Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-07
4W>.Shin6ton durinPQ
y the W>.r:
NTCHAN.

When in April, 1861. troops were arriving
here by the one railroad from the north and
by boat in response to the first call of
President Lincoln for the defense of the
capital the city was In particular the
Washington of today Indeed, In streets,
buildings, people and customs there have
been so many radical changes for the bet
ter that it is no wonder the eyes of those
who answered that call forty years ago are
dildted. and the of some residents hear
from them questions few but the oldest are
able to answer. The buildings in which
temporary quarters were then offered them,
with but few exceptions. have been re-
placed. the sites of hospitals have changed,
and places once used camping grounds
or fort sites are now occupied by imposing
residences. The local government with Its
police, fire and school system, too, has
taken the place of the oid-fashioned, primi-
tive government of that day, and, in fact,
save that the names of streets and buildings
remain, the capital city is found to have
undergone a complete metamorphosis.
Washington had mayor, with boards
of aldermen and common council. A
dual police force, but lately increased
to a hundred men, one-half paid by
the general government. the other by
the city, was charged with the preser-
walton of order, and in each ward maglS-
trate dispensed justice by committing to
Jail worShouse, by fining or holding to
bail. The Central Guard House had but
short time been occupied on the SCUM Siut
of Louisiana avenue between 9th and 10th
streets and was used as headquarters of
auxiliary guards which performed night
service under Capt. John H. Goddard our
fire department was composed of volun-
teers, with primitive quarters ana appa-
ratus, may be seen by the two houses
yet standing a 10th and H streets north
west and 9th and X streets southeast, Win
apparatus of the hfties in the first named
house. The public schools, less than
twenty, were mostly in rented houses or
yJ,1 ia
times The market houses were rlckety
sheds These conditions were in keeping
with the surroundings. Pennsylvania ave
nue. and a few streets were the only paved
thoroughfares and these were paved with
cobhlestone. and the spirit of Improvement
was then in its infancy, the public buildings
alone excepted.
stage pattern. ran then on the avenue ana
7th street. Georgetown, the navy yafd ana
the steamboat wharves. the terminus me
street railway of the Washington ana
Georgetown Company were not estabilshea
and operated till 1S62
Interest in Politics.
The citizens of the District though hav-
ing the right of suffrage as to municipal
Offices within the corporate limits, those in
the county not having even the right to vote
for the members Of the levy court, were
always interested more or less in the great
political parties. and in old times the whig
sentiments of the old Intelligencer constl-
tuted the creed of the people of Washing
ton In the elections prior to 1898 there
were WING and democratic tickets at the
polls. Then the know nothing or Amerl-
can party took the place of the wings ana
the corporation was mostly III It's hanus
until 1851 when the democratic party was
successful.
Before the campaign made by Mr.. Lin
coin the republican sentiment was weak IN
the community, and there was no disgusting
the fact that the people were disappointed
when he was chosen President. The dem
ocratic administrations had brought many
of that political faith TO Washington. ana
much government work-that on the Capt.
tol extension, the Washington aqueduct
(water works., Post Office, Patent Ofice and
Treasury Department-had brought many
mechanics and others here who were SYM
pathizers with the administration IN power.
1t had been the experience of former years
that the city was always dull as to business
in the year of the election, but 1850 proved
to be an exception. Aside from the work
above noted, there were many private en-
terprises on hand, and there were but few
idle workmen in the community Thus
Washington had in the year preceding the
war a larger population than ever before.
and as may be supposed the people were of
every shade of political opinion.
The campaign was rather more exciting
than any preceding ones. and there were many
lively political meetings. The democracys
principal organizations were the old Jackson
Democratic Association, its members divid-
cd IN LneT preference DtlWttH MI DOuSldS
and Mr.. Breckenridge, and the National
Volunteers" mostly favoring Breckenridge,
and democratic clubs were formed in the
various wards. The republicans chief club
was the Wide Awake" located at the wig
wan at the northwest corner of I'd street
and Indiana avenue, with auXiliaries in diff
ferent sections of the city. Much bitter
ness existed between the parties and the
public peace was preserved with difficulty.
The condition of the colored people bond
and free, was particularly uncomfortable
they being the bone of contention" The
mayor was a democrat and most of the
police were of that faith, and their acts
were many times regarded partisan.
They were involved in numbers of serious
conflicts
The result of the election of 1850 was
naturally disappointment to the city adj
ministration, but a delight to others. The
colored people were elated beyond measure.
The latter, however much they might
joice under cover. as a rule were not de-
monstrative in public and continued TO oc-
cupy their former humble sphere hoping
that the promises made to abolish slavery
would soon be realized. There were slaves
held in the District, slave pen two be
ing in existence. and the laws were some