Milford chronicle., 1959-01-09
MEMORARLEnATES

British troops storming his positions before
New Orleans.
In the same year that Napoleon fought
his last battle (Waterloo) "Old Hickory
was saving New Orleans and winning the
last battle of the War of 1912, ironically
after the peace treaty had been signed
(Ghent, December "a, 1814.) The United
States had learned earlier that year of Ma
poleon's abdication, which freed large Brit
ish forces.
Though Napoleon was to escape from st.
Helena in March of 1915, to fight the Allies
once again (Waterloo), American officials
did not know this when they concluded peace
in December, 1914, and, in any event Napo-
leon was defeated again in 1915.
Jackson first attacked the British, De-
cenber 23rd, 1914, but was repulsed, and fell
back upon earthworks, which he fortified
The British finally attacked January 9Th,
with 1000 men and 1000 including their COM
manding officer were lost in thirty minutes.
Another memorable January date is the
9th. On that day in 1861 the merchant steam
er Star Of the West attempted to land rein
forcementS at Fort Sumter and shore bat
teries opened fire and turned back the ship.
The forts commander had opposed this dan
gerous move, knowing that the South felt
it had received clear assurance that no rein
f0rcenent would be attempted while negO-
tiations were in progress
Nevertheless, firing on the flag was a
great victory Of strategy for the North and
a blunder for the South, which stirred in
tense passions. The first balloon ascension
in the United States occurred January 9th, in
Philadelphia, in 1893. A Frenchman, Fran
co.'s Blanchard, lost money on the occasion,
even though President Washington attended
and gave him a written message to carry
into the air!
+ RTo4s H. e.
but was formerly observed on January To-
for in 1920, on that date the League was es-
tablished Standard Oil was founded that
day in 1870. January 18th, in the West IN
dies, at Charles Town, Alexander Hamilton
was born-son of Scotch father and
French Huguenot mother.
On January 18th hostilities between Mex
leo and the United States began, in 1916 and
OH the 18th, in 1884, the peace treaty between
England and rebelling colonies was signed
beginning the u. S. Independence!
@&@&&
PROSPECTS FOR 1859
This is the first time we have written a
date-line for the New Year, and the numer-
ais 1853 seem to come more easily and
naturally out of the typewriter than did the
expended 1858 twelve months ago.
We hope this is highly signifcant-that
you have, perhaps, had the same feeling of
relative ease onfdence-and.th that what
ever mystic force these digits may have is all
to the good After what we have seen of the
efforts of statesmen in 1858 to solve domes-
tic problems, ease internal tensions, protect
our traditional freedoms, live on our tax
income; and of their fumbling of the mighty, |
global issues that must ultimately add up to
freedom or slavery for the whole world, we
might just as well take what comfort we
can from carrying a rabbits foot or a horse
chestnut (buckeye?), wishing on the first
star-which might turn out to be satellite,
of course-and picking up pins.
For happier anticipations we can turn to
the business side of life-in-1959. With the
recession receding in the closing months Of
1858, the New Year enters on the upgrade
with all the signs pointing to a steady climb
(no boom) in industrial and consumer pro- !
duction, in home-building and in agricultural
income-with some basis for believing infa-
tion has been slowed to no more than fast
walk
All of which suggests that, on balance, /
our businessmen may have done better job
than our politicos . and that, in turn, our
politics might be more effective if those bus
inessmen were to give more earnest atten-
ton to who is doing what at the statehouse
and the Capitol and who should be nominated
and elected, and how.
<G%MG~%