Evening star., 1917-01-07
FIFTY YEARS AGO
In THE STAR


Wilson the New Year reception at the
White House was hxed
White House event Of the national cal
endar and one to which
AeceptlonS. the people Of Washington
looked forward with interest. In The
Star of January /. 1867. is review Of
the custom. in part as follows:
Seventy seven years ago President
Washington held the first executive re-
ception in the city Of New York, then
the seat Of our federal government. The
President resided in what has since been
known as the Franklin House. where he
was waited upon by the principal citisens,
according to the ancient New York
social and convivial custon, on that
date. After being severally intro
duced and paying the usual compliments
of the season. says an eyewitness. the
citizens mutually interchahged their kind
greetings and withdrew, highly gratified
by the friendly notice Of the President. to
most of whom he was personally
stranger
IN the evening Mrs. Washington had
a levee, and while speaking Of the OBJ
servance of the day she remarked, or all
the incidents OF the day none so pleased
the generality which title she always
designated him--.as the friendly sreetings
of the gentlemen who visited him at
noon.' TO the inquiry Of the President
whether it was usual or customary. he
was answered that 1t was an annual GUS
tom. derived from our Dutch forefathefs.
which had always been commemorated-
After a short pause he observed: The
highly favored situation Of New York WILL
In the process of years, attract numerous
who viii gradually change
it's ancient customs and manners; but,
let whatever changes take place, never
forget the cordial, cheerful observance OF
New Year day.
"When the seat Of government was
established here the French custom Of
official visits New Year day was added
to the social visitatfons. patterned after
those of Gotham. MS. Madison, VINO
.reconstructeT the slight ceremontals sof
the White House. adopted me program a an
ceives the foreign ministers. the judges
of the Supreme Court and the officers OF
the army and navy. and then the doors
are opened for the sovereign people
: Before Gen. Jackson's day the cream
Of Washington society used to attend the
New Year receptions and fefreshmente
were DISPENSED But the admirers OF
Old Hickory took possession OF the w Hte
House fighting for the punch, and on
New Year an immense cheese. which had
heen presented by New York dairyman.
was cut up and distributed among them
Since then boisterous partisans and I'M
fortunate place hunters have CROWDED
and jammed and surged through the
white House on New Year day. until
many ladies are reluctant to intrust
themselves and their toilettes to the
ynercfes Of the crowd To strangers, how
ever, the sight is well worth the trouble y
In The Star of January 4. 1857. is an
editorial discussing the cooperative
idea as a means Of con
Ce-Operative tending against the ex-
cessively high prices for
buying. all the necessities of
living prevalent at that time. After
noting experiments in cooperative liv-
ing tried in vafious parts of this couT'-
try and England The Star says:
eft strikes us that the surer plan for
housekeepers here would be TO practice
rigid economy and endeavor. whfch al
most the poorest can do. to lay aside
a small reserve fund, which will enable
them to buy at those seasons when the
necessarfes of life are cheapest. and In
such quantities as to- make a saving.
The vast difference between buying IN
large and In small quantities is evident
on the least reflection II Is curious
fact that for given quantity OF coal.
or -four or other staple in daily use, the
poor man pays a higher price than the
rich The smaller the quantities pur-
chased of kind. the higher Is the
nrfce paid. When it is not practicable
for one housekeeper to buy in large
Quantities number of families can
club together and purchase at the
cheapest stores. wholesale. thus saving
themselves the profits made by one or
more intermediate dealers"
Troubles between the whites and the
blacks in the south continued at this
time fifty years ago to
Southern Race grow more serious. In
The Star of Jan~n-v
UlmcultIes. 4, 1867, is this item:
"a communication has been received
at the freedmen's bureau from an
officer at Raleigh, N. c.. calling the at
tention of the bureau to the whipping
of negroes by the civil authorities,
ostensibfy as a punishment for petty
crimes. but in fact for the purpose OF
disuuaIifyfng them in using the elec-
tive franchise under the laws of North
Carolina should that right be granted
to them by the law of the land. 1t is
stated that this practice is carried on
in manv counties in the state, over Six
tv having been whipped in one countv
during a recent session Of the court. a
conversation was overheard recently at
the statehouse between several new
hers of the legislature, when one said:
we are licking them In our part Of
the state. and il we keep on we can
lick them all bv next year, and none
of them can vote"
In the same issue Of The Star is a
dispatch from Nashville. Tenn. stating
that the freedmen's bureau in Rohesor
county had applied for troops. a band
Of outlaws from southern Kentucky
having crossed the state boundary,
committing outraFes on the freedmen.
burning their dwellings etc. In another
column of the same issue Is note to
the effect that letter had reached
Washington from the assistant freed
mems commissioner at Vicksbure stat
ing that thirtv-four negroes had been
murdered in that state since the or
ganization of the bureau,
The enforcement of the law requiring
householders and property owners to-
remove snow from their side
Snow walks was always attended
with much srumbling on the
w. part of the persons affected.
In The Star of January 5. 1857. is an
item noting the difficulty. The Star says;
"The enactment of such a law was