Evening star., 1946-01-27
Fifty Years Ago

Ine Star OF January Is, 1896, con-
tanned list of larcenies, including:
new waist and $1l
Five Robberies stolen from Annie Gar
Reported rett, 800 c street NV;
black overcoat, taken
from the cloakroom of the House of
Representatives, the property of H. w.
Wilberger, 237 New Jersey avenue; a
suit of clothes, pair of cuffs, pair of cuff
buttons. two pairs of suspenders and
s45 "sneaked" from c. l.. Canady, 939
c street S.W.; a set of harness filched
from Oscar Anderson. 1929 Cochran
street NV, and a set of bicycle tools
just simply carried off from H. A..
Mayse, $50 Third street NV. Quite a
crime wave, all things considered. But
the following day nine more robberies
were chronicled!
An advertisement in The Star on jan
uary II, 1896, told how c. G. Sloan e. Co.,
1407 G street, would sell
Mony Articles on the following morn
At Auction ing: Mahogany, maple
and oak chamber suites,
wardrobes, folding dests, sideboards,
couches, roll-top desks, Office chairs, orn-
aments, carpets and rugs, pictures, par
lor furniture, mattresses, pillows and
holsters dining chairs, extension tables,
china and glassware, kitchen furni-
ture"-au to the highest bidders present.
Likewise to be knocked down with the
roll-top desks and holsters, one fine
landau. horses, carriages and fine st.
Bernard dog with pedigree" 1t is
permissible to wonder what the living
chattels thought of the auction method
OF disposing of property.
x
Granted front page space in The Star of
January 10, 1896. was lengthy account
of the celebration of
0ermon Empire the 25th anniversary
Anniversary of the crowning of
King William at
Versailles, observed throughout the
Reich. His grandson, William II, made
relatively inoffensiye speech at Ber-
lin, declaring Germany's intention to
oppose unitedly and solidly any attacks
upon our independence" but insisting
that the German empire is far from
being in danger from other states, and,
always enjoying the respect and con-
1dence of the nations, will continue in
the future as in the past a strong pillar
of peace" World War l was only Is
years around the corner, but not even
William II knew that at the moment
4 I
On January Is, 1896, The Star report
ed the demise three days earlier of
Mathew B. Brady, one
Deoth of of the very greatest
N. B. Brody photographers who ever
has lived. He had died
in New York from the effects of street
accident in Washington months before.
The Stars account of his career said:
He saw the value of his occupation as
an adjunct to the historic description
OF contemporary times and character.
To (him) is due the accurate portraiture
OF scores Of men of great historic prom
inence in the first half of the century.
as we'll as of hundreds who have been
active in the affairs of the war period
and since" Among his subjects we're:
Lincoln, Webster, Calhoun, Clay, John
Quincy Adams, Sam Houston and liter
ally thousands of soldiers in the Union
Army between 1861 and 1865. Probably,
Mr.. Brady was the first camera war cor
respondent. Many of his plates showed
scenes of actual conflict. He was about
rs when his life ended-in pathetic
poverty"
An editorial in The Star for January
%, 1896, discussed the annual report of
the Herdic Phaeton
Three cent Fores Co., commenting on
p,of;+,hl. the fact that "this
company in March
last reduced the fare to cents and
since that time, in 10 months, has car
ried 100000 more passengers than in
the previous year. This unquestion-
ably means an increase in the gross and
presumably in the net revenue of the
company and Is strong argument in
favor of cheap fares" the editorial ex-
planned, but "in transportation matters
the FIRST thing to be desired is a rate of
fare commensurate with the service
rendered" and "the second is to furnish
facilities that will accommodate all the