davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-01

parks and sites for the Presidents house
and the Capitol are all shown on the map
made by Peter Charles LEnfant In 1791
practically as they exist today. L'Enfant's
draft was altered. and the map was conf
pleted under the direction Of Gen. Wash
ington, who, with clear understanding
Of the situation, gave close and painstaking
personal attention to everything that re-
lated to the District of Columbia or the
federal city. This accurate knowledge of
details and interest Of the President Is
clearly shown by letters to the commits
sioners and others in authority at that
time. The streets were arranged so as
to give quick communication between the
buildings and other points Of interest. The
ease with which government property could
be protected by cannon has been given as
a reason for the radiating avenues.
Most important for the future beauty and
artistic effect Of the city was the selection
and location Of building and statuary or
monument sites. Washington, L'Enfant
and Ellicott, who was doing the field work.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-01

inally selected for them. The wisdom of
the choice has been proved by the pleasure
derived from the completed structures.
The effectiveness of the White House has
been marred by the erection of the Treas
ury and Of the War. State and Navy De-
partment buildings In this way sight or
it Is cut off from Pennsylvania avenue on
the east, and New York avenue on the
west. When in foliage the trees and shrub
berry in Lafayette Square shut out even a
glimpse Of the building from Vermont and
Connecticut avenues. The Congressional
Library Is the first structure to bring an
antagonistic element into conjunction with
the Capitol The library has been built
across Pennsylvania avenue on the east.
Down this street for miles fine view OF
the Capitol could formerly be obtained.
Now, the dome of the Capitol rising over
the library, and seen in connection with
the dome or central feature Of the library,
produces a decided discord. In later years
the selection of sites for public buildings
seems to have been purely a haphazard
one. At present 1t depends on cost inf1u-
ence, whim, or the advice of men in no
way prepared to advise. No general sys-
TEN Is being followed. no man or men seem
to have studied the question as a whole.
1t all devolves upon committees Of Con-
gress. who are constantly changing. The
engineer corps of the army, through the
commissioner of public buildings and
grounds. having charge of parks and com
pleted buildings, has more influence than
any other department.
It is to be regretted that we have no
bureau Of fine arts composed of Guilt
waited architects and landscape artists. Such
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-01
A DEFENSE OF DIRT.
London Monuments Protected, by De-
posts of SCOT and Dust.

London Monuments Protected by De-
posits of SCOT and Dust.
Every few years somebody raises the
question whether st. PauPs Cathedral in
London ought not to be cleansed from the
scot with which it is encrusted. and re-
stored to something Ike it's primitive
whiteness. Some time ago an experiment
of the sort was made on one of the por-
ticos, which forthwith assumed a notified
or piebald appearance. Now the matter
has come up for discussion again, and the
following interesting point is made ia a
letter to the Times by well-known archi-
tect: Il have had the opportunity, when
examining some OF our London stone-faced
churches. of removing the coat of dirt with
a view of seeing the condition of the stone
under it. and have found 1t to be perfect.
The casing of dirt appeared to be made
chiefly of road dust which had adhered to
the stone (only the outer coat of all being
gray black. All the deleterious chemicals
must have gone out of the lower layer, 50
that the dirt was perfect protection. If 1t
were all cleaned off, the stone would be
subjected to the strong chemicals in our
London atmosphere 1t must be remember
ed that this dirt only adheres to the parts
which are not completely washed by the
rain, and that it is Just these parts, there
fore, which are In most need of protection
If at some future time the atmosphere of
London should be as pure as the atmos-
phere of the country Is now, it might be
wise 10 act on the suggestion, but until
that time comes / sincerely trust that no
such experiment will be tried"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-01

