davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1901-08-10

men get from such work will be Of the
greatest value in case of war with strong
naval power. The plans of the general
board contemplate the study of the waters
of the inner line of defense all along the
Atlantic coast. Warships of such great
draft as those of Admiral HigginSOn s
squadron have never before been maneuver-
ed about the Massa chusetts shoals. Able
naval authorities estimate that the adVan-
tage which will result from the knowledge
thus gained will be worth thirty per cent
of the enemy'S force in battleshipS In case
of war with power having strong navy.
Fog Follows the Wind.
Nantucket weather was responsible for
the failure of a part OF rhe plan for work
at Camp Higginson. but the results achiev-
ed gave great satisfaction TO the admiral
and his officers. 1t was intended to stimu-
late the establishment of an advanced base.
Men and stores were landed and guns were
mounted for land defense. Mine fields were
TO have been planted, and then there was
TO have been practice at counterminfng
and clearing the field by other means which
have never been tried by our service. When
the camp was located 1t was not known
that the great popularity of Nantucket is
that from whichever direction the wind
comes it brings heavy fog with 1t. If by
chance there happens to be a little spell of
clear weather IL is almost certain to be
too rough to undertake practice with such
expensive and dangerous instruments as
mines. And as fog or rough weather pre-
vailed during nearly the entire stay of the
squadron at Camp Higginson. the drill with
mines was almost completely prevented.
The other work was put through however,
with snap and energy that was OF the
highest value.
Two fiye-inch rifles were landed. One be-
1onged to the Kearsarge and the other had
been sent from Washington, along with
Evening star., 1901-08-10
READY TO FIRE

their sentries in the thick fog one night
and made himself known to them by fir
ing rockets from inside their lines. Lieu
tenant George Of the Kearsarge. who also
tried 1t, was caught. He made q hard
sneak along the beach. but looked ur lust
as he thought he had won, to find himself
confronted by sentry with a rifle aimed
at his head.
Days Of fog and rough weather follow
was possible, until the time came for
breaking camp. Then kearsarge got her
revenge on Alabama When the big guns
were diSmounted 1t was found that the
tamping of sand In Alabamas mounting
had not stood the strain well and the great
bolts were twisted and bent, SO thac it
was difficult to take the platforms apart.
kearsarge got her gun and all the gear
down to the beach and most Of the gear
slowed in boats ready to go back to the
ship before Alabama got her platfoi IN
mounting used by Kearsarge was more
satisfactory for such work than that used
by Alabama.
1t was delightful to see the sailormen
at work. They went at it as II 1t were
the most fun they ever had. Everything
was done on the jump. If a shovel was
needed half a dozen were after 1t at a
run. Wherever they went the pace was
the best they could make. 1t was as If
each mans life depended on his speed
The water was rough at embarlking time
and the men had to wade to their necks,
but they enjoyed it hugely. If the fate
of the nation had been at stake Instead
Of mere drill, they could not have show.
ed greater enthusiasm or energy. Admiral
HigginSon and his officers were enthusias-
tic over the success of the experiment
Evening star., 1901-08-10

ordinary ecclesiastical attire In the streets.
This brilliant expedient for vexing the
clergy was first hit upon by the mayor or g
suburb Of Paris, and has since been aped
by four or five other mayors eager to rival
their colleague in notoriety and r1dicule
The truth Is a veritable epidemic OF intol-
erance Is raging in France, and is showing
J itself In series Of puerile, grotesque and
contemplate inventions and incidents wor-
thy OF sectaries as fanatical as Loyola and
as crack Drained as Anacharsis CFootz. An
instance In point has Just occurred near
Limoges. certain M. Tourgnol, who Is
one OF the bright peculiar lights of the
Jacobin faction in the chamber, exercises
the functions of mayor in the small town
OF Saint Leonard. NJ Tourgnol has decided
that the doles Of bread distributed weekly
In the locality to the very poor are hence
forth to be stopped in the case Of parents
guilty or the crime of sending their chill
dren to the free schools organized by the
rei1gfous orders. The money which pays
for the charitable distributions in question
Is contributed, of course, by the taxpayers
without distinction of opinion a fact which
makes M. TourgnoPs arbitrary measure the
more fndefensible. No doubt this Is only
persecution on petty scale, but In spirit
IT Is worthy of Torquemada. 1t may seem
TO De far cry from lead soldiers to priest
batting. but the anti-miltarists and the
anti-clericals are of one and the same bak-
ing. and the trifiing examples l have given
or their rabid fanaticism and spite are
symptomatic of the passions which will be
hattered by the bill about to come before
the chamber for exterminating the religious
orders,
Evening star., 1901-08-10
Some Carnegie Methods.
From the Engineering Magazine.

