Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-19
FIFTY YEARS AGO
IN THE STAR

Showers of the queer" were more active In
the middle Of the last century than they are
now, for there was much
Oouneef1eit legitimate currency issued by
Monav the state banks of a very
poor quality. and 1t was not
difficult to effect a reasonable imitation OF
the genuine. Warnings as to counterfeiters
were frequently uttered, but nevertheless
the people OF various cities were from time
to time mulcted in large sums by these In
dustrfous craftsmen. The Star had previ-
ousiy called attention to the activity OF
these people elsewhere. and in the issue of
November IL had occasion to note that its
fears of a local visitation were well found
ed. For on the Thursday previous two
men were arrested at the railroad station
in Washington charged with passing coun-
terfeit bank notes and were held for trial.
These men had been i'll Washington for a
number Of days with four or five confeder-
ates, and a large quantity of bad bills, but
apparently they were as suspicious of the
police as the police were of them. for 1t
was with great difficulty that they were de-
of the notes passed BY this crowd pretended
to be fve-dolar issue Of a Frederick, Md,
bank.
The Star had occasion in its issue OF No
venber ID, 1855. to complain strenuously of
a smoke nuisance of pecu-
a Shohe liarly Objectionable descrip-
Nuisance. ton, saying:
I'VE do not mind accom-
modating the next-door neighbor by permit
ting him to knock a hole in our chimney,
but we do object to his smoke pipe blow
Ing off it's smoke into our business prem
fses. Recent experience has demonstrated
to us that as the world is not large enough
for bitter rivals in either the field or in the
cabinet or In the affairs of love- each party
smartlng under an imaginary or real Of
Tense, SO it seldom. If ever appears that
any chimney can contain at the same time
two pipes for conducting Off the smoke of
two opposite fires in full blast. The eoun-
ter-eurrent. the dense yapor, the intermix-
ture of the contrary forces, all prevent the
majestic rising from the chimney top of
that kind of smoke which the poet so
graphically described as having gracefully
curled. The day is past with us to
cry over an affecting romance. but the
smoking and smoky chimney is more po-
tential than the greatest powers of the lit
terateur and poet. Men, stalwart men, are
forced to tears-to sneeZe against their will
to anathemize the smoke and to long for
the return of genial weather, when no oc-
casion arises for a resort to artificial heat
for the comfort of the human body. We
What must be the condition of that man
who has In addition a scolding wife? or
woman who IS oppressed with a scolding
husband? AlaS"'
X
Thanksgiving Day In 1855 fell on the 18th
of the month and The Star of the 14tb re-
cited the following pro-
An"n>ss'ns gram of amusements for
Events. the people on that holiday:
THE Kunkel Opera
Troupe win give a performance tomorrow
afternoon at Odd Fellows Hall. on which
occasion the popular Wells children will
appear as well as at night The afternoon
performance will present fine opportunity
to children and others who cannot attend
the evening entertainments
THE steamer Thomas Collyer Capt Eed-
ney, win make a special trip to Mt Vernon,
affording those who have not visited the
tomb of Washington an opportunity thus to
be gratified.
THE New York Buriesque Ethiopian
Opera Troupe will delight the Inhabitants
Of the navy yard at Odd Fellows Hall in
that part of the city. a.
Is 1T is rumored that Mr. and Mrs Bar
ney Williams will play tomorrow evening
at the National Theater If so. we think
1t a good Idea and have no doubt but that
the house will be jammed.
The fire companies will make a grand
parade tomorrow on the reception by the
Metropolitan Hook and Ladder Company of
their truck from Baltimore. Extensive ar
rangements for that purpose are in prog
ress."
ney Williams appearance at the National
Theater proved to have been correct, and
those popular performers We're greeted with
packed house, as The Star predicted.
Mr.. James w. Wallach was billed for a
short engagement in classic roles at the
National Theater, his first appearance to be
Macbeth" Mr.. J. Jefferson, later to be-
come world-famous as one of Americas
greatest actors, was then stage manager of
the National, and was cast to play First
Witch in the Wallaeh production of Mac
BETH.
A disastrous fire visited Alexandria on the
morning of November II, and The Stars
correspondence from that
Alexandra city, published in the same
Holocaust. day, told this melancholy
story:
"Our city wears the aspect of unwonted
excitement this morning, for it's slumbers
last night were broken by calamity such
as has rarely befalIen it. At midnight the
bells rang the fire alarm, and flames were
found bursting from the upper windows of
the large china warehouse of James L.
Dowen on King street below Fairfax.
Some little delay occurred owing to a diff
Guilty between our city authorities and some
portion of the fire department, but it was
not long ere all the available apparatus Of
the city was at work staying the progress
of the destroyer. The Sun and Star on the
front, and the Relief and Hydraulion In the
rear gave battle to the flames that, en-
sconsed amid the straw-packed crates of
the warehouse, for long time defied every
effort to destroy them. At length, however,
after most of the interior had been de-
stroyed, the flames began to yield: and just
as 1t was thought danger had passed the
western wall fell in with terrific crash,
carrying most of the main flooring to the
cellar and burying under the ruins a large
number Of firemen. The scene that ensued
dacnrirtiar ALI haffIa ha