Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-11-30
FIFTY YEARS AGO
IN THE STAR

In 1uE OlAN
Possibly suggested by similar strike
in New York, the drivers Of the Wash
ington and Georgetown
Street Car Railway Company at this
c%:L. time fifty years ago decided
to quit work until they
were granted an increase of wages from
$3.50 to $3.50 a day. The directors had
passed resolution granting an increase
to S17S day. but, according to The Star
of November D, 1863. this was not salts
factory to the operatives, who. as meet
ing held the night before at the Park
Hotel. voted to strike if their demand
was not granted. At early dawn on Mon
day, the morning of the sd, q. S. Gideon.
the president of the road, was waited
on by a committee Of the strikers and
after hearing their demands he proposed
tnat they go to work at the 81 rate until
the directors could be consulted. The
committee thought this proposition salts
factory, but after conference with a
body of the drivers returned to announce
tions until an employee, not a driver, who
had been suspended for refusal to obey
orders was reinstated. The president
promised to investigate the case and re-
store the man to his position il inius-
tice had been done. This man was a
hostler whose duty it was to change
the horses on the 18th street line. whom
the superintendent had ordered to take
out car on run in place of one Of the
strikers. The men went back to work and
little interruption was suffered in the
operation of the road
The pressure of war prices was felt by
people in all walks of life, and there
was general de-
government mand for higher
Dr. Gel. wages. This af-
~ 0eo1o. fected the govern
ment as well as all private employers.
In The Star of November a, 1868, is
printed the text of a general order is
sued by Secretary Stanton. as follows:
1T being represented that the increas-
ed prices of provisions and necessaries
render it proper and just that there
should be an increased rate of wages for
mechanics, laborers and other employees
whose compensation rs not fixed by law,
it is ordered that the heads Of the re-
Spective bureaus of the War Department
make inquiry and report to this depart
ment a just and reasonable rate of adj
vanced wages that should be paid by the
government at the present time. The ad-
jutant general will communicate this or
der to the heads of bureaus and call
for report.
Grant having assembled his full force
at Chattanooga, it was expected that he
would assume the
Fight Expected offensive without
- further delay, as 1t
upon Burnside at Knoxville. In The Star
of November "a, 1868 is a dispatch from
Cincinnati bringing the word from Chat
tanooga that the battle between Grant
and Bragg was then momentarily ex-
pected. In the same issue is a report OF
Gen. Thomas preliminary movement.
both to ascertain the strength of the enc
my and to occupy two eminences sltu-
ated in front of the federal left, half way
between the Union line and Missionary
ridge. Both objects were accomplished,
and this reconnaissance in force was re-
garded as a complete and brilliant sue
cess. The next day, November %, The
Stars news columns were full Of con-
spicuously headed dispatches from Chat-
tanooga indicating continuously success
full operations under Grant, third edi-
ton issued at o'clock, containing more
glorious news from Chattanooga" to
the effect that Bragg had been forced TO
evacuate the summit of Lookout noun
tain, while further dispatch in the
same edition stated that Missionary
ridge had been occupied as well"
The complete rout of Bragg was
verified the next day, and The Star
of November 81. 1863. con-
ROut Of tains an official dispatch
p from Grant to Halleck stat
oA066' ing that the federal victory
was complete. The following news report
gave interesting details of the fighting:
This glorious army is already again
on the march, in pursuit of the flying
and panic-stricken enemy, though We
are hardly yet but in the first gray of
dawn. Yesterdays work was even
more complete than that of the day
before. Everywhere our admirable
troops went ahead. often at the double
quick They captured bodies of the
enemy in hundreds. if not in thousands
The enemy's army is certainly destroy
ed Wherever we reach portions of 1t
in arms they instantly throw them
down and scatter like frightened sheep,
leaving all their stragglers nearby.
their large number of disconnected VINO
desire to be taken and their wounded
in our hands. They also in the same
manner abandoned artillery ammuni-
ton and transportation. wagons. cais-
sons, knapsacks and everything that
can possibly impede their flight. Their
progress was everywhere lighted by
large fires of their stores OF all de-
scriptions to which they applied the
torch to prevent them from falling
into our hands. They also burned all
bridges they had time to fire before
we were upon them, in the hope OF
Tins DELAYING the impetuosity of the
nursuit What is left of Bragg's boast
ed army is now but panic stricken
moh rushing like a herd of frightened
buffalos and apparently incapable OF
making any further resistance.
At the beginning the street cars were
not operated in this city Sunday. but
eventually the company
M Sunday desired to take the pub
lies nickels and give
Street cars. the public accommoda-
ton in return that day, and applied to
Mayor Wallach for permission to do so.
The mayor replied negatively. as The
Star of November %, 1863, discloses, say
ing:
Il do not find anything in the corpora
ton ordinances that recognizes or applies
to street cars go nomine; but the fifteenth