Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-10
FIFTY YEARS AGO
In THB STAR

| FIFTY years ago the hours Of labor
were much longer than At present. but
! already movement
| Efght-HOu was under way to
| -. shorten the days task
Star Of October 1. 1855. IL the follow
ing news item:
| 'The Trades Union Association Of
Baltimore had . great demonstration
last night In favor Of the eight-hour
movement. A large concourse Of peo-
pie assembled at Monument Square.
where a stand sufficiently large to seat
100 persons had been erected. This
was decorated with national flags and
appropriate devices and was occupied
by the officers OF the various associa-
lions. The meeting was organized by
the election Of William Gathers. presi-
dent: and q number Of vice presidents.
Resolutions were adopted declaring
eight hours to be q legal days work;
expressing sympathy with and promis-
| ing assistance to all honorable efforts
to establish the eight-hour system
Throughout the civilised world; recon-
mending the appointment of commit
tee, consisting Of one from each ward
and election district. to form eight
hour leagues In each ward and district
of the city of Baltimore and state OF
Maryland, and that they unite and act
| in concert with other leagues and or
ganixations throughout the country In
agitating the subject and spreading
correct information among the people
and also proposing that before voting
for any candidate for legislative posi-
tion they demand his pledge to sustain
the eight-hour system by his vote In
the halls Of legislation: After the
adoption Of the resolution speeches
were made by Donald McCathran Of
the Washington board Of aldermen.
Jonathan c. Fincher Of Philadeiphia-"
| Not until some time after the civil
war were the real estate deeds on file
| in the ofice of the re-
Deed Indexes corder. then called reg
| ~, lister, so indexed as to
@see""' be practically available
for reference. In The Star Of October
/ Z, 1865, Is the following article on the
subject:
| I'VE are glad to see that the alder
men have passed the bill making an
appropriation for the proper indexing
Of deeds at the registers ONCE and hope
the lower board will promptly give
their assent to the measure. The pres
emit condition of the indexes Is exceed
ingly' dfscreditables,4 to the cities Of
county. 1t really seems as II they had
been kept in their present imperfect,
mutilsted condition for the sole benefit
| Of the lawyers. throwing the whole
title into their hands. for 1t is notorious
that none but a legal expert. and an ex-
lperienced real estate lawyer at that,
can pick his way through the present
records. To all others they are seal
ed book. a fact specially onerous to the
Is Obliged to give a quarter as much
| more, or SIS, to a lawyer to ascertain
II the title IL good.
The present indexes are generally
copies or old indexes, which were very
imperfect. as law examiners are well
aware. Nearly all of the present In
dexes are in q worn and dilapidated
condition. Parts of letters. or even en-
tire TIRE letter. na. are missing. having been
are more or less torn and oblterated.
There 10 no regular index referring to
iiner and folio from about July, 1852. to
The project of sale Of the Ford The.
ater building, where President Lincoln
Remodelins Youas M.a.s
fords Theater. G t;an t.,, t n.soe'.-
and eventually the government bought
the structure for its own uses. In The
Star of October z. 1855. 10 a description
of the work that was under way for
| the Transformation of the theater into
a public office:
The work Of Transforming Ford's
Theater into dreproof building for
the reception OF the archives Of the
Confederate government is well under
way and the contractors expect to have
the improvements completed in about
four weeks. All the woodwork In the
interior Of the building has been torn
out and the lower floor (parquette) has
been arched. on which will be brick
pavement. On this floor sixteen plain
iron columns are set and support the
iron beams from which the masons are
springing arches for the second floor.
The same number OF columns will sup
port the third moor. The height of the
the two others each fifteen feet, light
ed by windows in the east wall and the
skyltght In the roof The adjoininr
building Is not included in the contract
as a sort of reception room It will
connect with the main building by FIRE
proof doors on each floor. The entrance
to the building will be about where tn
box Office was formerly and in the
southwest corner there will be an iron
staircase leading to the upper storie-
The contract was awarded to Mr. Dun
bar Of Brooklyn. N. r. who is doing
the brickwork, and the iron work was
by the Architectural iron works Of
New York. who have already the great
err portion OF the material on the
ground. which Is being put in place un-
der the superintendence Of Mr.. James
Wood. The box in which the ever-to-
aforementioned tragedy was enacted
has been preserved entire and will b.
placed as near as possible In its former
position
After the capture Of Jefferson Davis
reports were rife throughout the north
that an immense sum Of
Jeh Davis money had been taken
r,.., from his baggage. This
AIeasuIe. treasure grew in the pub
lie Imagination. In The Star of Octo-
Der .. 1865. is the following news ar
ticle relating to 1t. giving It's exact
value:
Tho treasure captured among Jef
Davis effects by Maj. Gen. Wilson's
forces in Georgia and brought here by
Mr.. Twombley Of the redemption bu-
reau Of the Treasury has been counted
at the cashiers room Of the Treasury
It amounts to $87,S78 in gold. mostly |