Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-11-19
FIFTY YEARS Ago
IN THE STAR

The great meteoric shower scheduled
for the night of November 10. 1855.
failed to appear in
No Meteors Washington. greatly
to the disappointment
seen Here. of many who remain
ed on the streets for hours after dark.
The Star of November IA, 1856. says
quite a large number of our citi-
zens who did not wish to miss such a
magnificent spectacle as the meteoric
shower was expected to be. IL 1t
equaled the grand display of 1893. feel
sadly disappointed at having lost two
nights rest, with only a stray aerolite
occasionally seen through the darkness
to recompense them. We can only
console them by repeating our state
ment of some days since that the phe-
nomenon might occur in the daytime
or be witnessed from the other side of
the globe. Europe or Asia might have
been favored localities on this occasion.
At any rate. the meteors observed here
for the last two nights do not much
exceed, if any. the number visible an
! nually at this season on any clear
night"
The assumption that the meteoric
shower might have been visible else
where was confirmed by a cablegram
printed in The Star the day following
from Greenwich, England. stating that
a great shower was observed. 5000
meteors falling in one hour, "illuminat-
ing the whole heavens: they were red,
blue, green, orange and amber: one of
1 a n ri hfta 1aff n q m
visible for a minute and a half"
The so-called city drift of the popula-
| ton in this country has been a serious
problem for many years.
Cifv nr;f+ 1t was in evidence soon
after the civil war in con-
1iopiem. sequence of the general re-
adjustments following that great disturb
ance In The Star of November Is, 1855,
is the following on the subject:
Census statistics lately prepared show
the rapid growth of most OF our Amer1-
can cities. the ratio of increase OF popui
lation being far greater than in the rural
districts This is one of the most potent
causes of the high prices Of living in our
cities particularly those along the sea
board. The building of new houses does
not keep pace with the growth of popula
ton ard rents go M. while the increased
demand for provisions for the newcomers
is not met by corresponding increase OF
| the supply. and prices are enhanced This
is the case whenever the hummer of con-
sumers is augmented in greater pronor-
ton than the number of producers. Why
there should be such a rush to our cities
while there is freedom, health, fresh air.
labor at remunerative wages and room
to live in the country we cannot under
stand. And for young men, what a field
of enterprise is omen in the great west
Land can be bought in most of the new
states at rates which will enable the moor
est man almost to purchase a homestead.
farming indictments are cheap. labor is
easily procured and the entire capital re-
uuired to ena hle coiIra geous energetic
ente-prisine laborine man to take A f-esl,
start in the world need not exceed p
few thousand dollars. and that ought to he
easily accomplished by 'associa ton with
others. after the manner of the building
societies. Colorado. Montana. Nebra ska
Dakota and even Missouri and Iowa hold
out many tempting inducements. In Cali
fornia, stran~e as It seems. the prices of
living about 20 per cent cheaper than
in New York. Philadelphia. Boston and
WASHINGTON while the average ro+e OF
wa yes IN those ci'ies is from 20 to % rer
cent lower than those raid on the Pacific
coast. Not only Young r,en. but others
of small means and 1a-re families shouId
not hesitate in transferring their labor
and enterprise from an unreraunerativa
market to fields whera there is lass COM
rat'tion. and whore the hatt1a Of life in
othe~ resnncts. NAV be waged with bet
ter hope of success"
On this point of the cost of living it is
interesting to note that at this time
fifty wears ago a downward
Falling movement had begun. In The
Star of November II, 1866, is
AAeS' the following:
"A few days since, under the head of
Meat and Bread we spoke of the fall in
price of those essential articles and we
now notice 2 decline in sugar and some
other commodities, including dry goods,
which are going down with a run In
Fart. there is a regular breakdown in the
Eev Ycr'- dry goods markets In add
ton to this. gold is tending downward
and all the Indicators noint to a col
lapse. more or less gradual of the present
ineation. Two causes seem tn be oper-
"a inc n Nm ba o6x,