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

Il = II
That the American people had not de-
yeloped q feeling of hostility toward the
! railroads half q century ago
common is suggested by an express
CARRIERS sion which Is found In the
! course OF an. editorial printed
| in The Star April q. 1851. reciting the cir
! cumstances of the transportation develop
| ment of this part of the country. After
noting the difference between the COM
| mercial invasion Of New York and the
i social and political Invasion Of Washington,
! and noting that the capital required more
| lines OF fngress and egress. The Star said:
IN another article today we comment
briefly on the ascertained increase In the
value of the lands in western Virginia,
growing out of the construction of the
| Lynchburg and Little Tennessee railroad:
and we are reminded of the fact that that
| far-on work is destined.In time. greatly
| to increase the value of Washington city
property; insomuch as 1t is an important
| link In the chain of railroads to the Missis-
sippi with connecting works branching on
or crossing at right angles, extending from
/, the Atlantic at Savannah, the gulf at Mo-
bile and New Orleans and the great lakes
| at Cleveland and Chicago. whose tide water
! debouch is at the neighboring port OF
Alexandria. In two years from this time
| this most splendid and stupendous system
| of connecting railroads will be completed.
when stream of travel will be poured
/ INTO ana through washington city equal
| to that which is being emptied hourly into
| Buffalo. N. Y.
While we rejoice over the prospective
| increase of prosperity of Washington city
| over the fact that these roads are destined
to be perhaps more profitable to those
! owning stock in them than any other rail-
| road chain in the country. The reasons
are obvious While they must do an
enormous passenger business, they are Sc
/ cure against the possibility Of competition
| by rival lines and are located tr states
wherein the prices Of passage and freight
I opinion
The National Hotel disease" as a Pc
culiar malariaI ailment that chiefly at
+ fected the guests at that
Presidents house in the spring of 1857
| Illness was styled, was responsible
for political sensation
which thrilled the country for brief
period. One Of the sufferers from this
| afiiction was James Buchanan. who oc-
| cupied rooms at the National before the
| Inauguration. The report was spread that
| he had been poisoned by political enemies,
| but it was soon demonstrated beyond
| doubt that the old sewers beneath the
! building were accountable for his Illness.
| In The Star of April %. 1857, Is para
graph bearing upon the Presidents health:
I'VE apprehend that the very recent In
| disposition of the President, now being
commented on by the press, did not con-
tinue twelve hours. for he is as well and
| as strong ever today. A peculiar fea-
ture of the National Hotel disease is that
1t affects the patient by paroxysms. When
at its height they are almost continuous
When commencing to recover the patient
| has respites from their operation on his
system, first of day. then of two days:
! until, as the disease is evidently wearing
T, off. the paroxysms are the executions in
! the condition Of his health. lie President
| was entirely free from the action Of the
| disease for three or four weeks UP to the
/ night before last. we hear. when he was
| somewhat affected by it until yesterday
perience with it. which has been dearly
] purchased, indeed. teaches that in the
| Presidents case the disease is at its very
! last stage and that hereafter he will be
entirely free from IT.
| -
The rapid transit of the fifties was not
unattended by perils. even though pas
| sengers were carried by
Colhding stage coaches. In The Star
Coaches of April 80, 1857. is para
graph which tells of a stage
| coach collision: -azst,r ..7aagy .f4ssf..s.sY
| This morning, at the corner of and I'd
streets. two coach drivers--one the driver
| of the Steamboat line and the other the
coachee of the Washington House-cane into
collision in coming up from the railroad
| depot. The driver of the Washington
House coach attempted to pass the omni-
bus between the curbstone and the bus,
but, the space between being too narrow,
the coach wheel struck against the corner
| lamp post, breaking it off like pipe stem,
| and detaching the front wheels from the
| body. The horses took instant fright and
| tore off with the front wheels attached.
| running down the steep bank among the
granite yards in the vicinity and making
i aol, 1,,o
| crowded with passengers and the collision
| came very near capsizing all Of them into
| the Tiber creek. 1t was almost a miracle
that no one was injured. yet such Is the
| fact. The owners Of coaches attached to
| those lines would do well to intrust the
charge Of driving passengers from the cars
| to responsible persons who have some lit
| tie regard to the safety of travellers"
-
Fifty years ago Washington had not
| built up extensively in the region where
now stands the Government
Sale OF Printing Office and where
Tots then comparatively small
structure was used by the
contractor who did the topographic work
| required by the administration. In The
Star of May 1, 1857, is a news article which
| indicates however. belief in. the business
| development of this section:
1.-THE sale of lots in printing house
square bounded by G, H, LIST, West and
| North Capitol streets) that is to come OF
on Monday next offers, we think. capital
| opportunity for investments: more es-
| pecially to persons of small means. The
| immense business already transacted on
that square. requiring most Of the year
| the labors Of perhaps 300 operatives. will
never be less and in time may be much
greater; for it is probable that much Of
4 u, ~ hr1cf 10 it,