Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-12
FIFTY YEARS AGO
IN THE STAR

IN I'LL U1nW
A strike OF freight trainmen on tho Bal
timore and Ohio road was In progress half
q century ago and was caus-
Railroad Ing . serious disturbances all
along that system. In Tho
oe. Star Of May Z 1s67. 10 Q par
agraph relating 70 the strike. a. follows: z.
I'VE learn from the Baltimofs American
that the anticipation Of cessation Of tho
difficulty between the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad Company and the freight conduct
ORB and brakeman e far from being ac-
complished yet, and that scenes of violence
and bloodshed occurred yesterday on the
line of the road In the vicinity OF that city.
The more violent Of the strikers, Joined by
sons. assaulted. stoned and ired At the bur-
then trains. One train protected by q res
olute and fully armed body of men, sue
ceeded In beating of the assaalAnts and
Three other trains were stopped and forced
10 return to the city. The company Will
today have such arrangements completed
as must at once effectnaliy suppress the IN
obstruct the operations of the road suffer
severely for their unlawful proceedings.
The governor Is prepared to sact in the
promptest manner. bringing, II necessary. q
crush out every attempt at RIOT"
~
May day was usually celebrated by the
military companies fifty years ago. and the
occasion was festive in this
Light city. when the militia pa
raded and held their picnics.
In The Star OF May 2. 1867,
Is paragraph descriptive OF such ceae:
bration
-.sThe Light Infantry, m their parade OF
much all the fun of the day. as their
march. target firing. ETC.. took place before.
the storm which interrupted so many OF
ing through the principal streets OF the city
they proceeded to the field near the old
glass house. where the target was planted
and the contest for the prizes was entered
upon. The golden Maltese cross, the prize
for the best shot. was awarded to Private
Robert w. GogYin. The silver cross, to the
next best shot, Private John Smoot- The
leather cross to Private John Walk The
Infantry then marched to Georgetown Col
lege and were handsomely entertained by
Rev. DR.. Mcguire, president OF the college,
and the students corps attached to the
also provided for them at Mrs. Langs Ho-
tel by Sergeant Hayward of the Presidents
Mounted Guards"
Pavements were Injuries Of which the
often mired Washingtonians dreamed hope
fully -''befo' the war;" but
Belgian the realization was slow.
Just fifty years ago an ex-
oAoShs' pertinent was tried on a very
small scale in the way OF laying granite
blocks. or Belgian pavement" In The
Star of May 8, 1857. is a paragraph telling
of this improvement:
Our fellow citizen. Charles W. Boteler.
jr.. one of the contractors with the In
terror Department for laying the expert
mental Belgian pavement on Pennsylvania
avenue. across 7th street, will probably
commence operations next week. when
skilled workmen will arrive from New
fully In use Many Of the granite blocks
are already on the ground. Five thousand
dollars. the amount Of the appropriation.
will doubtless prove sufficient in the hands
Of Mr.. Boteler to demonstrate the great
Importance of resorting to that description
of pavement when the government has such
work to be done here. We know 1t well.
in New York. and understandingly express
the conviction that after a hundred feet Of
It shall be laid down In Washington all our
fellow cttisens Will at ence syow their pref
erence for II" yg3,f: sI,aa
~ - g1f'ls. e3s
Gen Daniel E. sickles Of New York en-
tered Congress for the first time in, 1861.
He was sojourmng In
Washington. attending to
political business. In May OF
Assaulted. that year. when he had his
first experience with the strenuous life Of
the capital The tale is told IN a paragraph
printed in The Star of May 6. 1857:
This morning, about o'clock. J. Mcleod
Murphy. formerly Of the navy. but now q
civil engineer employed by the government
at the Brooklyn navy yard, entered the
room occupied by the Hon. Daniel e.
Sickles (at WIZARDS HoteD. who was
awakened by knock at the door. and
ed by servant that q gentleman wished
to see him. On entering the room Mr..
Murphy, announcing his intention to settle
dressed) with the butt OF a small rawhlde
he carried, which was caught and wrested
from him by Mr.. Sickles, who struck him
three or four rapid blows with the whip.
Sickles a severe blow In the face with
ring, key or something that cut him Sc
verely, without doing him serious Injury.
They were alone In the room and struggled
there for some time. until Mr.. Sickles,
having his assailant by the throat. relin-
quished his hold and turned him out OF the
room.
course of the week, correspondence be-
tween these parties relative to alleged ef-
forts of Mr.. Slckles to induce the appoint
ment Of another In. place OF Mr.. Murphy,
ending in a challenge from the latter. which
was declined on the ground that the cir
oumstances on which 1t was predicated did
not justify It's acceptance.
Hard rains had swollen the streams In
this vicinity fifty years ago, and the Po-
tomac was on q rampage.
High In The star OF May g. 1907.
10 q news article setting
water forth gloomy state Of at
fairs along the water front.
"The river this morning looks desofate
Not sail dots It's surface. nothing but
dark masses OF driftwood. which gives the
river a rather spotty appearance. The ar
rivals at the wharves have dwindled down
to one solitary schooner. which came from
Baltimore freighted with lumber.
Capt Gibson came up the river this
morning from the Stoney Point fish land
ings. He states that all the fish-landing
owners are giving over. with very serious
losses in every case. He says that although
he has been engaged IN the Potomac fish,
cries for many years and experienced many
disastrous seaaonA this will pfOye the very