Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-04
FIFTY YEARS AGO
In THE STAR

Washington's election excitement did not
die out with the announcement that Henry
A. Wise had been chosen
Elecuon governor of Virginia. The
disorder serenade given in his honor
on the Saturday night fol-
lowing the ba1loting was the occasion of
disorderly proceeding. which is thus de-
scribed in part in The Star of Monday.
May 28. 1855:
There were on the outskirts of the
crowd ESTIMATED at 5000, assembled on
Pennsylvania avenue between 9Th and 7th
streets in front of Browns HoteD in knots
of forty and fifty, some three or four hun
dred rowdies blackguards and ruff1ans, led
on, by. here and there, man making pre-
tension to character and position in wash
ington. who attended for the purpose of
preventing Mr.. Wise from being heard.
doubtless lest his address might damage
and Know Nothing cause in the election to
take place in this city on Monday next.
The appearance of Mr.. Wise in the sight
of the people was the signal for them to
commence a series of outrages on decency
and the so solemnly guaranteed American
right of the free discussion Of American
public affairs. unprecedented at least In
the history of this community. He was
not only howled at in concert, to drown his
voice. but profane and brutally vulgar Ian
guage was hurled at him continually by
the cowardly rowdies, who, had the light
of the sun been shining on them at the
time. would have stood mute as mice; more
or less of them doubtless in dread lest the
eyes of the police, long in search of them
for offenses against the criminal laws of
their country {perpetrated when the pail
of night hung over us all. and honest
men were asleep In bed) might reveal their
identity. Notwithstanding this evidently
prearranged ruffianly assault upon his
rights and those of the thousands of sub
stantial and respectable citizens OF Wash
ington assembled to hear him, Mr.. Wise
essayed to address them
Echoes of the fight continued to be heard
later. Thus, in The Star Of May 80, occurs
the following: Candles,
Disappointed Collins and Cannon.--It Is
Partisans being said all over Washing
ton that the habitues of the
office of our talented amiable, enthusiastic,
modest and knowing neighbor, in the dead
certainty of the triumph of Flournoy which
recently pervaded their minds, made a hand
some investment in candles for ilu-
mination, a coffin for the intended cere-
mony of a mock funeral of Henry A. Wise,
and cannon and ammunition with which
to celebrate their victory in the shape of
mournful minute guns to be fired over the
mock grave. The expense of all this prep
aration threatens to be a dead loss. Never
theless, perhaps, some percentage upon il
may be realized to the now so hard up in
vestors, who it will be remembered, spec
ulated so freely on our talented, amiable,
enthusiastic and modest neighbours judg
ment."
Whereupon The Star proceeds to suggest
ways and means of converting the various
supplies into cash.
The drink mixers of those days were re-
quired to keep pace with shifting public
demand for strange and new concoctions of
liquor. The Star thus describes two of
the inventions of one Reynolds, a we'll
known barkeeper of that time, known as
the Champero' and the .'Mountaneer"
The former was "a concoction of cOrdials
upon a base of brandy, taken as an anti
fogmatic, by those who drink before din
ner. The second is a night drink more
especially. composed of a delicate mixture
of cordialS, brandy and milk, with foam
on it some inches high"
The small adj columns of The Star were
interesting IN 1880 as now, except that
they were not so numerous or SO well
filed. Some unusual items are to be noted
in looking them over For instance on
Friday, June l, was printed this announce
ment:
Teeth Lost.-Lost, few days since,
two Magnificent Teeth, set on Gold Plate.
The finder will be suitably rewarded on ap-
plying at The Star Office counter"
X
The local election for register, collector,
surveyor and members of the municipal
councils was to be held on
NATURES Monday, June 4, and there
Music - was evidently great interest
in its outcome. But by the
Saturday preceding the partisans had writ
ten all their cards and there was no more
rancor in the prints The following bit of
writing in The Star of that day affords a
refreshing contrast to the bitterness of the
campaign
out the night and this morning we have
tering RAIN in good measure much to the
delight of humanity and to the benefit of
vegetation. So far as the earth is con-
cerned it was a softening, melting melody,
drunk in as the physical ear imbibes the
sounds from human mouth and braZen in
struments. The stream from the old spout
in our back yard, impetuous of egress, was
fanciful, like the gyrations of the shoot
ings-forth of the Capitol fountain. but 1t
afforded direct, palpable evidence that prac-
tical good was being bestowed to bless man
kind.
THE wet weather spoils the promenade
of the ladies, and the prospects of the con-
cert this afternoon at the Presidents
grounds But what of that? Fair days
will soon return, and In their brightness
adults and Juveniles, like butterflies, again
bask, alike for personal display and their
own qualification.