Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-11
FIFTY YEARS ago
In THE STAR

LIN luE OlhN
One would think that there was enough
blood-letting during the civil war to sat-
isfy the belligerent
Challenge and spirits, but it appears
Horsewhipping parag raph in The
Star of February 4, 1862, that dueling
was by no means out Of vogue
Last week difficulty occurred be-
tween Capts. c. and ]. o: the volunteer
service, which resulted in an arrangement
for a hostile meeting over the river on
Saturday last. Capt. j. and ahis friend
were punctual and on the spot at the
time. His opponent failed to appear. The
friend of Capt. J. was very much disgrun-
tied by the conduct of the other party
and, by way of satisfaction, determined
to cowhide the faulty principal. Aiming
himself with a cowhide, he proceeded d.
rectly to well known restaurant in the
vicinity of the National Hotel. and there.
meeting the captain, proceeded to apply
the hide to his back. He struck one blow
and was raising his arm to administer
another when the barkeeper sprang to
his side and wrested the weapon from
him. There was an immediate prospect
of muss after this summary proceeding.
but the barkeeper following UP in the
style he commenced. turned upon lie
party and cleaned out the turbulent spir-
us"
All sorts and conditions of men came
to Washington in war days, including
large numbers Of light-fin-
Plckp0ckets gered gentry. who piled
r..4., their trade to good effect
o"P'uAeu' amid the confusion. The
Star of February 5, 1862. says:
Last night and this morning the pa
trolmen of the fourth ward were busily
employed in caging crowd of picks
who have been operating in this city for
weeks past, and who. though they have
been under surveillance. were able to
conceal their operations until last night.
Their general meeting place was about
the restaurant of p. Bingfelter. opposite
the National Hotel, where they had OPP
portunities of operating and scattering
their gains. The proprietor tried hard to
get rid of them. but failed until last
night, when workingman named
Decker. who was lying asleep in the bar
room, had his pocket picked of $1s. When
the man awoke his money was gone, and
the proprietor of the, house and his
friends undertook to have the money re-
stored. Harry Haslup. John Daily,
Henry Clark, all New York boys, and
two soldiers who were present were ar
rested and taken to the station house
examination resulted, exposing the fact
that large gang of thieves has been
concentrated in square between Az
fho
diers We're dismissed honorably, and
Haslup, Daily and Clark held to undergo
more vigorous examination connected
with other matters"
President and Mrs. Lincoln gave an
elaborate reception at the White House
the night of February 5
White House 1862. and in The Star of
Reception 1ns day d to'om,nx is i,
the affair, including passages that shed
an interesting light upon the personal ap-
pearance of some of the leading charac-
tiers in the national drama then being
enacted:
Gen Mcclellan, whether stationary or
promenading with Mrs. Mcclellan or Miss
Marcy, was lionized. The tall, Englishy
Senator Sumner had his circle and Gen.
Fremont and Jessie, on their appearance
in the rooms, were Immediately surround
ed by their admirers. Sturdy, soldierl,
looking Mcdowell, conversing in English
and French with equal facility. was mad
much of by the diplomats and foreign
element of the gathering generally. The
oval room (known sometimes as the low
ers' retreaO, seemed to be the favorite
gathering place of the diplomats. White
neck-clothed. kindly Lord Lyons, dash
ing NJ. I. Mercier. urbane M. Stoeckel
and other representatives of leading ma
tons were congregated here and the chat
ter of language was Babylonian to a de-
gree. Hereabouts was Mr. N. P. Willis,
in full force. saying witty things and
graceful things in equal proportion and
clad in a dress coat whose awful wrinkle
across the back was surely intended to
entrap all unhesitating followers Of his
in matters of costume.
"A sense of duty to lady readers adj
monishes us to mention that Mrs. Lincoln
was tastefully. elegant
Mrs. Lincoln's ly dressed according to
r..4 the verdict of lady au-
0v0'"e' thorities present, who
are sure to be rigid enough critics in such
matters) in white satin, with black lace
founces perhaps half yard or more in
width, the flounces festooned up with
white and black ribbon. She wore pearl
ornaments and handsome Partisan
headdress with punches of crepe myrtle,
etc, and with bouquet to match.
Having passed through the rooms In
promenade the President led off in the
direction Of the supper room and the
guests following were struck with adj
miration by the scene presented. The
celebrated caterer, Maillard of New York,
who has been here in person for some
days with his head waiter, Charles Hart
myer, and others of his force, has evil
IDENTIFY exerted himself to give Washing
ton taste of his quality and the supper
was in many respects the most superb af-
west end of the table was a war device,
helmet tsugaD supported by figures,
and with waving plumes of spun SUI
gar. Next came a tasteful basket, next
hermitage, followed by temple sur
mounted by a Goddess of Liberty, then
Chinese pagodas, Roman temples, cornu-
copias. fountains with sprays of spun
sugar and surmOunted by stars and then
the good American frigate Union with
guns, sails, flags, smOkestack and all,
complete in sugar and the whole support
ed by ar-and-stripe-draped cupids."
STANDARD MEL0DRAMA.
MOde hal OF Shady dell