Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-11-28
FIFTY YEARS AGO
IN THE STAR

IN THE STAR
The granting of pardons to partici-
pants in the rebellion formed a large
part of the government
Pardon Issue business in Washington
c., half a century ago. The
issuance of these par
dons. however. was suspended for a
time, as noted in the following item in
The Star of November %. 1865:
Comparatively few applica tions for
pardons are now coming in at the At
torney Generals office. some days none
being received. never more than 800.
Some time since. it will be recollected.
the President directed the suspension
of the issue of pardon warrants except
by special orders. In obedience to those
instructions the Attorney General SIM
ply examines the cases and forwards
such as might be favorably acted upon
to the State Department, where an i'm
mense quantity have accumulated Yes
terday the President ordered that no
more acquisitions be issued from the
Attorney Generals office. thus, for the
present, suspendng most of the pardon
business of that department Abou,
10000 pardons have been granted under
the amnesty proclamation. These in
clude IS from the District of Columbia
about 100 from Florida and 200 from
Maryland. the number to each state in
creasing In the following order: Mis-
souri,. Arkansas. Kentucky, Louisiana
Texas, Tennessee. Mississippi. South
r
bama and Virginia, the last three hav-
ing about 1000, $500 and 5000, re-
spectively. The suspension of pardons
is understood to be occa stoned by the
fragrant breach of faith committed by
the amnestied, who pledged themselves
to good behavior, and who, upon their
return south, continued their seditious
practices
The Board of Trade organized in the
fall of 1865, soon became a going con-
cern,' and took I'M
Plan to Clean the der consideration
River Channel. i n,a.s,s oi ~ ' %ha
Star of November 90, 1865, is a news
with the following message:
"A communication was received from
DR.. r. Finley Hunt. formerly city sur
veyor, making suggestions in relation to
the Improvement of the river channel He
recommends, as the only means of pre-
venting the permanent destruction of the
washington and Georgetown channel, and
also as a sanitary measure, the building
of wall or breakwater whose curves
shall be reverse of that taken by the
current Of the river in its detection from
the shore at Easbys shipyard, commenc-
ing from some point at or near the foot
OF Analostan Island, and continuing until
Its tangent will be a tangent to the curve
which the Washington shore makes be-
tween the Long bridge and the arsenal
wharf. The effect of building this wall
would be to throw the current of the
Potomac directly from the foot of Ana
lostan Island to the Washington shore
at the Long bridge. and thence along the
shore to and past the mouth of the East
ern branch. All along this line the cur
rent would wash out the soft alluvial de-
post and give us a channel about a thou
sand feet wide and from fifteen to twenty
I'VE rect deep The channel of the
river being so much deepened at the mouth
of the canal. the deposit with which the
canal is filled would in the course OF
time drift out and be carried down the
river. or, if once removed by dredging
would not be replaced
The streets of Washington were in a
sad condition fifty years ago owing to
numerous excavations
dangerous incident to public and
Tv,o,+;. private works attend
ant upon the decided
development of the city Immediately
following the close of the war. In The
Star of November "a, 1865, is the fol-
lowing item: ts
AT the present time. when there are
so many excavations in the streets OF
the city, the contractors and workmen
should he very careful that the trenches
are well secured against the possibility
OF accidents to man or beast. In fact
law of the corporation imposes a fine
upon persons for leaving excavations
unguarded, and yet persons employed
on corporation work think themselves
exempt from the penalty when they
violate the law. Justice Thompson cor
rected this error in the case of per-
son who said he would not pay even
If fined, because he was an employe OF
the corporation. He was fined never
theless, and the fine was suspended"
= X
From time to time the suggestion OF
the removal OIL tHe 1aDltOl from w ASH
ington was heard
Capital moving and it is interesting
c,4: to find in The Star
ou5Ses'ion' of November 25, 1865
the following extract from the New
York Express:
Amusing to hear the Pennsylvanians
talk about removing the National Cap
ital to Philadelphia. Congress will
never consent to remove the capital to
this if nothing else. But should the
capital ever be removed, which is not
proba BILE in this generation, it will go
as far west as Cincinnati, at least. For
twenty-siX years prior to 1890 Con-
gress held their sessions in Philadel-
phia. The First Congress assembled in
Philadelphia at Carpenters hall, Sep
TENDER l, 1TTi-two years before the
Declaration of Independence. The indie
pendence of the thirteen colonies from
the rule of Great Britain was declared in
Philadelphia July 4. l776, and the capt.
tai continued to be located there for near
ly a quarter of century thereafter
When once removed. il was removed for
ever.
!: <
the following item relative to the con-
pletion of the work OF
Ford Theater transforming the Ford
n.,, Theater building. where
ouiioiH5' Lincoln was shot into a
government office: Mr. Dunbar. the con-
tractor, has finished his job and deliv-
cred the building into possession of the
pn o