Evening star., 1943-01-10
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

Fifty years ago, on January II, 1893,
The Star carried the obituary of a
. statesman and soldier:
Gen. Butler Gen. Benjamin Franklin
Dies Butler died at his Wash
ington residence 220 New
Jersey avenle,. at 1:30 this morning.
He was i'll for but one hour, and
his death appeared to be entirely
painless. His death was due to heart
trouble. Up to the hour Of going
to bed Gen. Butler was apparently in
perfect health" The general was man
both strongly hated and strongly loved.
No good was ever said Of him south of
the Mason-Dixon line, where he was
accused Of everything from stealing
spoons to murder. 1t was not to be ex-
pected, however. that any Northerner
appointed as military governor of New
Orleans would have been popular. The
Star said of him: His blows were hard
and his thrusts were keen, and left
behind him on the path of his ambi-
ton there were many who bandaged
their wounds and nursed vengeance
against him. More conspicuous in the
busy throng of common life were the
thousands who regarded him as bene-
factor and blessed him as great
champion"
A bill was passed by Congress, and
reported in The Star of January 10,
1893, to allow the Norfolk g.
Useless Western Railroad to come into
Bill Washington. For some time
the railroad had pressed for
this privilege-just why, it is hard to
decide, for no advantage was ever taken
of the congressional permission, and to
this day the Norfolk & Western has
never moved into the District. Its
closest station to the Capital is at Shen-
andoah Junction, near Front Royal, Va.
Speculation on President-elect Cleve-
lands immediate plans was settled in
The Star of January II,
Cleveland 1898: Mr.. Cleveland will
To Rest leave town New York; with
his family for Lakewood on,
before March 4, when he will start for
Washington. He may run up to town
occasionally to his Office in the Mills
Building. Immediately upon Mr..
Clevelands arrival in Washington he
will call on President Harrison at the
White House. He will then return to the
Arlington Hotel, and an hour later
President Harrison will call on Mr..
Cleveland there. -" Mr. Cleveland will
commit his inaugural address to men,
ory and do away with the use of manu-
script"
The Star of January 10, 1893, gave
encouraging news of James G. Blaine's
condition: During the
JOS. 6. Blaine past "a hours Mr. Blaine
Neor Deoth has had another Sc
49, rious relapse, but at a
late hour this afternoon he was re-
ported to be even better than he was
before this attack of heart failure"
Some hope Of eventual recovery was
held out, but 1t was not to be. Mr..
Blaine died later in the month.
4
News from Europe would hardly have
been complete without another French
cabinet crisis, particu-
Another French larly as the latest
Cabinet FoIIs cabinet had been 60
ing for all of seven
weeks. In dispatch from Paris, The
Star of January 10, 1893, stated: 1.-THE
French ministry has just resigned,
owing to differences in the cabinet on
the arrest Of. Ex-Minister Of Public
Works Baihaut and other matters.
The greatest excitement prevails and
people throng the streets. The police
are out in force, dispensing crowds"
The real reason behind the resignation
had to do with the Panama Canal scam
dal, and . hint that large-scale bribery
d public odoials had occurred.