Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-02-28
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

1t Was Dot uHtlI the EISt VI T en-
ruary. 1876. that Congress. by reso-
=. luton. declared the
washington anniversary of the
p;r+kIou birth of George
Washington to he
national holiday. In The Star of
February %, 1876 is printed the proc
lamation by President Grant announc-
ing the holiday and reciting. as fol-
lows the text of the concurrent reso-
luton of Congress:
BE 1t Resolved, That for the pro-
motion of national feeling throughout
the Union on the occasion of the cen
tennial year of our independence and
believing this to be the proper time
for the expression of our appreciation
Of the great services rendered to the
people in the cause OF liberty by the
Father of Our Country, George Wash
ington, the 22nd of the present month
shall be treated and deemed a national
holiday throughout the United States
In the Government business, and, so
far as Is consistent with the public
welfare, in all of the departments of
the Government employment shall be
suspended for that day"
The President, stating that the
spirit and sentiment expressed in the
resolution met with his warmest APP
proval. therefore directed that all the
business OF the executive departments
should he suspended on February %.
1876. and that all departments should
he closed on that day. The Star in
commenting on this matter said:
'Is it not a little strange that the
American people. through Congress.
should have waited more than three
quarters of a century after the death
of the Father of His Country to de
clare the anniversary of his birth a
day to be respected by the Nation.
and that the Monument to his mem
DRY at the Capital should be allowed to
remain unfinished? Congress has final
" concluded to make the END of Feb
ruary a national holiday; let it also
take immediate steps To complete the
uni finished shaft which now stands "A
mute yet speaking reproach to the
American people.
In its issue of February 3. 1876. The
Star called attention to the fact that
the concurrent resolution applied only
to the year 1876. and suggested that
t was eminently proper to make every
recurring 22nd of February a day to
be generally observed by the Ameri-
can people.
Although it has been only within
the past few years that tolgates
have been abolished in
Highway this vicinity. protest
Robbery , T.T e ha1f a c ssalnst
ago. In The Star of February %,
1876. is the following:
"One of the most important of the
great works of improvement within
the District. executed within the last
half-dozen years. has been the build
ing of good roads leading to the cO1n-
try and the abolition of the turnpike
men. whose presence as toll gatherers
upon roads so vile that man or beast
could scarcely make a way over them
was simply highway robbery The
vigorous measures by which these
chartered robbers were dispoSsesSed
and good. roads established rid the
District of a long-seated wrong and
secured to it for all time the inesti-
mable advantages of affording free and
convenient access by Countrymen to
the city with their produce at all sea
sons of the year. How great an evil
we are thus happily rid of is to be
seen when one crosses the river into
Virginia. where the turnpike nuisance
is still in full force and the turnpike
Nv upon every road. hinderfng travel
to the cities Of the Commonwealth by
levying heavy tolls for the right of
way over tracks almost impossible for
two-t thirds of the year.
Those who undertook to go to
Alexandria yesterday over the Wash
ington and Alexandria turnpike had
q realizing sense of the drawbacks of
turnpike travel. The road, uniformly
execrable. becomes an almost unfath-
omable quagmire near Four Mile Run.
Vehicle after vehicle was stalled here
and the occupants-ladies as well as
men-were compelled to alight in this
frightful bog and extricate themselves
as best they could. And yet the in
evitable turnpike man was on hand
at the Run to demand a toll for pass
ing over this infamous road.
But this is not an exceptional case.
We believe there Is not road leading
out of Alexandria that is not cursed
with turnpike bar and all of these