Evening star., 1908-01-26
FIFTY YEARS Ago
In THE STAR

LIN I1E OlAn
Washington was deeply interested in
the Orange and Alexandria railroad fifty
years ago. that line being
Last its only outlet by rail to
Link. the south It was felt here
that with the o. & A. COM
pleted to unite the southern lines with
the capital this city would become
center OF trade. Consequently when
doubt was expressed as to the
likelihood Of further appropriations to
this end by the Virginia legislature. The
Star was moved to say In its issue OF
January 49, 1858:
When completed the line will afford
not only much shorter means of passing
from east to west and from east to north
and southwest than any other line of
rs .lroad now open, but through an almost
virgin. country. possessing a far more
agreeable climate than any other trav-
ersed by any line of railroad in the
United States. Indeed, it cannot be that
the legislature of Virginia VII fail to Sc
cure Tor the people Of the region of the
state the road is to pass through the
pronts OF the Immense passenger trade
that cannot fail to accrue to the finished
Improvement. 1t IS destined to be greater
even than that of the Baltimore and Ohio
work or the great Pennsylvania line from
Phliadelph.a to Pittsburg. Its incidental
drsppings into the pockets Of the Vir-
glnlans, a considerable portion of which
must go into the Old Dom MONS (state)
treasury, will be worth an immense sum
annually. Should the leg stature fail to
do its best to secure the completion OF
the work at the earliest possible moment,
under existing C rcumStances it's members
Will richly deserve to be cut for the
slmples' on returning to their constit-
uentS.'
1t has doubtless been forgotten long
ago that half century back 1t was
seriously proposed to es-
Branch tablish in tennessee a
Academy. branch of the Unites States
Military Academy. The
plan was warmly favored and probably
but for the increasing sectional tension
and the outbreak of the civil war 1t
would have been adopted. In The Star
OF January 20, 1858, is the following
reference to the matter:
We learn that Mr.. Zolicoffer is pre-
pairing to urge, with all possible zeal, the
proposition that the government shall es-
tablsh branch of the West Point Mill
tary Academy at the Herm tage. near
Nashville. considerable portion of VIII ich
the state of Tennessee proposes to do
nate to the United States to that end
Inc course of studies at West Point en-
braces hVe years there, and Mr.. Zolli-
Golfer in his bill des res to provide that
the first two of them shall be spent by
the cadet at the proposed Western Acad-
emy. His theory is that gentlemen to be
IN all respects qualified for high and re-
sponslb'e positions IN the army of the
United States should not be entirely sec
tionai IN their education-that Is that
those entering the Un ted States military
service from the north should learn
something. by intercourse of the people
OF the south and west, wherein they differ
from those of the north in character
habits. tone of thought, etc. The Idea is
a good one and VII doubtless have due
weight with Congress-
OF special interest at this time. when
the relations between the United States
and Japan are being widely
Japanese discussed, is the following
Relations. from The Star Of January
Il, 1858, bearing upon the
results of the original expedition to Japan
under Commodore Perry, which brought
the Kingdom of the Rising Sun into touch
with modern civilization:
1T IS now quite certain that the cost
OF the Japan expedition of Commodore
Perry was jud c-ous expenditure inso-
much as through it's influence Japan is
being far more rapidly opened to COM
merce with the United States than ever
pefoie, for centuries, to the trade of any
European nation. In a quarter of a CEN
tury. II the prom. Sc of our existing rela-
tions with Japan do s not prove deceptive
and there is no reason at present to an
ticipate that it will prove so-our Japanese
trade must become of immense value
Inc Hongkong Press of the 21st of Oc-
tober, in speak ng of the late success of
MI Consul General Harris in negotiating
MS supplemental treaty with Japan, has
the following just tribute to Commodore
Perry:
Very great credit is due to Mr.. Harris
ior We manner IN which he has won
over to himself the good wishes and feel
ings of the Japanese. The system of
espionage established on his first arrival
over HIM is now entirely abolished, and
he can roam when and where he WILL
unmolested and unmatched. But he at
tributes all his success in establishing
such friendly relations with that people
entirely to the great tact displayed by
Commodore Perry N his intercourse with
them and the department which dis
tinguished him throughout all the ne
sotiations of the treaty."
Washington has always been the mecca
Of the cranks. the people with strange
ideas and delusions about
Crank public men and issues. The
Vieitor following extract from The
Star of January 22. 1853
shows that the police of those days had
their work cut out for them even as
their successors of the present:
"On Monday a perturbed- looking indi-
tol rotunda and inquired anxiously for
Judge Douglas, with whom he said, he
had business of Importance that would
first. was sufficiently coherent to induce
the officer on duty to lend an ear to
the inquiry, but a question or two ad-
dressed to the anx Gus man showed him
to be as mad as March hare. He pro-
claimed that his name was Ferdinand,
and though at present residing in the
tishy town of Alexandria, he was OF
royal blood and was lineal descendant
from that Ferdinand of Spain who
had something to do with the discovery
OF America. But this had nothing to do
with his mission. which was to inform
Judge Douglas of great national ca
lam ty now impend ng and which, in his
opinion. the Little Giant was the only
man able to avert. He was in possession
of reliable, information that frightful
war was about to break out between Rus
sia and the United States. He knew It be-
cause he had seen blood on the beak OF
the American eagle, and he had come up
from Alexandria by the first boat that
morning to sound the alarm. The officer
assured him that Uncle Samuel and the
Russian Bear were on the friendliest
oft which he escorted the