Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-02
FIFTY YEARS Ago
IN THE STAR


Street. lamps to be sure. but they
Liohting were neither numerous nor
brilliant and the result was
a constant state of public irritation. In
The Star of November q, 1856, is the fol-
lowing paragraph expressive of this feel
ing:
I'VE learn from an officer of the Wash
ington Gas Company. to whose notice The
Star brought recent complaints OF the
lights in front or the post Office buildings
and on the avenue, that the company has
nothing whatever to do with either lighting
or keeping those particular lamps in order,
CHI under the charge of persons en-
poyed by the government The
size of the burners On Pennsylvania avenue
has grown smaller of late. They seem to
be smaller than those on the narrower
cross Streets
1t was later disclosed that these burners
had been reduced in size because they con-
sumed too much gas and cost too much
money. The original six-foot burner could
not be kept lighted all night. and so five
foot tips were substituted But these and
the enclosing lanterns were allowed to be-
come dirty, and thus. as The Star said.
their chief function was to make the dark
ness visible.
The "Naiad Queen" held the boards at
the National Theater fifty years ago. with
Joe Jefferson leading
Naiad comedian In The Star of
Queen. November 20. 1856. is this
report of the performance
the evening before:
There was bad show for theatricals
last night. with mud. rain and fog, yet the
people would go to see the 'Naiad Queen;
indeed when once within the capacious
walls of the National and in view of the
fairyland presented upon the stage-the
magic scenes of fight and beauty peopled
with inha bitants of more than mortal grace
and draped in costumes that fairly daZzied
the eye, SO gorgeous and brilliant were
they'll was hard to realize that one was
separated by single wall only from. in
driving mists. We congratulate Manager
Ford and all concerned on having succeed
ed in presenting an illusion so brilliant and
perfect. and also congratulate ourselves
and the public that we live in the nine
teenth century and enabled to see it.
By all odds it is the most complete specta-
Gle ever presented in this city, combining
all that was formerly conceived possible in
this line with the many vast improvements
of modern times. 1t seems now as if the
force of art could no further go.
And yet doubtless the ''Naiad Queen"
done in the 1856 style. would today be
viewed by the public slow spectacle,
not to be compared with those that now
cater to the popular taste.
X +
The democrats of Washington celebrated
the election of Buchanan and Breckenridge
on the 9th of November.
Democratic 1856, the occasion being not
Jubilee. able for it's enthusiasm and
the large number participant
ing in the various exercises. The chief
item of the days happenings was a grand
parade which moved at 10 o'clock from
Court Square in front of the city hail."
In The Star of November q appears de-
scription of this grand concourse of parti-
sans. Following the officials of the parade
and the orator of the day, Walter Lenox,
ESQ.,. came the delegations representative
of the states of the Union and the wards OF
Washington. with noticed banners. Ken
tuckians bore aloft this sentiment ken
lucky, the first child of the Union. greets
her sister states with smile of 5000
jority." The family smile continued
in the banner of Louisiana, whose motto
read: THE frst-born daughter of Jeffer-
sonian democracy" Then came "a Splen-
did car, draped with flags and drawn by
ten white horses, bearing thirty-one beau
tiful young ladies, representing the thirty
one states of the Union and waving flags
next a carriage bearing buck and embel-
lished with Bohns portraits of Buck and
Breck. This was followed by the Salt
river steamer. the Harriet Beecher Stowe
lettered. Ho for Salt river with dispatch
The steamer Disunion, ]. c. Fremont, cap
tain: Horace Greeley, cook and steward
This team, which was draped in mourning,
driven by gentleman of color and drawn
by hard-looking beast dressed in an extra
skin. most appropriately to represent
the woody horse. elected shouts of laugh
ter everywhere on its travels.
AT later point in the procession came
a perfect model of a fun-rigged ship, man.
ned by ten sailors who were going through
various Shipboard evolutionS, manning the
yards throwing the lead, firing cannon
splicing ropes, etc. This exhibit was from
the navy yard.
In the next issue of The Star appeared
accounts of various features of the demo-
cratic jubilation which had
Scene at occurred after it went to
Night. press. At the residence on
Capitol Hill of Mrs. Eliza B.
Mills novel entertainment was given. A
beautiful woman representing Pennsylya-
MIA stood a dais and was greeted by
expressing appropriate sentiments. The
night illumination of the city was regarded
establishing a record of briliancy and
beauty. The Star said:
with the brilliant lights thrown upon
the moving throng from the myriads of IL
Illuminated windows, the scene must have
&eminded French fellow citizens of the
after might brlliancy, life and gaiety of the
the year. Among the many effective dis
phys the square upon the avenue between
18th and 18th streets attracted much atten-
ton, almost every house in the square be-
ing Illuminated. The many Widowed
front of The Star buildings, with a candle
at each pane of glass, threw out a flood of
light, The Star establishment is bound
to do. The private dwellings on street
were very generally Illuminated, and in
some instances with glass chandeliers
Reese's establishment, at 9th street and
Pennsylvania avenue. was Illuminated with
siXtyfour large gas burners. artistically
arranged. the central figure being a bucks
head and horns. Among the finest displays
of the night were made by those who are
not partsans at all who have heretofore
earnestly opposed the democracy, but who
came forward in a handsome spirit of pa
triotism and national feeling to make the
demonstration worthy of the occasion
A SENATORIAL SHAKER.