Evening star., 1914-08-16
FIFTY YEARS AGO
In THE STAR

xN XUu OXdW
was greatly troubled during the civil
war by the frequency
Oou0teTfetterS with which it, cur
r., rency issues were
SsP'e~' countsrfeited. large
numbers OF spurious notes circulating
throughout the north and causing q seri-
ous loss Of confidence. In The Star OF
August g. 1884. 10 q news article telling OF
makers:
Of United States government notes. ar
rived In this city from st. Louis. where
they had been captured several days ago
by Col Baker. chief OF military detec-
| lives. and corps OF assistants. They
were all committed to the Old Capitol
prison. Greenback manufactoriss Of the
denominations Of $50. so and so and
hfty-cent currency notes were discovered
at st. Louis. Covington. KY. and Nauvoo.
Ill. while the principal establishment was
at Indianapolis. whore an entire family
Of six or seven persons was engaged in
which are all good limitations Of the gen.
uine ones. the paper. however. being In
ferior. Plates. eleven presses. paper. ink.
etc. and dies for forging nve-cent metal
lie pieces. the latter being circulated In
Mexico and other countries, were also
captured. A very large quantity Of the
spurious paper has been secured and u
In Washington. Much Of the same manu.
l Ga
OF soldiers in the west. agents for its sale
and circulation being established in vAri-
Gus localities. The precise extent Of the
fraud IL not yet known, but 1t Is believed
millions OF the counterfeits are in cir
culation. This Is certainly one Of the most
important arrests OF the kind that has
ever been made in the country, for but
for the discovery Of the fraudulent trans
actions the government might have been
seriously injured in its monetary Affairs
been the greatest sufferers. There were
seventeen in all arrested. but one Of them
managed to escape from the train between
Altoona and Harrisburg. A passenger
who was on the train informs Us that the
guard fell into a doze and the counter
feiter slipped the irons from his wrist and
subsequently from his feet and leaped
from the train while 1t was in motion %
AZ
| Ou tne n8n1 OF august T. 1854, nre
occurred In the flour and feed store OF
l. P. W. Dorsey. on
New Fire System 7th street between
in Operation. .nresa,nx y sau = to .n ~a,.a. sa.
Jacent dwelling, caused serious destruc-
ton and the death OF Josiah Egleson,
caught under a falling wall. Tho next
day The Star said:
"a noticeable change for the better
was to be seen last night in the manner
In which the work Of suppressing the
fire on 7th street was carried on under the
new system now Just going into effect
It looks like business. Everything me-
thodical and without any OF the old-tame
collisions, profanities. stone and pistol
battles. rowdy.sm and confusion that
have hitherto been the inseparable con-
4 comitants of q fire. The steady and un-
wearying chug. chug Of the steam en-
gtnes, pouring their remorseless stream
upon the bafi1ed flames. was the agree
able sound taking the place OF the So
well-remembered and dreaded curses and
yelis and fusillades Of pistol shots, with
out which the bhoys seemed to think I,
quite impossible to work at a fire. When
I the city shall be in the possession OF ttz
own steam engines and the new system d
fairly fnauEurated we shall be astonished
that We ever tolerated the wretched old
concern which was at the same time &c
turbulent and 80 inefficient. disappointed
aspirants for positions In the new organi-
cation and those who are governed In
their action by the selfish consideration
that steam fire engines have no votes
may endeavor for q time to embarrass
the Commissioners, but the public 10 fully
determined never to go back to the
wretched old system, and such opposition
must necessarily soon die out"
| It appears however, that the 7th street
fire was not without some of the old
time disorder, for the news report sayl
that while the Anacostia hose reel waz
standing without guard near the Northern
Market some scoundrels took possession
Of 1t and ran 1t down to the canal u
the foot of 9th street and pitched 1t over
board" The next morning three men
were In court on this charge. but az the
evidence was not sufficient to sustain the
accusation Of throwing the reel into ths
canal they were fined only IS each for dis
orderly conduct.
,..'--.. ''. -
Northern attention. concentrated FOR
some months on the operations around
| Richmond. were --As
Union Campaign this time nifty YEAR,
| ,r.r ago distracted to- the
d AAooAAe' campaign a n n
Mobile. In Tho Star Of August II. 1854.
is the following: :
| "It must be some time hence ore w
have Union accounts Of our late successes