Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-12-19
FIFTY YEARS AGO IN
THE STAR,

Fifty years ago some Of the pub
lie buildings In Warrington were
not altogether secure
A Cracking whom they were piled
full Of records and doc.
ouAA"6. uments. An item In The
Star OF December IL. 1870. tells Of an
excitement caused on this score:
1T was discovered last week that
the building occupied by the census
bureau. on 9Th street between q ana
H streets, was in an unsafe condition
and settling rapidly. causing cracks
in the walls, and on Friday last quite
an alarm was raised among the
clerks there. some 500 In number. be-
cause of the cracks in the walls open
ing wider. The superintendent at
once sent word to Gen. Michler. who
made an examination of the building
and gave it ~ his opinion that there
was no cause for alarm. the fall OF tho
building not being imminent: D.. adj
! vised that the books and heav' sass
OF returns be taken from the eroms
above and deposited in the basement,
which work has been in progress
since. Today. however, the cracks
| in the walls have opened still wider
ana arc Observable on the outside.
This becoming known to the clerks at
1 o'clock today caused another panic
mencing with those In the upper
stories. notified in Q quiet way to
leave the building. None Of them
! waited to be told twice"
IS
In the earlier days there was mWn
misuse Of the sidewalk space Aloag
Pennsylvania avenue
Clearing the by merchants. who
- spread their wares
'e""e' out upon the footways.
The Star OF December Is. 1870. said:
Gen. Michler has notified all per-
sons doing business along Pennsyl-
streets west who may have oGhe
boards. show cases. apple. cake ana
candy stands. etc, or other evidenoo
Of their business. In front OF their
several streets or reservations along
the Avenue, to have the same re-
moved within five days Of this date.
and he has requested the supsrintend-
ent Of police to er ct the REMOVAL Of
slant, in the case the parties ned.
fed fail to comply. This is q needed
adjunct to the great work OF improve
ment IN progress on Pennsyivanie
avenue"
Tho main argument advanced BIZ the
president OF the Washington asA
Georgetown street
The Horses and Railway Company
A. n.,.,. fifty years ago In
WIG o00"Aes' favor Of paving be-
tween the tracks with oobblestones
instead OF the wood blocks then be-
ing laid on Pennsylvania avenue was
that the horses could not get Q Foot,
hold on the smoother surface. In The
Star Of December IL. 1870. says:
"Mr. Riker ought to have his horses
better posted. They contradict him
should say. He gives rs the sole rea.
son why the company won't pave their
tracks that the horses can't get
footing on the wood pavement, and
more particularly that they can't start
q load except on the indispensable
cobblestones. But II 10 noticed that
his horses especially in starting
get on the wood and avoid the de-
tested cobbles. and IL 10 noticed fur
Their than in many OF the rather nu-
merous instances in which Mr.. RiksPs
cars get on the track the fact 10 due
to this disposition Of the poor brutes
sprawling and stumbling about over
the smooth. slippery stones. They ret
30 much better footing on the wood
that they, absolutely snake the car3
on the tracks in their efforts to avoid
the stones"