Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-26
YEARS AGO

inches sn0rtefNnan The present Size. Auous
ten columns OF newA and editorial matter
were printed daily. Yet this space sufiiced
for all the tidings Of happenings. both ct
home and abroad. with generous extracts OF
miscellaneous matters. The facilities for
the collecting and transmitting OF intelii-
gence were far from what they are today.
spending week half q century back affords
an Interesting contrast With the present ana
viii perhaps revive latent memories On the
part Of the Older generation OF readers. anu
at the same time throw light upon the ways
of the world and newspaper style and meth
DDS before the younger generation came
upon the scene.
Monday, March 10. 1855, the leading news
article in The Star was an extract from the
Pittsburg Post of seven days previous. oe
sScribing q scene of.gfeat excitement IN .nat
city caused by an attempt to rescue save
woman from her master, Lynn Boyo VI
Kentucky, late Speaker Of the House.
News From California.
The steamer Northern Light arrived AT
New York from San Juan on that day ana
the wires brought over to Washington
summary Of the news she carried In the
form of files Of the newspapers OF Cantor
mia, where great excitement prevailed ow-
d
banking houses had suspended during the
latter part of February.
Washington was chiefly interested IN dls-
GUESSING fair held by the Metropolitan Me-
chanics' Institute, and The Star devoted
column of its space to a description OF q
new machine for cutting barrel slaves anu
heads.
At Iron Hall there had been an important
stock season, in two plays, THE Serious
Family" and Raising the Wind. o1 the
latter piece The Star said: ut was as wen
played as ever before in this country, we
care not where
A Fire Company Burned Out.
In the. Alexandria items of Tuesday
March 20, is to bezfound this amusing COM
mentary on the rivalry that existed in those
days between the fire engine companies:
Last night, about II o'clock, the Friend
ship engine house was discovered to be on
fire. In a short time the Friendship engine
was playing on 1t, but only TO preven'
houses in the vicinity from being burned.
The engine house could not be saved. ~
has lately been fitted up in fine style py the
company. Most Of the fixtures OF the nasl
were saved, as well as the engine ltseli'
but the house was completely destroyed.
There were no engines on the spot with the
exception of the Friendship. why was
that?' .-r.f.
The river was almost covered with ducks
that
with every kind of firearm, from the olo
Queens arm to the big patent boat SWIVEL
Perhaps the Sorrowful duck hunters OF To-
day will regard this as a sure sign that the
wicked ways of the wholesale butchers Oh
game are by no means modern.
On Wednesday, March q, citizen OF
Washington, signing himself sc. ]. A., was
given more than column on the first page
to answer critics of the public sschoois Oh
the capital, then severely under fire.
Conservative Speculation.
The Star ventured to remark as follows In
connection with=a discussion Of certain po-
I'VE are under the impression that the
Africa and Pacific, on their last voyages
hitherward, brought advices to the govern
ment from nearly allljour. dipiomatists on
the other side of the Atlantic, ana tney en-
brace, perhaps, less Of interest than ever
before on such, an OCCASION" A conserva-
tive summary indeed. sof the world situa-
ton.
Newspapers had. their perplexities then,
as now. in getting the news straight. I'm
der the heading. 1.-THE Herald,s Last" The
Star of March % said: 1.-The Satanic seems
at a loss for q wonder lately. Yesterday II
announced the, rumer that the steamship
Canada had been captured by Russian
frigate; that she had on board million OF
specie. and that great failures must result
from 1t. That was well done with the ex-
ception that it was badly timed Ioday we
hear. by telegraph, that the Canada Is safe
at Halifax. What is the matter?'
An obliging Conductor.
There were no Shooting Stars in those
early issues, but the readers did not lack
an offering Of the light side of life. For
instance, this paragraph was printed de-
scriptive Of "gallantry on the part of con-
ductor:" Last night, as the train was
1odx ho yyqV
to Baltimore, in the conductors hearing, re-
GREETED that she could not kiss her friend.
with whom she was parting. This was too
much for him to stand, SO the train was de-
lady said to him with one OF her sweetest
smiles: That kiss Is owing (Owen) to you.
Police duty was not onerous IN those DAYS
Under the heading, Watch Returns" Is
of consequence among the night police. the
guards reporting all quiet. This morning
the only trial case on the docket was Ben
1amin Young, who was drunk and dis
orderly; he was made to pay fine and
COSTS"
The citizens of Washington were then
agitating the need of city clock, OF which
the capital did not boast, and The Star OF
a prospect OF securing great striking clock
for the Smith sonian Institution. The
project did not materialize.
Wife Beating.
There was no whipping-post movement
then, although the offense of wife-beat-
ing prevailed to an extent to call forth the
following paragraph:
This unmanly practice continues, al
though the two branches of the police have
been very strict in attending to the arrests
of such offenders during several months
past. Patrick Mcclure was arrested yes
terday for beating his wife. who is said to
be worthy of better husband. He was
taken before Captain Birch. who sent him
to jail in default of bail to keep the peace -
The issue of Saturday. March "A, Is nota-
BILE for the announcement of the dissolution
of the partnership which had existed for
some time previous between VIM. H. Hope
and W. D. Wallach In the publication OF
The Star. Mr.. Wallach taking over the sole
proprietorship and management.
There was little doing in the news field
one of the most suggestive items being as
follows:
"Impudence.-Ad drunken fellow, stranger
entered clothing storeson the avenue yes
terday and attacked the keeper. He was
handled roughly land Wes afterward taken
off by the police. What was done with him