Evening star., 1909-04-25
FIFTY YEARS AGO
IN THE STAR


wood scene even half a GEN.
tury ago, as the following
paragraph in The Star of April 1s, 1859,
indicates:
THE old colored wood-sawyer, with pad
on knee and buck on back, so long a
fixture on the sunny side of the various
wood yards Of the federal metropolis, is
fast passing away. Steam is obliterating
him, as 1t has already obliterated from
the knowledge of this generation a multi
tude Of the methods and modes of the
last generation. The Troy coach. for in
stance. is utterly unknown to many of
our fellow-citizens who have arrived at
mans age, though the time was not
long since when its construction was
as familiar to all as that of the hack
coach OF the times. Steam is saving and
splitting firewood for us so as to save
us half the late cost of those necessary
operations, while performing them much
more satisfactorily to the consumer than
before. As not one in a hundred of our
readers has yet witnessed the operation
of either of the two sets of machinery
for the purpose in our midst, that of
our enterprising neighbors. the Messrs
Gait. on 18th street, or of Mr.. Paynter, at
Gus to observe their operations to pay
one or the other of them visit"
x X
Present-day dwellers in this city who
think there is an undue tendency now
and then in some quarters
Deadly toward disorder should
waanon read the old files Of The
Star, to be assured that
times have changed for the better in
this regard as in other particulars. No
longer is the public peace frequently dis
turbed by ''stone battles" between neigh
borhood gangs. No more do the Swami
poodle hordes sweep across lots to at
tack the Northern Liberties crowd. In
1859. however, these things were COM
mon. and fierce fighting was rather the
order of the day, not merely between
men. but with women conspicuous in
the fray. In The Star of April 10, 1850,
is news paragraph touching as follows
upon this point of feminine rowdyism:
Some of the Amazons residing in
the weapons they formerly used in the
riots which have occurred in their vicin-
ity during year or two past, and have
adopted those OF the masculine 'roughs.'
ing about twice as much as those in or
dinary use by the 'roughs.' which had
been used by a female, who, with two
males, had attacked and beaten a man
yesterday, severely cutting his head In
the fray. 1t was made of four rattan
thongs, SO as to give 1t sufficient spring,
and ball Of lead weighing about half
pound. rough and uncovered With
such q weapon a delicate female would
dangerous than when armed with the
tongue only, springy as 1t is.
**
Progressive residents of Georgetown
were persistent in their efforts to obtain
the advantages of union
Georgetown with Washington half
A,,.~.+,,, a century ago. In the
Georgetown correspond
ence printed in The Star Of April 20. 1859.
is found the following item:
1.-THE friends OF annexation seem to be
moving forward In the matter, with de-
gree Of earnestness and zeal which we
have rarely seen characterize any por-
ton Of our people in any similar move
ment. They have thoroughly organized
and have their committees operating in
every department OF the town procuring
the signatures Of those who are favorable
to the project; and judging from present
movements and the character of the gen.
tiemen who are most active In the move
ment the matter will not be suffered to
go to sleep again until it Is fully con-
summated, or ascertained to be wholly
impracticable, which no one who has
given the matter any consideration Is
willing to admit. The judicious course
which the friends of the measure are pur-
suing In keeping it wholly divested Of
any other question, and presenting it to
the public mind solely upon its own mer-
it's, and the sound, sensible arguments
which are advanced In it's favor. are. we
substantial friends. And we think it
pretty certain that if vote Of the town
were had upon the question. even at the
present time, very considerable major
ity would be found In it's favor"
Washington appears to have expert
enced fifty years ago about the same
kind OF late April weal..er
April that it has been having
u..4h. during the past week. In
The Star of April %, 1859,
Is the following paragraph:
april is closing here with capital
March weather, raw and cold, with copi-
GUS piercing rains. In the surrounding
country the grasses and wheat are rapid
ly expanding under it, while 1t has put a
stop to corn planting, which had been
commenced by many about a fortnight
earlier than usual, thanks to the geniality
of the season up to Wednesday morning
last. From the best information within
our reach, we are satisfied that three
fourths OF all the peach bloom in a cir
cult Of fifty miles around Washington
has been killed, and possibly half the
apple bloom which leaves q poor prospect
for fruit, Notwithstanding the abundant
promise all fruit growers had not long
since.
''It Is possible that the present condition
OF the weather may continue for weeks.
II SO. 1t is questionable whether the low
grounds not underdrained will again be
in fit state of corn planting ere the
1st of June, and 1t is further question
able whether q summer drought may not
cut off. as last season, half the corn
planted at that late period. All who have
experience with underdrained fields know
that they will become In proper condition
for planting from one to two weeks
earlier. after such a spell OF weather as
the present, than IL not underdrained,
and further that this earlier drying will
increase the chance for remunerative
crop from them at least one-haf. Facts
and circumstances like these teach plain
ly the better economy OF the adoption in
this country OF the system of under
draining now so common in thriftily cul-
tivated portions of England and the con-
tinent.'
GOING UP!
From the Chicago Record Herald: