Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-13
FIFTY YEARS AGO
IN THE STAR
Pending
Reforms,

Pending engage In a civil war. the
D.~.. reforms noted in the fol-
lowing paragraph in The
Star Of March 5. 1850. as Of paramount
consequence appear trifiing:
-Four questions have been before Con-
gress 50 far this session, which, II prop
erly disposed Of, will result In important
reforms-the franking question. the mile
age question, the printing question and
the proposition hereafter to give the
transportation of the mails to parties
who will furnish the postmaster to at
tend to them also. That Is to say. upon
such routes as can be thus as easily sup
piled with postmasters as at present. The
latter project will soon become a popular
one, insomuch as its result will be. when
carried out, to dissolve the Post Office
contamination desired by all honest and
unseifsh men. Parties have not yet set
tied down upon them and we are curious
ly be found on Them
~
After a period of dramatic privation the
people of Washington were given a gen.
uine treat at this time
Dramatic half century ago in the
T...4 visit of remarkable
AS"s' company Of players head
ed by J. E. Murdoch and Mrs. Gladstane.
In The Star Of March 6. 1860. is a no
tice as follows of the performance of
The Lady Of Lyons the night before:
"Mr. Murdoch. though hardly Juvenile
enough for the gardeners son, was other
th0rnI, 10Th Cd md
Melnotte,' while Mrs. Gladstane. charm
ing actress by the way. was, with her
sweet face. fine eyes. graceful figure and
judicious action. the very best Pauline
we call to mind after pretty long the
ater-going experience. And what CAPT
tai Col. Damas' Bass makes, with his
BLUM soldierly look and good-humored
face! In his line of parts we know Of
no better actor upon the stage. Mr.. S.
w. Glenn had not much to do in the
slight part of M. Deschapelles,' but that
little was rendered with the careful eff
fectiveness which marks every perform
ance of this meritorious actor. Mr.. Bangs.
who has improved astonishingly, was
excellent as NJ Beausant.' >
A summary of the annual report OF DR..
Blake, the commissioner Of public build
ings, appears in The
WaShlngtOn'S Star of March Z,
Improvements. e.tent - ~ -. ne anpsua'
column. After noting certain improve
ments that had been accomplished and
others recommended. the latter including
the repair II not the replacement of the
Long bridge, Commissioner Blake said:
Those who are uniformed not UNI
frequently accuse the city of relying too
much upon the government and of not
doing anything for itself. To show that
this charge is founded in error 1t is
necessary only to state one or two facts.
During the last ten years the corporation
has raised by taxation the sum of $2,376.
O42.86. which has been expended for gen.
eral purposes: and the city has from first
to last opened and made more than fifty
miles OF avenues and streets at a cost
of about one million and half of dollars.
It can safely be affirmed that no city, in
proportion to its population and wealth,
has done more for itself than Washington,
nearly one-half Of the
property within its limits belongs to the
government and is not subject to taxa
tion."
Political prophesying was as uncertain
OF success fifty years ago as at any
time since, possibly even
Republican more hazardous then on
account of the abnormal
4AVSpSSs' state Of affairs. The
following prediction in The Star OF March
9. 1850. regarding the presidential nomi-
nation Of the republican party was des-
tined to be emphatically discredited in the
course Of q short time:
ho< If
opinion exists here now as to the prob
able result Of the action Of the Chicago
convention. Before that gentleman's
return from Europe, it will be recollected.
Mr.. Seward would virtually walk over
the course there. Subsequently republican
party popular demonstrations throughout
the north and west have confirmed the
impression. and already those of that
party now here who were scheming to
procure the nomination OF some other
have come to the conclusion that their
labors have been In vain. Thus it is SO
soon demonstrated that Mr. Seward. and
Mr.. Seward only, as presidential candi-
date can fill the expectations Of all who
may be relied on to secure the election
Of republican party electors anywhere. 1t
is freely admitted that Mr.. Bates cannot
carry a single slave-holding state and
that his nomination would so disgust the
ultra men through the north as to en-
danger the triumph Of republicanfsm in
nearly every Notwithstanding state; while
the nomination of Mr.. Banks or Mr..
Chase or Mr.. Fessenden will not secure
q vote anywhere not certain to be given
to the party's great representative man.
Some Impotence was expressed from
time to time half a century ago regarding
the leisurely manner in which
CAPITOL the work OF constructing the
~ Capitol dome was being pros
OoAo' ecuted and reports were IN
circulation that the foundations were
insufficient for tho vast structure Of metal.
In The Star Of March 10. 1860, Is the
following paragraph:
I'm relation to the recent Senate reso-
buttons Capt Franklin, the engineer in
charge, reports that the weight of the
dome will be 300 tons; that this weight
is only about one-flfty-sixth Of what is
1t is but one-eleventh of what Is necessary
which the dome rests There has been
no delay in construction, some 600 tons
OF iron having been used per annum upon
1t. The entire cost Of the dome will be
about 100000. From five to seven years
will be required to supply 100 monolithic
columns Of American marble for the por-
ticos as now required by law. Each
column will cost about 1880"
M uIc TDlyycIe