The Pittsburg, Bessemer and Lake Erie
railway, owned by the Steel Company, is a
new road, built exclusively for the ore and
coal trade. There are used some Of the
heaviest engines ever built, hauling long
train of immense steel gondola hopper cars,
holding fifty tons of ore apiece. This road
forms a direct line from Conneaut to Pitts
burg. When these ore trains reach the Car
negie furnaces they must be unloaded as
quickly as possible, to save cars and to
save storage track room. The cars are
stopped on the platform of tipple and
clamped down to the track. The tipple Is
then set in motion, lifting a section Of the
track. loaded car and all. and turning It
through vertical circle until the car is
turned upside down and the fifty TONS
more or less, Of ore are emptted into bucket
cars. which stand on a track alongside.
This machine Is guaranteed to handle 400
cars in a day of ten hours. These bucket
cars are hauled away to the side Of the
stock yard and stopped under the canti-
lever of the largest bridge tramway ever
built This tramway has a trolley travel Of
about 500 feet. and can pick up the bucket
with It's load of q, 400 pounds from the car
and carry 1t to any part Of the yards. This
load of over ten tons can be lifted from the
ground at the rate Of $50 feet per minute,
can be moved across the bridge at a speed
Of 800 to 900 feet per minute, and the whole
machine, load and ALL can be moved up or
down the yards at speed of seventy-five
to one hundred feet per minute.
Evening star., 1901-08-10
Cotton Goods Trade.
From the Baltimore Sun.


Last year Mexico, Central America and
South America bought cotton goods from
the United States valued at s.. COS 900. In
the same year Great Britain sold to these
countries similar goods to the value Of $38,-
OOO.OO In 1900 Great Britain bought from
the United States raw cotton valued at
800 O00, 600. The average price Of British
cotton goods In South America is ~ cents.
The price Of American cottons In South
America Is cents yard. The English
manufacturer buys raw cotton In the south
ern states. transports It to England. man
ufactures 1t into cloth, sends 1t to South
America and sells it for half cent yard
cheaper than the American manufacturer.
I'VE ought" says the New York Tribune,
"to be able to send cotton across the Rio
Grande and sell It as cheaply az Great
Britain does after sending It twice across
the Atlantic" Probably II our manufac-
the Mexican and South American trade
they would get a much larger share Of the
business. They have every advantage In
their favor, and It Is amazing that they
have so long neglected so inviting a field.
Many Of our manufacturers are endeavor-
ing to develop market for their goods in
China They deserve encouragement in
their efforts to extend their trade relations
with the orient. Still it seems that they
might find it profitable to give more atten-
tion to Mexico and South America. Great
Britain ought not to be able to undersell
the United States In these countries in
view Of the fact that she has to import all
Of her raw material. If we cannot COM
pete with British manufacturers in terri
tory almost at our very doors how can we
hope to get the bulk Of the cotton trade In
China2
Evening star., 1901-08-10
Socialists.

From the American Catholic Quarterly Review.
which are attracted to socialism. Natures
inclined to hate are easily won, for such
disposition Is pessimistic, and the very life
of socialism lies therein. The fierce de-
nunciation OF institutions, resentfuI criti-
cism of all inequality In the enjoyments Of
the comforts Of life have q certain charm
for this type OF man, who may pay little
attention to economic doctrine or social
ideals; he Is content In his hate; he does
not aspire to upbuild and may not even
long for anything better. Those Of milder
type, who live Of their admirations rather
than of their disgusts," find much that
allures In the bright promises and buoyant
enthusiasm OF socialism. Idealists and
dreamers naturally follow them. Fine
natures which cannot easily bear the
thought Of pain and suffering and are an
gered to rage when they see villainy sue
cessful. vice triumphant, and virtue perse-
cuted or unreWarded have much sympathy
with socialism. They are natures which
are noble, but untaught in the school Of
stern reality; natures which have not yet
learned that idealism is q good beacon
light for civilization, but poor founda-
ton. recall one socialist who in reply to
my question. What made you a socialist 2"
said laconically. Hate" He was born
very poor and had suffered much. recall
was so great that he became an active
socialist; third was one whose socialism
was due to the massive dishonesty prac-
ticed and implicitly approved in all
branches OF business. I recall a fourth,
who was believer in free love and worked
the movement would further his unholy
cauSo.
Evening star., 1901-08-10
fCopYright, 1901.l


