Evening star., 1934-01-07
Fifty Years Ago
i'm The Star

Postmaster Frank B. Conger so years
ago made a special report to the Post
TIoa 1or q new urging the pro-
City Post Office. Vision ;s21.ra Of pr proper per
city post ONCE of Washington. That
establishment had been 1nadequately
housed from its institution. and was at
the time of the making Of this report,
located in the Seaton Building, on
Louisiana avenue between Sixth and
Seventh streets. In the course Of this
report, as printed in The Star Of Janu-
airy 9, 1884, the postmaster said: I
, Since my appointment as postmaster
six months ago I have daily become
more and more impressed with the fact
that the location Of the city post ONCE
In the present building was mistake
and that even If the immense business
Of the Washington post Office could be
accommodated at the time of its origi-
nal occupancy, such business has grown
so rapidly that it Is today absolutely
unfit for post once purposes. There is
not a room in the building where the
necessary work can be speedily and
economically performed. The various
divisions are separated In many parts
of the building and in some cases the
division has its work divided up In sew
eral parts. Connected with the Office
is mail bag repair shop and depoSi-
tory. The depository occupies the
largest portion Of low, damp, gloomy
and unhealthy basement, which is di-
vided into irregular spaces by wooden
partitions, greatly enhancing the danger
in case Of fire, without the possibility
of the removal of a particle of valuable
material which is stored therein. An
other portion of the basement is fitted
up for the accommodation Of the en-
ployes of the House and Senate post
offices, which, while very inconvenient
for those offices. is the best that can be
furnished. There are several sites IN
the city which would be suitable for a
post Office building. but hope whatever
action is taken that the united support
of the entire population of Washington
may be given to efforts to secure from
Congress an appropriation for a site and
suitable building. leaving the question
of location to be determined in such
manner as Congress may direct after
the appropriation has been made"
Eight years after this report was
made building was erected on G street
between Sixth and Seventh streets into
which the office was moved, and where
it remained until the completion OF the
granite structure on Pennsylvania ave-
nue. between Eleventh and Twelfth
streets. September S. 1914. it was
finally established In its permanent
home Immediately west Of the Union
Station.
"The decadence Of the novel in Eng
land" says The Star of January IL,
Vote for Leading insiy tsst' shown s 1s''ey By
English Authors. Of tse Tseens rssds4s ssnsof oi
the English journal of Education,
taken with a view of determining
who. in the opinion of this intelligent
public, could be called the leading au-
thors of the day. The journal offered
a prize to the one sending in the best
list of the first 10 living English writers,
and more than 500 subscribers sent re-
plies. 1t may be said that the responses
are tinged by special preferences Of
particular class, but teachers are omni-
vorous readers, and their life and duties
make them good critics and liberal in
their tastes. The prize was awarded to
man who sent the names of Brown
Ing, Tennyson, Swinburne, Newman,
Ruskin, Matthew Arnold, William Nor
ris, John Morley, Lecky and Freeman.
There is not a novelist in this list.
Moreover the ballots, as published,
scarcely mention the names Of any who
hold the lead in works Of fiction. The
claims Of Charles Reade, Wilkie Collins,
william Black. Thomas Hardy and
other popular noveiists are completely
ignored
"As we have said, these opinions may
have been biased by the professional
bent Of the public 10 whom the inquiry
was addressed. Still, body of 500
school teachers would not have ignored
Dickens, Thackeray and George Eliot
Of any writer Of fiction must be taken
rather as an indication that the nov
elist, like the poet and the orator, Is
losing gro4pd and yielding the lead 10
the man Of facts and logic. When