Evening star., 1928-06-10
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

DR.. Mary Walker. Who so years ago
was a conspicuous figure In Washing
~. ,,,.u,. ton on account Of her
NJ. walker masculine garb. was a
Pay Claim. claimant against the
due to a position to which she had
never really been appointed. In The
Star OF June S, 1878, Is the following
item:
"The committee on claims Of the
House has reported a bill appropriating
5000 to pay Mary z. Walker in full
for all claims for services as clerk on
the temporary roll In the Treasury IN
1874. 1t appears from the papers
in the case that on the 30th day Of
June, 1874, Mr.. Spinner. treasurer of
the United States, recommended DR..
Walker for appointment as temporary
clerk in his office. stating that she was
deserving and competent and that her
services In the Union Army during the
rebellion entitled her to the favorable
consideration Of the Government. Mr..
Vanderbilt. then chief clerk Of the ap-
pointment Office, directed her to take
the oath of Office and to answer the
usual interrogatories. and she did 80.
and to report to cuty 10 Mr.. Spinner,
which she did. and Mr.. Spinner di-
reCted one Of his clerks to explain 10
her her duties. The Secretary Of the
Treasury refused to assign an appoint
ment or to ratify what his subordi-
mates had done toward constituting her
a clerk. She reported constantly for a
long time for duty, but was furnished
with no employment"
IS
When recently q large sturgeon was
caught In q net in the Potomac River
e.. :. near this city attention
oturSeon IN was called to the fact
tha pntoman that years before such
fish were abundant In
these waters. The following item from
the Alexandria Gazette Is reprinted In
The Star OF June Z. 1878:
"Quite O number of Alexandrians
are now engaged in the sturgeon Ash
cry. II does not require much capital
and serves as an avocatlon by which
many industrious men obtain a good
living. II Is said there Is scarcely 10
miles on the river from of Qiesboro 10
the end OF fresh water where there are
not fishing boats. II seems to be the
general opinion Of the fishermen that
there has been no falling of In the
run OF sturgeon during the past 80
years. The yield Of the river about
Fort washington Is estimated at about
100 sturgeon per day. The fact that
the sturgeon. have not decreased as have
the shad and herring Is considered to
be evidence that the gill nets and the
long seines are the main sources from
which has arisen the diminution in the
supply OF the main classes Of food FISH.
Inc sturgeon are too large TO be taken
~ gill nets and they spawn too late I'm
the season for the long seines to dis
turb their young, "a the seInes have all
been laid aside before the body OF the
sturgeon reach the fresh water OF the
river.
"While, however, they have not fall
en- OF at all within tho last o,,arter Of
century, u is evident that there ma
oeen some dinilnution since the latte,
part or the last century, A gentlemas
VINO resided at Mount Vernon for som
tIme after the Revolutionary War, writ
ing IN iTsa says on this subject:
From Gen. WashingtonS house
wnich stands ON the lofty banks OF the
iutomac, I have seen for several hours
together, IN Summers evening, hum
dfeds, perhaps / might say thousands.
OF sturgeon &C q great height above che
water at tho same instant. so that the
quantity In the river must have peen
ineonceiyahly great
Certainly after making all allowances
Tor exaggeFAtion no such supply ol
sturgeon can be found IN this portion
OF the river at this day. The fisher
men say that sturgeon come IN three
sectinns-s-the first early In May, the
second about the middle or close Of
June and the third IN August. There
Arc AevArai hundred man enaaaed in
ssNrs4en fishery en the PesemAs.s