Evening star., 1925-03-01

in Washington so years ago. A move
ment was under
Women Form a way to form an
Literary Club. lists and at the
same time steps were being taken
to create a society of writer's. Wash
ington has always had a large liter
ary colony, and half a century ago
those who made their living wholly
pecially numerous. In The Star of
February "a, 1875, is reprinted an
extract from the correspondence Of
Miss Grundy'' in the New York
Graphic, as follows:
"A few weeks since Mrs. Julia Ward
Howe came as a missionary to Wash
ington to organize a literary club
here. Some ungrateful Washing
tonian has had the bad taste to say
that if, having had as Winter resi-
dence for several years writers of
the standing OF Grace Greenwood,
Mrs. Harriet Prescott Spofford. Gail
Hamilton, Mrs. Mary Clemmer, Mrs.
Dalgren and some others of scarcely
less note, the ladies of WaShin gton
had not seen At to organize literary
club. it was scarcely to be expected
! that a stranger should succeed in
such an attempt. However, a club,
to be called The Ladies' Literary
and Social Club has been started
with a few members, among whom
are Mrs. Jewell, Miss Boutwell, and
Miss Swan, sister of Mrs. Senator
Morrill,, and a brilliant future is ex-
pected from it,
1t would seem from the following
editorial in The Star of February "a,
1875, that the custom
Inc Ulstrlct at the Capital of un-
Taxuayers derstating the burden
people OF the District was prevalent
half a century ago as at present:
THE style of remark in Congress
in regard to the rate Of taxation
here shows that some of the men,
bers look upon our taxpayers as so
many bloated capitalists, who can
readily shoulder the heavy indebted
ness contracted for District improve
| ments. AS a matter of fact, the tax
payers of the District are as a body
| men of small means, as must natural
| ly be the case in city without COM
merce or manufacture and where a
| considerable proportion of the popu-
| lation lives on small salaries. We
are told by a business man of this
city, who is in way to be well in
| formed, that not less than $50, 900, 900
of property in this District Is mort
gagged for money borrowed at an in
| terest of not under or 10 per cent,
| and that this money has been mainly
borrowed by citizens Of small means
| to save their property from sale for
| improvement taxes and other taxes" !"
X
"a in hat ~
| the Pennsylvania and the Baltimore
and Ohio Railroad
Railroads Companies SO years
Rate War. ago. and Washington
| for it had for long time complained
| of the injustice of the impositions of
the latter corporation, which had for
a considerable period held monopoly
of rail transportation between the
Capitol and the North and West so
when Presidents George Barrett of
the Baltimore and Ohio and Tom
| Scott of the Pennsylvania fell out
over privileges and tariffs and pro-
| ceeded to throat-cutting competi-
ton, the Capital hoped for some ad-
| vantage from the fracas. In The Star
| of February "a, 1875, in a reference
| to the situation, The Star expressed
| the belief that the rival railroads
would soon erect truce, lndSmucn
as the two companies represented a
large amount Of capital which was
owned by bondholders and stock
| holders, who would probably bring
pressure to bear upon their respec-
| tive executives to cause a suspension
of the hostilities so inimical to their
| pocketbooks.
| II y
4 c%r tHof or
as only 80 years skepticism should Be
- expressed on the score
Electric Motor Of the possibility OF
| nsJ operating ra ilr o a q
| OoAAuSu' trains by electricity
! Yet an announcement from San Fran
cisco that a young mechanic Of that city
claimed to have found a method Of ap.
plying the electric current for traction
| purposes was so treated In The Star OF
| February "a, 1875. The device proposed
| was not that which eventually came
about. 1t consisted of driving wheels
each composed of a series Of power, elec-
trio magnets diverging from the center
j HEa avSnEA0 Tho ala~fpf& .~xsrrAuf xr