Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-18
FIFTY YEARS ago
IN THE STAR

Naval operations on the Potomac river
during the civil war were not of spec
tacular or sensational
COntraband character, but they were
n. nevertheless regarded as
OaptuIeu. Of considerable import
ance, being particularly designed to check
the activities Of blockade runners seeking
to take contraband goods to the Con-
federates. In The Star of August IL,
1862. is this news article:
''The Freeborn. Capt. Samuel Magaw.
arrived at the navy yard yesterday after
noon bringing twenty five prisoners. five
sailboats, a number Of canoes and lot
of merchandise captured Friday and Sat
urday nights last. near Blackistones Is
land. On the boats they found 200 bushels
Of wheat, a large number of sacks of
salt. 10000 cigars, coffee. three chests of
tea, boxes Of boots and shoes, handker-
chiefs. pins. needles, thread. ETC., quinine.
morphine opium and other medicines, a
trunk containing percussion caps. a lot
Of gray cloth for rebel officers uniforms.
etc. Among the prisoners are the follow
ing: Theodore Starbuck. D. w. Jarboe of
this city; Theodore K. Preuss, ]. Gregory.
W. Wheatley and w. Norris of St Marys
county. and j. C. Hunter Of Georgetown
All the rest, with the exception Of three
Virginians, are colored men. who have
been engaged in regular commerce be-
tween Maryland and Virginia, taking over
salt, etc, and bringing back wheat Young
Starbuck, il we mistake not. was en-
ployed until recently in a drug store in
this city. and at the time of his arrest
had with him two carpet bags containing
qulnine. etc, worth probably from two to
three hundred dollars. 1t is probable that
a large box, containing medicines prin-
cipally. which was captured on the boat
he was on, and which has not been claim
ed by any one, was also in his charge
Jarboe is we'll known in the eastern sec
ton OF the city. Hunter until recently,
was clerk in banking house in this city.
and left the city Thursday last for the
purpose of joining the secession army.
The rest Of those named are said to be of
the elite OF st. Marys. They were all
sent to the provost marshal's Office this
morning.
The new street car line was being
pushed to completion at this time half a
century ago. with por-
Street Car tion of the road In use.
nn.-.4;.. and with the public i'm
Opelations. patiently awaiting its fun
operation In The Star of August II.
1862, is the following news item on the
subject:
1.-THE city passenger railway company
have now completed the road to George
town. with the exception of a small pi> e
across the Aqueduct bridge over Rock
creek. which cannot be finished until the
government has the abutments filled in
with earth. In the meantime the COM
pany has fifteen cars running as far as
the circle, in connection with omnibuses
to Georgetown. at the five-cent fare,
through from one end of the line to the
other. At present they are running on
five-minute time, but when more cars
arrive they hope to run every three min
utes. Preparations are being made to
commence laying the track to the n w
yard. and that branch will probably be
commenced next week. The company has
a full supply of material, and with the
plete the entire line. it is expected. be-
fore the fall rains set in. The cars can
not be finished as fast as the company
needs them. and this occasions quite a
drawback. but as they have now three
firms building them it is hoped that full
supply may be here shortly John Stew
enson & Son of New York, kimball &
Gorton and Murphy &; Allison are now
busily employed building them. The not
weather of the past few weeks has ma
terially retarded the building Of the
road. the men being hardly able to work.
but with the present large force there is
no fear but the entire road will be fin
ished some time before the end of the
period designated by law
AS long as horses were used for the
Lett
additional motive power was
HARD necessary at certain points in
ry;u the form of hill horses The
steep grade of Capitol Hill
always gave the railroad company trou-
BILE. In The Star of August II, 1862, is a
note indicating the difficulty that was en-
countered in the construction of the road
from this cause:
1.-The railway company. finding the
grade Of the road Immediately north of
the Capitol too steep. obtained permits
sion to use the lot adjoining. and are now
constructing their road to cross said lot
to the corner Of street and New Jersey
avenue from which point a branch will
run to the depot of the Baltimore and
Ohio railroad), thence up B street to
Delaware avenue. directly along the east
nue. and thence to the navy yard gate.
The construction of this portion Of the
road is being pushed forward with en-
ergy and will be completed very shortly"
Tricks and frauds were practiced on
the soldiers encamped in the neighbor-
hood Of large cities through
SWlndllng out the civil war. Those
cola;a,, located in and near Wash
lngton were not immune
from the attentions of swindlers. In The
Star Of August 10, 1867, is the following
news item:
eve hear that there was quite COM
motion at the camp and hospital station
at Falls Church yesterday, in this wise:
A tall, reverend-lookinS individual, dress
ed in black. who had been seen about the
camp occasionally heretofore, vending
small wares, was found going about
among the tents offering to change Treas
ury notes for the soldiers, giving them
small notes of the Bullion Bank of this
city therefor. He succeeded in convert
ing considerable amount of Bullion pa
per- into Uncle Sans greenbacks, it is
believed. Capt. Whitney, on hearing of
this fact, Immediately ordered the deten-
ton Of all visitors about the camp until
the party engaged in this money-chang-
ing operation should be caught: but the
man In black, in some mysterious way,
managed to evade the search and got
past the sentries unnoticed.'