Evening star., 1943-07-18
Fifty Years Ago
in The Star

Fifty years ago Washington's public
transportation system was mainly elec-
trio, but there were still few horse cars.
The Star of July 10, 1898, called attention
to the fact that the horse
Farewell to was doomed for this pur-
The Horse pose. Saturday che
2Oth) will be rather in
teresting day to the officers of the Met
ropolitan Railroad Co. The fact is that
the 22d of July has been point to-
ward which they have been looking the
past year with the interest which man
is supposed to regard the date fixed by
the court when he is supposed to take
a last, If reluctant, farewell OF this
world = The law as read by plain
citizen says that if the road Is not
equipped with a motive power other than
horses by that time its corporate franz
chise shall be forfeited" However an ex-
tension had already been granted for
year, and it was felt that a further one
would be granted again. When the fatal
22d arrived, the horses were still oper-
ating, and the matter was left for the in
coming Congress, called into special ses-
sion due to the financial panic, to settle.
OF similar interest to WashingtonianS
was the report made by the Engineer
Commissioner on the grade-crossing prob
lem. There was then no one convenient
terminal, as now, providing
Grade minimum OF obstruction
Crossings to local traffic. The Star OF
July 18, 1893, said: THE
public must be protected from the dan
gerous grade crossings and the unpro-
tected tracks of the railroads within the
District of Columbia. These are the
sentiments of the Engineer Commis-
sioner, and he proposes to do all in his
power to correct the bad condition OF
things that The Star has pointed out
from time to time OF late, Capt. Pow
ell has given the matter serious consid-
Grafton, and at last determined to bring
matters to a focus and lay before the
Commissioners a plan that would help
matters considerably" His plan was
printed in great detail and would make
strange reading today, involving as 1t
Gid such uptown locations as New
Jersey avenue and c street, to say moth
ing of K street between Second and
Eighth and Massachusetts, avenue be-
tween F and H. No mere horse cars ran
over this route; it was part of the Bal
timore g. Ohio Railroad system.
Speculation was in order on what the
special session of Congress would do in
the way of financial legislation to ease
the panic. Probable Banking Legisla-
tion," read The Star Of
Financial July 10, 1893. "A good
LEGISLATION many of the leaders in
the House are anxious to
have the tax on State banks repealed,
but there will be number of other
propositions pressed and 1t is believed
that there will be strong following for
a national system based on the old New
York banking law, which Horace White
has adapted to our present national bank
system" Congress later was effective In
checking the panic, though many years
elapsed before the establishment Of that
powerful plan, the present Federal Re-
serve System.
X
France, at present in no position to
issue ultimatunls to any one, so years ago
served one on the government OF Siam
now Thailand. In a cable from London,
The Star of July 19,
Fronce Issues 1893, commented:
An lJltimotum THE French ultima
tum sent to Siam de-
mands that the Siamese evacuate the
left bank of the Mekong River. 1t also
demands that guarantee be given by the
Siamese government for the faithful per-
Torrance of its treaty obligations, and
that indemnity be paid for the outrages
perpetrated by the Siamese upon the
French" French gunboats, working their
way past distractions in the Mekong,
appeared before Bangkok, and the SIAM
ese yielded without struggle.
4 + 4
The Star Of July II, 1898, reported an
other disturbance In Nicaragua. ""As pre-
dicted IN The Star. telesraphic orders