Evening star., 1937-07-18
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

Objection was raised Atty years ago to
the sounding OF loud fire alarms in
c,, Washington on the
o'o"u' "hu ground Of the attrac-
Fire Alarms. ton Of large crowds to
the scene. In the
course Of the discussion The Star Of July
l3. 1887. says:
The objection raised by Chief Paris
TO the ringing of fire alarm bells that
they serve to attract a crowd to the
scene who interfere with the work of the
firemen. besides injuring household
goods by their we'll meaning but i'll
directed activity, will not weigh a great
deal in the argument. 1t is not the
alarm bells alone that draw the crowd.
1t is principally the spectacle of the en-
gines. trucks and hose carriages dashing
through the streets with horses at full
gallop and gongs raising an internal din
Probably not one citizen of the District
in every thousand knows the signals by
heart or has a table close at hand to
consult whenever the bells ring The
hustle in the streets certainly does not
begin till the big vehicles 90 laundering
by Until we have underground thor
ouehfares for our flrefghting apparatus
the engines will be followed by hundreds
of idle people and the prohibition of
alarm bells cannot prevent it."
Dick Turpin was very commonplace
thief in comparison with the knights of
the mask and pis-
AS"iAA o"us anu tolls who nowadays
Train Robbers. board railway trains
in the West and
make of with the passengers valuables ="
SAYS The Star of July Is, 1887. The lat
ter are not perhaps so picturesque in cos
tune, but they are daring to degree
exceeding the widest dreams Of the Eng
lish outlaw. For years they have con-
fined their efforts to overhauling the
ordinary passenger. wherever they could
find him, and the directors Of an infested
road have been made the subject Of
severe newspaper censure in not provid-
ing proper police protection on their
lines. The indifference to this criticism
manifested by these magnates has been
aggravatingly contemptuous. On the
Wabash and Western road, as good luck
would have it, the general passenger
agent was treated last Tuesday night to
an instructive experience by making a
Journey in the general managers car,
and within only IS miles of the big city
Of Chicago. which will give him lively
personal interest in such complaints" ="
The effect of mastering the various
separate troops of citizen soldierv into a
.,.. compac: District
Ulstrlct M4lltlA militia organiza- =
and Home Defense. tfon has already
begun to Stimu-
late martial sentiment among our young
men. who are daily forming new COM
panies" says The Star of July l3. 1887.
"All this is a wholesome sign. Should
the curse of war ever descend again
upon the country the National Capital
will, of course. be one Of the first points
of attack and then the presence of q
we'll disciplined home guard will be ap-
preciated. The legislation which will be
necessary next Winter to legalize the
new system and the arguments adduced
In its support may impress upon Con-
gress the demand for better general
provision for the city's defense. There
ought to be no difficulty whatever, and
no tremendous expense. in guarding the
approaches to Washington. by both land
and water, with forts strong enough to
hold any ordinary invading force at