Evening star., 1921-08-14
FIFTY YEARS AGO
In THE STAR

In the cid days of volunteer fire
departments it was the fashion TO
name the EN-
Changing Names of sines'" and the
members of the
Fire Engines. dirferent COM
panies took great pride in their
titles. Sometimes controversy ragged
over the question of naming the ma
chimes. and as the following in The
Star Of August Z, 1871. shows. pro-
posals to change the names evoked
sharp criticism:
About as silly a bit of business
as sensible men can be engaged in
was the action of the board of fire
commissioners recorded in The Star
Of Saturday last in changing the
| names Of certain steam fire engines
in the city from Union Franklin
Columbia and South Washington to
H. d. Cooks "A. Z. Shepard George
F. Gulick' and Sales j. Bowen re-
spectively. The old names were ap-
propriate enough and unobjectionable
in every way, and in changing them,
il the authorities have not laid them
selves open to a charge of toadyism.
new change every time they have
Official successors entertaining differ
ent views of men and things. With
out touching upon the question OF
how deserving the recipients Of the
honor may be. or how much they may
enjoy the laurels thus bestowed. we
think the public verdict will be that.
though the matter may be of trif1ing
Importance. the precedent is a bad
one in every sense"
AS mark of public feeling on the
subject of the local improvements a
mass meeting of
Citizens Protest citizens was held
the Injunction. To the pPctes, cbeck Ataarl sa,ar
posed by the injunction against the bond
issue. This is thus noted in The Star
of August s, 1871:
IF any evidence were needed as to
the wishes of this community in re-
proof was amply furnished by the
fact that very large number of our
representative men should assemble
together the hottest evening of the
season, under an anonymous call, to
discuss the subject and to hold up
the hands of those engaged in the
important work of lifting Washing
ton out from its late unenviable posi-
ton.
But such testimony is not needed
here, where the temper of the public
is well understood. although il may
be useful in showing to the country
at large that the people of the city
are aroused and thoroughly in earnest
in their determination that the cap
ital shall be made worthy of the
nation. Upon this general point there
can hardly be said to be two opinions.
The only open question is as to the
manner and form of accomplishing
the end in view; and in this view
of the case such assemblages as that
of last evening must be of great good
in bringing about thorough under
standing between conflicting inter-
ests and in harmonizing points of
difference on general subject upon
which nearly everybody is agreed.
There cannot be too wide or too
frequent interchange of opinion on
subject of SO much Importance as inn
provements and taxation, and we :
think it apparent, therefore. that
mistake was made by the managers
of this particular movement in CALI
ing the meeting anonymously. and also
in partially officering IL with gentle
men not present The first step is
sign OF weakness. which does not
exist in this case: the second is d
sort of impertinent fraud. which.
though winked at on account of its
common use. must in the end do harm
rather than good to any cause in
behalf of which il is practiced-'