matter what hour of the night they came.
He said his whole day was devoted to
work. and that he had his fingers on near
ly every branch of the government.
heard the same from other Japanese states
men, and the change in Japan is 10 more
wonderful than the change which has taxi
en- place In the character Of the emperor.
Kept in IA Glass Cage.
The present Emperor Of japan was kept
In a sort of a glass cage. fsuratively
speaking, during the first third Of his life.
He was forty-five years old last November.
and he was put on the throne at the age
of fifteen. This was when the Shotgun was
still commander-in-chief Of the army, and
was practically the ruler Of Japan. 1 had
at one time in Kioto a guide furnished me
by the governor of the city. and he took
me into the palace of the emperor, where
the present mikado lived for the first part
OF his life, and told me something about
him. At this time he was so holy that no
one mentioned his name. When IL was
necessary to write 1t a letter was left cut
from reverence. He was like the Emperor
of China, sort of a son of heaven, and he
was kept In this big palace, surrounded by
bakers dozen or so of concubines and a
lot of servants. Whenever he went out 1t
was in closed cart, and he knew nothing
whatever of what was going on IN Japan.
/ saw hts throne. 1t looked more like a
four-poster bedstead than anything else.
emperor sat cross-legged on the floor, and
he had couple of swords on tables beside
him. I had to take off my shoes before
was admitted into the palace, and / walked
for about a mile over soft matted floors.
The palace Is altogether japanese in struc
ture. 1t has sliding walls covered with gold
leaf. and II is decora ted with paintings by
the old Japanese masters. 1t was in 1t
that the emperor received the foreigners
for the first time. This was about twenty
six years ago. and 1t was shortly after that
that he moved his court to Tokyo. He has
visited Kloto several times since then, and
at one time came back to open the railroad
at Kobe.
The Emperor's Palaces.
The home Of the mikado at Tokyo is far
different from these old Japanese palaces
in Kioto. He has vast estate right in the
center of the city. made up of hill
and valley. containing lakes and woods,
and vast one-story palaces. 1t Is sur
rounded by three meats. some Of which
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-01

condition of the people makes plenty of
work. You can never tell who is going to
fly OF on a tangent. and the newspapers
have to be carefully watched. The en-
peror keeps his eyes on everything. At
least, 1 was told so. He rises early. and
breakfasts about 7 o'clock. He uses
knife and fork whenever he takes foreign
food, but he prefers the chopsticks at his
Japanese dinners. He eats both kinds Of
food, and Is very fond of rice. taking 1t
with every meal. He likes meats, and Is
by no means averse to sweets. He usually
eats his breakfast alone and also his lunch
His dinner is served in table d'hote style
and with all the European accompani-
ments. Contrary to the regular practice
in Japanese families, his wife often sits
down at the table with him, and also the
crown prince. His work begins as soon as
his breakfast is over. From o'clock until
IL he receives his ministers and discusses
matters of state. After this he takes his
lunch. and then spends a little time In
reading newspapers. He watches closely
the Japanese press. keeps track of current
public opinion. and, / venture, changes his
actions somewhat to suit 1t. All the papers
are looked over for him. and the passages
which he should see are marked. Ordinary
misstatements or criticisms he passes over,
but If a newspaper becomes at all danger
Gus, he gives an order to his censors, and
the newspaper Is stopped, while it's editors
are liable to be thrown into prison. He
has also the leading foreign papers, and
the articles of these which treat OF Japan
of public opinion all over the world. He
takes our Illustrated papers. and the arti-
cles relating to the pictures in them are
sometimes translated. He does great
deal of work in the afternoon, but toward
evening goes out for exercise. He is a good
horseback rider. and is fond of fine horses.
He has about three hundT ed in his stables.
and these are of all kinds. including
number of fine hunters. The emperor Is
fond of hunting, and he has large game
preserves where there are deer and wild
pigs. There are plenty Of pheasants. and
his majesty is said to be a very good shot
An Imperial Duck Hunter.
There is one kind of game" said the
man connected with the government who
gave me the above information, which
the emperor is especially fond OF. and that
Is duck-netting. There lots Of wild
ducks about Tokyo, and the emperor has
great duck-ponds and duck-ditc hes in his
palace grounds into which the ducks come
and are caught by means of decoys. The
ponds cover acres, and they have embank-
ments about them which are cut up by
little canals running out from the pond.
These canals so lined with trees and
entertainments that a man can easily hide
along them. The pond Is studded with de-
CoyS, and grain is scattered about In the
canals as bait. The ducks light and go
up into the canals where the emperor and
the mobiles are concealed, each with a net
in his hand. They throw these over the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-01

