Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-30

FIFTY. YEARS AGO
In THE STAR

Few citizens OF Washington remember
| distinctly the process of reconstructing the
| Capitol according to the
Capitol design now standing in ex-
S+a+uarv ecution at the crest of tie
hill. The following extract
| from The Star of September %, 1856. Will
| doubtless be of interest alike to the elder
| residents and the younger generationi
I'm a roughly constructed frame building
! in the immediate neighborhood of the Capt.
| toll number of artists are now at WORK
rendering in marble exact copies OF plaster
models. the result of the genius of our dis
! tinguished countryman, Crawford the sculp-
tor. Prominent among these models Is the
Genius OF America, represented as a female
of giant proportions, her dress not hooped.
but loose and flowing: nor is her waist
wasp-like, under the assumed COMPRISING
of corset; her breathing apparatus being
free from exterior pressure. she exhlpits
IN her countenance no symptoms OF pall
from obstructed respiration. Her starry
robe Is carelessly hanging from the Shout
der. On her right are sun rays. and on the
left the famous bird. the name of which
Is Eagle with a plentiful supply of darts
in his talons, as threat or warning 10
those who may offend the liberty OF whlcn
he Is an emblem In such an event, shoulo
the provocation come from a foreign zoe
he would find republican 1egions to assist
him with the most approved military
pyrotechnics. This figure Of the Genius Oh
America with its embellishments Is for the
center Of the tympanum."
The Star goes on to describe the other
marble figures which were afterward placed
in various positions about the Capitol.
Those were the days Of the serenaders-
young men who went about the city after
dark singing beneath the
Unwelcome windows Of their lady loves.
Serenaders. Sometimes these attentions
were kindly received, but oc-
casionally they were provocative of other
emotions than affection. In The Star OF
September %, 1856, Is the following para
graph bearing upon this matter Of noctur-
nal music:
MANY of our love-stricken musical anna
tours have awaited themselves Of the fine
nights lately to compliment their fair ac-
quaintanc by Serenades. Some or these
achievements have been performed in credl-
BILE style, but in too many instances, alas!
the music has been of that description which
puts the teeth on edge, startles the nerv-
Ous sets dogs to barking and children to
crying, causes the neighbors to call the
watch, and kick up a row generally. We
hear that In one instance the serenaded
parties have expressed particular desire
that the serenade should not be repeated.
They consider the music a most gratifying
compliment and treat of high order. but
in future would prefer to take the Will for
the deed, as there Is a sick child in the
house."
X
1t has been a long time since wild beasts
roamed about in this region. but half a CEN
fury ago this part OF the
Bears In country was not SO thor
MARYLAND. oughly settled that all the
native animals had been
driven away. In The Star of September 70,
1885, appears this article:
I'VE notice that numbers of black bears
are making their appearance in different
parts of the country and in some instances
are creating considerable alarm by their
boldness as well as doing damage to the
crops, particularly the growing corn, for
which bruin has an especial relish. From a
gentleman whose name we did not ascer-
tain We learn that large black bear has
exhibited himself lately on the Burnt Mill
branch in the neighbOrhood of Colesville
and Little Britain in Montgomery county
(Maryland). This bear first seen by
some boys in quest of stray COW. He was
squatted upon his launches at the foot of
a chestnut tree and surveying the loaded
boughs with hungry look as il medtating
a raise but the trunk of the tree was
probably too small to enable bruin to gain
a grasp whereby to ascend: and with dis
satisfied shake of the head the bear sprang
over fallen log and trotted off through the
woods 1t Is needless to say that the boys
moved off somewhat rapidly in the opposite
direction. On subsequent examination, the
trunk Of this tree was found to bear marks
of the bears claws as he stood at the foot
of the tree at a height which would indicate
him to be from seven to nine feet In length
from the gambrel to the tip Of the nose.
This IS very respectable sized bear for
q hno hot
of the hunters Of that neighborhood are
on the watch for bruin and no doubt are
licking their chops In anticipation of q bear
steak. Success to the Montgomerians on
Although there was no ice trust half a
century ago. frozen water was held in suf-
hciently high esteem to cause
=" o1ul waste to be deeply de-
Waste. plored. In The Star OF Sep
tember q. 1856 is this para
graph:
I'VE noticed this morning a group Of in
dividuals gathered closely around what ap-
peared to be the wreck Of vehicle on 18th
street near the bridge. A carriage break
down Is thing Of everyday occurrence.
but there was something in the air OF this
assemblage which indicated a more than
ordinary vehicular catastrophe, and we In
stlnctlvely made our way thither. It was
indeed a grievous spectacle, being nothing
less than the wreck OF one OF Pettfbone's
ice wagons while In the mid-career OF use
fulness, by breakage of the fore axle.
The ice under the influence Of the warm
sun was rapidly trucking away along the
dusty street Ice in this latitude is a good
thing. The moral sense Of the community
Is shocked at seeing it diverted from its
nigh mission The crowd closed around the
scene of dissolution with uncovered heads
and In silence. Each seemed to have en-
tered upon a mental calculation as to the
number Of embryo juleps and other cooling
drinks that were here running to hopeless
waste The gentle sigh went up and a
starting tear was visible. Indeed, the
scene was getting painful. when somebody
came up with a horse and an extra pair
of wheels and trundled the wreck from the
track"
CUBA.
From the Grand Rapids Herald.
The Cubans may discover when the Amer