Evening Star Newspaper, April 23, 1933, Page 73

THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, APRIC 23, - — . Seventh street was established, the Crystal Spring grounds were the most popular in the District. A little later, where the Masonic Temple stands, a little farther up the road, there was a much-frequented resort kept by J. E. Moses, known as the Brighwood Club House. This was at a time when every person of means, and every sport who could afford it, owned one or more horses, and.to drive to Brightwood and return to the city was re- garded as a very good workout for a horse on a warm Summer’s day. Of course, the horse had to be watered and refreshed before the return trip—and so did the driver and those who accompanied him—except that for them something else was usually substituted for water, and if Mr. Moses ran out of supplies, Mr. Rohr, at the race track, was always equal to the emergency. In later years the Brightwood Hotel was conducted by George C. Mountcastle, who had the distinction of weighing 427 pounds— without his overcoat. Before moving to Bright- wood, Mr. Mountcastle was a livery stable keeper downtown, and during the Civil War he was one of Mosby’s Guerillas, but as we knew him one had to stretch his imagination to visualize him ever riding a horse, when he really would have done full credit to an ele- phant. When he died some 10 or 15 years ago, in order to remove the body from the house #t was found necessary to take it out by way of a large front-room window. He seldom walked, but generally rode in a one- seat buggy, and there was no room left for any one else. The writer knew him well, and can unreservedly say that he was a fine, charitable man and a good neighbor. For many years George Juenemann con- ducted a brewery and Summer garden at Fifth and E streets northeast, the site now being occupied by a public school building; later his widow, Barbara, conducted the business. An- other noted place was Abner'’s Summer Gar- den, which occupied the site of the home of Mayor Seaton on the south side of E street between Seventh and Eighth streets north- west, where Gen, Lafayette was entertained during the Autumn of 1824, and where the proprietor advertised: “Concerts every eve- ning. during the Summer months by select or- chesixa and vocal artists.” Abner’s place was open at the front, and passersby had no difficulty seeing—when the weather was warm and sultry—some of our best citizens getting on the outside of large steins of beer. ACK in Civil War days the Columbia Garden and Concert Hall was on the corner of Twelfth street and Ohio avenue (site now covered by public buildings), and on the Ave- nue, where the Post Office Building now stands, was the Metropolitan Hall, which was advertised as “The Coolest Place of Amuse- ment in the City,” and where the price of admission was 10 cents, “including a ticket good for one 10-cent drink.” There is evidence that George Juenemann, before referred to, was engaged in business here “This Thing be in among the order to get all the “isms” at hand and be wise to the under- currents of gossip and in contact with high-geared intellects and quick on the trigger and hot as a potato? Most of the early kingpins of our beloved and bewildered country lived in stately but isolated mansions with quiet lanes approaching them. They visited the centers of population, but never lingered long. George Washington was a country jake if ever there was one, but he wore setin and laces. Benjamin Franklin was the most prominent city slicker of his day, with headquarters shifting from Boston to Philadelphia to Paris to New York, but the clothes he wore cost about $8 a suit and he looked like a come-on for any three-shell man or gold-brick salesman. If you will let me blab about myself for a minute, I'll explain why I am still guessing a8 to whether it is better to be a big duck in a little puddle or a sardine in the Atlantic Ocean. I was born on the outskirts of a very small town in Indiana. Later we moved into the very heart and center of the township metropolis, exchanging the music of the frogs for “Molly Darling” as played on the melodeon, and the change was not much of an improve- ment. About the time my legs became too long and I worried about the appearance of my hair, I was transferred to a college which has since grown into Purdue University (see foot ball and basket ball scores). The ad- joining city had a population of 20,000 souls, admitting that all of the boys who loafed around the 92 saloons had souls. I worked on two daily papers and saw all the shows at the Grand Opera House without paying to get in and then I hurled myself into the boisterous activities of Chicago. For 10 years I served time on a big-town daily, with nothing off for good behavior. After becoming known as the author of six so-called books and several plays that survived and made money, I moved clear out into the country, possibly making the mistake of going back to the old home neighborhood, where they were already onto me. But, after re- turning to tall grass, I spent as much time in New York and Europe and Florida and the West Indies and China and Japan as I did among the corn fields and the cow pastures. When I wasn't in overalls I had on my satin- faced tuxedo and wore studs that looked like pearls. Went around the world twice and kept on turning out comedy dramas and musical didoes until I learned that no author can collect royalties while lying horizontal in & well kept cemetery. I came to be on speaking terms with Paris and London and strange foreign climes while 1933. s e e ———————————— Heurich’s Brewery 50 years ago, Twentieth street between M and N northwest. prior to 1860, and it is likely that before en- gaging in making beer he conducted a tailor- ing establishment on the south side of Pennsyl- vania avenue between Four-and-a-half and Sixth streets, as we find a party of this name thus engaged in 1850 When Mr. Juenemann first entered the brewery business he had a partner, Owen T. Humphreys, and the phn: was at Fourth and E streets northeast. 