, Benedict Cal- vert, Raphael Boarman, Stephen Moyland, Ben- jamin Brookes, George Slye, Thomas Buchanan, Thomas Richards, Ann Gay, Dr. John Stuart, Samuel Davidson, Josias W. King, Christopher Richmond, Dan Carroll, son of Charles Car- roll, jr.; Henry Hill of Pennsylvania, Matthew Ridley, Thomas Richardson & Co., Joseph Young, Daniel Carroll, the Commissioner; I. Penrose, William Wooten, Basil Warring, 3d, Sarzh Slater, Robert Brown, John Davidson, Daniel and Thomas Jennifer, Henry Bradford, Peregrine Tilghman, Mary Young and Elizabeth Carroll, John Smith, sr., of Baltimore; Elza- beth Laidler, James Brown, William Clagett and John Watson, John Eden, John Brice, Henry Addison, Fielder Bowie, David Crawford, Daniel Carroll of Duddington, Thomas Dick, John Mason and others. The opposite or Anacostia side of the river was settled at a very early date, for we are informed by The Star of December 5, 1891, that: “Forty years ago the site of Anacostia was farm lands and was owned by one Enoch Tuck- er. It formerly belonged to the William Mar- bury estate and was part of the Chichester tract. There were 240 acres in the Tucker farm, a good part of which was cultivated for truck purposes. Mr. Tucker did not attend to the farm work bimself, however, for he was employed as boss blacksmith in the Navy Yard. The farm was either leased or worked on the share plan. The Tucker farm house stood alone in the old days, and until recently oc- cupied the site of the present new Pyles block, on the west side of Monroe street, just south of Harrison street and the bridge. In 1854 John Fox and John W. Van Hook and John RECOVERED HiS TEMPER ENOUSR TO HE'D LEFT RIS GRLOSHES WAS VISITING WITH ERNIE, 7 Nobler beught the farm from Tucker for $19,00¢ and divided it into building lots.” ND so in The Star of June- 10 of t year we find the following advertisement; “NOTICE TO UNION TOWN LOT HOLDERS. “The fire whkich occurred on th: &th, instant, having destroyed our office, papers, etc., renders it necessary to post- 1 | pone the drawing for the Union Tewn building lots, until Monday next, ai 8 o'clock p.m., when it will take place at our new office, on Seventh street, a few doors above Odd Fellows Hall, until which time persons have the privileg> of subscribing for the few remaining lots at the present very low price, viz: $60; payable in monthly installments of $3 each; for a lot 24 feet front by 130 fect deep, situated in the most beautiful and healthy neighborhood around Washing= ton. The streets will be graded, the gut= ters paved and edged with shade trecs, without charge to lot holders. “Persons in arrears with their month- ly dues, are required to pay up or their names will be left out of the drawing. “‘Deeds in fee uimple,’ ‘guaranteed clear of all and every incumbrance,’ will be given to Iot holders paying up in full at any time after the drawing on Mon=- day evening next. “Office open from 8 a.m. o'clock p.m. until 8 “JNO. FOX, Secretary.” Mr. George Simmons, who wrote “Roadside Sketches” for The Star, 40 years ago, in speak- ing of the early houses in Anacostia (its more recent name to the old-timer), tells us: “The first house erected in the new town after the subdivision was completed was the old two-story brick on Harrison street, now oc- cupied by Wetzel's store and bakery. George F. Pyle’s grocery store, nearly adjoining on the west, soon followed. “But the oldest house within the limits of the town today is the old Fox mansion on the south side of Jeflerson street, which was built many years before Anacostia was thought of. It was built by John Fox, one of the founders of the place, and was his residence until his death. It is now occupied by W. H. Richards. At one time it was the residence of Dr. A. M. Green. Another very old building is the small frame structure on Harrison street, a little west of Anderson’s blacksmith shop. This house was built by James Buckley, who was bridgekeeper in the days of tolls.” CloszbyBumrdPomt.mthenst.lnd its near neighbor, for nearly the entire time the Government has resided here, is the Navy Yard, a place near and dear to the hearts of many Washingtonians. The first deed on record for this property is dated March 17, 1800, and is signed by Gus~ tavus Scott and William Thornton, two of the commissioners appointed by virtue of the act of Congress entitled: “An act for establishing the temporary and permanent seat of the Gov- ernment of the United States.” The squares conveyed at that time were 883 and 884, and the consideration was $4,000, which was paid because of a change in loca- tion, although the Government received no ad- ditional amount of land and a site that was little, if any, better. The deed was acknowledged by Robert Brent and Corn. Conningham, two of the justices of the peace in and for Prince Georges County. The first commandant was Capt. Thomas Tingey, who held the office umtil his death, February 23, 1829, when he was succeeded by Capt. Isaac Hull. - Greek Myth of Flood THB mythology of the Greeks contains a story of a great flood which bears consid- erable resemblance to the flood story of the Christian Bible. It centers about a character known as Deucalion and his wife Pyrrha. Deu- calion, a son of Prometheus, was favored of Zeus and was chosen by the god to repopulate the earth after the Greek race should be de- stroyed by a great flood. Forewarned by Zeus of the impending flood, Deucalion constructed a large boat or ark upon which he and his wife road to safety during the days of the flood. The Greek flood, however, lasted but nine days, although during that period it covered the land and wiped out the entire population. After the water had sube sided, so the myth goes, the ark landed on Mount Parnassus. Deucalion and Pyrrha were then instructed by the Goddess Themis to repopulate the earth by casting behind them the bones of their mother. This they did symbolically by casting behind them the stone of mother earth. From those cast by Deucalion sprang up men and from those cast by Pyrrha sprang up women. Dumas Hired Iriters ALEXANDRE DUMAS, the celebrated Preneh ‘writer, was perhaps the forerunner of those modern comic strip artists who have a staff of other artists to do a large part of the detail work of their strips. Dumas, after the great success of his “Monte Cristo” and “Three Musketeers,” l=sunch>d on a program of works so extensive that ro one man could hope to carry it out. He hired a number of to do the wriiing and then he went over their work, changed it as he saw fit it published in his name. Despite the severe follcwed this action upon his part, he continued to carry out the practice, While he made a large income, he lost cvery- thing through extravagance and venturing into wild schemes. He died penniless in 1870.