Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-06
FIFTY YEARS AGO
IN THE STAR

The narrow margin by which the re-
publicans of the House of Representatives
were saved from defeat
Political through the election as
Speaker of Mr.. Smith of
0AcASeAA1AI. North Carolina brought
the question of organization to sharp
focus fifty years ago. Public sentiment
ran high here in Washington as rumors
swept through the city Of combinations
that had been formed, and surprises that
would be sprung by one side or by the
other. The effect of this is reflected in
the following printed in The Star of
January 80, 1850:
The crowd lattendng today's session
Of the House is far larger than on any
other previous occasion within our mem
DRY. Not only every seat in the spacious
galleries, but the vestibuIes or Hobbies
surrounding those galleries. are crowded,
apparently to their utmost capacity,
principally by crinoline. This is the case
also in the Hobbies Immediately surround
ing the doors of the hall On the floor
long before the hour of meeting perhaps
q hundred of the fair. sex were seated,
and the first half hour of the days ses-
difficult task of getting them out. The
greatest excitement pervaded all on the
floor and in the galleries. 1t can hardly
have happened that the body got to vot-
ing for its Speaker before . pm. So
we fear that We will not have it in our
power to- announce the result of even a
first ballot today"
- This, however, was not the case, for The
Star. in that issue announced that Mr..
bennington of. New Jersey had received
Cbnr p,>t-
us. while Mr.. Smith of North Carolina
received 49, with six votes scattering.
Mr. Pennington was elected Speaker on
the LIST of February, by a majority of
-. two votes. Mr. Riggs OF
Speaker New Jersey having
Elaoted changed his vote on the
day previous from Pen
nington to McClernand, when it was
found that Pennington had not secured
the vote of Henry Winter Davis, which
had been expected. Over night both
Messrs. Riggs of New Jersey and Briggs
of New York agreed to vote for Penning-
ton. and accordingly on the forty-fifth
ballot Mr.. Pennington received 1T votes
out of 233, and had. therefore, the exact
number to elect him Speaker. McCler-
nand SO, Gilmer 16. and the remaining
votes scattered. Mr.. Pennington was
then duly proclaimed Speaker and took
the oath of Office thus ending the dead
lock that had lasted for two months. in
the course of which the House of Repre-
sentatlves had done no work whatever
OF a Legislative nature. The House then
proceeded to complete it's organization
PENNSYLVANIA as, clerk and Mr. Hoffman
of Maryland as Sergeant-at-arms, the re-
publican majority controlling in both
cases.
Although the omnibus was the only
means or rapid transit" in Washington
hfty years ago. it was by
omnibus no means the harmless We
por;ls hicle that those acquainted
with the modern electric
car might have imagined it to have
been. In The Star of February /. 1860,
is the following paragraph relating to
danger to which patrons Of the ON
nibus were exposed:
THE drivers of omnibuses are very
employers, but they rather overdo the
thing. Complaints by ladies are fire.
quent that the drivers are in such haste
that before they are fairly inside the
door is slammed and the horses started.
The wife Of a gentleman who has pat
ron1zed the omnibuses for years has,
since the opposition line has started,
been thrice injured or frightened by the
improper haste within few days. The
first time she was thrown down by the
sudden starting Of the horses; the sec
ond time a valuable dress was spoiled
by the. slamming of the door before she
had set her foot on the ground getting
out, and the third time she had her fin
ger mashed by the slamming of the
On Saturday night a child was thrown
violently down by the sudden starting
Of "a coach. The drivers of both lines
would do we'll to consider the CONT ort
and safety of their patrons and always
be sure they are seated or out of the
coach before they start the horses OF
slam the doors"
In The Star of February 4, 1860. is a
description Of the Clark Mills statue
of Washington designed
Washington for the circle at the cor
ner Of 23d+ street and
St"Sue' Pennsylvania aven u e
northwest. Judging from this descrip-
ton the original design was materially
different from that which was finally
executed. Instead of the comparatively
low and severely plain pedestal upon
proposed a symbolic pedestal showing
in three lines or stories of panels the
record Of the American revolution. The
first story was to represent the country
as it appeared on its first discovery,
when inhabited by the Indians. the sec
ond story it's general aspect under the
changes wrought by the hand of civili-
cation and the third story the great
revolutionary struggle. The panels were
to be in bronze, the lower ones in low
relief and the upper ones of the third
line or story in full relief. The article
in The Star of February 4, 1860, thus
describes the statue itself:
THE browning figure Is the statue of
the father of his country represented
ton, where. after attempting several
times in vain to rally his troops, he
puts spurs to his horse and dashes up
to the lannon's mouth. His terror
the balls tear up the earth beneath his
feet. But Washington, cool. calm, col
.leeted and dignifed, believing himself
simply an instrument in the hands or
Providence to work out the great prob
lem of liberty. remains firmly seated.
like a god upon his throne. The re-
pose Of the hero at this moment Of i'm
minent peril to his life contrasts adj
mirably with the fearful agitation
manifested by his noble but unreason-
the considerations which impart cour-
age to the hero and the Christian"
EGGS.
From the Cleveland Leader.
wisconsin hen lays an egg eight inches
long," Lays, or lies!
I.-.-, tho J,,ks,pv;Ilo Timos- T-piou