Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-02
FIFTY YEARS Ago
In THE STAR

In THE STAR
Congress having passed the bill for the
incorporation OF the Washington and
Georgetown Railroad
Street Railway Company, which was
n approved May IL. 1862
OOAPoAJ' little time was lost In
proceeding with the organization of that
company Subscription books were open
ed at once for the sale of stock. In The
Star of May 90, 1862. is the following
news article with reference to the mat
ter:
The subscription books of the Wash
ington-Georgetown passenger railway
were closed on Saturday afternoon. On
Friday and on Saturday afternoon the
subscriptions hung FIRE. but toward the
hour for closing there was a complete
rush for the stock. The whole amount OF
subscriptions from 49, parties was fol
u.s. shares amounting to $o9Oo, go. be-
ing about nineteen times more than the
capital $780, OOl. The local subscriptions
did not amount to much over the capita
stock. The subscriptions from Philadel-
phia amounted to $4.200.000. while New
York subscribed for over $l,OOo.OOo. or
Friday, the first day the books were
opened, only $4,000 was received as the
percentage on subscriptions, while or
Saturday $456, so was received. The
corporators, who have had a laborious
work to perform, were engaged to late
hour on Saturday night and are also en-
gagged this morning allotting the 6,OOt
shares among the subscribers.
In another part of the same issue OF
The Star is a news article setting forth
that the New York subscribers were
headed by George Law. who had expected
to sweep the platter" but before the
books closed the house of Jay Cook q
Co. OF Washington brought in a large
bid from Philadelphia capitalists, insur'
ing the organization Of the company by
the Cook interest This was regarded as
fortunate condition inasmuch as tine
road would be owned, directed and man
aged by Washington men.
X
In The Star of May q. 1862. is a news
story thus describing the first meeting
of stockholders of the
Stockholders new railway company:
~ An informal meeting
meeIiAS. of the principal sub
scribers to the stock of the Washington
city railroad was held yesterday four-
fifths OF the stock being represented,
and we are glad to say that the fullest
disposition was manifested to do full JUS
tice to the residents of this District in the
construction and management of the
road. Resolutions were passed requesting
the corporators to call meeting at the
earliest possible day under the law for the
organiza ton Of the company. 1t was deter
mined to build and stock the road in
the best manner, within the time pre-
scribed in the act granting the franchise,
and also to confer upon the resident
stockholders controlling influence in
them four directors out Of the seven to
be chosen. One Of the directors will be
selected from the city of New York, two
from the city of Philadelphia and four
from the District of Columbia; which, il
will be conceded. is very liberal in view
of the fact that the District Is largely in
the minority as respects the amount OF
its subscription to the work. The citi-
zens Of Washington. who are SO anX-
iously looking forward to the completion
of this road, will note with satisfaction
the purpose of the stockholders to push
the enterprise forward with energy"
x y
During the week Of May 1851, 1862,
Washington was given the benefit of a
novel entertainment
Laughing Gas at the Washington
Entertainment. s,reat met south .,
Pennsylvania avenue, consisting of DIR.
Colton's lecture on health. varied and
punctuated by the administration of
Laughing gas" then regarded as a mar
vel of scientific discovery. DIR. Cotton S
advertisement read as follows with refer
ence to his exhibition for the special
benefit of ladies:
Twelve ladies will inhale the gas, and
none allowed but the most select Previous
to the exhibition Dr. Cotton will deliver
brief lecture on How to Preserve the
Health Being the youngest of a family
of nine living children, himself near
fifty. and never having experienced a
sick day, and his father still living at the
age of ninety-eight, he believes he can
speak from experience. and afford valua-
BILE information to those who attend"
Some odd blocking warships were put
afloat during the civil war, and Wash
ington had view of sew
Freak eral of these freaks. In
-, The Star of May 80,
0AiP' 1862, is a paragraph tell
ing Of the arrival at the navy yard from
the James river of the Stevens gunboat
Naugatuck:
las she sits in the water at present
she is a curious-looking structure, re-
sembling somewhat a canal gondola. In
size she does not exceed a large canal
boat She has sloping sides and bows OF
twenty Inch timber, the bows being iron
plated. At each end she has watertight
compartments, which can be pumped by
the small engines for that purpose, fun OF
water, in a few minutes. thereby sub
merging her to within eighteen inches OF
her bulwarks, leaving only that much
exposed. On her deck she has the wreck
of the large PARROT gun which burst in
the Fort Darling engagement. This gun
points Immediately over the bows. a large
groove in the deck being made for It's
working. When the gun was to be load
ed the muzzle was depressed through
the opening of the deck below, when the
men loaded 1t and afterward elevated 1T to
it's original position, the gunner firing 1t
being the only one exposed on deck al
the time"
,,,@- na,~ ~srvrr V.InnMH