Written for The Evening Star by Oscar King Davis.
Where the narrow sand spit, called Great
Point bends away to the west from its
trend northward from Nantucket, Admiral
Higginson, I'm command of the North At
lantic squadron chose the spot for q prac-
tice camp. Half a mile below the Great
Point light the strip of sand narrows to
less than hundred yards IN width, and
there, year or so ago, the fnrolling SURF
from the ocean broke across the spit and
left the level space, which has recently
been occupied for a week by the tents and
guns of Camp Higgnson. 1t is a dreary
place, the long sweep of bare sand being
broken only by the beach grass that rises
in struggling punches along the higher
ground in the center of the strip. and by
the occasional duck hunters shack that
shares with the life-saving station and the
lighthouse the tenancy of Great Point. But
If it is dreary of aspect, it has the merit as
q camp location of being free from the dis
fractions of town possibilities. Nothing was
there to interest the men in camp but their
work and such amusementS their own
ingenuity could devise.
The camp was made In furtherance Of
the plans of the general board of the navy,
of which Admiral Dewey is at the head.
1t is we'll recognized among naval officers
that the training which both officers and
Evening star., 1901-08-10

five feet high. breaking sharply toward the
outside beach. and rising gradually from
the inside. To the north of the camp the
six-pounderS were set up and the little
three-pounderS were mounted south OF the
five-inch rifles. 1t was an easy matter,
comparatively, to mount the smaller guns,
and the marines had nothing unusual to do
in making their camp. The great race was
with the big guns.
Mounting Big Guns.
Two methods of mounting were en-
ployed. Alabama used a double platform
of oak The lower platform was built Of
solid planking, six or eight inches In thick
ness, and was sunk in the sand to a depth
of three feet or more. Through this ran a
number of long bolts an inch and half in
diameter. Sand was tamped solidly in On
top of this platform for about three feet.
and then the upper platform, also of heavy
planking. was set over the bolts. The tie
piece, disk of steel, that fitted the bottom
of the gun pedestal, came next. and on
that the pedestal was set up, the long
bolts from the lower platform passing
through the tie piece and the pedestal, and
being set up as tight as possible.
Kearsarge's platform was also sunk
about three feet in the sand. 1t was made
of timbers seventeen inches square First
Evening star., 1901-08-10

two six and two three-pounder guns. two
torpedo tubes, from the Newport station.
and a lot of mines. The big gun from
Washington was put on board the Alabama
for transportation There is great rivalry
between the men and officers of the Kear-
sarge and the Alabama Those Of each
ship think their own big fighting machine
the best that ever mounted gun. As q
result there Is a race Of the hottest sort
whenever they meet The squadron an
chored of Great Point light at 2 o'clock in
the afternoon, and as soon as the anchors
were down the boats were called away for
the landing The 211 marines who were to
occupy the camp Were under the command
of Capt. c. G. Long, who was brevetted
major for his gallantry In the Chinese cam
pafgn or last summer Half the blue jack
cts Of the squadron and nearly all the off,
GERS of the three ships were charged with
landing and mounting the guns. The men
from the Massachusetts took care OF the
six and three-pounders, SO that the Kear-
sarge and Alabama men had nothing to
distract them from their task with the big
rifles. And that was a plenty for them.
The Alabama's gun, not being In position
on the ship. was more easily loaded into
the sailing launch that was to transport it
TO the beach than that from the flagship,
Which had to be taken from its position in
the battery. Alabama had another advan-
tage. which finally won her the race. She
had prepared a great skid after the fash
lon or launching ways in use at q shipyard
to assist In getting the gun from the beach
~ us posieiou iti tH6 DalLeTy- hear9arRe
had ordered pair OF regulation gun
wheels, but the contractor was not able to
deliver them In time and she had to get
along without them. depending on pure
muscle to pun the gun into place
The tents of the marines were pitched
on the fiat. open space where the storm
had knocked down the ridge that runs
along the center Of the point. Just to the
southwark Of them the big guns were
posted. on the edge Of the ridge facing the
open sea- The ridge there u about twenty
Evening star., 1901-08-10

