Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-07-25
FIFTY YEARS AGO
In THE STAR

In The STAR
One of the plainest signs of the demo-
cratic schism OF 1860. which split that
party and led to the cleo
Democratic ton Of Lincoln, appeared
r.,+,.,. in a discussion as far
in advance as July. 1859,
of the undes.rabtiity of holding a meet
ing for nominating q candidate at
Charleston during the heated term. The
Star Of July 20. 1859. thus comments:
THE New York Herald calls upon the
democratic national committee to change
the place for the meeting Of the approach
ing democratic national convention from
Charleston. s. c.. as fixed by the Cincin-
natl convention. to New York The sug-
gestion is the result, the writer alleges.
Of the fears OF delegates from rural dis
tricts of the unhealthfulness Of Charles
ton after the LIST OF April, before which
time the convention Can hardly be held
without depriy.ng the party OF the alleged
advantage Of delaying the making Of the
ticket until as late period as possible.
Now. it is to be presumed that the COM
mittee will take due care in calling the
convention to insure the health Of the un-
accllmated delegates against any posi-
BILE danger from their brief sojourn in
Charleston. That is to say. they will be
brought together ere the sun shines down
upon the streets Of Charleston SO fierce
~ as to ehdanger the lives Of gentlemen
with bile so stirred up as that of the
delegates and the thousands of outsiders
usually pulling and hauling around them,
Will surely be. AS for the idea of in
auclng the national committee to take the
responsibility of directing the convention
to meet elsewhere after the Cincinnati
convention directed it to meet at Charles
ton, is Simply preposterous."
Behlnd the suggestion of a more north
err meeting place than Charleston was
the desire Of the Douglas faction to avoid
the ant-Dougias partisanshlp which cen
tered SO decidedly in Charleston. The eff
feet of this antagonisp was shown
when the Charleston convention split one
wing meeting later at Baltimore to nomi-
nate Judge Douglas and the other wing
at Richmond, and ultimately at Baltl-
more, to nominate Breckenridge.
Work was resumed on the Washington
Monument in 1859 after stoppage of
some years, but was not
M onument long continued owing to
N the Interruption caused
by the war On the re-
sumption OF the work there was some diff
fieulty In establishing connections be-
tween the ground and the then top Of the
shaft, as the following news item in The
Star of July 2s. 1850. tells:
1--WE mentioned a few days ago that Lieut.
Ives. the superintendent Of the Washington
Monument, was DESTROYS of arranging the
mach merry and rigging on top Of the
column for an early beginning Of the
work. All the means of reaching the top
had been removed. except a single rope
attached to strong brace extending
across the top Of the column. At first
it was suggested that a rigger might
ascend by this rope. but Lieut.. Ives. in
view of the possibility Of an accident by
tba haa
experiments have been made First a
man was produced who, standing upon
the ground outside the column, threw d
stone over It, more than one hundred and
could perform this feat, a small pack
thread was attached to the stone. but
the resistance OF the air to the thread
prevented his casting the stone more
bow and arrows were obtained from the
Smithsonian. The arrows alone were
fred over the column easily, but when the
experiment was made with the pack
forced up one hundred feet. A rifle was
next obtained. and experiments were
made inside the column by shooting the
ramrod. with pack thread attached
upward. in the hope that 1t would de-
scend on the opposite side of the brace
before mentioned; but this plan also fail
ed. the ramrod sometimes meeting with
obstacles which prevented it's taking the
direction wished and at other times the
thread would be burned oft by the firing
of the gun.
Yesterday pigeon was obtained and
carried Inside the column. pack thread
was tied to it's leg and the bird was car
ried to the top OF ladder and thrown
upward; the company below, to frighten
the bird and make it continue its fight
upward, whooped and shouted; the bird
flew round in the column and at last
rested upon q recess designed for the re-
contributors. By again whooping and
shouting the bird was started and took
Its flight upward and rested upon the
very brace over which 1t was desired to
moment for those below. II the bird de-
scended by the side upon which it rested
the plan would fail for the time; If on
the opposite side all was safe. The shout
Ing was raised again. but the bird looked
down upon the noisy company below
with luizzical no. you don't A pis
tol was then fired to brighten him and
after some moments Of suspense the bird
descended upon the side of the column
desired. The pack thread was caught
heavier cord was attached and drawn
up, then heavier and stronger cords, un-
til a rope Of sufficient size was secured
over the brace to enable the riggers to
proceed with safety"
Georgetown was perfectly satisfied with
its rapid transit facilities fifty years
ago If the following
Georgetown paragraph in the George
town correspondence of
The Star of July %, 1859,
may be taken as an Indication:
I'VE have heard considerable talk lately
about an opposition line of omnibuses
about to be placed between our city and
the Capital The parties who 1t Is said.
contemplate starting it reside in Balti-
more and the stock and coaches intended
to be run are a portion OF those which
have been or are about to be superseded
by the passenger railroad. We now have
as efficient accommodations as any rea-
sonable community could ask ter-well
supplied with neat airy, comfortable
coaches. good horses and careful and
accommodating drivers, running every
five to ten minutes from the center of
Georgetown to the Washington navy yard
and at as low rate of fare as that
charged for the same distance by almost
any other In the Union. We therefore
think 1t would be policy upon the part
Of the citizens generally, In case the talk
ed-of opposition should appear. to let
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