Evening star., 1916-03-19
FIFTY YEARS AGO
IN THB STAR

1V XAU VIM
After the civil war there was much
counterfeiting in this country, so
much. in fact. that
The Detection Of public confidence in
n.... the integrity OF tho
oo"n'oAAeAss' currency was for
time seriously shaken. As a result Of
this condition. exaggerations Of the
In The Star Of March IS. 1866. is tho
following:
I'VE notice from time to time mis-
ctievous items put afloat calculated to
create uneasiness as to tho extent to
which the currency has been debased
by wholesale operations of counter
feiters. It is true that host OF skilled
counterfeiters are constantly at work
endeavoring to initiate the national
currency. and some of their limitations
are marvelously well done. consider
ing the disadvantageous circumstances
under which these ingenious rascals
do their work in narrow. concealed
quarters. But it Is a fact not SO gen.
orally known to the public that the
system of operations Of the Treasury
detective bureau Is SO well perfected
and on so comprehensive scale
that a counterfeit Is detected almost
nstantaneously on its issue and en-
gravers, 'pushers' and all concerned IN
the particular gang implicated are
pounced upon with almost unerring
precision. 1t would be injudicious 70
explain more in detail the admirao pie
plan of operations by which the de-
tective arm of the Treasury is aoie
fojf xryifh ho OOnvamentS
the counterfeiters. and nip their adroit
schemes of rascality when just opening
into hopeful blossom but the puolc
may rest assured that the career OF
ceedingly brief one. In fact. the mose
dangerous counterfeit plates ever GOT
up, and upon which some OF the oesI
engraving talent in the world has peen
Woods agents before a single note
printed from them had been put in Gil.
culation. much to the discontinue OF
the accomplished counterfeiters VINO
some reason. upon reaping a rich mar
vest for their labors. Thus. the gang
who. by one of the best managed
schemes in the history OF coun.sfrel,tv ssina y
perfect one-hundred-d dollar compound
interest note did not earn their salt
for their pains. and the plate Wnlch
cost them so much skillful manlpula-
in the possession of the detective bu-
reau, the public will breathe easier TO
know. OF course. with the temptation
afforded by the large amount OF cur
terfeiting will go on. but. as apove
stated, the counterfeiters will hnd that
they can no longer push enough OF
their stuff into circulation to make IL
paying business.
The second failure of the Atlantic
cable enterprise made many people feel
that electrical COM
A+1on+;o r.h1. munication between
Europe and America
Enterprise. was impos ssf bl e.
Faith in the project. however. was not
DESTROYED on the part of those who
backed it, and preparations were soon
made for the resumption Of the work.
In The Star of March II. 1866. is this
news item:
The preparations for laying the At
lantic cable during the ensuing sum-
mer have been recommended IN Eng
land. AS before, the Great Eastern,
commanded by Capt. Anderson. VIII De
employed The new cable is Identical
in construction with the last, except IT'S
outer wires, which are galvanized, Will
be closely covered with Manila hemp.
and 1t bears a strain of from Is hun
dredweight to a ton more than that OIL
last year. About $50 miles of the cable
have been made. and the manufacture
will proceed at the rate OF 100 miles per
week Early in June the Great Eastern
will leave Ealentia with the new cable
on board and again endeavor to lay II
in the Atlantic to Newfoundland II
this effort be successful the great
steamer, having taken in a supply OF
coal. will return to the midatlantic to
grapple for the last lost cable, the To-
cality of which can be ascerta1ned
within a quarter of a mile. TWO otnef
vessels will be provided with scientih-
cally constructed graphing apparatus.
which. ii is calculated, will bring the
cable to the surface if once it be laid
hold of. The attempt will be to grapple
it in three places. at Intervals OF ABOUT
two miles. When recovered, a mes.
cable to VaIentia, to test its electrical
condition. and if this be good it will
be spliced onto that part or the old
cable which remained on board the
Great Eastern after last years raliure.
and the mammoth steamer Will then
proceed back to Newfoundland. try
ing to lay a second subatlantic tele-
graph. OF course. many casualties may
interfere with these arrangements and
projects, but at present what we have
gram for 1866
During the civil war Washington was
surrounded with forts for the protec-
tion of the capital
Dismantling from INVASION After
the they were
Local Forts. eradualIv dismant1ed
of Sopoa of
them are to be found now in the
suburbs of the city and form land
marks of interest to students of the
civil war period. In The Star of March
Il, 1866, is the following item about
the abandonment of some of these
forts:
Maj. Gen. Augur yesterday issued an
order to dismantle the following forts
of the defenses north of the Potomac:
Forts Carroll, Stanton. Baker. Mahan.
Lincoln, Totten, Slocum. Stevens. Reno
and Sumner. He has directed all ord
nance and ordnance stores to be turned
w, lit, al 40