Evening star., 1922-02-05
Fifty Years Ago
in The Star

Fifty years ago a general argument
Jefferson Davis was
"Jeff" Davis q a true son Of the
u south. While it was
generally conceded
that he had been born in Kentucky,
many doubts were expressed after the
sppearance OF the following article
from the Washington correspondent Of
TIN New York Times. printed in The
Star Of January 20. 1872, declaring him
tc be Yankee.
"A curious fact mas come to light
here concerning Mr.. Jefferson Davis.
Evidence has been found to be in
existence that, instead of being born in
Kentucky. as has always been supposed,
and as he has always asserted. he was
really born in Massachusetts,; and
therefore, instead of being a pure
blooded son Of southern cnivalry, he is
only a Massachusetts Yankee. Ian
mans Dictionary of Congress puts
Davis down rather indefinitely as
having been born in Christian county,
KY in 1908. Persons who claim to be
well informed say that .Jeff' was born
in old Stockbridge. Mass, in 1908. and
removed to Kentucky with his father
when small child. His father is said
to have been a wheelwright by trade,
and the house where he lived, on one
side Of the road, and the shop where
he worked. on the other side. are well
remembefed by living witnesses. After
all. the illustrious rebel comes from
plebeian Stock
The postal savings bank, success
fully in operation in England many
years before, was
Postal Savinps being urged in this
country fifty years
odAhs' ago, and a series
of swindling schemes conducted in
New York city at that time caused
the newspapers Of the country to
strongly advocated the adoption OF
the postal savings system in this
country. The Star printed the fol-
lowing editorial in its issue OF Janu-
ary 20. 1872:
''The reckless manner in which the
llard-earned money of the depositorS
in the swindling savings banks in
New York city has been squandered
has started the question. How can
system affordihg absolute security
for the savings OF depositors be de-
vised? The New York Herald
strongly recommends the adoption of
now in successful operation in Eng
land, utilizing the existing organiza-
tion Of our Post Office Department for
that purpose. In England a law WAS
passed which turned every post office
in the kingdom into a bank or de-
posit for the benefit of working
classes. Profiting by the experience
of the most successful of the private
savings banks. the hours of business
were extended until S o'clock pm. in
order to afford every facility to those
employed during the day to place
curity. No big rate of interest was
offered to induce deposit; in fact, the
rate was rather nominal than real,
not exceeding at any time 2l2 peg
cent. But, on the other hand, the
advantage OF absolute security was
nowhere else obtain. and which, in
their estimation, was above all others.
This arrangement had another adj
vantage-it allowed the deposits to
tie made with an, amount Of privacy
that had never before been secured
their monetary business without at
tracing the attention Of the busy
bodies of their neigtborhood. This
in itself was a considerable advance
on the OLD system; Out the Cnle1 cause
which led to the rarid advance Of the
postal savings banks in the good
opinion Of the people was the knowl
edge that no speculator would waste
their money, and that every shilling
they put in the bank would always
be at their call, subject to the rules
laid down for the management of
the institution" -
The postal savings system in this.
country was not put into operation
until February 8, 1911.