Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-13
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

Ju0RlnS from the 1OlOWlnR letbeI
printed In The Star OF october IL, 1879,
thsre were some rather
BAD boys In bad boys in Washing
the Streets. ton n 50 ~: years sv ago.;
grateful to the officers of the police for
performing their simple and plain duty
in endeavoring to break up an almost
intolerable nuisance suffered by the
residents of the western portion OF
South washington Children, and espe-
cially the boys, are noisy. They must
be noisy, and they must play in the
street, because their parents for the
most part have little or no yards for
them to play in. Some people don't
like children In the house. in the street
or anywhere else, because they are
as rule noisy children do not annoy
but amuse me. But what is 1t that
several citizens, with myself, have COM
planned of 10 the police and have ap-
pealed to them to take the pains to
remedy? 1t is this: The parents OF a
troop Of about Is boys. ranging from
Z or Q to IS years Of age, in the neigh
borhood OF B and d and Twelfth and
Fourteenth streets southwest, so far
neglect them and their conduct that
they turn out every night and Sunday,
keep up a boisterouS screaming, the
main portion Of which We hear is a
continuous scream of the worst kind OF
profane and indecent language, which
is thoroughly disgusting and notifying
to the members Of our families. II q
parent knowingly, which is frequently
the case, allows his boys to go along the
street In front of other peoples houses
and use the vile language that my
family have been compelled to hear for
weeks, he should not be surprised TO
learn at any moment Of the boys arrest
and Of being compelled to pay fine
for their defense: Whatever the oftense
was these particular boys who we're
arrested committed, in view Of the
numerous complaints made, feel sure
the officers were trying to exercise their
duty conscientiously, and I am in
formed upon good authority that they
did not handle the boys as roughly as
reported"
Every newspaper I happen to cast
my eyes over" writes "Bricklayer" in
a letter to The Star
Low Wages and printed in the issue
Rising Prices 81 0 so bound to see see
some mentiOn OF LIle EctuIIl VI PAoS
perity and good times. All kinds Of
trades are loonning up. There are
more men working now than there
have been since the panic. Every eve
ming in looking over the want column
of The Star / notice wants for men
of all kinds of trades and professions.
There are more houses in course OF
erection now than for many years and
more laboring work going on. Nat
urally, with the revival OF business
everything in the way of family sup
plies tends upwards, Flour has gone
up So on the barrel In the past two
months and provisions have risen in
the same proportion. Now why Is 1t
that the wages of mechanics and la
borers remain stationary? 1t seems
that the revival of business hurts. in
stead of helps, the workingman.
whenever there Is a reduction In the
prices of edibles and clothing the en-
ployers are not very slow in reducing
the wages Of the men under them; II
they were half as prompt In raising
them there would be no cause OF COM
plant.
1.-The contractors are paying men
about 81 per day, and the contractors
who are constructing the large sewer
on Boundary street are only paying
80 cents for toiling from z am. to
8 pm. Now, how do they suppose
that q man can keep his own body
and soul together. not to mind his
family's, for 80 cents? Who is to
blame for this2 Partly the Commits
sioners, who when they have any
street work to give out give 1t to the
lowest bidder, as provided by law, who
in turn subs 1t to another contractor
and so on until It passes through
three or four hands, al OF whom GER
tainly make something by the opera
ton. Have the Commissioners no
power whereby they can make con-
tractor who undertakes to do work
commence. it Immediately and fnish