Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-16
Presidents
Levee.

Presidents ing increasingly subject
ed as the issues which
e'SS' led to the civil war be-
came more and more acute. The Pres-
dents receptions during the winter of
1860 were brilliant affairs. In The Star
of January II, 1860, is the following par
agraph relating to the levee of the even
ing before:
Notwithstanding the forbdding condi-
ton of the streets last evening, the first
executive reception of the season was
fully attended. The President and his
niece were both in excellent health and
spirits and received their multitude of
guests in the most cordial and agreeable
manner, Marshal Selden officiating at the
side of the President and DR.. Blake pre-
Senting the guests to Miss Lane. Among
those of prominence present we noticed
Secretaries Cobb. Toucey and Thompson
and their ladies': quite number of sena-
tors and members of the House, some of
them accompanied by their ladies'; mem
bers of the foreign legations, accompanied
by ladies, and various other personages
of distinction from home and abroad.
"A stranger in the room attracted con-
siderable attention by the peculiarities of
his attire. which consisted Of military
uniform with silk scarf thrown over his
shoulders. 1t is said that he comes to
Washington as an applicant for patent
for a steam pillow and that his brilliant
costume was worn in accordance with the
advice of some of his boarding house &C
quaintances, who suggested to him that
to succeed in securing his patent he must
make himself somewhat prominent In
Washington society and thus attract the
attention of the influential politicians"
~
During the week of 1866 corresponding
with the present the columns of The
Star were filled with de-
Lawrence tails of a shocking dis
aster at Lawrence Mass,
OAS"oV<A' caused by the collapse of
large cotton mill. burying several hun
dred of the operators in the ruins, which
later took fire and added to the destruc-
ton. In The Star of January II, 1860. is
the following editorial summary of the
dispa tches:
1.-The telegraph yesterday brought in
telligence of one of the most shocking
catastrophes that has ever occurred in
afternoon the Pemberton mills at Law
renee, Mass. fell with a tremendous
crash. Six or seven hundred operatives
were at work in it at the time and the
lowest estimates state that the number
of those buried in the ruins is at least
three hundred. In the midst of the eff
forts to extricate the sufferers a new
horror was added. The ruins took fire
and before the rapid progress Of the
flames the rescuers were forced to remit
a terrible fate. The whole number of
killed and missing is stated at Us and
the wounded at considerably over that
number. The calamity Is attributed to
the insecure construction of the mills.
which Lad previously occa stoned doubts
Of its safety. The loss of property by the
disaster is estimated at half a million
Of dollars, but In the presence of the
cruel suffering and destruction of life il
sinks into insignificance."
While the House was trying to elect a
Speaker personal feeling ran high in the
lower branch of Congress
Legislator half a century ago. An
episode occurred during
"a AAou' the session January Il,
1860, indicative of the tension at the capt.
tai. Mr.. Haskin of New York had the
ill-fortune to drop on the floor from his
pocket a loaded pistol, which caused a
scene of excitement. The Star of January
10, 1860. says:
IF anything could bring the House to
its senses surely such an occurrence as
that OF last evening would accomplish
that desirable result. Yet no one antici-
pates that 1t will vary the program of
strange performances for more than per-
haps forty-eight hours. The dropping of
the pistol by Mr.. Haskin was bad enough
but not so bad as the utterly ridiculous
and disingenuous excuse he gave for
coming armed thus into the hall and
there fooling with his weapon. when
there was no more reason for him to
fear personal assault than in the body
of church on Sunday"
Mr. Haskn's explanation was that he
lived in "a rather disordery part of the
city known as English hill" and only
happened to have his pistol with him be-
cause he was out the night before beyond
midnight. He had never seen the neces-
sity of carrying arms until he came to
Washington. but he had learned that
there were occasions when every gentle
man was armed He did not carry the
pistol for the purpose of using it in the
hail. but for protection from assault in
this sometimes violent capital"