Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-12-08


United States was mot unAecompanfed
by scandalous sugges-
The Alsska tious Of inpfopfieey.
though as a matter Of
= "ASAase. fact there was little
public eredenca in tales that circulaf-
ed Of this character. The matter 70
discussed in Tho Star Of December i,
1858. as follows:
'sThers has been censidsfsbls gossip
adoat lately in regard to the way the
Alaska purchase was consummated,
and, II rumor v0e 70 - believed.
very large sum was expended ny
somebody In the way Of lobby pur-
poses to put the purchase through
Tho minimum sum named BY the guild
nuncs as having been expended In
this way IL s2oe.o vhiIe some al
lege that the Russian government
only realised one million sterling
after tho business was COM
pleted Tho sossspers professAd to
give the precise sums allotted = the
various parties concerned in helping
the purchase through. a. for Instance,
1so,orv 70 an ex-eecretary OF the
Treasury. who wrote very long and
exhaustive articles for some OF the
papers showing the advantageous ma
turs OF that purchase. It - etaeed In
the same way. that esrtain gaYers IN
apiece in gold Tor their advocacy Of
the purchase. and various other par
ties are named a. having received
sums varying from $4,000 to $4,000.
Now these things are stated with the
utmost postttveness. i'd yet when we
come to analy1e them II 10 easy to zee
how improbable they really are. TAX
ing the most jaundiced view of hui
man nature and conceding that such
things have been done and may be
done again. the question comes up
where the money comes from to pur-
chase all these strikers In behalf of
the Great Purchase. II is quite evil
dent that tho limited contingent fund
of the State Department could not
have served for such munidcent out
lays and 1t 10 difficult to conceive
why Russia should be 30 anxious to
get rid Of Alaska "A to spend nine
tenths Of the purchase money IN ef-
fecting the sale. Altogether we pre-
fer to maintain our faith In our fell
low man and to believe that every
thing about tho Alaska purchase was
done PRO bono publtco and on the
square"
= ::
Bad as It was, the steam railroad
service here fifty years ago showed
signs Of improve
Railroad Car ment. In The Star
Improvements. Is 1855, is news =,
item announcing that -four hand
some thoroughfare passenger cars"
had been placed upon the CONSOLE
and New York. These cars, costing
$1,000 apiece. were an installment of
fifty new cars that were being built
for the line, comprising twenty day
coaches. seven smoking cars, 1--WE
compartment or parlor cars. I'VE with
reclining seats for night trains and
six sleepers. They were provided with
eouplers' to enable passengers 10
pass from one car to another with
safety and preventing the unpleasant
.Jolting and jerking when the train
suddenly stopped and started. 1t was
especially noted that q reserved seat
arrangement had been effected, and
it was also announced that the COM
,pany was experimenting with q new
sfx-wheel truck designed to secure
easier riding and had fitted up an
experimental car with q new heat
ing apparatus, with the IRE under
meath the car.
::
< x
Notwithstanding these equipment
improvements, Washington felt that
it was being neg
New Railroads ,ee'sa IN tho mat
ter OF railway &C
3AVtoSteu. commodation and =