1865 Mr. Juenemann was conducting the b\m- ness alone. The name of E. Loeffler also ap- pears in 1860 in connection with his Summer garden at the corner of New Jersey avenue and N street northwest, and a few years later Hugle, Abner & Beyer were his near neighbors at New York avenue and First street, in the block where is nowethe Homeopathic Hospital, which stands on the site once occupied by the brewery of George Kernwein. Indeed this old brewery building served for some years as & public school and the writer attended there in some of the lower grades. In 1887 it was taken over by the Nstional Homeopathic Hospital, which later replaced it with the present build- ing. This was apparently Mr. Abner's first business venture in Washington, and it proved very successful and profitable. Two years later the firm name was changed to Abner & Mue- den, and subsequently Mr. Abner engaged in business alone. * Robert Portner of Alexandria and Washing- ton was also one of the early brewers in or near Washington, and from time to time the manufacturers of lager beer increased until there were 15 or more well established firms turning out the beverage until the Con- stitution was amended end—nobody knows how much was made after that time. Some of the old firms are starting up again, and the chances are that in a short while there will be enough of Living in the Country” paying taxes in Indiana. The labels on my luggage proclaimed me as a world traveler and cosmopolite, but whenever I got back to Hazelden Farm I reverted to type and was just a blanket Indian who was supposed to be a Republican, but who always voted for a lot of Democratic candidates. Socially a “You will find in the country good paved roads, fresh vegetables, fresh air and fresh high school students.” non-descript and - politically a turn-coat, re- garded by all regulars as a cross between a government mule and a cotton-tail rabbit which didn’t know which way to jump. A well-mean- ing goof who wrote pieces for the magazines but who was a little curdled below the straw hat and kept liquor in his house, but not veiy long. Anyway, I had established a hop-skip-and- jump record which enabled me to pose as an expert on the general conduct of all kinds of people in all kinds of places. So I am o vt of the fluid elixir on hand to float a battle- ship and supply a caravan of camels. Of course, the old German families were not much on visiting tippling houses, but rather preferred to get up a sociable party and go into the woods for a day's outing, or to the Schuet- zen Park, where der frau und der kinder and their neighbors could enjoy themselves to- gether. Not only did they indulge to the ex- tent of a few glasses upon these occasions, but they also took part in the rifle shooting, en- joyed the dancing and participated in the various sports typical of such occasions. So far as the drinking was concerned, usually everybody went home happy. Of course, the Germans know how to drink beer, wherg some of the other folks do not. HE Washington Schuetzen Verein was started here in 1866, and the following year we find the organization advertising in The Star. ‘The announcement of its Midsummer meeting for 1867 reads: “Second Annual Schuetzen Fest of the Washington Schuetsen Verein, at the Schuetzen Park North Seventh street, on the S5th, 6th, Tth, 8th and 9th of August. Prize Shooting, Prize Bowling, Concert, Dancing Ladies’ Prize Shooting Popular Amusements for the Youths Illuminations, Fireworks, etc, etc. Every Day and Evening prepared to say that the knowingest indi- viduals are those who grow up in the sticks and then migrate to the bright lights, without losing any of the pop-eyed curiosity or the gaping interest of the confirmed yokel. I am glad I was not born in a crowded city, even if I do continue to feel inferior to the guar- anteed Knickerbockers, all graduates of Har- vard and persons who actually prefer artichokes to corn on the cob. On every rainy day the petrified old bachelor wishes that he had a loving wife and a flock of kiddies, and on the first of every month the married householder thinks of the old, happy days when room rent was reasonable and lunch was free. The large idea being that no matter where you happen to be, you are always won- dering if you wouldn’t be more contented some- where else. The city friends, who come out to visit, wander around under the cak trees and survey the wide open spaces, drenched in sun- shine, and say, “Well, old-timer, you certainly have got the right idea.” And when they drive away toward a metropolis, to meet all my bud- dies Of yesterday at luncheon and watch the ponies gallop and rub up against current celeb- rities, I feel a couple of twinges of melancholy and wonder if I am just a squirrel out on a lonesome branch, sizing up the same old land- scape. Some of our boys of the gay nineties headed to the East and are now living in apartments. Others remained on the native heath to become members of the School Board and attend the weekly luncheons of the Rotarians. Let us take the case of the lad whp has made a meteoric ascent from the quick-lunch counter to Park avenue. He has learned the truth of something I wrote years ago: “Early to bed and early to rise, and you will meet very few prominent people.” He sees all the headliners in parade instead of reading about them in the papers. He goes to the first night shows at the gaudy play houses. He may watch the giant liners dropping down the harbor and heading for the Old World. He knows all the head waiters and is invited to go places