Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-13
FIFTY YEARS AGO
In THE STAR

The captured SLAYER which was brought
into the port of Charleston, S. c., late in
August. 1885, was named
Slaves the Echo. This was ap-
propriate inasmuch as
OePoiteu' the incident awakened
the echoes of the anti-slavery discussion
and caused a bitter controversy between
the representatives of the Iro-siaVery
and anti-slavery parties. In The Star OF
September 6, 1858, is a brief paragraph
relative to the disposition of the cap
tured and recaptured slaves as follows:
I'VE understand that the President has
issued orders to the Navy Department for
the steam frigate Niagara. now at
New York under command or Com
modore Chauncey, to proceed 1mme-
diately to Charleston to carry back
the Africans taken in the SLAYER Echo
by the brig-of-war Dolphin. The ad-
mnistration will thus signify its reso-
luton to fulfill all treaties and laws re-
lating to the slave trade, and every
thing that can be done will no doubt be
done to facilitate the return of these
captives to their old homes. They are
said to belong to different tribes. winch
may be separated widely from each other:
and when we consider this circumstance.
in connection with their ignorance of the
geography Of their native land. the dlfn-
culties and enormous expense with which
| their return will be attended become more
fully appreciab le.'
The yellow fever appeared in the port
of New York fifty years ago and caused
| great CONSERVATION there.
Fever Quarantine buildings were
erected for the treat
nlot. ment of the patients on
Staten Island, whereupon the residents
of the region rose in their wrath, tore
down a part of the wall surrounding the
| quarantine, dragged forth the inValids
and otherwise conducted themselves IN
highly barbarous and reprehenslole
manner. This conduct resulted In sum-
mary measures being adopted by the au-
| thorities of New York. Policemen were
stationed on guard and workmen were
| set at once at the task of replacing the
destroyed buildings. Gov. King issued a
proclamation on the It'll of September.
| 1858 denouncing the barbarous acts OF
the mob as Grimes Of the highest In
| fanny" He continued:
| For the purpose of bringing the people
| of the county of Richmond to just
sense of the enormity of these crimes
which they have permitted be perpe-
trated without any attempt at lnterfer-
| eUCe WITH OF 10 PUBLISH Wcli hHo"h oSIoi .
| in all these terrible scenes of violence:
| burning and bloodshed, and to guard
against threats which are yet MADE tnat
| ships lying at quarantine shall De nred
and buildings for the accommodation OF
| the sick. who are now houseless. as well
| as those who may arrive from infected
| southern ports and for the security OF
the cities of New York and Brooklyn
| from cOntagion and pestilence, L issue
| this proclamation and call upon all civil
IA, MI IF the C0JntV Of Richmond
and upon each and all of the inhabitants
| instantly and ZealOusly to cooperate In
restoring the outraged peace and order
of the island and in bringing to condign
punishment the we'll known bold and
principal actors and abbettors OF those
acts of arson and murder"
In The Star of September 8. 1858. in
which this proclamation appears Is print
ed a paragraph to the effect at the 7th
Regiment was to proceed to Gtaten Island
to guard the quarantine from the mob.
X
The public was growing impatient at
the delays in opening the Atlantic tele-
graph cable to general
Cable commercial use. News
papers on this side of
Delays. the Atlantic still depend
| ed upon the steamships for their Euro
pean information. No more messages
were being sent under the bed OF the
ocean. In The Star of September g. 1853
is a paragraph on the subject as follow:
| ut is now apparent that Mr.. White
house. the celebrated English electrician,
fails to be competent to the task Of de-
vising the arrangement of the machinery
necessary to the convenient and profitable
operation of the Atlantic telegraph cable
He required only until the 1st of Sep
TENDER to be ready to open the line for
the use Of the public. and is even yet ap-
parently far from the realization of
his expectations as on making his pledge
aforesaid. The directors of the company
are understood to have dispatched our
countryman, Prof. Hughes, to his assist
ance. and the men of science Of the
northern states appear to place no little
confidence in that gentleman's ability to
accomplish the convenient transmission
of at least eight letters per minute over
the line-a result precisely double that
which the labors of Whitehouse have
contaminated. However it seems to us
that the only fact certain with reference
to the Atlantic cable is the positive I'M
certainly existing whether it will even
tually come to realize the expectations of
its projectors and proprietors."
:.
The Washington theater was fifty years
ago the chief place of dramatic entertain
ment in this city. 1t was
Edwin opened for the season of
1859 under the man
ooo'n' agement of Mr.. c. w.
Tayleure with Edwin Booth as the star
attraction. Mr.. Booths performances ex-
cited the admiration of Washingtonians.
During his engagement of two weeks he
played Richelieu, Othello, Hing Lear, The
Iron Chest, Hamlet, A New Way to Pay
Old Debts, Richard III, Merchant of
Venice. Macbeth, The Apostate, The Rob-
bers. OF his rendition of Hamlet The
Star of September II, said:
MIR. Booth and the part of Hamlet fit
admirably. In size and general personal
appearance he realizes the popular idea
of the Prince of Denmark and there is
no physical cause to mar in the least a
full presenta ton of his conception of the
character. He starts, if not from vantage
ground, at least under no dig dvantage;
for nature interpoSeS to him no obstacles
| that art may not overcome. Granting
him whatever of assistance this outward