Evening star., 1921-07-10
FIFTY YEARS AGO IN
THE STAR. "

Opposition to the territorial board
ot public works program OF Improve,
ments in the District continued hfey
years ago. An
A Slimly Attended other mass
meeting was
Mass Meeting. called, but al
the following in The Star Of July ..
1871, shows it did not amount to
much:
1.-The spontaneous grand mass meet
ing Of citizens which was to have.
been held on Capitol Hill Monday
night to protest against the improve
ment bill did not come on. Some
body had been at the pains to erect
a large stand. with ample accommo-
dations for a crowd larger than could &.
be accommodated within walls. but at
the time appointed for the meeting
less than a dozen were present, in
GLIDING the knights Of the pencil.
Col. Philip did not come forward, but
Gen. A Grant appeared and went
through the characteristic perform
nominating a chairman. vice presi-
dents and secretaries and appointing
committees. after the Bentonian ana
Philippian style of setting the ball In =
motion. solitary and alone : 81.
LAS stated by us on Monday, the
live men Of that part of the city who
signed the call did SO upon the repre-
sentation to them that the meeting
was to be held to secure q fair share
of improvements for that part of the
city, but when they found that the
demonstration was to be used as
capital by the opponents OF the Dis
trict government and against the i'm
proyement bill they concluded to let
1t alone severely"
In a later issue, July 8. 1871. The
Star thus pays its respects to efforts.
headed by ono OF the
Reasons for local newspapers. to
%. queer the whole I'M
Opposltlon. provement project:
The Tammany organ. unsuocese-
full in its attempt to cripple the
District government and defeat the
Improvement loan bill. now carries
its partisanship to the extraordinary
length OF seeking to break down the
financial credit OF the District and
make 1t impossible to raise the money
to carry out the proposed improve
ments. Let the people understand
this fact: Governor Cooke can readily
raise the money needed to carry on
the District government at per
cent II the taxpayers have to bear
interest, it will be solely due to the
mischievous partisan efforts Of the
Tammany Patriot crowd. who. in
their rule-or-ruin policy. care little
how much they damage business
interests and the interests Of tax
hot fhav mako a nOint
politically. They would prevent the
expenditure of a single dollar for
improvement or the employment OF
a single mechanic or laborer, because
they cannot secure the handling OF
| the money or the selection of the
men for the furtherance of their own
selfish political purposes. The mass
Of the people, who see business and
| improvements Of all kinds at stand
still through the hindrances made by
these Tammany politicians are thor
oughly Disguised at being made to
suffer in this way from the miserable
pettifogging tactics Of two or three
political lawyers and hungry
Tammany newspaper.
An item in The Star Of July 6. -
1871, states that on that day Rock :
Creek Church,
Rock Greek Church Of which Rev.
James A. Buck
Consecnted. was rector
would be consecrated according to
the rites Of the Protestant Episcopal
Church by Bishops Whittingam and
Pinckney of the diocese of Maryland.
1t states that the church was orig
inally built in l7l7 of wood, and re-
| built in 1775 Of brick. but was never.
, consecrated for the reason that there
were no bishops in the country
before the Revolution. Within the
past two years the structure had
| been enlarged and moderniEed, and
would now be solemnly dedicated to
| the service to which it had been de-
voted for more than a century and q.
half 1t was this building that was