Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-04-10
FIFTY YEARS AGO
IN THE STAR

In lnE Dian
So great was the success of Adelina
Patti on the occasion Of her first ap-
pearance in Washington
Patti in opera fifty years ago
rA that a concert was or
'' ganzed for Saturday,
March 81. 1860. The Star Of April =,
said:
The Patti concert was triumph botn
as regards the numbers and the enthus-
iasm Of the audience. Patti was voted
to be even more charming in the con-
cert room than on the operate stage, and
certainly at no time previously has she
sung so effectively here as on Saturday
night The public was very glad to well
come back their favorite, Mime. Stra-
kosch. whose heretofore delicious ballad
|fnging was within the recollection of all.
1t was pleasant. too, to have Strakosch
back to the instrument (piano) of which
he Is so much the master. That tenor Of
renown with the ladies. handsome. natty
Brignoli, with trim mustache and garotte
collar, sang with more force than usual.
but with somewhat less smoothness in
consequence of laboring under cold.
Those jolly bassos, Susini and Amodio,
seemed animated by good natured ri
valry to develop to the utmost their
superb organs. The singers and audience
were on the best possible terms during
the evening. and the persistent encores
allotted to almost every piece were re-
sponded to by the performers with a good
will, which nearly doubled the quota Of
the program. Wizards Hall has fine
acoustic properties, and only needs to be
properly ventilated to make it thoroughly
acceptable concert ROOM.
4
The building at the southwest corner
of Pennsylvania avenue and AZ street,
known as the Colonial
Colonization ton building" is about
n1,. fifty years old, as the
ouAluAAS' following paragraph in
The Star of April j, 1850, quoted from the
Intelligencer, indicates:
I'VE perceive that the American Colon
ization Society have broken ground for
the erection of a large building on the
fine lot at the corner of Pennsylvania
avenue and Az street. This building will
form one of the handsomest private inn
provements in the city. With a front OF
twenty-five feet on the Avenue and
eighty on Az street, the ground story Will
be constructed of ornate iron and the
second and third stories Of the best stone
or marble. The ground floor will be
rented for stores. the second appropriated
to the uses Of the Colonization Society
and the rooms above rented for private
offices. The society being possessed of a
large fund, of which they can enjoy only
the interest, judiciously decided at the
last annual meeting to invest portion
OF it in real estate. yielding rents, instead
of in stocks or personal security, and &C
cordingly directed the purchase of the
eligible lot and the erection thereon of
the fine building described above.
The Smithsonian Institution was the
chief object of interest on the part of
visitors to Washington,
Smithsonian outside of the Capitol
half a century ago. In
0pe'AAAeAS' The Star of April 6, 1860,
is the following paragraph:
The number of strangers visiting the
Smithsonian Institution daily has been
very large this season. The greatest in
convenience which visitors suffer in their
visits to the hall is a descriptive guide
to the specimens. The publication of
catalogue does not supply this deficiency
in consequence of the daily increase of
the museum. To remedy this it has been
determined to label each specimen. giving
to each the common as well as the CLASH
cal name which label will be so placed
as to be easily read by every visitor
This work Is now in progress under the
supervision of Prof. Baird. and many
specimens which before served to excite
rather than satisfy curiosity may now
be known by the labels prominently affix-
ed to them The classification and ar
rangement of the very extensive collec-
ton Of shells Is rapidly progressing UNI
der the especial direction of Prof Car
penter. The design in this arrangement
is to make it as beautiful to the eye and
convenient of access as possible and at
the same time strictly scientific in the
classification. When completed II Will be
one OF the most attractive of the collec-
lions in the museum. Many of the rare
specimens which have been In the collec-
ton for years and were beginning to look
rather rusty have passed through a
process of dressing by the skillful taxi
dermist Of the institution. In this con-
nectlon it might not be improper to sug-
gest the completion of the pavement on
the west side OF 10Th street to the bridge.
The corporation might do this for the
benefit of pedestrians who visit the in
stitution during the lecture season."
Complainants against the high prices of
foods nowadays should occasionally look
back through the old
nanver newspaper files, from
which they may derive
Prices. some degree Of solace as
they find evidence that things were even
worse in the past than at present. In
The Star of April 8, 1860. is paragraph
of this sort comprising an extract from
letter from the city of Denver under date
of March %, as follows:
Every one is fleeing to the mountains
and consequently things look rather dull
here. Flour went up last week here to
S25 per sack but can now be had again,
on account of small arrival from New
Mexico at SIG. We have fresh arrivals
daily from New Mexico and the states,
among whom are several capitalists.
gentleman has just arrived today who
intends to start here foundry and
smelling establishment for iron in con-
nection with the manufacture of quartz
mills and other machinery. His enter
prise will undoubtedly be success. we
need others in the same business. We
have the iron ore with the coal and
lime handy to work it"
Apropos of high prices the following
paragraph in The Star of April Z, 1850.