Evening star., 1909-04-18
FIFTY YEARS AGO
IN THE STAR

located few miles beyond the District
line, has 80 long been
Agricultural an important factor in
COLLAGE the local educational
field that its beginning
has become a. vague memory. In The
Star Of April II, 1850. is paragraph
which bears Interestingly upon this
point:
1--WE learn that Mr.. Joseph L. Smith
has been appointed the agent to collect
subscriptions in the District of Columbia
in aid OF the Agricultural College Of the
! state of Maryland, soon to be opened
near the border. This institution COM
mends itself strongly to all interested
In the future progress in that most use
full of all the useful arts agriculture:
and, indeed, to all who value the progress
of society generally. Besides, its we'll
being Is of particular Importance to all
in Washington. as an additional public
institution, the existence of which In our
very midst. as 1t were. Is calculated to
result In substantial pecuniary benefit to
all in business here. These considera-
tions should commend the institution
strongly to the District community.
We have. therefore. every reason to an
ticipate that Mr.. Smith will apply in vain
to the fberality of but few. in the dis
charge of the duty devolved upon him.
His heart and soul are wrapped up in
the enterprise. and we commend him
cordially to the kind attention and con-
sideration of all on whom he may call"
1t Is many years since the old canal
separating the northern from the south
ern section Of the city
Canal was covered. but the
Rr,dre elder residents well re-
member the days when
progress between the two sections was
difficult. owing to the lack o. crossing
facilities. In The Star Of April II. 1859.
is an item bearing upon this matter:
"A graceful and useful bridge has been
recently constructed over the canal at
the termination of Maine avenue. 1t
leads from the avenue to the public
garden west of the Capitol grounds. and
is great convenience to parties resd-
ing In that section Of the city. 1t Is
intended for pedestrians only, and while
1t has light and highly ornamental
appearance, 1t is substantial and dura
BILE. 1t is suspended from abutments of
blue rock, at an elevation OF about ten
| feet from the surface Of the water. and
| its floor is gained by an ascent OF six
stone steps at each terminus. Its length
is seventy-eight feet and width about
ten feet. and the material 10 wrought
iron, the sills. beams. ties, etc. being
Of the and angular shapes. now used
generally In building. by which weight
Is dispensed with without diminishing
the strength. The entire weight OF the
| structure Is estimated at between four
teen and fifteen thousand pounds. and 1t
has the capacity to bear some $1,000
pounds weight. In this connection it
sity existing for the construction of
| similar bridges over the canal at the in
tersections of 9Th, 9th and 18th streets.
the absence of which Is a matter of
| serious inconvenience
Washington had high hopes. half CEN
OF transshipment be-
steamer, tween north and south,
tn. and when arrangements
were made in 1850 for the
establishment of line of steamers Of
from 100 to Zoo tons to ply between
this port and New York these hopes ap-
peared to be in the way Of realization.
The Star OF April IA, that year. said of
this scheme:
washington is deeply interested in the
success Of this enterprise because 1t will
afford a more speedy and convenient mode
Of seaward communication than now
exists. Its success is of great Importance
to the merchants of tho federal metropo-
lis and all others who may have occasion
to have freight brought from New York
hither. The great burthen of the yes-
sells Of the line precludes the possibility
Of making their Washington depot higher
up the Potomac than some point on the
Eastern branch. sThe place selected for
yards point. to which 1t behooves the
corporation at once to open the street SO
that access may be had to 1t at all times
and under all circumstances by District of
Columbia freighters by the line. That
portion Of Washington has, up to this
time, been well-nigh entirely neglected by
the corporate authorities; perhaps because
until now there has been no real demand
for its due improvement by them. The
time has at length arrived In the course
of the step by step progress of the fed
eral metropolis when 1t requires atten-
tion in common with the rest Of the city.
AS its due improvement to meet the neces-
stiles Of this important enterprise Will be
city at large We presume that it will be
speedily authorized by the city govern
ment.'
The failure of the post ONCE appropria-
tion bill to pass In 1859 and the decision
of the President not to
Postal call Congress in extra ses-
r~r.n... sion to supply the def
cheney forced the Post
master General to adopt the expedient of
paying the contractors for the carriage
of the mails by certificates OF Indebted
ness. the Star Of April 10. 1859. dis
cusses these issues, as follows. in cor
rection Of certain misstatements regard
ing their character:
They are mere statements Of accounts,
with q form of assignment attached.
The principle involved In their issue has
long been in vogue in the department,
though the matter OF the statement has
never before assumed precisely the same
form. In the present emergency, as the
Postmaster General believed that assign
ments OF accounts by contractors would
be more general than heretofore, he con-
cluded that the adoption Of certain
form. printed In peculiar STYLE would
be necessary to guard against frauds and
counterfeiting, and hence the statement