there was a flooring Of planks, on which
rested the tie piece. Above the tie piece
were three of the huge timbers The bolts
from the tie piece ran through these tim
bers and the pedestal, which rested upon
them. Outside the three lower timbers
were two others of the same size, but lon-
ger. which helped to anchor the whole
platform Across the ends of these five
which extended into the sand and served
to steady the mount. The tie piece being
at the bottom Of the whole platform and
bolted through the timbers to the pedestal.
served to distribute the strain from the re-
coil of the gun. after firing, evenly through
out the whole structure. For temporary
mounting such as this Kearsarges plat
form had an apparent advantage in sta
bility. The design OF the Alabama mount
contemplated filling the space between the
lower and upper platforms with concrete,
a manifest impossibility in the sand of
Great Point, where the stay was to be only
a week.
Aabanas platforms were taken ashore
all bolted together and ready to set up
kearsarge's were in the timbers, to be set
up at the battery. The difference In ease
in getting them up the incline to the posi-
ton of the guns was in favor Of Alabama.
At the beach line two pairs of huge
shears were set up, one for Kearsarge and
one for Alabama. Each was made Of two
booms carried aboard ship for just such
purposes. On the outside beach, across
the ridge where the guns were to be mount
ed, two sand anchors were buried. Heavy
tackle was rugged to the sand anchors and
the shears and the work Of hoisting the
guns out OF the boats that had brought
them ashore was begun. Each gun was
lifted up and dropped into an inprovised
cradle resting on the beach. Alabama ran
her cradle up on the skid she had brought,
and rolled 1t up to its position with COM
paratiVe ease. kearsarge, having no skid,
Evening star., 1901-08-10
"BestinG" Clergymen.
From the Ladies' Home JournsI

One morning a man came to me with a
letter written on stamped paper and signed
with the name Of q clergyman Of my
church in q town In Massachusetts,. His
story, told In great embarrassment, was
that he had run away from home. Ac-
cording to the letter his aged mother was
dying with grief. and the appeal Of his
rector was to the man to come back at
once The minister's check for So, drawn
on q bank In this same town, was inclosed
with which to pay car fare. He was dis
tressed and was anxious to go. but the diff
1culty was he had been in New York only
five days. knew no one. and could not be
check? I told him to come back In q
couple Of hours, and meantime I teie-
graphed inquiries to the Rev. c.. The
answer came back: do not know any such
man." When the fellow returned he was
arrested, and in his pocket q neatly kept
memorandum book was found containing
the names Of nearly every clergyman In
Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Pittsburg
and Philadelphia. This had been his route
On each page Of the book were four col
umns, headed. Name, Date, Amount and
as: Tho Rev. R 81 Got after an
Can't work" '"The Rev. T.. %. An
easy mark" Tho dates ran back through
three years. When he had completed hts
tour he would probably either have sold
his book to some one else to uso. or he
would have changed HIS appearances. In
vented q new story and approached q Sec
ond time the people who were worth t.
Evening star., 1901-08-10
Disc0very 81 q Lost Mine.
% tha Venezuelan Herald.

Most marvellous Of all the stories Of lost
mines found again Is that Of the relocating
Of the enormously rich gold mine OF San
Luis dAima, insVenezueia, south Of the
Orinoco river. Ths mine has been Iost
for eishty-four years. It was worked nm
der the auspices OF the Capuchin monlu
Of Catalonia, and was the most produc-
tive gold mine In all Spanish America. The
mine was closed and abandoned when Bolt
vars soldiers Of the republic drove the
Spaniaris and the Capuchins out Of SOUTH
ern Venezuela, in 1917. ana destroyed their
missions. The mine was complefely for-
gotten It has now been relocated. after
years OF search. by George e. Gage. an
energetic young New Yorker, who whae
exploring the region came across o hugs
image IN tina wilderness. This image con-
tanned cabalistic signs indicating the exact
direction and distance TO the lost vein The
mine IL supposed to be even OF greafer
richness than the famous CaIIao uufne.
wAioh gsoduesd $laooaoeo IN ssld n ten
years Tho story Of how this mime c1ne
to bs Lost to 6pafn and how Il has heen
IroeovUro6 through AmeRican entorpsl1e aud
Qufck intslliGeuce - one ef abeosbauo In
Evening star., 1901-08-10
American Wages and Cheap Produc-
ton.

