Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-11-24
FIFTY YEARS Ago
IN THE STAR

In THE STAR
Ever since the Mountain Meadow mas
sacre, in September. fifty years ago. the
people of the east had
mormon been greatly agitated over
Tronbles the Mormon question. Ow-
ing to the difficulty of
obtaining information relative to the con-
ditions In Utah, the public anxiety reach
ed high pitch when in November the
report was received that Brigham Young,
who still held the title of governor Of
the territory, had virtually declared war
on the United States by ordering the fed
eral troops out of the territory. Nor
mons had destroyed provision train go
ing to the supply of the troops. and more
over burned the grass along the route
over which the expedition was progress
Ing toward Salt Lake City. Open war
fare was expected. Brigham Young is
sued proclamation September 49, a copy
Of which reached Washington about the
18th of November, setting forth his pow
ers as governor and characterizing the
entrance Of federal troops into Utah as
an invasion by hostile force: He for.
bade any such intrusion. called upon all
Mormons to resist all invaders and de-
-clared martial law in the territory re-
curing all persons to hold permits to
pass into, through or from Utah. Young
had rot been removed by the President
of the United States from his office of
governor.
PRO Bono Pub,ico' was mad all the
way through. He had had to wait for an
omnibus for nearly half an
omnibus hour. and as a result Of his
Sarvice indignation the following let
ter was printed in The Star
November 10, 1857:
Can you inform the public what are
the arrangements of the omnibuses after
dark? Last night when I left the con-
cert about 10 o'clock there was not an
omnibus to be seen. and it must have
been fully half an hour before one ap-
peared going west, and I had to go home
on foot. I have experienced similar
inconvenience before when returning
from place of amusement and discov-
cred that the omnibuses had been char
I consider unjust to the public The pro-
pr1etor having announced that the om-
n1buses would run at short intervals I'M
til a certain hour at night. he is mani
testify under an obligation to the public to
carry out that arrangement faithfully,
and no. consideration should induce him
to withdraw the omnibuses from the
route for other purposes. and thus sub
1ect his patrons to disappointment and
inconvenience.
The Star said in this connection:
We publish the communication by way
OF affording vent for the complaints Of
the writer: accompanying it, however.
with statement Of the fact that as the
half hour, it is probable that our CORE
spondent managed to be ready to take one
at 10 r L. a few minutes after one had
passed UP the avenue. Mr.. Vanderwer-
ken does not take his avenue omnibuses
of the route under any circumstances
whatever, but runs other coaches when
called on to accommodate excursion par
ties"
In discussion Of the question of how
the public printing should be DONE The
Star, In an editorial
Public printed November 20,
no,,,.. 1857. thus enumerated
some Of the most con-
spicuous Of Uncle Sans late literary ef-
forts: -
The Report Of the Pacific Railroad
Survey including the scientific papers of
the savants Of the commission upon the
natural history. geology. mineralogy, etc.
u,
Gilliss' Narrative of tho Astronomical Ex-
petition to Chile including his elaborate
report upon the scientific objects of the
expedition. In six or seven large quarto
Expedition in five or six large quarto
volumes: Flagg's Commercial Statistics
OF the Word in five or six quarto VOL
umes; Herndon and Gibbon ON the Anna
zon'; Marcy On the Red River of the
North Stansbury On the Salt Lake. Sit
greaves ON the Zuni and Colorado etc.
Most OF these publications. apart from
their great intrinsic value to Congress and
the Federal government as reports upon
highly important questions Of public pol
to our national literature and science, and
abound In treasures of practical know-
edge inva'u liable to all classes Of our cit
liens; while their value and interest not
only to our own people. but to those of
the transatlantic world, in their prac-
teal and scientific bearings. have been
acknowledged. in no stinted terms. by
even the British. French and German
press. and their publication under the
patronage of Congress has added to the
the equally eminent one OF liberal and
ev-n munifcent encouragement Of lit
erature and the sciences, 50 important so
useful and SO extensive in the range of
their influence upon the intellectual char
acter OF the material interests and wants
Of the people Of our own and Of other ma
tons"
The lack Of a cable prevented prompt
response by the American money market
to foreign financial influ-
Foreign ences. Nevertheless the
r;. banks and commercial in
terests on this side Of the
water. especially in times of stress, eager
ly watched for signs Of the European
drift. In The Star of November q, 1857,
is paragraph on this subject:
Private letters from leading financial
sources in England. received by the last
| arrival, predict very favorable monetary
accounts from that quarter, by the Per-
STA, the next regular steam packet to ar
rive on this side. On her last trip she
brought to New York a million in specie