DC By the Book

Excerpt: Caroline had not been gone fifteen minutes when what had promised to be a perfect fall evening turned out badly, and it came on to rain in torrents…I thought of Caroline and the nobly new hat, the trim little suit, and those dainty little French pumps…I hunted up Mrs. Rhodes, and she got the rain attire together, a pretty mackintosh and a pair of the most ridiculously little overshoes you ever saw—I could put one of them in my vest pocket. I donned my old army storm coat—what memories it conjures up!—and sallied forth into the gale, enjoying the high wind and the pelting rain. When I got to Florida Avenue and Seventh Street it had not slacked a bit, so I went around to the T Street corner, where the waiting taxis stand…and in two minutes we were up the long hill and on the University grounds. Caroline was in the vestibule waiting for me, and in a moment, having been duly invested with overshoes and mackintosh, and protected as to the cute little hat by my perfectly good umbrella, she was comfortably seated in the taxi, and we were on our way home.

Excerpt: The final affair of the week was a fancy-dress party at the Casino. As I had heard that most of the men would go in evening dress, and leave the fancy-costume dressing to the ladies, I decided to follow the crowd, and, as it turned out, I was glad I did so. However, I have noticed that a fancy-dress party loses somewhat in effectiveness when any large proportion of the guests are in ordinary conventional dress. Thus it was at this one, though many of the fancy-costumes were very pretty. Many of the guests, in spite of their makeup, and the fancy dress feature gave them unusual opportunities for that, looked jaded and haggard, and it was plain that some were just going through the motions of enjoyment. But exhausted or not, they were game to the end…I had a very delightful evening, personally. I danced three times with Lillian Barton, since Miss Chester, who was my special company for the evening, was very busy flirting with some chap from Philadelphia…

Excerpt: ...Morton Reese has a bungalow south of the city in a suburb called Anacostia. You may recall that name as being associated with that of Frederick Douglass, for his old mansion is situated there. Well, Reese has a fashion of inviting his friends to motor out now and then for week-ends…The bungalow, as they call it, was after all not a bungalow at all, for it was a tiny two-story affair, with a wide veranda covering the front on both floors. Downstairs there is a tiny kitchen and pantry, and a small front room with an open grate; and upstairs one bedroom and a big sleeping-porch.… The Morrows, Wallaces, and Hales, being householders, had brought generous hampers of provisions. Following Reese’s suggestion I had brought some nuts and candy, and each of the others had a contribution. There was enough and to spare. While the women folks opened up the house, and dusted and swept a bit, the men chopped wood, shook out the beds, hung out the bedding to air, made fires in the kitchen range and in the parlor grate, and swept off the porches. It was great fun. The three married ladies are all accomplished housekeepers, and before long we sat down—on boxes and rickety chairs, to be sure—to as toothsome a repast as I have ever eaten in my life.… While we did the dishes in a clumsy, man-fashion, the ladies arranged the sleeping quarters for the night, and dressed for the evening. Soon they were down again, attractive in sweaters, tam-o’-shanters, and leggings.… I was soon staggering under a load consisting of a lot of firewood and a pile of heavy blankets and steamer rungs.… We crossed the road and walked down a path through a little clump of woods until we came to a clearing on the brow of a hill, which gave a fine view of all the country around. It was now growing dark, and the edge of the moon could be seen just peeping over the horizon.… In a few minutes we had a bonfire of no mean proportions…soon we were all leaning against the fallen trunk, enjoying the fire and the beautiful night.

Excerpt: Dr. Corey's big car was the first thing I saw as I approached the theater which shelters the Colonnade, and within the hall the doctor was certainly showing the proper zeal. He danced every dance, and spent every possible minute with Caroline. However, he had a hard time, for she was surrounded by the young fellows practically all the time she was not dancing. In the short while I was there, she seemed to judge from the attentions she got, easily the most popular person present. |---------- DC BY THE BOOK TOUR --> When Washington Was in Vogue was originally published anonymously in the newspaper The Messenger as an ongoing column in 1926. A lost novel of the Harlem Renaissance, it was rediscovered by contemporary scholar Adam McKible and published in 2003. Written as a series of letters form a Word War I veteran to his old army buddy in New York, it is considered the first epistolary novel written by an African American.

Excerpt: The scene was the American League Ball Park on Georgia Avenue, situated a short block from the center of colored Washington, on the edge of its best residential district, and on the road from that district to the University. The park seats, I am told, twenty-two thousand people. While I lay no claim to proficiency in estimating crowds, I should say there were about twelve thousand people present. However, it was not the size, but the average quality of the crowd which was interesting and significant. Almost everyone was well dressed, large numbers were richly dressed, and too many were overdressed. All the great centers of colored population were represented, from Atlanta to Boston, and from Chicago to Atlantic City. Most of the women came to show their clothes, and, with the exception of the students, and those who had bets on the game, the major part of the crowd paid little attention to the contest itself, for the people and not the game were the real center of interest for most of them. From the viewpoint of the majority of the spectators, it was a social function, and not an athletic contest. Hundreds of women, young women and mature women, were made up as if for a full-dress ball, and somehow 'makeup' does not look well at ten o'clock in the morning on a sunny day... The tickets to the game ran from two dollars to one dollar... I saw signs of prosperity on every hand. Outside on Georgia Avenue and the streets adjoining there were hundreds of automobiles parked. |---------- DC BY THE BOOK TOUR --> A legendary ballpark once stood where Howard University Hospital is now. Griffith Stadium was built in 1911 to replace National Park, which burnt down while the Washington Senators were away at spring training. Renamed for Senators owner Clark Griffith in 1920, the stadium was an integral part of this neighborhood for more than 50 years.