fhe Wall of n Professor Who Declares
That Learning il a Lost Art.
From the New York SUM-
What for l look bluer' said the pro-
fessor. II will tell you. I look blue be-
cause my beezeness is being-what you call
him?-keeked out. Noah, yes-knocked out
by the maker of those stupid idiot mechan-
ique instruments of music. There is no
longer any need to learn the piano. for see,
all you do now is bring In the teIegraphique
wires from the street and the piano will
play itself. Organ-no. Buy some rolls Of
papaire and put him in the organ and turn
the crank, SO, and out will come anything
you wish from Strauss to Cherubini. Man
dolin-no. For some much too clever
Yankee has make another something which
you shall button to the piano and there my
faith, you have your mandolin. Zither-no.
For there are the zithers now that you
play with a steek- Chord of +, press this
steek. Cord of b, press that steek, and SO
on. There Is no more need to learn any
thing.
'Mademoiselle say to me. Ah. professor.
why should practice any more. when Mees
So and So, who nevaire took the lesson In
her life, has an electrique piano which can
play everything as we'll as you do when she
press a leedle buttonT And / say, Why.
indeedT Then madame say to me: All,
professor. l shall geeys up the mandolin.
for l can put a leedle thing to the piano
and make it play like the mandolin weeth
two fingers And I say, .Ah. soT Then
monsieur say. Professor. l guess L give up
the organ thees winter and buy one OF
those windyphones. like Billee Sweetzer
have. where all you have to do Is to move
the feet, and the musiQue come out joost as
YOU play and say. Was that sor
"And 1t ees so. The mechanique music
have knocked me out. There is no heart
any more to learn anything that take time
and patience when you can have all the
good music that you like by pressing the
leedle button and moving the feet. 1t ees
not the music of the soul, to be sure; may
be II ees not the music of the expression;
may be 1t ees not music at all. BAIL who
cares? All you want Is the tune, just like
the organ man and piano woman on the
street Arteest be dam. Vive la mechan-
iouel l am going home to invent violin
electrioue and an automatique flute that
Won shall play with the knees"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-01

are crossed by marble bridges, ard at all
of which you find soldiers in modern uni
forms. These moats are in places from 100
to 2pO feet wide. They are filled with wa ter
and magnificent lotus flowers float upon
them on sheets of green leaves.
His palaces are now a combination of
Europe and Japan. They cost three null
lion collars. and the walls Of many of the
ROOMS are sliding ones, made of iTameTse
plats-glass doors in lacquered frames. They
are 50 arranged that a great number of
rooms can he thrown into one, and many
of the parlors ere large. Some are Ceiled
with the most magnificent embr0ideres,
and there is one IOODl which has a ceiling
Of Go!d-thrcad tapestry, the cloth covering
of which cost $l0OnO Many of the floors
are inlad, and they are all covered with
the finest and softest Of white mats, on the
top of some of which are magnificent
rugs. / don't know how many rooms
there are in the palace buildings. but
they run well up into the hundreds
There is one dining room that will seat
one hundred people. There are ball rooms
and drawing rooms libraries and studios,
ard there are bed rooms finished in both
foreign and japanese style. The banquet
aRS hall takes $40 square yards of mating
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-01

