Evening star., 1924-08-24
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

I'VE are afraid" says The Star of
August 19, 1874. apropos of reports
Black Hills Land eaat eaat daseri6iTss dsa fams
Not a Paradise. the on ,sa stlurRHnts Rises
Hills country in which Gen. Custer
was operating in campaign against
hostile Indians, "the new found
paradise in the Black Hills country
will be found little disappointing
when the pioneer gets there with
a view to settling. From what we
know of the bleak and sterile char
acter of the country on every side of
this particularly favored locality we
are satisfied that the reports of the
salubrity of its climate and the fer
tility of its soil are, to say the least,
extravagantly colored, if not willfully
false, for purpose. There are oases
in great many deserts, to be sure.
but these poetical spots, instead of
being gardens of Eden in themselves
are, as rule, found to be only toler-
able by comparison with the barren
country surrounding them. This will
prove to be the case, we are quite
certain, with the Black Hills country.
And then the Indians, The red man
has about as keen an appreciation
of the beauties and advantages of
such spot as his white brother, and
he will be very apt to make the
pioneer business hazardous and un-
healthy in that neighborhood for a
long time to come. On the whole
we would advise the young man who
has concluded to go West to wait
for further returns before he goes
to the Black Hills for home"
Numerous incendiary fires occurred
in Washington at this time so years
An Outbreak of con- Concern. NH The ta Star
Incendiarism. snst IN ,ts ,a ISSUE 1Sz. OF Az Az
1T cannot be disguised that the
present outbreak of incendiarsm in
Washington is something alarming.
Not for years, or since the time when
rufhanly political clubs, organized as
fire companies, made themselves a
terror to property holders. has there
been the same number of incendiary
fires in the same time in this city
as within the last two months. And
these occur at a season of the year
usually comparatively exempt from
fires. In Winter they are more fire.
quent. The police have now a very
important and imperative work be-
fore them in getting at the bottom
are responsible for these fires. The
District Commissioners, too. will
doubtless see the necessity for prompt
action on their part to reach the
guilty parties by the offer of rewards
for their detection, or otherwise.
Thus far. owing to the activity of
our fire department. no widespread
confagration has resulted, but this
exemption from great calamity can
not be counted upon always il no
steps are taken to detect the gang
who are seeking to fire the city
Although dueling had gone out of
style fifty years ago, occasionally
Col. Mosby Tries ponents p1 t. : resort e 1P
to Fight a Duel. of eq bonor" 90 sHe to ae,a aetl
tie affairs between them. The laws,
however. were strictly enforced, and
1t was difficult to carry out plans of
this sort. The late Col. John 8.
Mosby found that out when he sent
a challenge to Capt. o. D. Payne Of
Fauquier County, Va, who had Of
Tended him in the course of the cam
paign for Congress in that district.
Mosby had intended to run as a sup
porter of the Grant third-term aspira-
tion, but had withdrawn and was
supporting James arDour, while
Capt. Payne was supporter Of Eppa
Hunton. Bitter personalities ensued
between the two men and finally
Mosby challenged and Payne accepted.
the duel to take place somewhere in
Maryland" near the District, pre-
sumabIy on the famous old ground
near Bladensburg. But somebody
told. and the law got busy, with
the result that Payne and his seconds
oHeor koI t.
was taken prisoner in this city, CIV
ing bond In the Police Court, ac-
cordtng to The Star of August 21,
1874. for his appearance before the
court In Virginia The Stars account
stated in conclusions:
"Col. Mosby modestly declines to
talk much about the affair, but those
who know him well say, that he Is
determined to get satisfaction from
PaYna. and that 61hf Ie In fah