Evening star., 1941-02-16
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

The tempo of life half a century ago
was not so sluggish as people nowadays
might suppose. A
Times Hove Not single issue of The
Greatly Changed Star. dated Sat-
urday, February
a. 1891. contained a series of stories
indicative of the dynamic power OF the
age. The principal feature of the front
page was a dispatch from New York
telling of the death of Gen William
Tecumseh Sherman. the famous soldier.
An editorial note at the top of page
declared One of the few great gen.
erals Of the late war, he tWas) almost
the last of the brilliant commanders on
land and sea- who upheld the Union
cause. Grant, Farragut, Sheridan, Han
cock. Thomas, Porter and many more
have ceased from their labors. 1t only
remains to express the public sorrow and
anticipate the judgment Of history. Be-
longing to a family which produced
several illustrious men, serving IN gen.
eYous rivalry with some of the grandest
men in modern history. in all he did
he bore himself so we'll as TO command
the admiration of his Countrymen.
His patriotism, his genius in war. his
citizenship in period of great trial
these are known to all men, and his
name will descend to the latest
posterity."
A sketch of Gen. Shermans career
and tributes to his memory filled three
long columns of fine print.
Certain suggestions approXimating
what in 1941 is called Federal Union"
were contained in paragraphs reading:
Newfoundland wants to be annexed to
the United States right away. England
has been sticking pins in her" and Mr.,
Blaine (allegedly) in 1880 during the
Garfield Hancock contest made a tour
of Canada, sounding the representative
men on commercial and political union
and went into Garfields cabinet an an
nexationist and " he is still the
same"
Another of series of feature articles
written for The Star by Rudyard Kipling
was published on page 9. 1t concerned
his observations in Utah and his i'm
preSsions of the Mormon settlers there.
One excerpt will suffice to indicate the
tenor of the entire story: Some day the
temple will be finished. 1t was only
begun 80 years ago and up to date
rather more than s3,50O00O have been
expended in its granite bulk. The walls
are 10 feet thick, the edifice itself is
about 100 feet high and its towers will
be nearly 200 An ordered oeace
and a perfection of quiet luxury is the
note of the city of Salt Lake"
Two conventions, it was explained at
considerable length and with illustra-
tions, were about to meet in Washing
ton. On Sunday afternoon, February
IS, "a great convocation of white rib
boners'" under the auspices of the Ma
tional Woman's Christian Temperance
Union was to open at the Congrega-
tional Church. The other gathering was
that of the officers of the League of
American Wheelmen, a national Or
ganization of bicycle enthusiasts, as
sembling at a local hotel Monday.
On Page there appeared the an
nouncement of arrangements for the
funeral of Admiral David D. Porter,
commander in chief of the Navy who
had died at his home, 1712 street NV.
Friday, February 13.
A column of reports on meeting of
the District of Columbia Committee of
the House of Representatives: two
columns of notes on sessions of the
House and the Senate: two columns of
political gossip, principally concerning
Grover Cleveland an Uncle Remus story
by Joel Chandler Harris; letter on "A
Trip to CuZco," Peru, by Fannie B.
Ward; church, real estate, fashion, Ma
tional Guard, society and stock market
news-all of these departments, then as
now, were present in the issue of The
Star delivered to Washington homes
so years ago Friday. For persons who
required exceptionally thrilling reading
there was cable from London hope
fully Affirming that Jack-the- Ripper,
the phantom killer, had been caught.