Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-31
FIFTY YEARS AGO
In. THE STAR

AAV AA ~ A ~
Joseph Gales, one of the oldest citizens
and foremost journalists Of the capital,
died in this city Saturday, July
Joseph p. 1860. In The Star of July q
a. is an account Of his death and
0oAeS' a sketch of his career. He was
native of England. coming to this
country, q lad of seven, with his father.
who went from Philadelphia to Raleigh.
n. c., where the elder Gales established
a newspaper. the Register. which he
conducted for forty years. In 1907 Jo-
seph Gales settled in this city as assist
ant. and afterward as partner. of Samuel
Harrison Smith. who in 1900 had removed
the Independent Gazetteer to Washing
ton and changed it's name to the National
In 1910 Mr.. Smith re-
tired and Mr.. Gales, then only twenty
four years of age. became sole proprie-
tor Of the journal, then published tri-
weekly. In 1912 he took his brother-in-
law. William w. Seaton. as partner. and
in January. 1913, began to issue the In
telligencer as a daily newspaper.
During the war of 1872" says The
Star. 'Mr. Gales was active as re-
publican of that dan. justifying President
Madison in his declaration Of war with
Great Britain. He himself, as member
of a troop of horse, was absent on duty
down the Potomac when the ONCE or the
National Intelligencer was destroyed ny
chosen by the councils to fill vacancy in
the mayoralty of Washington. and was
continued therein by an almost unani-
nous vote of his fellow-citizens. His
enterprise and benevolence were proverbi-
al to ALL"
MIR. Gales resided at a country" place
which he called lexington. after the
town of his birth. The name Is now
borne by a suburb which comprises IN
large part the land of the Gales estate.
The house is still tn existence.
The Star practically predicted the
election of Abraham Lincoln over
three months before the
Political votes were. cast. its
r.,....4 prophecy to this effect
EolecaS1' being printed as an edi-
torial in the issue of July "a, 1860. as
follows:
"By this time there must be few. in
deed, who watch the signs political who
fail to comprehend that the contest for
the presidency has narrowed down to
a choice between Breckenridge and Lin
coin, If an election is to be made either
by the people or the House Of Repre-
sentatives-Lincoln receiving. as he
doubtless will, the mass Of the electoral
votes Of the non slave-holding states
and Breckenridge. in all probability. all
the electoral votes of all the slave
h. OF w
electors favorable to any other candi-
dates will simply throw their votes
away. The effort to generate Doug
las party at the south has everywhere
fallen still born to the ground, not
withstanding the blowing of the Doug
las newspapers over it. In Virginia, for
instance the Douglas party proves to
be composed of two or three disap-
pointed and over-ambitious small lead
ers in a county. with hardly more than
the signs it is fair to estimate that
a Douglas electoral ticket in the Old
Dominion will not poll more than an
average of ten votes to a county. Not
that there are not more than that num-
Der Of persons in the state. who, under
ordinary circumstances, would prefer
Douglas to Breckenridge. But not more
than that number Of Virginia demo-
Gratis will prove bent on doing their
best to give the states vote to Bell
and Everett, and thus help to throw
the states affairs into the hands OF
the opposition. The belief is now in
creasing everywhere that Douglas. in
persisting in running, without being
able to calculate with any reasonable
certainty upon receiving single cleo
his pretensions to the re-
publican party nomination in 1854 upon
the plea that in continuing in the pres
emit contest he is materially aiding the
prospect Of Lincoln's election.
In almost the very terms OF this fore
regards Lincoln's strength. He carried
every non-slave-holding state save New
Jersey, and divided the electoral vote of
that state with Douglas. taking four
votes while Douglas took three. Douglas
carried only one state. Missouri. with
nine electoral votes. giving him total
Of twelve in the electoral college. The
Star was not accurate, however, In its
of the Bell vote. which was large
enough to give the constitutional union
ing the fifteen of Virginia. The Bell vote
in that state was 74,6S1. as against 1893
cast for Breckinridge. The Douglas vote,
which averaged only ia to the county.
and was therefore not much larger than
The Stars estimate. would have given
states would combinations Of Douglas, Bell
and Breckinridge votes have cost Lin
coin electoral strength. California and
Oregon, total of seven votes. far from
enough to affect the result, inasmuch as
Lincoln was given $50 electoral votes and
his three opponents together only 123.
-.
The seed distribution work Of the gov
eminent half a century ago was on
small scale, but 1t was conduct
Syrian ed nevertheless with an appre-
60 citation Of the needs of the
0oo~S' American farmer for novelties
from the old world. In The Star Of July
p, 1860. is the following:
1.-The agricultural bureau has just re-
ceived ninety-four boxes and two barrels,
a fine assortment Of seeds
and cuttings from Beirut. Syria. The as
sortnent Is composed of varieties of
wheat, barley. grape cuttings. olives.
scions of fruits and vegetable products.
The cuttings, scions. ETC., will be sent to
the new propagating houses for expert
ment and increase, and no distribution
will be made of the remainder until fall.
Among the interesting plants may be
mentioned the leSSaban. 1t is believed