Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-07-17

much bent in their ways, and now and then
a trfie superstitious, especially the women
folks" remarked a resident of Falls
Church, Va, to a Star reporter. Il was
never a believer in such nonsense until /
became resident of Virginia. 1 am not
believer in it now, though it does not
seem TO do any harm / moved into a new
house a couple of years ago, and some
how things seemed to go wrong constantly.
First it was one thing, and then 1t was an
other. / mentioned the matter to an old
colored auntia. VINO did our laundry work.
and she told me that it was because there
was toad frog in the cellar. She said 1t
was good luck for a new house to have
toad in the cellar. and that many builders
always left frog in the cellar when they
finished house As it was such a simple
matter to set things right / caught a toad
and put il in the cellar, and strangely
enough things began running all right i'm
mediately. Since then my cellar has never
been without a toad frog, and to that ex-
tent / am superstitious.'
I'VE are very frequently called upon to
give elevations explained an official of the
geological survey to a Star reporter. land
have issued map giving elevations in
nearly all parts of the United States. By
examination of these maps any one can see
at glance exactly how high any particular
locality is above the level of the sea. In
the immediate neighborhood of Washington
1t will be seen that the elevations on the
Virginia side of the Potomac are about as
follows. the figures. in feet, being approx
ulately given: Carlin Springs. 50; Naucks,
60; Arlington RAILROAD station), 2O; Airing
ton cemetery, 100: Ballston. 2tO; Upton Hill,
$50; East Falls Church. :sV; West Falls
Church, $40: Dunn Loring, 40; Wedder-
burn. Ed; LewinSville, 800: Ash Grove. +D:
Freedom Hill. 4SD; Peach Grove Hill, so;
Munson Hill. $50; Baileys Cross Roads,
III. On the District side the elevations are:
Bethesda. 30; Chevy Chase. $40; Sligo, 320;
Silver Spring. 30, Takoma. 80; Glen Echo.
10: Glen Echo Heights. 80; Reno. 400;
Wesley Heights, $40. North Takoma. s2J:
Naval Observatory, 25p; Howard Univer-
sity. 1j1, Burnt Mills. 80"
=
Though ii is not generally known, for
the reason that there has been no official
announcement of the fact" said an en-
ploye of the New National Library to a
Star reporter. the new library building has
been open to the public on Sunday after
moons for the past couple of months from
! TO 1 o'clock in the afternoon. All who
apply during that time admitted and
allowed to inspect all the completed rooms.
II is not known as yet what VIII be don-
in the matter of future openings on Sunday
afternoons, but il is understood that the
librarian will not oppose any legislation
looking TO that end; that is, for a limited
number of hours in the afternoon. OF
course. there will not be anything an
nouEccd 10 the future until after the
books are transferred and the building las
leen formally opened to the public. The
aCcOmrl )iation now offered on SUNDAY af-
ternoons IS only of a temporary character,
entirely unofficial. and has been allowed to
give the thousands who have taken ad-
vantage of it the opportunity they would
not have had without it.
There are ten bicycle suits worn by men
this summer for every one last summer"
observed a clothing dealer to a Star re-
porter, and the proportion is rapidly in
crossing. Economy has more to do with it.
however, than the fashion, though the
Pioneers paved the way for it last summer
All who wear bicycle suits, however, are
Lot riders. and some of them never will be-
Thcy simply adopted the clothing because
IL is much more convenient than anything
else. and for the further reason that many
of them will manage to get through the
simmer at an expenditure of four or five
cellars, while it would cost them two or
three times that much if they wore other
or regular clothing. IL is the dressiest kind
of an undrcss or neglige suit. The statis-
lies, il they could be obtained. would be
very interesting. | am way inside of the
mark when / tell you that | am confident
there have been over 500 bicycle suits
sold here this summer SO far. outside of
the many hundreds of linen and crash suits
which have become such a rage during the
past couple of weeks
Il never see high heels on pair of shoes
CT boots" volunteered an old detective
officer to Star reporter, but 1 am re-
minded OF the capture of Atzerodt, one of
the Lincoln assassination cons pirators 1t
was the high-heeled boots that he wore
nat Iis
this way. Lewis J. Weichman. the War
Department clerk, on the night of the as
sassination OF Lincoln, who was one of the
boarders at Mrs. Surratt's gave consider
able information as to the conspiracy 1t
was az first thought that he was in the
conspiracy himself. but he managed to
clear himself TO the satisfaction of the au-
thorities and was never prosecuted. With
another detective officer / went to Mrs
SUTratts house about daybreak on the
morning after the night of the assassina-
ton Shortly afterwdrd man came to the
house with pick and shovel. He was
dressed as a laborer and said he had been
employed 10 10 some digging in the yard
and wanted TO see the lady of the house
about going TO work. Mrs. Surratt who
resided on II street. near 9th northwest
had been placed under arrest during the
night The makeup of the man was very
Ierfect so much that for a time he
completely threw us off from suspectjny
i'm His story was very clear, and there
We're indications that there was work need
ed 10 be done in the yard. / told him to
wait there. and later on ] would see about
the work to be done. He took a seat on a
box. and il was then l noticed that he had
very high heels on his boots. On further
examination 1 noticed that the boots were
not the boots that laborers WORE but were
fine caifskin and showed that they had
been polished the day before. trough the
r3in during the night had washed much of
the backing off. This convinced me that
all was not right. and had him locked up
In a couple of hours l ascertained that he
was none other than Atzerodt, the man
VINO had been selected by the conspirators
10 murder Vice President Johnson but
who had failed in his purpose. AS it was
II was his high-heeled boots which first
directed my suspicious to him, and 1t was
his hiSh-heeled boots which hung him.
When he was executed he wore the same
hiSh-heeied boots. and they were buried
with him.
IF you have room for a short bicycle
story" said War Department clerk to a
Star reporter. here is one but don't ever
mention my name in connection with II.
The victim ia one of no Of ha