board could study Jointly tho question Of
site as whole and in detail They could
select fntelligently designs for buildings
as well as sculpture. 1T we are aiming at
the beautiful. the building and its sur
roundings must be In harmony.
LEnfant's Boulevard.
The most notable suggestion for build
Ing sites on the map of L'Enfant is the line
which forms the north and south boundary
OF the parks between the Capitol and the
monument. Naturally. the first thought
would be to keep the parks free from
buildings. as they are the peoples breath
ing spaces.
The more the scheme laid out by Wash
ingtOn and L'Enfant is studied, the more
forcibly II strikes one the best. It Is
easy TO imagine the magnificence of q
boulevard four hundred feet wide begin
ming at the Capitol and ending with the
monument, a distance Of nearly mile and
a half, bounded or both sides by parks six
hundred feet wide, laid out by a skilled
landscape architect and adorned by the
work of capable artists. In a scheme Of
this kind the stiff bronze men and horses,
so common in our parks at the present
time, would not be tolerated. Looking
from the boulevard across the park a con-
unuous line of beautiful buildings was to
have formed the background. They were
not to have been deep enough to curtail
either the natural or artistic beauties Of
the park. or to encToach upon the peoples
right to air space.
This architectural barriep~ would have
served the double purpose of completing
the beauty Of the grounds, and at the same
time excluding from view such monStrosi-
ties have actually been erected in this
neghborhood. BY this time such an ave.
nue. would have acquired worldwide rep
utatiOn, IL it had been carried out by COM
petent architects, landscape artists and
sculptors consulting and working in har-
nnnh thnr l-a1 Ion
of the Champs Elysaes, which Is approx
imately thirteen hundred feet wide and
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-01
PLAN NO. 1.-SEsrioN OF LEHMAN

went over the ground together. and care
fully" as note on the margin of the map
informs us, selected the sites of the grand
edfces' where they would command the
greatest prospect. and be susceptible Of
the greatest Improvement
1t will be seen from L'Enfant's map (Plan
No. - that the Capitol is placed Oh the
center line of four avenues, North. South
and East Capitol streets. and what was
to have been the boulevard. thus giving
sixteen pleasing and continuous views as
one approaches the building from any
direction. There are few more pleasing
effects than those produced by the Capitol
ending the vista of the principal avenues.
Similar views were intended of the Pres
idents house. The selection of the site for
the Capitol was peculiarly happy in the
beauty Of the effects produced by distant
views OF the building. 1t Is difficult 10
realize the pleasure produced by the sight
Of the building seen from the hills Of
the District, Maryland and Virginia. The
dome is constantly peeping out through
the trees down the valleys in the most
unexpected places as one drives or wan
derS through the country. These glimpSeS
are always enjoyable because the dome in
itself is beautiful in all phases of the at
mosphere and the surrounding landscape.
Some of the Early Sites.
The Presidents house was located so as
to form the vista at the end of seven
streets, the southern front facing the
Washington monument. The view also Of
the Presidents house from the river and
the hills of Virginia is very effective.
The grand edifices'' were to be Heated
in the center of parks. in which landscape
artists could use their skill to enhance or
emphasize the beauty of the building, and
make 1t the browning feature of the whole.
Under such conditions the buildings could
be seen. and II beautiful enjoyed.
Letters and notes on early maps show
that sites were selected for other struc-
lures among them being one for Nation
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-01

al Church. as a place for statues in COM
memoration Of heroes whom Congress
might honor. and for thanksgiving and
funeral orations. This church was to have
been used by all religious bodies. Unap-
celed out to different colleges, academies
and societies.
The site of the present Center market,
at Ith street and Pennsylvania avenue,
was selected about 1900. The Mall, extend
ing from the Capitol to the Washington
monument was to have been traversed by
a grand avenue, four hundred feet wide.
On both sides of this avenue. parks were
to have been laid out, ending against a
background of public buildings. These
sites allow ed room for the growth of the
government business The engraved map
published in 1872 shows sites for buildings
as we'll as monuments, columns and stat
uary, located so as TO be viewed down the
different avenues, the end In view being
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-01

three quarters Of a mile long, would not
have compared with it in magnitude or
grandeur. The Tiber creek was to have
run from the Potomac river to the Eastern
branch, and near the foot of the present
Capitol grounds 1t was to nave formed an
effective cascade
The Actual Condition.
What has been done toward carrying out
this grand enterprise? Nothing The boul-
evard was never commenced. II 1t YVES ever
staked out. The botanical hothouses, the
Pennsylvania railroad depot, the fish COM
mission building the army medical museum.
the National Museum, the Smithsonian In
stitution. the Agricultural Department. and
the bureau Of printing and engraving have
all been placed within the park, here and
there. 1t might almost be said anywhere.
(See plan No. e. showing present location
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-01