From the Engineering Magazine.
The United States find themselves occu-
pying q position in the industrial world to
maintain which they must produce more
cheaply than they have ever done before.
Production has so far exceeded the re-
quirements for home consumption that
they are compelled to go into the foreign
markets with their product and meet the
foreign manufacturer on his own ground.
Having once started in this direction. they
are compelled to continue or suffer an In
dustrial depression. This is q point which
should be brought home to the American
workman. 50 that he may understand the
circumstances under which his employer
is working, and regulate his demands ac-
eordingly As before stated. the controu-
ing question Is simply one Of cheap produc-
tion, and the capitalist has very wisely de-
cided to accomplish that object by curtail-
ing expenses at the general expense end
first BY the consolidation Of business tn
terests a much lower ratio Of general ex-
pense results, consequently less necessity
for reducing workmens wages In order to
meet competition successfully In foreign
markets. Workers wages should be the
last thing to be touched unless they are
glaringly out of proportion.
Evening star., 1901-08-10
Ore Handling ON the Great Lakes.
rom tha Engineering Magazine

From the Engineering Magazine.
When the shipments Of ore from the su-
perior region first began the methods used
in mining were still crude and expensive.
The pick and shovel and hand drill were
then the best-known implements for dis
lodging the ore. In deep mines the ore was
lifted out Of the shafts by means of der
ricks and horse whims; where 1t was pos-
sible to enter on the level. wheelba rrows
and carts were employed. plank road
from the mines to the docks was Construct
ed soon after the mines were opened. and
cars were first used about 1880. In 1S57
these roads all the ore shipped down the
lakes.
Power drills driven by steam or COM
pressed air were introduced in 1873. Tram
cars were first used about 1880. In 1s57
q railroad was built from Marquette to
the adjacent mines. Since then the dis
covery of new mines, the invention Of new
methods Of mining, and the Improved hoist
ing machinery used at the mines have
reduced the cost to such an extent Thai
ore that would have sold for several dol
lars a ton fifty years ago has OF late been
sold at the mines, ready for shipment as
low as 72 cents per ton. Machinery is
used for almost every move the ore mskes
from the time 1t u disi0dged from the bank
till it is piled up az finished steel.
Evening star., 1901-08-10
Postage Stamp Statistics.

From Leslfes Weekly.
A statement going to show the marvellous
increase In the use OF postal facilities by
the American people is that Of the director
Of the bureau Of engraving and printing at
Washington. just issued. in which 1t ap-
pears that the number Of postage stamps
year includes 300 900 600 one-cent stamps,
3,5O0 900 600 two-cent stamps and 800, $780,
GOO of higher denominations. The total, in
cluding speciaI-delivery ten-cent stamps, Is
5, lie. 1850 against 4,377 ,727 600 for the
previous fiscal year. an increase Of over
one and a half billion stamps. It is not
easy to grasp the full significance Of these
stupendous totals. A few calculations may
help. According to these figures sufficient
stamps viii be issued this year to supply
every man, woman and child In the United
States with at least sixty stamps each.
Distributed among the population Of the
son with postage for not less than three
letters. Placed side by side in a continu-
GUS line the total issue would girdle the
entire earth three times, forming q varie-
gated ribbon around it nearly three inches
in width. II spread out In the same man
ner across the United States the stamps
would form a paper sidewalk from New
York to San Francisco over three feet
wide. Pasted into stamp collectors book
Of the conventional size, the issue for the
year would fill half a million volumes.
which, placed one upon another would
form a solid column over twenty-five miles
high. II 1t is true. as Edward Everett Hale
says. that the United States postal system
is the greatest Of popular educators, these
Uncle Sans present service an q school
teacher