Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-06-26

Written Exclusively for The Evening Star.
II have been asked" said the weather
prognost icator. who ventured in The Star
last week the prediction that there would
likely be a hailstorm on Sunday. July 4.
and that it would be murky and other
wise heavy day on the 9Th, ito revise my
prediction. If possible but, after carefully
studying all the signs. 1 find that there is
no chance for revision. 1 studied out the
prediction in January last. and everything
In a weather way which has occurred since
has only proven verifcation of 1t. 1 am
not willing to state that the hail storm
will be a destructive one, though I am
sure of a slight hail storm as L ever was
of anything in this line Weather calcula-
lions have not yet reached the point or
positive exactness, and may never go so
far as that, though the few who give any
considerable time to the study are much
more frequently rewarded by verification
than was the case some years ago. when
less careful records of the weather were
kept. The Fourth of July celebrations.
which are in preparation, will not be In
terfered with by the weather, for IL 1t
rains on that day it will be late in the af-
ternoon, possibly an hour before sundown.
x *
II have been much amused" remarked
professor of the Normal Academy to a Star
reporter. lat the stories recently put af1oat
of the genius of Betsey Ross, who. accord
ing to tradition. made the first American
flag, and who amused as well as interested
General Washington at her success in
cutting out a five-pointed star with one
fold of the cloth or paper. She may have
done this. but 1 doubt it very much. for 1
have seen hundreds try it only to satisfy
themselves that 1t could not be done. 1t is
easy enough to cut out a six. eight or ten
pointed star. or, indeed, of any even num-
bered points, but the rule by which this is
done does not apply to odd-numbered point
ed stars. Let any one take piece of paper
and Try it, and they can grasp my idea
better than / can describe il briefly. Some
years ago ] offered prize to the cadets at
Annapolis for any one who could fold a
paper so that fve-poin ted star could be
cut out. Hundreds of the young men tried
it. but SO far none of them have ever
claimed the prize. The same prize was
open to the class of this year, but 1 have
not been asked to award it. Sailor folks
may not ne much more patriotic than other
people. though the flag and stars are more
in their line than in that of any other
calling, and they give a great deal of at
tention to it, They have always been at
work on this hve-pointed star puzzle, and
they are willing to admit that if Betsey
Ross really did is SO earnestly claimed
for her, that she was superior to them in
this particular 1t is a pity to break down
any such a pretty tradition as Betsey
Ross work. but the facts are all stoutly
against it. Not only cannot a five-pointed
star be cut out at one clip, but even the
most expert have the greatest difficulty in
outlining a star of that kind with the aid
of Instruments. If any one has any doubt
on the subject let them try it themselves.
The II puzzle is as nothing compared with
It,"
after a man woman has reached the
age of fifty" remarked a gentleman who
has passed the three score mark, to Star
reporter. things have different look from
what hey did when they were younger,
and while they may not be always con-
scious of their age.they cannot see things as
they dill much some of them may desire
TO. My own experience and observation is
similar to that of all others 1 suppose in
one respect, and that is in observing the
ages of those who die. Now. the average
person who is younger than fifty reads the
announcement of the death of a friend or
other person for the information that is
contained in it. He absorbs some of the
the half century of life one of the most
striking facts in the announcement is the
age of the person deceased. That fact re-
mains longer on the mind than any other
and the nearer the age of the deceased is
TO that of the reader the more impression
IT produces. Old men and women are often
very much depressed after reading or hear
ing of the death of persons who are of
their own age though they seldom admit
the real cause of the depression 1t is not
grief over the death as much as IL is a
reminder OF the solemn fact that the mile
stones of life are being passed As for NV
self / have no fears of death for I feel
that have done the best / could do during
my life. and IL l had it to live over again
PfoDaDiy could not 90 any better. i admit
however. that if announcements of deaths
did not always contain references to the
ages OF the deceased it would please me
better, though have sense enough to know
that that part of them could not be omit
ted
The recent death of Christian K Ross
the father of the lost Charley Ross. prob
ably ends up one of the greatest mysteries
OF modern times" remarked a detective Of
ncer 10 a Star reporter. Though ii was over
twenty-five years ago when Charley Ross
was lost or stolen. many of the facts are
as fresh in my mind as they We're when
the mystery was at lis height. 1 had a
theory in regard to the so-called mystery,
as had almost every detective but 1 could
Aever develop 1t. l started off to find some
OF the family servants OF the Ross family.
but strange as 1t may appear they were as
badly lost as Charley Ross was at least 1
never was able to find any of them, or in
Ihough there were all kinds of rewards
offered in the case they were all contin-
gent On the finding OF the lost Charley
The result was that all the investigations
had to be made at private expense and
many detective and several big detective
firms went broke on the case. Finally il
became actually dangerous to have any
thing to do with the case especially il
You happened 10 be within the borders of
the state of Pennsylvania. for the police
authorities of that state had q law passed
by the legislature which compelled every
one III they had any Information in con-
nectlon with the case to surrender it free
TO the police of Philadelphia on their de-
mand for it, The outcome of this law was
that persons with theories and there were
Thousands of them, could not afford to go
10 Philadelphia to develop them, for IL was
made a felony to conceal any information.
ana detectives and others did not care TO
risk great deal OF work on a case in the
hopes OF obtaining the reward and then
nave 10 give Up all they knew of the case
on demand. without even getting their car
lare paid for their trouble. The law nut
an end to theories and closed I'D the mys-
terry closer than il previously was Itmade
the retention of any information in the
case conspiracy. and men were convicted
ana mad to serve terms in prison for no
other crime than actually helping to solve
the mystery"
. y