Evening star., 1924-08-31
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star


A letter signed "Passengers' in The
Star of August "a 1874, gives a pic
| ture of street rail
Sereet CarS IN way transportation
the Seventies. fif5y ,,s S years as,:o ago that at
patrons of the electric cars of today:
will the President of the Wash
| ington and Georgetown Railroad in
form the public why screens are
placed on the front platforms of
street cars: They are an unmitigated
nuisance in many respects; pasSen-
ges who prefer to ride in front, and
others who are obliged to when cars
are full, are unable to do SO unless
by climbing over the rail, to which
some people seriously object. If they
get on behind. the seats are full,
there is a standing load inside. and
those near the front door cannot be
reached by the conductors. The conse-
Quence is the rear platform is crowd
ed to such an extent that nearly all
the weight is behind. thereby throw
ing the car off the track and hauled
over the stones, to the disgust of the
passengers and fearful damage to
horses, car and harness. The horses
are unable to pull the car on again,
passengers are requested to step out
in the broiling sun and run whole
square before the wheels are all on
the track. When you reach Seventh
street junction market baskets tsome
IS large as a Saratoga trunk filled
to the top. with the hook of ham
hanging outside, too heavy to be lift
ed over these confounded screens, are
dragged through the car. across the
knees of those who are fortunate
enough to get q seat at that point.
With screens it is impossible to get
the weight in front, and every horse
man knows, or ought to know, that
the nearer the load is to the horses
the easier it is to draw"
The trial of Henry Ward Beecher
before an investigating committee of
Plymouth Church,
n. W. Beecher's Brooklyn, on
A,;&<,1 charge of improper
by the husband of one of his parish
toner's, was concluded just so years
is printed in The Star of August %,
1874, practically in full. The Star
says editorially in the same issue:
"The tournament Of liars in Brook
lyn came to an end last night, let us
hope, in the presentment and adop-
tion of the report of the committee
appointed to investigate the charges
made by Mr.. Tilton against Mr..
Beecher This document is favorable
to Mr. Beecher throughout. In fact.
it completely exonerates him, so far
as the verdict of such a body can
have that effect. This result was to
have been expected from the first.
Whatever reasons may be assigned
in the paper, 1T is evident that, the
committees conclusion has been
reached by accepting statements of
Mr.. Beecher. Mrs. Tilton and the girl
Bessy as true, rejecting that of Mr..
Tilton as wholly false, and throwing
that of Mr.. Moulton out of the scales
altogether The verdict as rendered
may perhaps satisfy the majority OF
the members of Plymouth Church and
the personal adherents of Mr.. Beech
er, who were determined to acquit
him In any event; but 1t will not be
accepted as final by the general pub
lic Not proven is about as favor.
able a Judgment as can be hoped for
from that tribunal Mr.. Beecher may
retain his hold upon his congregation
and q small circle outside who admire
his great talents, but it is useless to
try to- disguise the fact that his wider
and more useful influence Is gone.
Street railroading half 2 century
axo was net an assured financial
success, as wit
AleX1udria Car ness the follow
=. Line suspends. as of August @ "a. a is14.
copied from the Alexandria Gazette
Of the day preceding
"The Alexandria Passenger Rail-
road Company have decided to sus-
pend the running of the street cars
and have advertised their stock of
horses for sale. It is thought by
many that were the track extended
to West End, so as to get the travel
from that suburb. and from Seminary
I4ill which would then come there,