Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-03
FIFTY YEARS ago
IN THE STAR

While unquestionably the prices Of food
commodities during the civil war were
much higher in Washington
Food than they were in times OF
49, peace. they did not quite reach
~ves' the point of the prices Of to-
day. In The Star Of November "a. 1881. is
q list of the prevailing produce market
rates. quoting the following prices. which
win show that. compared with present
conditions, residents Of Washington had
little reason to complain: ''Green apples.
- to $3.50 a barrel; dried apples. 6h to
Z cents pound: white beans. 81 to $3.50
a bushel: choice New York butter. 20 to
% cents pound: prime western butter.
10 to IS cents pound; prime table but
ter. retail, 25 to % cents pound; beets,
so to 90 cents a bushel: cranberries. s. to
So a barrel: chestnuts. 1915 to 81 BUSH
Ell: live chickens, $2.75 to $3.50 a dozen;
cornmeal. IS to 80 cents bushel; cheese.
to 9 cents a pound; ducks, e. to Is cents
a pair; country eggs. Is to % cents doz-
en-: western selected eggs. % to Is cents
a dozen: eggs at the mark 20 to q cents
a dozen: -four, choice brand So to $3.50
a barrel: western flour. So to $3.50: buck
wheat -four, $3.50 to $2.75. sugar-cured
hams. 1O1k to II cents a pound: plain
hams. to 10 cents a pound: hickory
nuts. $125 to $3.50 bushel; lemons, SS
t" 50 a box. onions. so cents to 81 BUSH
Ell; potatoes. s. cents to 81 bushel:
sweet potatoes. $3.50 to 81 barrel:
quails, 81 to $3.50 dozen; rabbits. Is to
% cents apiece: turkeys. dressed. IA to 16
cents "a pound; turnips, 81. to $3.50 a bar
IN nhrtc
In The Star of November 26, 1861, is an
account of costly fire which was near
to being shocking tragedy. It
Costly is to be remembered that the
NJ: steamers ordered from Phila-
e' delphia had not yet arrived and
that this fire was handled with the old
apparatus
Fire broke out in the large brick
building two OF three doors west of the
central guardhouse Louisiana avenue be-
tween 9th and 10th streets, little before
10 o'clock today. The building belongs
to Charles Lyons of this city, and the
lower floor was occupied as a suffers
store and the second and third stories
as bookbindery by Mr.. Pettibone. The
paper shavings were thrown from the
! bindery through a trap to the lower floor
In the rear of the store. Smoke was 1rst
discovered pouring through this trap into
the bindery above by some Of the hands
Of the establishment and was found to
proceed from the paper shavines, which
| were on fire. So rapid was the progress
made by the flames that some of the
girls employed In the bindery were at one
moment looking out Of the windows into
the street to see where the fire was and
the next minute their escape by the stairs
was cut off. Some were taken out of the
second-story window in front, and many
Of them got out by way of shed in the
rear. The flremen did as well as they
could with the means at their command,
but the building is perfect wreck. A
great quantity Of groceries was saved
from the suffers stores, but Mr.. Petit
bones loss Is very heavy. It is stated
that there was nearly 100000 worth OF
valuable books in the building, mostly
belonging to the government"
4
Naturally at the outbreak of the civil
war there was decided slump In real
estate values in and
Real around Washington, but
81 when after the lapse of
CStdte. few months, it was
found that the Confederates were not
sweeping their way into the capital. at
fairs took turn for the better and
disposition appeared to invest in local
property In The Star Of November q.
1851, Is a paragraph indicating slight
activitySin the market:
I'VE continue to notice indications Of
reyiv.ng confidence In the value of real
estate the vicinity Of the seat OF gov
eminent, as indicated in late sales. Lands
in this vicinity are undoubtedly selling at
an advance OF 100 per cent upon wha'
they would have brought half year ago
We hear that Mr.. Edward Semmes has
sod his farm and woodland. 613 acres. In
Prince Georges county for over 1900 to
northern parties. Valuable as this prop
erty is for its timber. soil and good
ago for $4,000 Messrs. Wall and Bar
nard, auctioneers. have this week sold
the following real estate in this city at
the prices named: three-story brick
store and dwelling on the east side OF 7th
street near the corner of I street. for
s.. eos; J. H. Yeatman purchaser. brick
dwelling and store corner 18th and IL
streets northwest. for $1,000 A. Swartze
purchaser. Lot II. in square III. on M
street between 10th and Goth streets, Tor
The loyalty Of employees Of the govern
ment sometimes manifested itself In I'M
usual forms while the civil
No Bust war was in progress. as
~ suggested. by this para
I0T 0Im. Graph in The Star OF No
vember 30. 1861. viii h from its style sug-
gests an official origin:
THE Secretary Of the Interior having
learned that some gentlemen in the de-
partment have proposed to raise a fund
for the execution Of his bust In marble.
desires to express his appreciation OF
the intended compliment. while his sense
of ,ropriety compels him to decline it.
The unsettled condition of the country
and the sacrifices which patriot SIN de-
mands of the people to enable the gov
eminent to suppress a rebellion which
threatens our national exisren: e. seem to
render inappropriate at this time contri-
buttons for personal compliments to those
engaged in the adm nistration Of the gov
eminent. When our arms shall be vic
torious and the authority of the federal
government shall be acknowledged in
every state. those who shall have con-
tributed to such result will have a
monument in the affections Of the people
more enduring than brass or marble. The
Secretary expresses the wish that all
efforts to raise q fund for the purpose
indicated will be d scont.nued. and to
suggest that the liberality of the gentle
men who have proposed such contribu-