Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-25
FIFTY YEARS AGO
IN THE STAR

| The public schools were closing during
| this week of 1855. even as they are now.
| but there was a difference.
PUBLIC Those were the days of the
| Schools examination" that formfd-
| able visitation by grave and
| reverend seignors" who asked embarrassing
| questions not in the books. and whose faces
| at times seemed to be strangely contorted
| with suppressed merriment. But they were
| good old days, and there is nothing now
| quite to equal the delightful sensations Of
| the examinations which proved to the
satisfaction OF the public's representatives
| that the teachers had done their work we'll.
| In The Star of June Is 1t is noted:'
Primary School Number 1. first district.
Washington Library 9th streeD. Miss NJ.
| q. Wells. teacher. is to be examined to-
morrow afternoon by Messrs Bennett. Da-
| Wis. Bacon and At Lee. Also Primary
School No. I, second district, Miss E. Par
| sons. teacher. school house. Judiciary
| Square. by Messrs. Magruder. Bates. Dick
| inson and Pearson: and Primary NO. !. 3u-
| nior department. third district: Miss J. f.
Acton. teacher, public school house, late
market house. by Messrs Hanson. Polk and
Knight"
The subsequent issues of the week con-
| tanned notices of the examinations. all or
| which seemed to give entire satisfaction
| The Star took occasion to report upon the
| deplorabe condition of some OF the schooi
! quarters. that Of Junior section No z sec
ond distrtct-exact locality not mentioned
being especially objectionable, lone of the
| worst school rooms in the city. be-
| low the surface of the ground. very damp,
| with no sufficient yard or proper outbuild-
ings."
| On Tuesday, June 10. The Star printed an
article descriptive of novel method Of
cooking by gas which had
A Gas been adopted by Mr. Willard
s+,1,a OF the National Hotel. 1t
was recommended highly by
those epicures who had tested the steaks
| broiled upon It,
! The cleanliness OF the operation says
| The Star, land the preservation OF the
] sweetness Of the meats. to say nOthlng Oh
! the convenience of the arrangement. must
| certainly recommend it to general favor
| The stove consisted then now. OF
| series of perforated pipes, into which the
gas was introduced by a flexible tube.
| The recent competition between the rail-
| roads running from New York to chicago
| to break speed records gives timely IN
| terest to the following item in The Star
| of June 20:
| 1.-The quickest time ever made over the
| Rochester and Buffalo railroad was made
| on the 18th instant by the express tram
| the locomotive Buffalo. Jerry *. Guile, en-
gineer-having done it in one hour and thir-
| ty-six minutes. including stops. This is at
| the rate of mile in about minute anu
| quarter. stops included.
| Not so bad for half a century back.
Some time ago." says The Star of June
| 81. I'VE were privileged to enter small
| tenement in the fifth ward.
Capitol which Is retired from the
| S+e+uer1 street and has over the door
the words, No Admittarce-'
| We there saw an Italian chiseling in white
| marble-a model in clay beside hm-the fig
ure OF an Indian girl in half-kneeling posi-
| ton, holding in her hands vessel fash
| Toned according to the pattern of deep and
nearly round shell.
Crawford, the great American sculptor.
has recently forwarded to the same studio
two figures in plaster to be there counter
feited in marble (and twelve more. we learn.
| are to be prepared by order of the govern
ment by that distinguished artist. The
first Is an emblem of Mechanics full
| length representation of an artisan. with
his sleeves uprollod, the collar OF MS SHIRT
open, and with hammer in hand. reposing
| near cog wheel The countenance is in
dicative of amiable and placid tempera-
| ment and his eyes are directed toward
| heaven, as If In contemplation of a brighter
| future: and the second typefieS Educa ton
| two boys, the arm of one encirclinS the
| waist of the other. The younger carries a
| book, while the elder points him to the fu-
| ture. thus encouraging his companion to
press onward and upward
These statues intended to adorn the
| addition to the Capitol. and will. together
| with the fresco painting and other artistic
embellishments. serve to render the great
| council house OF the nation object of es-
pecial interest free. prosperous ana In
| dependent confederacy should. while pro-
viding elegant accommodations for its popu-
| lar representatives. give some evidence OF
| its appreciation of the fine arts. such as
those to which We have alluded. and which
| will adOrn the structure in question:
All romance had not then died out under
| the crush Of modern conditions. The trou-
| badour had not ceased his
musical charming practice Of chant
Lovers. ing MS lay or love pencatn
the window Of his fair one.
Witness this brief but expressive news note
| in the issue of June %:
Last night quite a crowd of persons COL
avenue to listen to the performances of
two gentlemen upon a flute and a guitar.
They were serenading a lady in that neigh
borhood. The performances of tie
gether of pieces with variations
Yet gallantry of the highest type was not
the unbroken rule this paragraph in the
same issue attests:
MISUNDERSTANDING the markets. fol-
lou ner nta1 10 Iad md {noy