Evening star., 1940-01-28
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star
Court
buiIdina
Needed
Washington's local public building

Court IN secure needed inonrove.
BUILDING ments. The Star of jan
Needed uary 81, 1890, says:
"The District OF Columbia is greatly in
need of suitable building for holding
the local courts. That the old City Hall,
even with its patches and additions, is
not such structure is evident. 1t may
be fitting that community burdened
with ancient and contradictory laws
should have underpaid and overworked
judges to administer them and should be
required to accommodate its judges and
administer its laws in badly ventilated
and badly arranged courthouse, where
justice is dispensed and disease con-
tracted. But there is to be reform all
along the line. The laws are to be re-
vised, codif1ed and supplemented with
modern legislation. The number Of
judges and their salaries are to be con-
siderably increased and courthouse be-
fitting the Capital of the Republic and
the court of widest and most varied
jurisdiction in the whole United States
is to be built. Hasten the day!"
- \
This country was suffering from an
epidemic of the influenza which was
generally known at the
oou'ee VI time as the grip" with
Inrluehzo many deaths resulting.
Discovered The source of this plague
was q matter of discussion. The Star of
January %. 1890, says:
"The grip has been traced by the Lon
don Times with reasonable certainty to
Eastern Asia and the floods, followed by
famine and malaria, which occurred in
the Hoang -Ho or Yellow River of China
two years ago. Similar outbreaks Of in
fluenza have originated in the same re-
gion from the same cause, or at least
the disease has spread west through
Siberia just after overflows of Chinese
rivers which produced famine and fevers.
The great streams of the Celestial En-
pire support teeming population and
when the mud deposits destroy the rice
crops and breed malaria the people die
by hundreds of thousands and epidemic
makes its career of conquest westward
just as the ancient Scythians. Until
China and other Oriental countries re-
ceive our science and put in practice
modern notions of sanitation there Is no
preventive means that can stay the
progress of the red, black and other
deaths that issue from that cradle Of
destruction. AL that can be done is to
lessen the evil by proper treatment and
iv1ct
pestilences."
A great international exposition was
planned so years ago to commemorate
Au-,u the 4O0th anniversary Of the
WHY discovery OF America and the
ro'T question of a proper site for
Sire that great fair was under dis
cussion. The Star Of January IS, 1890,
says:
"The contention between New York
and Chicago for the Worlds Fair site is,
as was anticipated, arousing sectional,
commercial and political jealousies. New
York papers outside Of New York City
are beginning to recognize this fact and
check upon Worlds Fair legislation at
Albany is doubtless due to a growing
public sentiment in this direction. The
controversy should be settled in . man
ner which will leave no bitterness or
heartburning to render the fair fail
ure through the indifference or active
hostility Of sighted section or jealous
commercial or political interests Chicago
and New York should both voluntarily
withdraw in favor Of the Nation as the
host at the fair. They can do this with
out humiliation. The Nation will then
give and pay for an adequate celebration
Of Americas discovery at its Capital No
section will be offended at q preference
given to the National City-the city Of
all the sections. No elections are to be
held In the Capital In 1891 80 that its
selection viii quiet political apprehen-
sions. No commercial city win be jeal-
Gus Of Washington q . rival and hesi-
tate 70 strengthen It BY aiding the fair"