Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-05-28
FIFTY YEARS AGO
IN THE STAR

In l1E DIAN
movement was under way here nifty
years ago to increase the pay of the
police force. which was alb
Police surdly undercompensated con-
n sidering the work that was
accomplished. In The Star of
May "a. 1856. is the following on this
subject
The members of the metropolita n
police have recently made application
to Congress for an increase of pay.
their present compensation being but
$50 per month, two-thirds of which is
paid by the government and the other
third by the corporations of the District
and 1t will be very gratifying to all
our citizens should Congress grant
their petition. AS a class we are sure
that our force will compare favora bly,
with any other force in the country
no one will deny. and when 1t is recol-
lected that during the last year 26,47S
arrests were made by them. the entire
number of patrolmen being but $50,
some idea of their onerous duties may
be formed. 1t should also be borne in
mind that since the commencement OF
the war many of the very worst char
acters in the country have established
themselves here. and that much atten-
ton has to be paid them. The detec-
tive branch of the police here will also
compare with the same branch in other
q 10, h,,% hat
they are to be found engaged in ar
resting thieves. hunting stolen prop
erty. etc. In New York there were
last year 6S,773 arrests by 1,772 patrol
men, the average to each man being
50; 6S1 by 10 detectives. averaging 80
to each. who recovered $27o,O11. so
worth of property-$14,21 to each. In
Baltimore 5,5SS arrests by 800 patrol
men, 81 to each: III arrests by de-
tectives. "a each, who recovered $32,-
3ss worth of property-$s17s by each
In this city the average number OF
arrests by patrolmen was 17S each;
739 arrests by 6 detectives. 1913 each;
S122,S00 worth of property recovered
averaging s2o.46e each
An important reform in patent print
ing was established about this time
fifty years ago as noted in
A Patent The Star of May 25, 1866
DE-. as follows:
Commissioner Theaker
is making some alterations in the form
of the patents issued from the patent
Office to inventors. which will greatly
improve the appearance of that instru.
ment. bringing 1t into a heater form
and considerably abridging the amount
of labor to be expended in it's prepare
ton. 1t is intended to reduce the size
of the instrument from I5x2O inches to
l0x15 inches. thus rendering it of a
more convenient size for mailing The
present large vignette of the patent
Office would be replaced by a much
smaller view of the patent Office, sur
rounded by small medallion engravings
representing the advancement made in
machinery in the present century-all
to be engraved in the highest style
of the art and printed on parchment
paper. The seal of the patent Office
instead of the words Seal of the paten,
Office will hereafter contain u
S. patent Office. and the sentence
below it, 'Countersigned and sealed
be omitted. The specifications for the
patentee and the bound record in the
Office will be printed instead Of writ
ten. as now. Another important i'm
provement is in the manner of insert
ing the drawing. which is required tc
be 10x15 inches in dimensions. In the
present form Of patent the drawing
cannot be neatly inserted, but in the
form proposed it can be adjusted with
neatness and precision. These changes
can be made. the commissioner thinks
without additional expense to the gov
-
credit to the Office and to this gov
eminent when sent abroad
The intention Of the government hall
century ago with respect to the tria
of jefferson Davis wa.
Gossip About a matter of much un-
Davis Trial. certainty, and there
ulation respecting 1t. In The Star o.
May IS. 1866 is an item on this subject
THE paragraph going the rounds OF
the newspapers. under the authority Of
Indictment against Jefferson Davis ha.
been drawn up in the Attorney Gener-
ais office since Mr. Speeds return t.
woods indictment will be withdrawn
and the new one substituted, we have
the best authority for saying is incor.
rect Although some change may bt
made in the indictment presented BY
the grand jury of Norfolk. there is nc
reason to believe that another will bt
substituted. 1t has been stated that
the trial of JEFF Davis will commence
on the LIST of June, at Richmond. We
are satisfied that it will not be com.
menced for at least four months after
the LIST of June. So much for the
rumors.
1t is not uncommon to hear of money
burning the fingers of spendthrifts OF
burning holes in their
Scalded by pockets. as a means OF
expressing the rapidity
"oney' with which it is squan-
dered. Literally, however at this time
fifty years ago money did actually burn
people at the Treasury Department The
incident is thus related in The Star OF
May 20. 1866:
Yesterday afternoon. between and
4 o'clock, an incident occurred in one
of the vaults under the west wing OF
the Treasury, by which one OF the en-
ployes was badly scalded and two
others slightly. A cylinder in this vault
is used as receiver for the fra rments