Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-10-08
FIFTY YEARS AGO
IN THB STAR

AN XAu ~ x1xN
Dueling was going out Of vogue fifty
years ago, but appeals to the code were
occasionally reported,
Norfolk Duel though not always
with success. In The
nvelteo. Star of October 4, 1866.
is the following report Of an affair at
Norfolk which ended in way that
would have been impossible a decade
or so previous:
John R. Hathaway Of the Norfolk
Day Book, having had a difficulty with
Mr. w. e. Gaines and others connected
with the Norfolk Times, correspond
ence ensued in which they demanded
correction OF a statement which ap-
peared in his paper. and. his answer
failing to satisfy them. Mr.. Gaines
closed his last communication with
the familiar chivalric flourish: If you
will not answer Capt. Small Is re-
quested to ask you to. announce a
friend. and it will be settled in a gen.
tlemanly manner
"Mr. Hathaway failed to see the gen
tlemanly' part of the proposed pro-
ceeding and promptly referred the
matter to a magisterial friend. who
issued warrants for the challenger and
his second, Capt. Small. and they were
arrested. For this 'unchivalric' course
Mr.. Hathaway was. as might have been
expected, held up to ridicule among
certain upholders Of the code. and
feels obliged to defend himself by
ffypeY In h q
"1 took that course, not through
fear. but because I have a very large
family dependent upon me for sup
port; and, in addition. I do not rec
ognize dueling as a fit or fair means
of settling question of fact. Mr..
Gaines has no membranes that l am
aware of. and in declining to meet
him on the so-called field Of honor
have the approval Of my own con-
science and common sense.
This position every right-thtnk1ng
man will heartily indorse. and we are
glad to see that one southern jour
nalist has the moral courage to decline
to take part in the barbarous custom.
ilized communities
been gained by the holders of tickets
to the gift concert held
Gift Concert fifty years ago. which
was noted in this COL
Inquiries. umn last Sunday. and
the suspicion continued to grow that
the enterprise was more or less OF
fake, and that the drawing was not on
the SQUARE The Star printed a num-
Der of letters on the subject. the writer
of one of which challenged the pro-
moters of the enterprise to adduce
proof that they were the owners Of the
brick houses which had been pro-
claimed as among the prizes. Another
letter appears in The Star OF October
g. 1866. with reference to a second
gift concert announced to be held a
few days later, as follows:
I've desire to say through the col
umns Of your excellent paper that,
from what we hear. the public would
be much better satisfied If 1t could have
of the gift concert to be held here on
the 18th instant that all the numbers
of such tickets. and not merely the
numbers of tickets remaining unsold.
win be placed in the wheel. Grave
doubts exist in the community whether
the majority of the numbers of those
tickets sold by Vincent, Butterfield q
Co ever found their way into the
wheel: doubts which are very much
strengthened by the fact that, SO far
as heard from, the large prizes remain
unclaimed.
why will not Messrs. Hall, Morse &
Co. invite the officers of the several
DEPARTMENTS to depute one reliable gen.
tleman each from their numbers to pre-
side on the occasion of deposfting the
numbers in the wheel and give that
committee composed. as suggested, OF
one gentleman from each office) the
drawing? This course would doubtless
be satisfactory to the public. What
avails it to say that 5000 persons can
witness the drawing. If the numbers IN
the wheel do not correspond exactly
with the number of tickets sold? And
what a farce and an imposition to have
the drawing witnessed at alp
Cable news from Europe was of ex-
ceptional interest at this time fifty
years ago. as Bismarck was
Euronean engaged in the first move
of his great campaign for
affairs. the consolidation of the
cermanic states into the German en-
nire. One of the moves in this game
was the absorption OF the Kingdom OF
Hanover, the announcement of which
was followed by a publication. in The
Star of october 8, 1866, as follows:
"Ry the Atlantic cable we have in
telligence that the patent taking pos
session of the recent kingdom of Han
over was promulgated by the govern
ment of Prussia on Saturday, and that
the LOYALTY of the people is demanded
in all cases; also that by the treaty
between Italy and Austria the former
ACQUIRES the territory of Venetia as IL
existed while under the dominion or
Austria; and that the debt OF Venetla'
amounting to 35,000,000 forms, Is as
sumed by the italian government.
"These are some of the results OF the
late German war, and from their i'm
portance they demand attention 1t
has been the fashion for many Amer
lean Journals to exult in the success OF
Prussia, and to say that Napoleon,
who had great expectations, has NOT
only been disappointed but Inundated
nv the result of the contest. Now. we
cannot see how any friend Of repub-
ican institutions can approve OF the
obliteration of the last vestiges OF lib
erty in Germany by a power which is
consolidating the free cities of the
fatherland (the refugees Of morality,
art and science from feudal times
down to the present. into nationality
which Is essentially despotic and al
ready, it will be seen. exacts the 10y
atty of it's new subjects in all cases.
The states annexed to the RUSSIAN
emnire not only lose a mild and liberal
Government, but have to furnish for
military purposes double the number of
men and twice the amount of money
baretofore required of them. while the
non,t granted by Prussia for the