Evening star., 1936-07-26
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

The work OF reclaiming the Potomac
flats, which eventually became one of
p.. p: the Capitals most
1o'ohlao "i'er beautiful parks,
Appropriations fifty fifty years. eaa.suassp6g ago by
inadequacy of appropriations. which
were annually carried in the rivers and
harbors bill. The Star Of July %, 1886,
says:
THE House went through the river
and harbor bill yesterday on the same
principle that bull employs on an ex-
cursion through china shop, slaughter
ing the Senate amendment indiscrim-
inately. and, of course. the Potomac
River appropriation suffered the COM
mon fate. In its present shape, if it can
be said to have any shape at all, and
unless Congress will take time to re-
model it thoroughly and intelligently
the best thing to do will be to let it die
and begin over again next Winter. The
Potomac improvement should have been
provided for in a separate bill. of course.
but it is as appropriately in this bill
as many other items there, and far more
worthy of passage than most of those
to which the House consents
*
WaShingtons professional base ball
club half century ago was consistent
loser. The Star of
LucKless July %, 1886. was moved
Nationals to say:
a"onai'' Base ball has got
into court in New York, and a learned
lawyer of that city enlightened the judge
70 ho y,NiyfS nf tho Tho d1ltV
of one side he said. is to strike the
ball with a bat and then rotate around
the field This being so. the National
base ball club of this city is clearly
derelict. It's members seldom strike the
ball with bat and they rotate around
the field far 500 infrequently to satisfy
the long suffering spectators"
Half century ago and for some time
thereafter delegations of Indians occa-
sionally made their
Apaches az the appearan in
yryh;4. u.rs. Washington to see
Willie AAouS0' the Great White
Father" and to seek redress of their
grievances against the Government. The
Star of July %, 1886, thus describes such
b tlSlIdIlOll dG tllC W1lltC 44OhoO.
"The delegation of ApacheS who are
in the city visited the President at noon
today, in charge of Captains Bourke and
Dorsey. AS they ascended the main
stairway the creaking of their heavy
new shoes sounded as if the White House
were invaded by a regiment. While
waiting in the cabinet room for the
President their attention was attracted
by the beautiful view from the south
windows, and they expressed their ad-
miration by deep gutturals, meaning it
is good it is beautiful etc. They were
soon ushered into the library and were
introduced by Captain Bourke to the
President, who shook hands with each
one. The President said that all that
had been said and agreed upon with
Secretary Lamar and Secretary Endicott
had been written down and would be
submitted to him. And tell them said
he to Captain Bourke, that I will give
the matter very careful attention The
words of the Great Father were trans
lated into Spanish by Captain Bourke
and were as fast turned into the Apache
language by Mickey Free, the Mexican
Apache. Mickey was adorned with the
conventional Galway sluggers,' which
added materially to his Celtic appear
ance. The Apaches testified their ap-
proval of the Presidents remarks with
deep grunts and wagging of heads. Then
after shaking hands all around again
with the President they took their de-
parture. Chief Chato was very promi-
nent figure among the visitors, and ne
was literally distinguished by large
flaming red necktie. The three squaws
who accompanied the bucks had nothing
to say, but they evidently saw a great
deal"