Evening star., 1949-02-13
Filipino Vets
Fifty Years Ago

Philatelists were "on the Job" half CEN
tury ago when the Government discontinued
n the use Of tax stamps on news
newspaper papers and periodicals and post
stomns masters we're ordered to return
stocks they had on hand. The
Star for February 4. 1885, announced that
remainders would be sold to collectors at IS
q set. This probably referred to adhesives
watermarked "USPS" with face values rang
ing from cent to $780, the designs repre-
senting America, Justice, Victory. Clio, Vesta,
Peace. Commerce and lovely Indian maiden.
A total Of &c, ,9s9 lots of IL labels each were
disposed Of SCOTS Catalogue lists the set
at $50 now.
cable from Admiral Dewey to the Navy
Department. published in The Star on Febru-
ary 6. 1899, disclosed that
'hsurreeuoh IN insurgents have attacked"
tho ph;II;nn;nes Manila. Scenes of excite
ment" developed in the
military Offices of the government on receipt
of the news. Earlier dispatches had indicated
that Filipino rebels under Aguinaldo were
on the warpath. THE Americans were not
caught mapping, however and were enabled
to repulse the enemy with heavy losses"
Fighting continued through the night. The
insurgents were driven back and several
villages and defense works captured but
casualties among the Americans are esti-
mated at ITS, of which about rs are fatal"
Maj. Gen. Elwell Stephen Otis was in COM
mand as Military Governor of the Philip
pines. He continued in charge until May,
1900, when he was relieved by Gen. Arthur
Macarthur, father of the present military
administrator of Japan.
Constructed to promote national gal
leries of history and art" the Halls of the
Ancients at 1312-1318 New
Halls Of York avenue NV, were ad-
the Ancients vertised in The Star OF
February 7, 1899. as being
open to the public. They included an
Egyptian portal, an Assyrian throne room,
Persian lecture hail. Saracenic hall,
Roman house and Taberna. Each room
contained works Of art illustrating the evolu-
tion Of design. Franklin w. Smith was
curator. Three times daily he explained the
cultural purposes OF the building Meanwhile,
Maude Adams was playing in James Matthew
Barrie's Little Minister" at the National
Theater-no mean competition for the an
clients, either.
The Star for February 8, 1892 reported
the House Of Representatives, acting as the
Committee Of the Whole,
FuDlic ItDEoTy had approved Mount YER
Cite non Square as the site for
the new municipal Public
Library Building for which Andrew Car
negie had given $250000. Chairman David
Henry Mercer cafed up the bill, saying:
when the people Of Washington can har-
monize on q proposition like this. 1t ought
to be adopted" The Star promptly urged the
Senate to act. "Mr. Carnegie's gift" 1t de-
clared editorially, must be utilized"
Boreas and Jack Frost made a descent
upon Washington" early in the morning Of
February 9. 1899 and The Star for
Weother that date testified to the fact that
No+.s the mercury dropped to degrees
below zero under the influence OF
"blood- chilling blasts" Only on the last day
of 1880 and the first Of 1881 had the Capital
been colder-14 below. The Star took ad-
vantage of the state Of the weather to appeal
for aid to the poor, saying: "The past week
has been more severe on the INDECENT class
than any week experienced in Washington
for several years." It even was tough Tor the
Post Once clock which froze up at O'Clock
and would not move thereafter.