Evening star., 1909-05-30
FIFTY YEARS AGO
IN THE STAR

Children who strayed from home in this
city half a century ago were more likely
to be quickly lost than
Missing at present. for the streets
were not so well occupied
and there were many va
cant spaces where little ones might wan
der for long time in bewilderment. In
The Star of May 23. 1859. is a paragraph
telling of such an incident:
The Island portion Of the city was the
scene OF no little excitement yesterday
in consequence of. the straying away from
their home of two interesting little chill
dren. sons Of Mr.. Lewis Thomas wood
merchant On being missed search was
instituted In the neighborhood and along
the river bank. which proving unsuc-
cessful, a wider range Of ground was
swept over extending throughout the
city. and the police at the various sta
tions were also put upon the alert. The
wanderers were however not discovered
until late in the afternoon, when they
were found as far from their home as the
railroad depot-an extraordinary Journey,
indeed. for such mere infants. They
were. accompanied by faithful little dog,
by whose presence with them some clue
was obtained by those in pursuit as to the
direction taken by the children. The joy
of the parents at their recovery. or their
agony during the terrible hours of their
absence, can only be estimated by those
who are also parents"
Judging from the present appearance
of the river front of Georgetown and
the high lands lying i'm
GEORGETOWN mediately north of the
stream, there has been a
eAen's' decided change. not for
the better, since the following was print
ed in The Star of May "A, 1850:
"The season has arrived when an ex-
cursion along our heights will amply re-
pay the lovers of the beautiful in nature.
At every point from Ever May. the resi-
dences Of Mr.. Charles Dodge and C. E.
Rittenhouse, at the extreme east to the
venerable Georgetown College, the sur
| rounding scenery and the views in every
direction, as far as the range of the
| vision extends. are perfectly enchanting
Doubtless there is no locality in this Sec
tures real beauty and romantic freaks
can be seen. Nature alone has done much
to render this locality the most desirable
| in the District as place of residence or
| for an evenings stroll. 1t has not. how
ever, done all; the works Of art in the way
of beautiful and costly dwellings, hand
somely arranged gardens. the unsur-
passed Oak Hill cemetery and last
| though not least, the spacious buildings
and high towers Of the Georgetown Col
| tnon oil II iz{r IN rnof with
the works Of nature, tend to lend to 1t an
| additional charm"
| Local political conditions were much
mixed in 1859. Mayor Berret having
complicated the situation
| Local by vetoing two measures
passed by the municipal
oiA'1cs' legislators relating to the
finances Of the city of Washington. In
its issue OF May "a. 1859. The Star had
the following comment on the state OF
| things:
I'VE take it for granted that any effort
to get up a general ticket in opposition
to the present incumbents in the offices
OF corporation collector, register and sur
veyor, will prove. as 1t should. a dead
failure, for these positions were never
better filled than at present. SO far as the
general public interest is concerned. New
ertheless. we question much the possibil-
ity Of re-electing any member OF the cOun-
ellis known to sustain the mayors views
of the propriety of raising by taxation in
a single year sufficient extra money with
which to pay off the city's whole floating
debt before the first Monday. in June.
| 1861: OIL ceasing to open, repair or clean
| streets. etc, SO that all the means Of the
| corporation except sufficient to pay the
| salaries OF the police and officeholders
may be SO appropriated. and OF abasing
the safeguards against improper awards
of heavy municipal contracts, that have
been in operation here for half a century
Upon this point Of paying or the whole
existing floating debt in single year. we
| may not improperly add that all are
aware that that debt Is the creation OF a
long series of years. which. IL naught
else did. makes 1t wrong to mulct the
taxpayers OF this single year in the pen
atty of its immediate liquidation, as the
mayor virtually proposes"