Evening star., 1919-03-09
FIFTY YEARS AGO In THE STAR

else TO change the District form Of
government"
James G. Blaine was nominated Tor
Speaker of the House by the re-
publicans at the close of
Speaker the session of the Fortieth
Congress, and The Star Of
oiaine. March 3. 1859, said of him:
The nomination of James @. Blaine
fof the speakership by acciamation
is an event paralleled only by the
similar compliment paid to his prede-
cessor. Like his predecessor, Mr..
Blaine arrives at these honors at an
early age, being now but thirty-nine
years old. He is a native Of Penn
sylvania, a graduate of Washington
College For several years he was
IN the editorial profession in Maine,
and IL was In that capacity that he
first made his mark. His brilliant
and forcible editorials. first III the
Kennebeck Journal and afterward in
the Portland Advertiser. the then
leading republican papers in the
state. attracted general attention to
him. and when it was found that his
ability as a public speaker was Huite
pen he WAS called at once from the
editorial sanctum to take a leading
part in public life, and has mounted
by rapid steps to his present leading
position Impartial. clear-headed,
courteous. but prompt and decided.
with thorough knowledge OF par
liamentary law, he has every quality
to enable him to I'LL the Office In q
style to invite comparison with the
most capable of his predecessors. the
famous trio. Clay, Banks and Coifax."
"washington was greatly crowded
for Grants first Inauguration. and the
street cars of
Inauguration Crowds the city Were
and Street Cars. ov.rtared N
The Star of March 4. 1869. In the
course of description of the scenss
incident to the occasion, Is tho fsN
lowing description of the congestion.
suggestive of the normal eondfttsnsi
in the capital today.
'In order to accommodate The 4DA
creased travel over the WA9han8eo0
and Georgetown street railway . new
time table was put into operation ~
|
ran along the Avenue at intervals &C
three minutes. The time for the trip
from Georgetown to the navy yard
and return was also shortened ten
minutes each way, consequently per-
sons had but a short time to wait f0fF
a car. Every car up and down tho
Avenue was packed to suffocati0n,
making it somewhat hard upon
horsehesh, as they had to travel fast
in order to make the time
when the procession was about toi
move the company suspended all
travel on the road between the c3ycaA,,
near Georgetown, and the Capitol. and
the cars were not able to resume their
trips within these limits until the pro-
cession had disbanded The cars to
and from the navy yard changed
track at the south gate of the Capt.
tol and those on the Georgetown end
at or about 22d street. The 7th street
line kept up the travel all day, ex-
cept that when the procession was
passing down and returning, the cars
jumped the tracks north and south Of
the Avenue and changed tracks. On
14th street the travel was not inter-
rupted. On the r street line the H.
terruptions were only near each eha
of the route. The overloaded cars on
all the lines presented comical sight
and it was severe trial of the tenn
per to ride in them"
The inaugural ball. as stated. was
held I'm the Treasury building. which
was packed to, the doors. According to
& The Star .asof
Tremendous Jam March 8. 1859,
.4r-..,p.u the jam in the
"a" passages and
-, ~. -. --.xa +n--ssn ac--
ing ladies'" says The Star. "were be-
ing handed about in matter Of fact.
routine way, as il it were part of
the program. There was also q tre-
mendous pressure In the direction OF
President Grants reception room
There was great rush in the dfrec-