Evening star., 1946-12-29
Fifty Years Ago

Fifty Years Ago
The midwinter exhibition of the
Washington Photographic Club was
chronicled in The Star
Comero Art on December is, 1895. A
Exb;h;ted featured print was en-
titled "Fantaisie du ia
pon." It was the work Of Charles Rich
ards Dodge and showed some fish SWIM
ming in a tank, "impressionistic in effect
and artistic in the last degree" Other
camera enthusiasts collaborating in the
display were J. H. Harper, Charles
Schaaf, e. Lee Ferguson, A. J. Houghton,
H. E. Crook. Dexter Thurber. A. J.
Henry, Claude J. and w. c. Allen, c. B.
Jewell, w. F. Roberts and A. S. Mccoy.
Twin prints which attracted particular
attention were views Of the Washington
Monument taken from the same spot In
summer and in winter.
The Star of December IT, 1896, an
nounced the sudden death Of Alexander
Fomous Mosicon brated magician.
n;.. He was native OF
Paris, born Feb
ruary 10, 1874 With his brother Carl,
also a conjurer of distinction, he ap-
peared at the Academy Of Music in New
York City In 1861, playing an engage
ment OF rs successive nights. The
partnership with Carl continued until
1867, but Alexander toured alone after
that date, became an American citizen
and finally reached the end Of his
career In his private car at Great Valley
near Salamanca, N. Y.
Wilbur F. Crafts, in letter to The
Star published on December 18, 1895,
discusse d "the
'Christion Nation unanimous opin-
Deei<ion ion' of the SUI
preme Court, ,aren-
dered through Mr.. Justice Brewer on
February 20. 1892, that: This is
Christian Nation" The case. he wrote,
was an effort to exclude an imported
preacher under the law against imported
contract labor. The court decided
that the law did not apply to preach
ers, first, because the debates showed
that it was labor in the popular sense
that was intended in the exclusion act;
but, secondly, they said the law could
not be considered in any case as inter-
fering with the preacher because this
is a Christian Nation, in support of
which the eloquent writer of the opin-
ion set forth whole gulf stream of
oficial acts of the various branches OF
Government, together with numerous
Christian customs, at the close of which
he said: These and many other matters
which might be noticed add volume
of unofficial declarations to the mass
OF organic utterances that this is
Christian Nation" Mr. Crafts argued
also that 'the Sunday rest orders of
Washington, jackson, Lincoln, Harri-
son and Cleveland = and the Sab
bath-closing law of Congress" consti-
tuted "a threefold cord of irrefragable
evidence" that "ours is Christian Ma
ton"
The Star of December 10, 1896, fea-
tured an account of the swearing-in Of
Charles Crisp of
Youngest Member Georgia as sue
WeIromed cessor to his ia
ther as a mem
ber of the House of Representatives,
though not as Speaker. mot over 26
years DID," he was recognized as the
youngest man in the lower branch of
the National Legislature. when the
oath of Office was administered to him
today, members on both sides of the
chamber applauded him -. For the
next quarter Of an hour Chez was kept
busy receiving the congratulations" OF
Republicans as well as Democrats. Mr..
Crisp served out his fathers term, then
was Judge of the City Court at Ameri-
Gus from 1900 to 1911, parliamentarian
OF the Sixty-second Congress under
Speaker Champ Clark, member of the
Sixty-third to Seyenty-second Con-
crosses, 1913-1932, in his own right by
choice of the voters of the Sd Georgia
district, and, finally. member Of the
United States Tariff Commission, 1928.
He died February 7, 1887.
* X X
On December Is, 1896, The Star edi-
torially affirmed: Christmas appeals to
the best there Is in man
Christmas kind. 1t stirs the religious
Editorial sentiments and stimulates
generosity. 1t promotes
peace and happiness and brings to the
surface all the latent goodness of the
race. Hence, aside from its history and
deeper significance, the day is of great
value. The loosening Of the bonds OF
selfishness that tie down the charitable
impulses in many breasts, even though
it occurs at such rare intervals as once
a year, is yet a blessing and saving
grace. The symbols of the occasion, the
rest from labor, the services OF praise
and song in the sanctuaries, the ex-
change Of gifts and greetings, and the
typifying display of those products OF
nature that live in their beautiful green
freshness through the winters SHOWS
these are but the externals Of the senti-
nent that thrills the worlds soul today,
pirased In the undying message: On