Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-23
FIFTY YEARS AGO
In The STAR

II QlO not take long Tor the employees Oh
the Washington and Georgetown Railway
Company. which started
Street Car operation in the fall of
m 1862, to get into the way
of all such organizations.
In ,TheeStar of March 16, 1853, is the fol-
lowing news story:
"On Saturday evening Mr. Charles A.
Lttlejohn, starter of the Washington
and Georgetown railway in Georgetown.
was presented by the conductors and
drivers with a magnificent gold badge as
a token Of their esteem. The badge Is in
the shape of shield. is of solid gold
about an inch and a half deep and has
in the center representation OF a car
and horses, above 1t being the clasped
hands of friendship. The name Charles
A. Littlejohn, Starter is engraved on the
upper part, and below is the inscription
Presented by the Conductors and Drivers
of the w. and r. c. r. c., March To-;
1885, The presentation took place at the
Federal House, Georgetown, and the
badge was presented on the part OF the
donors by Mr.. A. B. Benner In q neat
speech, which was replied to by X a..
Griffin, on the part of Mr.. LittleJohn,
who received the testimonial. The COM
pany afterward sat down to a. handsome
supper prepared by the proprietors or the
Federal House, after which numDer
of toasts were proposed and appropriate
~ responded to. Among them were the
following: Mr.. Littlejohn-may he in the
future, as in the past, belle his name
and always be as large In our hearts as
fections as In size The conductoI-Lhe
slave of the public; the drlver-the save
of the BELL Before separating COM
mittee was appointed to consider the
lspropriety Of forming a Passenger. Kan.
way Relief Association for the relief or
sick and needy members and their
families.
4
During the civil war the excise problem
was difficult of solution because the city
was full of soldiers and
Excise camp followers bfbulous7
~ inclined whose indui-
fledge. gences at times tempted
license holders to overstep the mark OF
the regulations. The matter was nnaiiy
taken up by the provost marshal and IN
The Star Of March II, 1868, is the text or
pledge required by that ohcer OF ali
hotel and restaurant keepers:
I'VE, the undersigned. licensed of and
by the corporation of the city of Wash
ington to sell spirituous liquors, wines
and ales. in consideration of the modifi-
cation by the provost marshal of TINS city
of the restrictions and regulations now
in force regulating the sale of the same,
do hereby severally pledge ourselves not
to sell or give or to permit to be SOLD
or given on our premises any liquors,
either spirituous or malt, to any voiun-
teer or enlisted man, or to any person
wearing the uniform of a volunteer or
1icfo of q of the United
States, and that We will strictly comply
with the ordinance in regard to the sale
of liquors on Sunday. and. we severally
make this pledge with the full under
standing and consent that in case OF any
infraction or violation of it on our part.
individually or otherwise, that our liquors.
wines and ales be seized and confiscated,
our licenses forfeited and not to be re-
newed during the existing rebellion.
Washingtonians were not SO intent upon
the happenings in the field of military
operations but that they
Freak could not pause to look
u with interest at the spec
"an' tacle of a man walking
I'D and down on a sixteen-inch plank.
That thrilling spectacle proved sufficient
ly fascinating fifty years ago to cause a
veritable blockade OF traffic on Pennsyl-
vania avenue. In The Star of March 10,
1863. is the following:
Jack Cross yesterday commenced at
Woodward's building, Pennsylvania ave-
nue. between 10th and 18th streets, the
great feat of walking forty-eight consecu-
tive hours on plank 10 feet in length. IL
inches wide and elevated feet from the
floor. The pedestrian is a young man,
twenty-seven years of age, about five feet
eight or nine inches high and endowed
with a fine muscular development.
1.-The plank on which he walks is chalk
ed and is set at such distance from the
wall as to preclude any possibility oil
obtaining the least support This is the
first time. We are informed, that pedes-
trian has ever attempted to walk the
same length of time on plank of the
size of that on which Cross walks and
without support of some kind on either.
side He has thus far walked incessant-
ly, and up to the hour of this writing
0O15 o'clock a.m.) with apparent ease
and with no evidence of WEAKNESS. His
legs and ankles are pliabie and there is
no evidence of stiffness or swelling. The
judges are Capt. King, Maj. Thorn, j.
Allen and - Monte.th, selected by the
parties making the wager, and they keep
him at work continually. He takes his
food, which is very light. while walking.
and is allowed no other nourishment eX
cept at times small quantity of brandy
and water. He varies his gait. at times
moving very slowly and then changing to
half run What makes this feat the
more difficult is the shortness of the
plank. which compels him to turn so
often Cross is, already somewhat noted
as a pedestrian, having walked from
New York to Troy, Rochester and other
cities He will complete his engagement
at 4 O'Clock tomorrow afternoon"
Cross finished his task in the presence
of crowd which packed the establish
ment and overlooked into the street.
Shortly before the time elapsed bet of
500 was made that Cross could walk
another hour beyond his limit, and this
he accomplished. During the last hour
he was so. nearly exhausted that it was
at times necessary to arouse him and
keep him moving by slapping and pinch
ing him.
The reorganization of the, District jul
dietary. under new act Of Congress,
was effected at this time fifty
District years ago. Failure of the
~. Senate to confirm the ap-
0ooA'' pointment of Judge Andrew
Wylie as member of this court had
caused some delay, but he was afterward
reappointed by the President and his
commission was issued to him in regu-
lar form. In The Star of March 80. 1883,
is note stating that there was consid-
cradle rivalry for the position of clerk
of the court between John A Smith, who
had held the Office under the old organ