Evening star., 1913-04-06
FIFTY YEARS AGO
In THE STAR

At this time fifty years ago the fire
engine companies of the District of CO.
iumbia We're on the
Local Fire volunteer basis. uhich
u.ror+uar+ generally prevailed
PN s throughout -Apericen
cities then. In The
Star Of March 81. 1868. is a news re-
port of a regular monthly meeting of the
fire department" held at the. hall of
the Perseverance Engine Company. The
president, Mr.. Sessford Of the Franklin.
presided. Chief Engineer Peabody's re-
port recited the condition OF the appara-
tus Of the various companies. the Colum-
bia, the Franklin, the Anacostia, the
Perseverance, the Western Hose and the
Metropolitan and American Hook and
Ladder The chief called attention to the
need Of a. central alarm beD and the,
adoption .nfs- means of giving general
alarm. to prevent. the sounding Of false
alarm. During the preceding month nine
!, alarms of fire had occurred, four of which
were false. One off the remainder was
from a foul chimney; one from setting
OF fireworks, one in Georgetown and two
actual fires in Washington, AS a result Of
the report of the chief engineer rhes Co.
luimbia, Ffanklin and ARaeostia. CONF
panies were fined for thea sounding of
false alarms A. committees composed OF
the presidents of the different COMPANIES
was appointed to wait OF. Che authorities
and ascertain whether it wasscontemplAte
to raise the Statue of Freedom on the
dome of the Capitol on the Fourth ! of
July, and if such was the case to make
arrangements for a general parade Of the
department on the occasion.
I x. s.
On the night of, the 31st of March; 1863.
a great union meeting was held in the
Union resentatives under the
Maa+;rn, auspices of a committee
4 appointed by the CITY,
councils. consisting of A. c.. Richards,
George H. Plant James Gordon, William
Murtagh. Robert T. Knight and Asbury
Lloyd. In The Star of April 1 is three
column report of the occasion. The
Marine Band was. in attendance. The
House was filled to overflowing. and
supplementary meeting was held. in the
Senate chamber. The meeting in the
House was called to order by. A.sC. Rich
ards,s and was presided over by Mayor
Waliach. Rev. Byron Sunderland offered
prayer After the pFesentati tien of resolu-
tions by EX-Gov. Bibb of Ohio and Alder
Representative Greene Adams of Ken.
tucky, in the course of whose remarks
President Lincoln and members of bis
cabinet arrived: Admiral Foote, in behalf
of Admiral, Shubrick; Judge D. K Cart
ter, Horace Maynard of Tennessee, Gov
Andrew johnson Of Tennessee and f. c.
Darlington. :, ,.
=
SO wholesome an effect was produced
by the parade of two pickpockets along
= Pennsylvania savenuel III
More Rogues March, 1865 that the
E provost, marshal decided
~UcpoEteu. to endeavor to clean up
the city of rogues of alf sorts. by extend
ing this. method Of treatment. In The
star Of April 8. 1863. is an account Of
another parade and deportation:
.'The parties We're fixed up in the same
style as the two who were .paraded some
time since, large red placards bearing
the words .Pickpocket" and thief in
black letters being posted on. their hats
and backs and they were all handcuffed.
A guard Of sixteen. men escorted them
and they were followed siby a. corps OK
drummers playing The Rogues' March,;
Eight men thus placarded were marched
from the guardhouse up 9th street to
the north side Of Pennsylvania avenue,
thence along by the different hotelF to
10Th. street. down the west side Of 18th
street to g and to 18th street and back
to the guardheiise. where they sweSe a6iHsI
ed by those coming under the bad or
vagrants,s and the whole party GENT to-
the railFOads station. The procession at
tracted a large crowd of spectators ana
- xx,;$ hot he rd- -onr1ld
move along with their prisoners. Most
of them walked along with no look OF
shame and seemed rather proud that
such honors were being paid to- them;
but few had their hats carefully drawn
over their eyes and one, whom We UNDER
stood to be Musgrove IA pfckpockeO, had
his shawl over his face. Some Of them
seemed to be very young. one or two
apparently not above sixteen years OF
age On the return to the guardhouse
the crowd, which had been considerably
augmented on the route, densely crowded
the street in front of the building and
the paraded parties were drawn up in
line. They expressed themselves as to-
tally disghstedl with the parade; and were
very anxious that the placards should
be taken off them; but the officers We're
inexorable and with the splacards still
attached to their persons the line of
march was taken UP to the depot. having
received reinforcement of vagrants.
On starting, the prisoners in the guard
house who were in a position to see
them from the front windows cheered
them Justify. The party, numbering
fourteen altogether, were put on board
the afternoon train for the north
X
The north looked for important results
from the operations of the Army of the
Pot o m a during the
Army Of the spring and summer of
49, 1863. OF course. the
1oeoAnoo' Gettysburg mpaign
was not anticipated and it was thought
that this army, under the command of
Maj. Gen. Hooker, would carry the war
vigorously into the enemy's country, in
stead of being called upon to defend the
north from invasion, under the leader
ship of another commander. In The Star
of April 3, 1868. is printed the text of an
order issued by the commander for q
general muster of the Army Of the
Potomac on the 10th of April
In The Star of April 4. 1863, is a news
paragraph telling as follows of the work
on the new ordnance
Ordnance foundry at the navy
Foundry. the su. present sas 'eaeeunnef faetory'
sTha work on the new ordnance folln- |