Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-29
FIFTY YEARS AGO
IN THE STAR

In view of the visit Of tho President and
q party to Annapolis during the past week
to participate In the reburial
The Frigats Of John Paul Jones It p In
Merrfrnac. teresting to note that .
presidential visit to the Ma
val Academy was paid half century ago.
Mr. Pierce and other officials going there
to inspect the institution. In the cour3e Of
the day they visited the frfgate MerrimAc.
which later became the confederate ram
Virginia. and was beaten by the Monitor at
Hampton Roads. In The Star Of April n.
1859. appears this description Of the GER
emory:
Preparations were Immediately made for
the visit to the Nerrimae. which had arrived
at her anchorage OF the mouth of the har-
Dor early In tho morning. and now formed
q beautiful object In the seaward View.
The government steamer Engineer was soon
closely packed with the dignitaries whose
visit gave eclat to the occasion, and with as
many ladies and gentlemen as could In ad-
dition find room on her decks, put OF for
the Merrfmac, lying about four miles dis
tant As the boat approached the frfgate
grew In view and size. till close view dis
closed the immense dimensions and mas
sive elegance of her hull. Until the Engi-
neer approached to within one hundred
yards OF the Merrimac q solitary sentinel,
walking on the outer guards. and the boat
keepers dozinG IN the sun. were the only
signs of life to be seen: but suddenly the
sides swarmed with sailors, who, running
nfmbiy up the rigging dispersed themselves
In hundreds about the yards. their first APP
pearance and attitudes of expectation as
each man assumed his station seeming to
render the whole immense fabric instinct
with life. The President and Secretary of
the Navy were received at the gangway
ST 1T
conducted to the quarterback, where the
marines were drawn up and saluted THE
great guns OF the ship then gave forth their
noisy welcome. -
Ihe 0atribes of members OF Congress
against the people OF the District occasion
ally in these days are by
SaAeics VI no means novel, Such
the Capitol. speeches were heard now
and then In the past. In
The Star of April %. 1855. appears the fol.
lowing editorial expression with reference to
certain such statements OF that character:
Those interested in the continued ad-
vancement and prosperity of the federal
city-the creation and ward of the general
goVernmen-need not despair at the treat
ment 1t seems likely to receive throughout
this session at the hands OF the House OF
Representatives, as manifested in the vote
OF the day before yesterday upon the water
works question. Much of the existing hos
Unity or honorable members to the city OF
Washington (and few OF them cannot
near the name of the city called without
breaking out with some accusation or other
against 1t which Is wholly baseIess) arises
from the deliberate and sinister misrepre-
eentatlons OF parties, some of whom are cit
liens heretofore supposed to have some in
terest here. Others of these parties are OF
the class OF hawks and buzzards who hover
In the congressional atmosphere always
sweeping around for prey. And some OF
the others, again, are almost entire strang-
ers in Washington, who, being spectators
In charter getting, go wherever a legislative
body may be supposed to be open to their
peculiar Establishments. Such parties have
for the last month been plying the ears OF
members OF Congress with misrepresenta-
lions concerning the facts involved in the
national aqueduct question. Processing to
be seriously alarmed at the alleged extraya-
gance of the plan of George Washington to
construct permanent water works for the
supply OF government property here, they
seek to make capital against 1t by repre-
senting 1t as a work for the benefit OF the
individual citizens of the federal city They
know while making such representations
that no citizen of Washington is to be en-
any purpose whatever, which privilege can
rot be accorded by any power short OF that
Of Congress itself. and only on such terms
as Congress itself may dictate"
~
The last reception at the White House
for the season OF 1866 was held on the
night of Friday, April 25, and
Inc Last ON the next day The Star
Ievea. printed an account from
which the following extracts
are taken:
"As was anticipated, the reception Of
last night was much the most largely at
tended Of the season. All the ordinary levee
goers were present. Of course, and there
were In addition all those procrastinat-
ing spirits who, were the receptions to
stretch till the crack OF doom, would In
evitably miss all but the final one.
The ladies, OF course, made the most OF