and do things. The folks across the hallway are total strangers and never drop over to borrow the lawn mower. He can sleep late in the morning and doesn’t even hear the scrambled noises of the city. He is within easy taxi distance of art museums, musicales, exclusive clubs, magnifi- cent libraries and famous lecture halls, but he seldom goes near any of these uplifting head- quarters because he already has more culture than he knows what to do with. Every day he gets new low-down slants on the great and the near great. Juicy scandals come first hand. If he is invited to attend a reception in honor of some shaggy genius who has written a best-seller, he stays at home and works & jigsaw puzzle. All the riches of the earth are spread out before him, but his most 3 lertimlecan 3 - v During the Festival The celebrated acrobat, Mr. Harrie Leslie, Who so often crossed the Niagara, will perform every afternoon and evening. Concert Music. “The United States Marine and 12th United States Infantry Regiment Bands will give cone certs every day during the festival. “Mr. Weber's Band has been engaged for the two pavilions. Dancing to commence at three o'clock every afternoon.” Nearly 20 years later we find the Schuetzen Park still engaging in its German festivities and advertising as usual in The Star—for late in May, 1886, we find the Schuetzen Verein make ing preparations for a great time as usual. Recently, when the writer read of how a truckload of beer rolled up to the White House to discharge its first consignment, made possible by the new law, his mind wandered back to the days of Mr. Arthur and some of his successors and predecessors. Arthur’s state dinners par- ticularly surpassed any previously given by & President. Besides this he gave in lavish style the customary diplomatic, cabinet and judicial dinners, and, of eeurse, all the Senators and Representatives in Congress, with their wives, were invited to sit at his table upon special oce casions. At the diplomatic dinner of February 6, 1884, the guests numbered 50, and the menu included: “Huitres, em~coquille—chablis. Consomme, a la d'Orleans—Sherry. Hors d'oeuvre—Petites Timbales a la Nilsson. Poisson—Filets Rouget a la cardinal; olives. Pommes Parisienne—Hockheimer. Releve—Selle de Venaisor, sauce cherand, haircots verts, au Beurne—Gran Larse. Entrees—Filet de Pintarde, supreme aux tuffes—Perier Jouet & Co. Terrapins a la Maryland. Chaud froid d'oiseaux & la Pinard. Punch—a I'Imperial. Rote—English pheasants au cresson— Chamberton. Salade—Mayonnaise de celery. Legumes—Asperge au branches, sauce hollandais. Rameynius a la Parmesane. Entremets—Gros Baba au rhum. Gelee—Rubance. Glace—Tutti Frutti. Gateaux—Sortis. Cafe—Cognac, etc.” The etc. meaning liquors of five kinds—Chartreuse, Mara- schino, Anisette, Curacoa and Kirsch- ‘Wasser. By this it will be seen that there were a dozen different kinds of liquor served with the dinner, and it is safe to speculate that had Mr, Arthur been in the White House the other day when the driver arrived with the beer, he not only would have tipped him, but in the words Mr. Coolidge, when he received his first pay, would have said: “Come again!” —By George Ade _ ardent longing is for a New England boiled dinner or the kind of strawberry shortcake not to be found at any high-priced restaurant. How about the brother who has gone hay: seed? Nothing is hapening within 8 miles him and the only big news is that the Elizabeth, has just given birth to a calf. He is surrounded by a dense calm. airplane in the sky causes as much excite! as a flight by Lindbergh. Everything in world is relative. Out on the level plains ant hill is & mountain. In the rural townshi| a good fist fight between two local burlies something to talk about for three days. M local juvenile becomes a night rider with acquired thirst for ginger ale shot with “alky,” everybody hears about it except the editor of the weekly paper. All the neighbors know what the other neigh- Jors know, what the other neighbors eat for breakfast. Put in a telephone call (by turning the crank on the buzz-box) and when central answers, do you give a number? You do not. Every subscriber is supposed to have a number in the printed directory, but no one ever eon- sults the directory and the average party-liner doesn’t even know his own number. Here is the conversation: “Hello, Ella; I want to talk to Jim Brady. Do you s’pose he’s still at home?” “No, I saw him in front of the Gem Store about 10 minutes ago talkin’ with Mark Forese man. I think he went down to the Service Ga= rage to get his car. You know, he had a blow« out last night an’ skidded into a light pole an’ bent one of his fenders.” “You don’'t say! Is he insured?” “Yes, he’s insured. It was the right fender in front.” “All right, give me Service. Elmer, is Jim Brady there?” (At the other end of the line): “Hey, shut’ off that radio! Jim, George wants to talk to you.” You will find in the country good paved roads, fresh vegetables, fresh air and fresh high school students wearing sweaters and meal-bag trous- ers. The speaking pictures are new and well handled. Beach pajamas, but no beach. Sport clothes, but no sport. Speakeasies in farm houses. There are no servants, although per- sons who need money consent to do housewdrk for other people who have money. Some resie dents are hard up but no one starves to death and there are no bread lines. Big league base ball keeps many of the residents steamed up and all of the kings, queens and two-spots of Hollywood are known by their first names, Democracy remains triumphant and technoce racy is just another long word. “Mister” is seldom heard. Those who. need only eight hours of slumber have to get up at daybreak. It's great if you wish to avoid crowds and are fond of milk, (Copyright, 1933.) (Pause.) Hello, TR