to cover It. It's ceiling CLOVIS with gold,
and Its walls are hung with the costlest
silk. There are six imperial studios in the
palace, and the throne chamber has a ceil>
ing paneled with the japanese crests 1t
Is here that the emperor receives the for
eign ministers. and he talks to them
through Interpreters. They bow three
three times when they back out, and the
receptions, as rule, are very stiff on the
part Of both the mikado and the foreigners.
The MikadO's Daily Life.
The Emperor of Japan, according to the
people most closely connected with him at
Tokyo, has by no means an easy office to
fill Japan now contains more than 10000.
600 people. and there are bakers dozen
of political factions, many of which are
anxious to create trouble. The changing
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-01
Effective, IL Not Responsive

From the Queenslnnder, Australia.
A bright youth undergoing examination
for admission to one Of the government
departments found himself confronted with
the question:
What Is the distance from the earth
to the sum-
Not having the exact number of miles
with him he wrote in reply:
Il am unable to state accurately but 1
don't think the sun In near enough to IN
terfere with a proper performance of my
duties II / get this clerkship.''
He got II.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-01
OF Course They Do.

From the indianapolis Journal.
Il wonder" said the sentimental board
eress. IF the little birds make any plans
for their homes In the spring."
"Of course they do" said the cheerful
idiot. Don't they have to make a nest to
mater"
The custard pie that the astonished
waiter girl let drop to the floor at this
juncture fell on its soft side, and, conse-
quently, was deducted from her weeks
wages.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-01
BALTIMORE AND OHIO RAILROAD.

BALTIMORE AND OHIO RAILROAD.
Schedule In enee: November Is. 1894.
Leave washington from station corner Of New
For Chicago and Northwest, vestibued Limited
cypress Pre- s,, teams, II 80 Am, 500 pm.
bIled Limited. $3.50 pm; express. l2:Of night.
For Pittsourg and Cleveland express daily. IL 30
For Lexington and Staunton. IL 80 am.
For For Mi Winch and Way stations, as 30 pm.
Ms%nb,, Bride d N sSSnGss
For Lafay. $50 pm. daily. SA'
1I:lo. 1850. $500 45-mnutesj, $50, 1850, do:o5
20 minntesC An, Il2;oo. nl205, 12:l5 x2:2o 800
and IL :Sa pm. Sundays, I4:2o "a 30 $50. (9:0Q
5minutesy, 10 80 am. 1I2:OO. x12 :O5. 90 I2:26
1905 eso 800 iGoS ri 30 Il IS p.S
PSr annapolis Tao and $3.50 am, 1915 and
4i Eo- ~ SUNDAYS, $50 am, 4:sl pm.
1880 pm.
For hagerstown, ala am. and a5:so pm
For Gaithesburg and way points, aooo, as:oo
a;m;; al2:oo' ASSOC. a4S3 '5:35. '7:o5. b9:40,
For Washington Junction and way points, b9:oO,
a9:oo am, b1:l6 pm. Express trains stopping at
Prineipai stations only, "a 30 as 80 pm.
PHILADELPHIA
For Philadelphia, New York Boston and the east,
100 Dining &c. $3.50 $50 Dining Dim P Ga sss.
Sundays Ss4S soo 2S OS S1;5s SinIas
Car, open for passengers 1000 PM.
Buffet Parlor Cars on all day trains.
aEnceDt Sunday; DAILY; Ssunday only.
Baggage called for ana eh a from hotels and
ssas BY ROn T1asfer Co. on orders left =
NIB Gen. Manager. Gen Pass Act,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-01
A Big Thing for Bill.

From the indianapolis Journal
I'm sorry Bill got beat" said the con-
stituent. That Their bill he was intending
to get passed will never git through /
suppose"
What was t?" asked the other constit-
uent.
IVY, you know what Is called q derelict
one Of them abandoned ships that Is SIGH
a danger to navigation
"Yes."
"Well.Bill he allowed to git a bill through
reQuirin' them all to carry red lights at
night. 1t would "a been q big thing fer
navigation, and fer Bill, too