Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-11-05
FIFTY YEARS ago
IN THE STAR

When President Lincoln was shot in
the old Ford Theater building. on 10th
street. the government
Ford Theater took possession of the
structure and even
ooAns. tually bought it for its
Offices In The Star of October 80. 1866,
is an item relative to the completion of
this work. with a reference to a weak
ness of one of the walls. which is of
interest in view Of the collapse Of the
building twenty-six years later. in
1892, in the course of second recon-
struction, causing the death of many
persons:
For several months the quartermas-
,ter's department has been engaged in
fitting up the building formerly known
rapidly prepared for use as the Office
of the surgeon general, the records of
which Office will. 1t is thought, be re-
1t will be recollected that the first work
done on the building when the govern
ment decided to lease or purchase 1t
was to place these floors in it and
make it flreproof. This was done by
placing iron beams in 1t resting on
columns and springing arches for the
floors. The first and second stories of
the theater building may be occupied
by the clerks of the surgeon generals
Office, while the upper story will be
used as the United States Army Medi-
cal Museum. When the government
took possession of the building it was
found that the front wall was insecure,
and the quartermaster general. after
giving it an examination, ordered it to
be torn down and rebuilt"
X y
The following description OF the OBJ
servance fifty years ago of All-Hal1ow-
Eve printed in The Star
Halloween of October 81. 1866, shows
that there has been a
1A@''i'es' change in the customs on
this occasion, and that the masquerade
features that are now the most con-
spicuous items of the observance were
not then known:
ION -Ha1low-Eve the young folks
are accustomed to try their fortunes
in various modes, the main object OF
their peep into the future being gen.
orally in connection with their matri-
ing an eggshe1l full of salt and then
retiring backwards to bed. when. II
they do not speak to any one, they
will dream of their future partner; or
filling the mouth with water and the
hand full of salt and running around
the square, any name they have called
being that of the prospective husband.
Peculiarly the hours are given to coy
little gatherings of intimate friends,
among whom innocent guests and live
ly repartee circle gayly around. Nuts
are burned, apple parings are twfrled
into semf-initials, seeds are absorbing
ly counted and all the gay trials are
couple and. mayhap. quite unappreci-
ated by the unsympathizing single
bodies of an uncertain age: Young
America robs cabbage gardens and
throws his captured vegetables into
the doors of his neighbors or ties them
up to the knob, which he considers
capital joke"
The projected New York ashington
steamship line, though regarded as of
assured value to the
TIL. pro;.otad people of this region,
was slow in attracting
0IeameIS. investors fifty years
ago. In The Star of November 2.
1866, is an account of meeting of
subscribers to stock of the line. held
the night before in the Board of Trade
rooms:
'.It was stated that about SAT, 900 OF
the $4,000 required Tor the ps..ict
quota had been subscribed. Complaint
was made by gentlemen who had m
terested themselves in forwarding TINS
great enterprise of the apathy exhfolt-
ed by the people OF washington IN re.
gard to It, One of our active business
men. who has labored Zealously in can
wasting to get the requisite subscrip-
ton, said he was footsore and heart-
sore with the work Of tramping about
making fruitless appeals to the public
spirit Of citizens in behalf of an enter
prise that promised much for our
prosperity After some discussion 1t
was held to be inadvisable to under,
take an organization until the full
here, SO that the controlling influence
should be held in the District beyond
peradventure. If. in a community OF
10000 Inhabitants. we cannot raise
$4,000 for so desirable result. we may
as well lay us down to sleep the sleep
of the dead"
The reference in the preceding item
to the population of the District lends
especial interest to the fol-
n;e+r;o+ lowing printed in The Star
of November 3, 1856, CIV
CensuS. ing the result of late
government census of the capital:
'By request of the bureau of statis-
tics of the Treasury Department. the
assistant assessors of internal revenue
have been collecting data to ascertain
the taxable population of the District
of Columbia for the present year. They
have lust completed their labors and
the following interesting results have
been obtained: The entire number OF
dwelling houses in the District is as
certaiued by actual count to be 19,022
The entire population of the District IS
set down at 122, 1867, divided as follows:
Washington, 102. 612; Georgetown, IA
632: county, 5.623 1t will be seen that
the population of the Districts cities
has not fallen off since the close of the
war to the extent generally supposed.
The fact that there Is scarce vacant
dwelling in the city bears testimony
in the same direction. AS this IS the
slack season. during the congressional
recess. the above may be put down as
a permanent population, or as nearly
80 as a population made up largely OF
government employees can be consid-
cred"
The idea of apartment dwellings was
Just coming into consideration in this
country half century
Anor+,r.,+ ago. In The Star OF
n