Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-29
FIFTY YEARS AGO
IN THE STAR

After the retrocession to Virginia of
| the southwest corner Of the District the
| question of jurisdiction
Connlct OF between the District and
.Iur,edfc+,o,, the state was frequently
raised. In The Star of
November %. 1858, Is a news article
| which touches upon this question::
1.-The Alexandria Gazette notices a very
| interesting decision of Judge Tyler upon
| a question Of jurisdiction between the
counties Of Alexandria in Virginia and
Washington in the District of Columbia.
In the case of the commonwealth against
Richard Murray. indicted for stealing
gill net In the county of Alexandria, the
evidence showed the original taking was
from vessel at anchor on the Potomac
| some distance from the Virginia shore
| outside OF the low-water mark and with
| In the territorial limits of the District of
Columbia. The jury found the prisoner
guilty, and thereupon the prisoner. by
his counsel, moved the court to set aside
the verdict for the following:
Il. The testimony proved that If any
larceny has been committed it was COM
mitted within the territorial limits of the
District or Columbia and beyond the 5u-
risdiction of this court
80. That If committed within the juris-
d1ction OF the court yet it was commit
ted beyond the territorial limits of he
commonwealth and not in the county of
Alexandria, as charged
''3. That by compact between MARYLAND
and Virginia this state has Jurisdiction
of certain class of cases enumerated
therein and the commonwealth claiming
In this case a right to convict by virtue
or said compact the indictment should
have been special. The facts bringing
the case within the jurisdiction of this
court should have been set out in the
| indictment.
THE court set aside the verdict and
awarded the prisoner a new trial and ad-
mitted him to bail because of defect in
the evidence, but overruled the applica-
ton on the ground Of jurisdiction. The
| effect OF this decision is to sustain the
jurisdiction of the courts of Alexandria
county over the River Potomac opposite
the county, below water mark
In describing the newly enlarged Will
lard's Hotel, which fifty years ago was
the city's chief place of
HOTEL public entertainment, The
| Enr;ne Star of November 20,
| 1858, thus described an
arrangement which was then regarded as
a marvel of convenience, but which con-
trasts strangely with the mechanical
equipment Of first-class hotel of today:
Among the most important of the new
adjuncts is beautiful little oscilating
steam engine of seven horsepower, which
labors away from morn till night, accom-
plishing wonders, while making no more
noise in so doing than the ticking of a
So Yankee clock. It's province is to pump
hot and cold water into all parts of the
establishment, including the attic floors.
300 feet away; also to lift all the coal
and wood and anything else necessary to
any of the floors: to drive the ironing and
mangling machinery and to all the
wood required in keeping up the hun
dreds of fires about the house. The reader
will therefore perceive that its employ
ment in such an establishment actually
saves the labor Of at least 100 servants,
| for were all such work done by hand
instead, 100 men, women, boys and girls
more than will now be necessary would
be required to do that work as we'll. Ad-
| joining the little basement closet in which
| this engine works is large room in
which the saving for the day Is DONE
| X
The approach Of Thanksgiving day was
calculated fifty years ago to cause the
| more pacific citizens of
Thanksgiving Washington to be ap-
| ordo. prehensive regarding the
| public order. so prone
| were certain ella sses to take advantage of
| the holiday to become riotous. In The
Star of November 26, 1885, is a news para
graph which notes an exception to the
rule:
Yesterday disappointed very many of
our citizens who expected and feared that
| riot and bloodshed would result from the
| cessation Of business and the consequent
idleness of thousands who would have no
| respect for the day. Instead Of confusion
| and noise in the streets, the day wore an
\ 2Snpct of almost Sabbath n1tafNeSS and
| one might have supposed that the people
were indeed obeytng the injunction of the
authorities and turning aside from world
ly business and sanctifying secular
| day. The day was generally respected.
| The respectable proprietors of restau-
rants. with commendable promptness,
closed their saloons at the hour Of IL the
previous night and refused to allow their
| bars to be opened until this morning (Fri-
| day. Fewer cases of intoxication were
seen-and the number of spOrtsmen on the
way to the woods, with dogs and guns,
was less, and the additional police force
| detailed for day service, though vigilant
active and constantly on their posts. had
| less to do than they expected. The entire
day, from sunrise until II pm, we saw
| but single intoxicated person, and he.
fering with a female the avenue. es-
| capped the guardhouse by taking an ON
nibus for Georgetown instanter."
For years the uncompleted Washington
monument was melancholy object on
the horizon in Washing
| washington ton. The collection of
| Monument funds from the public
| for the finishing Of this
| work had tagged and there was no pros
| pect fifty years ago of the early resump-
ton of work on a practical basis. In The
Star Of November q, 1853, was printed
letter from a citizen suggesting that a
rough plank stairway should be erected in
the interior of the monument. with a
rallied platform on top. to enable visitors
| to view the surrounding scenery. las the
obeisk is nearly 200 feet high he wrote.
| few better views could be obtained than
from its summit, and few persons would
visit it without contributing something
toward the completion of the monu-
ment During the session Of Congress,
particularly. many persons visit it even
| in its present state. without the induce
ment such view would afford The cost
would be comparatively trifing and the
! amount contributed would increase the
fund considerably. In order to assure
those desiring to contribute that their
| contributions will be properly used. a
public request should be made that each
contributor enter in a book his name, the
date and the amount of his contribution