Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-21
FIFTY YEARS AGO
IN THE STAR

IN luu UxAU
It has been nearly a quarter of a CEN
fury since the Summer White House
at Soldiers Home has
Summer been occupied by the Presi-
wb,+a Hous. dent Mr.. Arthur hav-
ing been the last of the
executives to use the handsome cottage set
apart for that purpose. Half century
ago, however, the readers Of the local news
papers we're accustomed to seeing para
graphs like the following. printed in The
Star Of July IA. 1851:
president Buchanan. we hear, will to-
morrow retire to the Soldiers Home, the
beautiful retreat few miles north OF
Washington city, that has recently been
prepared for his accommodation during the
current extremely hot weather. We pre-
sumo that he will attend daily. as usual,
at his Office in the Executive Mansion. It
Is to be sincerely hoped that no one will
intrude business upon him at his retreat.
The place he has selected Is well calculated
for his temporary occupancy and that OF
his family. and will insure him and them
against the effects Of the malaria which
always renders the Executive Mansion SO
much to be dreaded as a residence in sum-
mer and early in the fall
The Presidents cottage has not been
put to that use since the Arthur admins
tration. President Cleveland during the
summers of his first term occupied Red
Top" on the Tenleytown road. his own
property.
Washington was in fair way to become
the Constantnople Of America half CEN
fury ago, in respect to its
Pest OF canine population. The dog
no,. pest had attained proportions
which seriously alarmed the
residents and evoked an imperative demand
FOR relief. In The Star of July Is. 1857. is
q description Of conditions in this regard.
in part. as follows:
ut Is estimated that there are now In
the city not less than $500 dogs, an in
crease since 1850 Of at least 800. No other
city in the country Of its size can, It Is
believed, show anything like such imposing
canine statistics. and their accuracy might
readily be questioned were 1t not matter
of notoriety that In hundreds Of households
in the northern part Of the city, first ward,
Island, navy yard and Capitol Hill the
dogs outnumber the family two to one.
1t is no uncommon thing to see six. eight
or ten and sometimes as many as fifteen
dogs attached to the premises Of some pow
erty stricken white or colored man, who
can scarce find his family in bread. It
Is doubtless within the recollection OF the
municipal officers how pauper lately. on
being sent to the poorhouse. was followed
thither by his seven faithful dogs.
"A gentleman. whose name. were we at
liberty to give 1t. would be guarantee
that he would rather understate than over
state fact. assures US that on a fine moon
light night lately he counted no less than
ninety-three dogs trotting past his door, in
single file, apparently on some foray. This
was on the Island. where the dogs not only
abound, but where they are formidable
from their close aflliation. training in
packs and congregating themselves nightly
in vast assemblages. where seating them
selves In q circle on their launches and
elevating their noses perpendicuiarly, they
howl in concert for many hours together"
+
The following paragraph printed in The
Star of July 49, 1857. revives interest in an
almost forgotten experiment
Great in marine architecture. and
suggests the manner In
Eas'efn' which human hopes are often
fustrated:
1.-THE Canadian Railway Guide says that
the Great Eastern will positively sail from
Holyhead harbor-her point Of departure
from England-for Portland in April Of next
year, and that tourist tickets will be is
sued by her for a Ave weeks trip, the
period during which the Great Eastern will
remain at Portland. 1t is intended that
these tickets should include the passage
money out and home and all railway and
steamboat fares from Portland to Quebec,
Chicago. ST. Louis, Washington. New York,
Boston and back to Portland. The price
of the tickets. it Is now supposed, will be
$500"
The hoodoo that never departed from the
Great Eastern began operations when the
first efforts were made to launch her in
November. 1857. She finally launched
on the last day of January, 1858, this
process having cost 100000, more than the
ship brought at auction when sold for
junk in 1888. The monster left the Thames
on her first trial trip across the Atlantic
September 8. 1S59-nearly year and a
half later than the promise-but steam
pipe explosion occurred of Hastings and
the voyage was interrupted. Finally June
II. 1860. the vessel started again from
Southampton and succeeded In crossing the
ocean without mishap. the voyage consum-
ing eleven days. After numerous voyages,
all Improbable, she was employed as q
cable ship. and in this work was success,
full. Finally, in 1894. she became a coal
hulk at Gibraltar and was later sold to
company Of spectators for about $4,000
and used as show ship" She was
broken up at Liverpool in 1888.
Young Washingtonians were strenuous
fifty years ago and many were their rough
pranks and destructive en-
Young terprises. In the issues Of
u.,d.1. The Star of July 16 and IT,
1857, are notes Of their do
ings with a political bearing. The former
is as follows:
"a dastardly attempt, a night or two
ago, was made to fire the building occupied
by primary school No. 2, south district
Miss Lee. teacher). but the flame luckily
was discovered by a person occupying the
adjoining house and it was extinguished in