Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-28
FIFTY YEARS AGO
IN THE STAR

In xuU OXAN
1t is interesting to note at this time,
with preparations in progress for a truly
municipal celebration of In
Patriotic dependence day, that an ap-
A, peal was made fifty years
ago for the exhibition of
| more patriotic appreciation of the ma
| tional anniversary on the part Of the citi-
Zens of the capital. In The Star of June
81. 1853, appears a letter to the editor of
| the paper on this subject as follows:
Are we to have a celebration of the
approaching anniversary of our national
| independence or is it henceforth to be
| passed by as day of little more than
ordinary INTEREST," 1 have observed with
regret that of late years the Fourth of
July has been celebrated with but little
spirit TN Washington-at least not such a
celebration as should characterize the
metropolis of the nation. Let us have a
| celebration during the day that will rouse
| the patriotism Of the people to proper
| appreciation of the fireworks Of the even
| ing. Boston, New York and Philadelphia
have made arrangements on a grand
scale for proper observance of that
day. Let US not lag behind them. Is
| Washington. the city bearing the name Of
| him who was first in war. first in peace.
| first In the hearts of his countrymen' to
be behind of the rest in the observance of
that day? l hope the citizens and city
authorities will move in the matter and
show the world that Washington city
| fully appreciates the blessings of liberty
| and happiness they enjoy and the efforts
of those who struggled to maintain them"
Washington was proud of its hotel ia
| cilities half century ago and noted with
qualification the signs of i'm
Willard provement and extension
TO-, manifested by the proprietors
| Of these institutions as
| tokens of its increas sing Importance. In
The Star of June %. 1883 is news article
| telling Of such an enterprise:
I'VE have mentioned the fact that
Messrs. Willard are engaged in the erec-
ton Of large addition to their already
commodious hotel, but until recently we
| had not suspected that it was in con-
temptation to push the work forward with
the vigor that is now apparent. The
main addition, which extends back from
| the east wing of the old building to F
street a distance Of 1877 feet, and with a
| breadth of fOrty-six feet, is rapidly pro-
crossing and before the end of the pres
ent week will no doubt be run up to the
! third story. 1t is to be six stories high
and the fronts on 14th and F streets will
| be surmounted by massive and hand
| some bracket cornice. The lower story
Of this will be an extension of the dining
room, which Is now very large, but with
this addition will reach the length of 265
| feet and be capable of accommodating at
| the table nearly 100 persons. Besides
| this addition. the west wing Of the old
| building will be extended toward F street
| about fifty feet. with a breadth of some
! forty feet, and in the area between the
| two wings there is to be erected an addi-
tional building fifty-five feet long by six
| teen feet wide. These buildings are all
| of the very best material"
WashingtOnians were greatly impressed
with the architecture of the building at
| the corner of 7th and F
Patent streets. to this day known as
| om. the patent office, which in
| 1853 was the latest archi-
| tectural addition to the government
| equipment. In The Star Of June 26 of
that year is the following relating to it:
! In the Unions issue of Wednesday
last that journal. speaking in enthusiastic
| terms Of the patent office building. con-
| siders 1T the handsOmest structure In the
| world. We agree in it's opinion of its ex-
| treme beauty and symmetry, but enter
| a caveat against its proposed change in
| the name of the building. 1t seems to re-
| gard the name patent office as too In
| significant to he applied to so noble a
structure. On the contrary. we think the
| name suggestive of the grand. lofty and
ennobling; and that no building can rise,
even In Imagination. as too splendid to
| enshrine the model machinery of invent
| Ors-true benefactors Of mankind. The
press on which it prints Its ideas Of the
| insignificant patent Office should teach
| 1t to be grateful to the genius that gives
| 1t the facilities II possesses-the rollers
| OF it's type. the type itself. its news by
| telegraph. the gas that turns night to day
| in its office-in fact. almost everything IT
| enjoys should admonish it to look with
admiration and even awe on the godltke
productions OF genius.
Besides, If it do not choose to regard
| it's benefactors with proper respect. 1t
should at least in common justice allow
| a building that has been put up at
| large expense of the patent fund raised
| from the pockets of inventors. to con-
tinue to bear the name designating the
source whence 1T sprang. Inventors. as
a portion of the productive unitarian
classes are the true nobility OF our land.
By them ana LOT them governments are
instituted. IT," name patent Office in
deed adds dignity to the building. be-
cause 1t suggests and embodies the power
and might of American genius, progress
and sovereignty
brutal murder was committed June
-, 1858, near the receiving reservoir
above Georgetown, an aque
Border duct laborer named Nugent
cr;r,. killing a young girl at the
home of her parents. The
| crime was Of no especial interest except
| for unusual circumstances regarding the
| Jurisdiction, concerning which a para
graph was printed in The Star of the
next day in the Georgetown correspond
ence:
Coroner Woodward repaired yesterday
at an early hour to the scene of the muir
der for the purpose of holding an inquest
! over the remains of the murdered girl.
| Upon reaching the premises and making
| a careful survey OF them 1t was aScer-
| tanned that the tenement in which the
| deed was perpetrated stands Immediately
| upon the District line, and that the room
| in which the girl was murdered is stu
| ated in Montgomery county; consequent
| iy, he had to return home and leave the
inquest to be held by the coroner Of
Montgomery county. The murdered Nu-
gent will. we presume. have to be taken
| to Rockville for trial Great care we