Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-15
FIFTY YEARS Ago
IN THE STAR

Although the year 1869 Is generally re-
garded as the date of safety brake inven-
ton, at least eleven years
Steam prior 10 the ADVENT VI tlie
BRAKE. brake. designed by A. J.
Marshall. known as the Mcdonald brake"
was in use on an American railway. 1t is
described in an article printed in The Star
of September 7. 1857. After stating that it
had been in use for six months on the Po-
tomac River. Fredericksburg and Rich
mond railroad. The Star gave summary
Of the results Of recent test in the pres
ence OF leading railroad men. Hand brakes
stopped the train. running at twenty miles
an hour, In forty-two seconds and dis
lance OF 300 yards. The steam brake stopped
the train unaided in thirty-three seconds
and 16S yards. and when aided by a revers-
ing OF the engine in twenty seconds and
ninety-ons yards. The mechanism was not
In perfect working order. The Star s-ys:
THE new brake Is operated by the engf-
neeri who works it by applying steam for
pressure. Even with such results as these
experiments Indicate its advantages in pre-
venting collisions must be immense. Suf-
fciently great, it strikes us, to enable the
drivers of locomotives to guard against
them In nine out of every ten cases where
they now occur through the fmpossibility
OF checking the momentum of trains In
due time. The report concerning this In
vention cannot fail to awaken the attention
of every railroad corporation in the Union
and thus to result In other and Immediate
experiments with this Mcdonald brake In
all quarters. If they confirm the high
opinion which the Richmond, Fredericks-
burg and Potomac Railroad Company now
entertain Of it, the inventor and those who
have aided him in its perfection may fairly
be written down as great public benefac-
tors"
The Star continued to berate the tend
ency Of democratic factions to intrigue for
the presidential succession.
Democratic quoted in this column last
suc.sss;o,, week. In the issue of Sep
TENDER 8. 1857. Ia printed
further expression on the subject
Heretofore 1t has not been customary
for the party in Congress or out Of 1t to
NEEDLE with the succession question until
the time for choosing delegates to their ma
tional convention might be near at hand.
Instead OF doing SO. the hearts and hands
Of all true democrats were engaged In the
proper work of making 1t sure that whoever
might be nominate would succeed by and
through the confidence placed by the coun-
try in the party's policy, as illustrated by
Its chiefs and other agents when in power.
The idea Of the abandonment of that line
of conduct on the part of any owing their
position public men to the favor of the
democratic party strikes us with PAIN mas
much as 1t BODIES disagreements, want of
unity OF purpose and action here next win
election of any presidential candidate. who
ever he may be. in 1860. Through the sue
cess of the policy OF President Buchanan
the policy laid down for his guidance by the
Cincinnati cOnventiOn-can reasonable men
alone anticipate democratic triumph in
1860. for the party Is now by no means In
vote. and has for avowed opponents in and
out Of Congress most skillful energetic, Ia
borious and experienced men. ready to take
every conceivable advantage of any and
all democratic party faux pas"
~
There is undoubtedly something in the
western air that engenders enthusiasm.
Even back in the bleeding"
BoomIne days Of the flfties this
spirit pervaded Kansas. as
attested by the following
Item reprii. ed in Tho Star Of September
10. 1887. from the Richmond Wing. in
the form Of a letter to that paper from
White Cloud. Kan:
NO country on Gods wide, green earth
ever held out stronger Inducements to the
enterprising and Industrious. The tiller
of the soil realizes a hundred fold and the
work. while merchants and speculative
gentlemen accumulate fortunes from little
or no Investments. The fertile plains Of
the territory are rapidly filling up. The
prairie-where but few months ago no
marks of habitation save the red mans
trail existed-is studded with the signs Of
advancing civilization and improvement
Towns and cities are springing up, as II
by the magic OF Aladdins lamp, all along
the Missouri river and in many Of the in
land counties. One little town-White
Clouds situated Immediately on the
river. near the Nebraska line, has an ad-
mirable landing and Is just two months
old. Yet it numbers about 800 inhabitants.
and will. in one year. number as many
thousands. We have all the elements Of a
great city and only want a short time to
develop them to their fullest extent So
rapid is Its growth that it requires q con-
t1nual presence to keep pace with It: as
proof Of this, not long since one Of the
first settlers of the place, and q resident,
weeks: when he came back down the river
he did not recognize the place. and pro-
ceeded a hundred miles lower down. look
ing for the same little White Cloud he had
left few days before"
Alas, for the vanity of urban hopes.
Whitecloud NOW even bereft Of its second
capital letter. had in 1900 only 713 inhabi-
tants. but little more than twice its
number two months from birth.
X
Rowdyism was rampant In Baltimore half
q century ago, the plug uglies of that
city overriding law and de-
Ral+imore flying the conventions in a
manner to awaken q feel
Rowdyism. inc a, senuine concern IN
the part of sober-minded citizens. Fights
between fire companes were frequent and
productive OF serious disorders. In The
Star of September TO- 1857 Is a paragraph
citing one of the measures adopted to check
this evil:
'In consequence of the spirit of rowdy-
ism in Baltimore Mayor Swami has issued
an official notice. addressed to the marshal
of police. directing that the act passed by
the general assembly March 10, 1916, be en-
forced. which declares that all minors and
disorderly persons found running to a fire,
or after. before or about an engine or other
fire apparatus. who. after being warned
away by an officer of fire company shall
neglect refuse to obey such warning,
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