Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-08
FIFTY YEARS AGO
IN THE STAR

Although many citizens remember vivid
ly the days of Indian troubles on the
frontier, the conditions de-
Frontier scribed in the following
Dangers. paragraph in The Star OF
November /, 1868, have
"A private letter has been received in
this city from a member Of the boundary
commission appointed to run the line be-
tween the United States territory and the
British possessions, from the Pacific
coast to where the line is already estab-
'ished. 1t is dated at camp. on the bay
Of Simiahano. September Is. The writer
says that the English commissioners ap-
pointed to run the same boundary arrived
one year after the American commission
ers and took the field In August last, the
Americans being ahead of them on the
survey. 1t was the expectation of both
parties to reach Fort Colville. near the
head waters Of the Columbia river, by
next spring If the Indians do not prove
too troublesome. The Indians occupying
the country between the Cascade and
Rocky mountains are represented as being
far more formidable than Indians gener-
ally, as they are more numerous. and are
for the most part mounted and provided
with excellent arms and ammunition OBJ
tained from the Hudson Bay Company
Their long intercourse with the company
has likewise accustomed them to the use
of arms and rendered them more intell1-
gent than tribes less favorably situated.
1t was reported that they had routed
a company of 200 white men, while the
latter were on their way to the gold dig
gingS on Fraser river. The writer Of the
letter expresses an unfavorable opinion of
the Fraser river gold waShings on &C
count of the depth of water, which makes
almost imnnSSihla
1t has been many years since John E.
Owens was seen in Washington. Just half
century, however, he was
John f. one of the most welcome
o,, visitors to the local thea
tiers, and during the week
beginning November 1. 1858, he appeared
here with great success. OF his work
The Star said:
THE dramatic season will be resumed
tonight with the accomplished artist and
general favorite, John E. Owens. who has
been retained a few nights longer. in
order. the play bills state, to present him
In number of characters in which he
has won the greatest celebrity. The first
of the series will be his John Unit, In
Mrs. Bateman's comedy of Self" an eff
fort which we do not hesitate to class
among the most powerful and brilliant
upon the stage of an American theater.
1t created on its previous performance
here a remarkable sensation and it's repe-
tition for this evening only is in defer
ence to popular desire. The farce of
The Windmill with Mr.. Owens as Daw-
son Lowe, concludes"
Other items In Mr.. Owens repertoire Of
the Washington engagement included
Married Life Forty Winks," Vic
TINS THE Toodles.' Paul Pry,' THE
Serious Family" John Dobbs.'' 1.-The
Peoples Lawyer "Conjugal Lesson" and
The Queens Heart"
Prize fighting was by no means under
the ban half a century ago. and all sorts
and conditions of men
Pugilistic~ were interested in the So
~.4. called manly art of self
defense as exemplitied by
the bruisers who occasionally met in the
ring. A match of this sort which at
tracted universal attention in 1853 was
between Morrissey and Heenan at Buffalo,
in which both men were frightfully bat
tered. The following paragraph, printed
in The Star of November 2, 1858, indi-
Gates that the public taste was not par
ticularly squeamisa then:
1.-THE rope which surrounded the ring or
Enclosure in which Morrissey and Heenan
fought has been bought by gentleman
Of Buffalo and cut up, set in gold, silver
or brass and sold to all gentlemen and
ladies who desire a mementO of the bat
tie. Those portions of 1t that became
bloody during the contest will, Of course,
realize higher prices"
n =
Elections for Congress were held on the
I'd of November. 1858. Great results
flowed from that days bal
Electlons loting, but the country did
~ 1asa not fully realize the signiti-
canoe of the returns. The
party in opposition to President Buchan-
ans administration was successful at the
polls. Newspapers friendly to the govern
ment party interpreted the overturning of
Congress as a natural reaction such as
had been experienced in every presiden-
tial administration since Jackson's. This
was the view taken by The Star. which. In
the issue of November 3, 1858, noted the
results as being simply in accordance
with the invariably operative law or
American politics" 1t was at this cleo
ton that Abraham Lincoln was defeated
by Stephen A. Douglas for the United
States Senate, a defeat which undoubtedly
led to his election to the presidency two
years later.
Although many citizens feel that there
is much to desire in the modern munich
pal management, in some re-
Hogs at spects community life is far
more agreeable now than 1t
was half century ago. One
of the minor Affections to which the ur-
banite was exposed then is Indicated in
the following communication in The Star
of November 6. 1858:
There is law forbidding the going at
large Of hogs in the city. Notwithstand-
ing which. you may see droves of them
thew's Church. In soft weather like the
present hog will in one week destroy by
roofing the pasfurage of cow for a year,
In and around our city. More than one
half of our housekeepers keep a cow, and
few indeed keep hogs. l do hope that
this nuisance will have the early atten-
ton of the mayor and police"
Judging from the advertising columns Of
The Star the lhousekeepers of Washington
did not keep their cows very securely.
are offered for the return of three differ-
ent bossies that had strayed away from
their rightful feeding grounds. while the
owners of two horses proclaimed their
anxiety for the return of their animals
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