Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-04-24
FIFTY YEARS AGO
IN THE STAR

In The Star Of April 1e. 1880. is de-
scription OF a visit paid by the local
officials and members of
Aqueduct the House and Senate
Exorr,;or District committees to the
new aqueduct works above
Georgetown. which occurred on Saturday.
April II. The Star says:
The visit was an interesting. yea, an
exceedingly agreeable affair. The COM
pany started in omnibusses at Willard 8
Hotel. somewhere about 8 o'clock In the
morning, and. pioneered by q number Of
private carriages, made up a procession
which brought out all the echoes OF the
rocky streets Of Georgetown, and all
her inhabitants at the street corners. who
eyed us inquistively as II unaware that
ye corporation Soeth on a bender. Much
wonderment was pictured. too. on the ex-
pressive faces of the inmates of the
slab shanties on the line OF the aQueduct.
which wonderment grew to admiration
as. the party having alighted. fat alder
men and lean councilmen scrambled up
the heights in generous emulation. per-
forming witching feats of pedestrianism.
and arrived at the top sweating and blown
but in wonderful spirits. Here the intel
ligent explanations OF Capt. Meigs and
Assistant Engineers Morton and Talcott
enabled everybody to get a clear idea OF
this great work. From this point the
party proceeded to the Cabin John d1vis-
ion of the aqueduct, and spent some time
in examining the superb span Of this
bridge, which was pronounced by compe-
tent judges to be one of the engineering
wonders of the world. This bridge when
completed will contain $4,000 yards or
masonry. At this point most OF the party
vided and after a delightful trip reached
the Great Falls, where with appetites
sharpened by fresh air and exercise, the
discussion OF an ample and excellent col
lation was entered upon, very much IN
earnest. Sufficient pause was made at
the falls to afford an opportunity to In
spect the interesting aqueduct work at
this point. The return trip was vastly
pleasant. being made as far as the
Little Falls by the steamers and from
thence to the city in omnibusses."
The close approach of the Charleston
convention of the democratic party
caused great influx
Political into Washington of del
egates and boomers of
ovVAneAS' all shades of political
opinion at this time fifty years ago. In
The Star of April 10, 1850. is the follow
ing:
The throng Of democratic politicians
in this city last night was much greater
than ever before, except on the occa-
sion Of the inauguration OF democratic
President. In addition to those from
a distance then among us, between f1ve
and seven hundred reached here after
IL m. yesterday. Though the Presidents
with them, the halls of the different
hotels were all packed, crammed and
jammed by them, so as to make the at
mosphere in their midst everywhere sur
locating. The relative chances of the
different aspirants for the Charleston
nomination was, of course. the theme of
universal conversation. Perhaps 400 or
this crowd were delegates and alternates,
while the balance three or four times
as many, were principally strikers FOR
this point the Office or duty upon which
he sends them to Charleston, viz: to
blow over his vast strength in states
hopelessly welded to the doctrines OF
the republican party. Among the DEL
egates here are few from slave-holding
states. circumstance infinitely to be
regretted, because the 'looseness' with
which this army of political spectators
goes In for the man OF their choice,
as now being developed here, 10 certainly
|
for which his nomination is being go
strenuously urged from abolitionist states
is that by his nomination the democratic
party may be put 80 distinctly on
practical anti-slavery platform as that
Massachusetts. Maine. Vermont. Wiscon-
sin and Michigan may, as alleged, be
seriously contested with Mr.. Seward.
Some hundreds of this crowd left this
morning to commence operations upon
arriving delegates at Charleston as early
as Thursday evening"
Great pride was felt half q century ago
in the fact that by means of a pony ex-
press service San Fran
The ponv cisco was brought within
ten days Of the eastern
Express. cities. In The Star Of
Apri, p, 1860, is the following comment
upon this achievement:
1.-The overland pony express, between
the western frontier of Missouri and San
Francisco, so lately established, is already
an entirely successful enterprise. We
have before us letters that left San Fran
cisco on the 4th instant, In the shape OF
InF