Evening star., 1922-07-02
!Fifty:1ear1;s ]; Ago J
i'm The Star !.

The demand for the opening Of =
libraries and such other places Of
public use on Sundays
Libraries way. made fifty year,.
on Sunday aso as,;, though ,on !. was mot
that 1t was generally granted. though
some advance had been effected. In
Ihe Star of June "a. 1872, is a short
editorial on this subject:
| Ihe Boston papers are disgusted
with the course of Mayor CASTOR, who
mas vetoed the bill opening the pub
lie library on Sundays. The plan Of
opening Libraries on Sunday for the
/ use of the public has worked so we'll,
| IN other cities that the papers urged
the councils TO pass the bill over the
mayors veto. 1t is strange that re-
ligious people fail to see that the .
library is the greatest auxiliary TO the
preacher for the proper observance OF
the Sabbath that can be secured. :
Keeping young people away from
vicious haunts on that day. We hope
to see the day when the Congress
Library, the Christian Association
Library and other libraries will be
thrown open to the public on Sun
U
and thoroughly informed head of the
Congress Library, favors, IL we mis-
take not. the opening Of that library
TO the public, not only on evenings.
put on Sundays, and would doubt
less give his intelligent cooperation
IN any movement to provide such a
means OF attracting young men from
the pernicious modes of killing time
on Sunday now prevailing. This
| would serve to attract those who will
, order that the plan should harmon
ize with churchgoing, the Libraries
might be opened on Sunday after
moons after the main church service
OF the day has been concluded"
though some advance had been
made fifty years ago in the matter of
city cleanliness all was
Insanitary not satisfactory to
/ nI:.: Washingtonians who
oonu'ioAS' took a pride in the
capital as attested by the following
in The Star of June IS, 1872:
without agreeing to all the censure
given to the board of health, it must
be conceded that they show a hesI-
fancy in dealing with notorious nui-
! sances like the manure nuisance on
the river front tndt OOSS not dIk ue
well for their usefulness. 1t was
| hoped when the board was created by
| Congress that, deriving its powers
from that body. ii would be able IL
act Independently of local influences.
1t was fondly hoped that the sway
of the voting pig owners. COW dealers.
, manure gatherers and other nuisance
creators was over. But the board
seems to expend all it's energies IL
everlasting talk, and while they de-
bate as to what they may, can or
| must do. disease is gaining a foot
hold and our doctors have already
their hands full. as is too well known.
From the very nature of the case,
what is needed on the part of the
board of health is action, not tax
Let them abate- nuisances and then
discuss their power to do SO after
wards When the long winter even
ings come they can talk ad libitum.
Announcement in The Star of June
% 1872. that the Baltimore and Poto-
mac railroad would
Neu Railroad be opened for travel
the following week
Line Ready. marked completion of
work in which the people OF the
District had taken keen interest, ow-
ing to the prospect it afforded of re.
lief from the monopoly of transporta-
ton enjoyed by the Baltimore and
Ohio for years. The Baltimore con-
nections were not complete. and for a
time it would be necessary for pas
sensers travelling north to go by
street cars from temporary depot
on Townsend street to connect with
other lines of travel. pending the com
pletion of the tunnel
The work of construction was start.
ed in 1858. and had been pressed
steadily for four years. About the
last thing done in preparation for the
opening was the testing of the
bridges on the line from Odenton to
washington. Three large engines
with an aggregate weight OF over
ninety TONS" according 10 the news
story. were run over these bridges.
which stood the test. The length Of
the line was thirty-seren miles, with
nineteen stopping points between.
Washington and Baltimore. The roll
ing stock ready for the opening con-
sisted of eighteen first-class and i've
baggage cars and five four-wheel .
Baldwin locomotives.