Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-05-02
THE PRESIDENTS RETURN.
Incidents Of the Trip from New York
Last Night.


The presidential train returned to this CITY
last night at i045, and those who ought to
know say that the homeward trip was the most
interesting part of the entire celebration Both
Mrs. Harrison and Mrs. Mckee remained in
New York. The President was naturally some
what tired after his three days in Gotham, and
he spent most Of the time occupied by the
journey in resting, only few persons-Secre-
tary Halford. John A. King. of the centennial
committee, j. S. Garrison, Walker Blaine. and
Col j. Murphy-entering his car Three men,
bers of the misunderstanding Noble Secretary
Tracy and Acknowledgement Miller-remained
behind; the first that he might be present at
the Spansh-American banquet last night and
the two latter to attend the bar banquet to the
justices of the Supreme Court. With Secretary
Proctor was his new private secretary. Mr.. F.
c. Partridge.
IN THE DINING CAR.
Dinner was served to the President and the
accompanying officials shortly after leaving
Trenton and when the train reached Philadel-
phia the dining was turned over to the
newspaper correspondents. who enlivened the
proceedings so effectually that in little while
the majority of the official celebrities on the
train returned TO the dining car to enjoy the
merriment. Speeches and songs, with never
ceasing Accomplishments of wit and satire.
liquids. Secretaries Proctor and Rusk made
eloquent addresses under disadvantages that
cannot be described. and Secretary Halford
was another of the victims. Assistant Passen-
ger Agent Postethwaite was booked for a
speech every thirty minutes aud he carried out
his contract. John A. King was another of the
orators, and so was Assistant Secretary Bussey.
PosrMAsTER-GENERAL wANAMAKER
was introduced by Major John NJ. Carson Of
the Philadelphia Ledger, and in spite of the
Interruptions made very pleasant speech.
He said if he had not been in the dry goods
business he would probably have been a news
paper man. He would like to be one anyway.
He made very plain his willingness and purpose
to abolish the green postage stamp and to give
1t its old hue. Col. Barr tried to speak. but
was defeated by combination of brains and
lungs.
Major Carson's toast. 1.-THE managers of the
Pennsylvania railroad" was applauded. and
cheers were given for Vice-President Thomson.
George W. Boyd. Robert A. Parke. and T.
Postiewaite. Walker Blaine was finally pre-
vailed upon to say something, and made very
neat speech. When the train stopped here the
correspondents drew up in line and wished the
President and his party good night"
The Carriage Blocks Should Go.
To the Editor of THE EVENING STAR:
Since the little tombstones in front of the
houses, and which puzzled so many visitor
from abroad, have become a source of news
paper controversy, ask permission to vent my
notion in response to '.E. W. B. s" communica-
ton of Saturday last.
Capt. Synons, in the discharge Of duty
which compels him to see that the streets
and avenues shall be kept free from all dam
gerous and unsightly membranes, suggested
the removal of these relics of barbarism when
paved streets were unknown; when the bodies
OF carriages were propped up on high wheels
to clear the mud, and when a ladder or NOV
able step had to be brought out of the house to
allow the occupant of the carriage to alight; or
when, in front of the more pretentious resi-
dences, permanent stone steps were placed.
These stone steps have since become the rule,
and we have now along the sidewalk an exhibit
ton of them of all forms and dimensions, in
dlcative of the individuality of the owner. We
have them-the single and the double, the
square and the round, the high and the low,
the modest and the obtrusive. with and without
inscription. but all looking like tombstones In
memoriam of departed dog.
Your correspondent, aggrieved by the pro-
posed removal of his little tombstone. which
has cost him from five to twenty-five dollars"
devotes a large portion of his communication
to a personal attack upon Capt. Symons and
accuses him of ''misdirectcd zeal.
The captain ought to be congratulated that
he was not accused of any worse crime and
console himself with the thought that he was
not the first, nor will he be the last, assailed
for proposing reform.
When the proposition was made to grade.
pave. and park cur Streets you will remember
the bitter controversy to which it gave rise. and
the charges and insinuations which were thrown
out against the projectors. When it was de-
clded to suppress the perambulating COWS and
chickens, the city authorities were accused of
dcpriving the sick children of milk and the
feeble grandmother of the eggs needed TO sus-
tain life. You have not forgotten the howl
that was raised when the pump nuisance was
abated. 1t is to be hoped that in the present
instance the Commissioners viii not allow them
selves to be inundated by the cant about la
dies. invalidi. and old and intirm persons" and
resolutely proceed to relieve the city of these
unsightly distractions to pedestrians, regard
less of the clamor of nuisance advocates.
But, coming to the arguments opposed to
Capt. Symons reasons for his recumme ndGtion
your correspondent SAYS: 1T may be true that
carriage-biocks are dangerous TO pedestrians"
but he adds such. pedestrians must be ''intoxi-
Gated men unable to keep the sidewalk"
The carriage-blocks being placed on the side
walk cannot be danger to those who cannot
keep the sidewalk. intoxicated men like other
brutes. have their eyes fixed upon the ground.
and shy from anything having the appear
ance of an obstacle or obstruction. but a man
in his senses is distinguished from the brute in
this. that he walks erect. looks Up-hcaven-
ward; To him, and not to the drunhard. the
little tombstones along the sidewalk are STUN
bling blocks indeed
The second argument advanced by your
correspondent, iii his own words, is this: Il
know of no carriaSe-owner who apprehends
any danger = y and as it is the carriage
owner who erects them (these carriage blocks)
il Is reasonable to assume that this danger does
not demand legislation On the suppostion
that your correspondents acquaintance does
not extend to persons owning carriages his
first statement may be taken to be true. As
to the second it is evidently erroneous. for if
there be as many carriage-owners i'll this city
as there are carriage blocks then the number of
horses and carriages would reach a fabulous
figure too absurd to be mentioned but let
your correspondent walk along any business
street and he will find in front of stores, Offices
restaurants. dining saloons, &c, these blocks
used as advertising media-not as he supposes
to render the getting in and out of carriages a
less serious matter to the ladies, invalids and
old and infirm persons of his family.
The third argument is against the plea of I'M
siglt!iness. Your correspondent is free to adj
nit this. but, he says. let them (the carriage
biocks) be made to conform to some standard
of sightliness. 1t is q pity that he did not,
while he was about 1t, suggest such standard
and then prove way to a solution Of the car
riage-block problem.
On the whole. a little more of this misdi-
rected zeal on the part of our engineer officers
will make our city what it ought TO be-one of
the finest and pleasantest cities in the country,
if not in the world. REFORM.
Capt. Symons and the Carriage Blocks.
To the Editor of THE EVENING STAR: