Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-21
YEARS AGO [
IN THE STAR,

In LIE OlAn
The recently started controversy over the
character Of the religious foundation Of
Maryland Is but an echo Of
Maryland's a similar dispute which at
Forrd.+{., tracted public attention In
earlier years. 1t was in EVIL
dence in 1855. as the following item, printed
in The Star of May 16. attests:
Mr.. J. T. Polk delivered a lecture last
night at Temperance Hall, on the subject
Of the settlement of Maryland. There were
not over eighty persons both ladies and
gentlemen. present to hear him. He took
the ground that the Catholics who estab-
lished colony in Maryland did not fee
from England on account of religious per-
secution. nor to enjoy the liberty of con-
science'-this being denied to the adherents
of the Church of Rome; but that lucre was
the main object of the settlement. He re-
ferred to various books and papers in sup
port of this position. Further, that far
from Lord Batimore's colony at ST. Mary's
being the first in Maryland, Kent Island
was occupied by $50 Protestants (who had
settled minister Rev. Richard James,
five years before Lord Baltimore came to
that state"
The railroad business of the country had
news brief indicates:
"Out of more than II, 100000 passengers
who were carried during the last year over
sixteen of our main railroads, only twelve
were killed, and of the twelve, eleven were
standing on the platform when they met
their death"
1t is a lucky day in these rushing times
when two dozen people are not killed while
riding on trains during as many hours.
In the Georgetown correspondence of the
10th occurs paragraph which suggests
that humane prison methods
In1rsCy were not then in vogue:
Prisoners. This morning as we were
passing by the watch house,
we saw some poor fellows who had been
Gagged during the light, striving hard to
Stake their thirst by thrusting their bills"
(slc) las far as possible through the iron
bars at the windows, and sucking the cool
ing beverage, water, from a horse bucket
which had been kindly passed up to them
by some of the hands OF the Union line
stables, by means of a leather strap Let
this poor unfortunate class of beings be
what they may, everything like cruelty to-
ward them while in the custody of the law
should be, as far as possible, avoided, while
anything in the shape of cruelty tends only
to add Iuel to the ire of their bad passions
and make them worse. Kind treatment
often, like the rod of Moses, tends to soften
them down, and bring forth the waters of
repentance. Deal gently with the erring
is wholesome adage.''
The Washington aqueduct had not been
completed, although the work was in prog
resS and notes of the letting
Pump OF contracts for building cul-
Water. verts were appearing from
time O time in The Star dur
ing this period. A paragraph like the fol-
lowing. printed May II, indicates the trials
of the pre-aqueduct era:
Scarcity OIL Water-Many Of our citizens
are complaining that not few Of the
pumps are dry, rendered so, In some in
stances, by the coplouS drawings tor build
ing purposes. Every days experience con-
vices us OF the necessity OF an unIaillng
supply from the Great ais OF the Poto-
mac.
Citizens today are hardly satisfied with
unlimited Potomac water. They are I'M
patiently waiting Tor a Uttered supply.
Washington would have been IN bad
way tor place tor public lectures and
other assemplages in loo had it not been
for the Hberailty OF the regents of the
Smithsonian institution, who placed the
lecture hail of their building at the dis
poSal OF the citizens for proper uses. This
practice drew forth an expression OF satlri-
cal dISapproyal from the boston Advertiser,
and The star defended the regents, saying:
Surely this can be no just cause OF COM
plant and SO Tar as the action OF the re-
gents or the secretary is concerned In re-
gard to granting the use of the Smithsonian
lecture room To respectable assemplages OF
our citizens, We think it is highly liberal
and commendable. They have freely al
lowed the Mechanics Institute, the Young
Mems Christian Association, the Teachers
Association, the National Medical College.
Georgetown College, the public schools,
Sunday schools and other organizations OF
our city the use OF their large and elegant
lecture room, and by Offering their rooms
to the U S. Agricultural Society, the Amer
lean Association for the Advancement of
Science and Education and other national
societies, have contributed largely to the
welfare of Washington. Our cItlzenS feel
a deep interest in this matter, and We
know that the course which has been pur-
sued meets with hearty and general APP
prevail
An inquiring and somewhat indignant citi-
zen wrote to The Star of May IL in the pen
Disguise of "Snooks," ex-
Pointed pressing his state of mind
Innuiries. thus:
IF any of your subscribers
are contractors for street paving. let them
know that the ladies would like the paving
stCnes msnamed gravel, taken from the
walks in jackson Statue Square, and for
the benefit of the neighborhood as well as
the rest of mankind the commissioner of
public buildings would do some service to
his country at large In seLCing Tor the cele
DRAFTED Yankee lock picker to come on and
show the people how the gates of the above
square can be opened after they are I'M
locked; and, Mr.. Editor. can you tell me
what effect the night-cap now being put on
the steeple of the church between 18th and
14th on r. street VIII have on the congrega-
ton of the church on Sundays in hot sum-
mer?"
Information of sensational affair in one
of the local courts which had not elected
prior news publication was given to The
Stars readers May ~ in the form of let
ter to the editor signed Eighth Street."