davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-05-15

from as many as possible oh, the club
is beauty.
"Then there is the bunch that makes
the rounds of all the campaign head
quarters and political meetings looking
for free cigars and free drinks. They
will sell their vote ten times in a night
for as many cigars or beers and then
very likely not vote at all"
There are hold-ups for money in varl-
Gus amounts and for positions of all
sorts. A campaign committeeman who
had seen a few things stated that ne
had lost all confidence in human ma
ture. Il once thought that there was
some honesty in the world. but after
seeing the gang OF 'grafters' that swarm
ed headquarters with demands for spoil
changed my mind. Some Of them were
men who would look down on a common
thief and thank kind fate that they were
different. They were different, for Jhey
were infinitely worse.
Graveyard Graft"
1.-THE graft that strikes most people
who are acquainted with IL as being the
absolute limit is known among the poll
ticians as the graveyard graft There
Is church in Minneapolis which has al
ways made practice of grating at
every election. They had a little con-
science, however. and instead of asking
for the money outright would ask the
campaign committee TO buy a lot in their
graveyard The same lot has been
bought over and over and always given
back At the last election, however.
one OF the committee Insisted that It
vas getting too strong and demanded a
deed for the lot. We got the deed and
the party now possesses a graft grave
yard lot. The church hated to give the
deed. but will have TO deliver the goods
from now on"
THESE people are harmless. but are
at the same time good buffers and scare
many candidates into producing" said
cne well-known man. They never con-
troll anything. and If they did would try
t. sell 1t TO every candidate in sight.
T1ny can be killed off and things Will
be tor
w Y man can make a clean run
Tor o. We will see cleaner politics.
Ut I. Ell ne is obliged to pay most of
his lrzs YEARS. salary, and in many
cases more, for his election, things are
very wrosg. When a man of moderate
means runs for ar office and finds that
lie has nothing coming for his first year s
work. there is a great temptation for
him 10 try to get even.
Tell the grafters of all sorts that
there is nothing doing, and back IT up
with few prosecutions and one of the
worst evils of our municipal political
system Will be STONED
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-05-15

Lieut.. Tazewell B. AmiSS
Has a Talent He Turns
to Rich Account.
Commander of Tender
loin Precinct Rides His
Hobby to Success.

W 7 ASHINGTON is proud of her
NM police force. and washington's
v V police force. with all its rec
ords. traditions. and annals of brave
deeds accomplished and clever detec-
tive work done in the capture of des-
perate criminals and the suppression Of
crime. is proud OF Lieut.. Tazewell B.
Amiss. who. after thlrty-five years of
continuous service on the force. nearly
thirty OF which he has put in as COM
mander OF No. l precinct. IS about to at
tain his well-merited promotion to the
rank of captain.
Like many other men who. by merit,
perseverance. and long plodding main
tanning through long years Of hard work
the reputation OF spotless integrity
amidst temptations and opportunities
from which many men would have made
themselves independently rich. Lieuten-
ant Amiss will retire from the active
control of Washington's tenderloin with
an absolutely spOtless record and the
deepest respect from the business men
within the boundaries of his precinct, as
well as that OF the large population of
the 'outer fringe of society over whom
he has ruled so long
1t is not, however. as a police officer. a
criminologist. a soldier. a farmer. or a
philanthropist that Lieutenant Amiss IS
best known. Locally. of course. among
those with whom he has come in con-
tact for so many years. he is well known
In all the characters enumerated, but
strange 10 say. he is a man with Il
hobby and has ridden it to such good
purpose that he has attained wide rep
utation among musicians, including
some OF the worlds famous virtuosis as
an expert violin maker. Utter the word
violin" or fiddle" to the lieutenant.
and you capture his heart. It is the
subject he will talk on for hours. He
will turn a deaf ear TO all attempts to
get from him story of the many deeds
OF daring he has performed. both on the
battlefield and in the quieter but some-
times not less dangerous engagements
with desperadoes, but when music IS
mentioned, and violins are the theme. II
strikes and thrills every chord in the
heutenant's heart and his face beams
with delight.
As Maker of Violins.
That Lieutenant Amiss has achieved
remarkable success in the difficult art
Of making violins by hand. is more re-
markable from the fact that he is self
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-05-15

OF the tone. AS soon as I discovered
hat. had found the secret Of my sue
cess / am not egotistical when I say
that gradually improved. until have
termed out nearly 200 violins, which
have made in my spare time. and for
some of which I have received several
hundred dollars.
mo, I never cared TO make 'cellos,
sale the lieutenant. in answer 70 a
question Il did make one. and made
one viola. and while both Of them are
pronounced successes. and are in use
by prof ssionals, never troubled 10
make an. more"
Lieutenant Amiss has sold some Of
MS; instruments 20 some Of the great
est European masters who have APP
Feared 90 the American concert stage.
and. although he is too modest TO ad-
NIT II. he has received almost as high
as 81 600 Cor one OF his Instruments
Artists Pay Him Visits.
For many years past hardly a single
violini5t of note has visited this eoun-
Try VINO has not paid a visit to Lieu
tenant Amiss. He is proud to number
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-05-15

Copyright, 1905. by Walden Fswcett.)
" HE approach of our annual Me-
i tention of the American people
to the unparalleled pension sys-
TEN of the greatest of republics, and
especially will this be true this year
when the Presidents recent sweeping
order has added thousands of names 10
Uncle Sans pension roll. and viii add
millions OF dollars a month to the ma
tons expense account Even under the
old conditions no other country on earth
had been so prOdigal in it's bounty 70
the needy veterans OF its war. and now
that governmental generosity has taken
this new turn there will be literally no
comparison between the United States
and any other power.
The United States Government has
had, as a result of the various wars in
which it has been engaged, a list of
nearly one million persons 20 whom il
regularly pays pensions, and with the
Increase In pensioners under the new
plan Of distribution it is safe to predict
that the army of pensioners Will beshfor
long time 10 come. far above the mil
lion mark. Similarly the present annual
expenditure for pensions amounting TO
approximately S137OOOOo0 a year Will be
swelled several rellion dollars a month.
II is expected also that there will have
to be a heavy increase in the force OF
employees at the Pension Bureau at the
National Capital. which already requires
the services of upward OF 1.S00 workers
With the exception of the Fostoffice
Department. probably no other branch OF
our Government comes directly In con-
tact with so large a portion of the peo-
pie as does the Pension Bureau Hardly
community exists anywhere in the
land but has one or more persons re-
ceiving some small share of Uncle Sam 8
evidence of gratitude. Not only are pen
sions paid TO former soldiers. but also
tc widows. children, and dependent rcla-
tives Of soldiers. The army Of pen
sicEers includes survivors of all the
wars except che War of the Revolution.
and there are on the rolls the names of
several women who receive a small in
come from the Government as a re-
suit of services rendered by their male
relatives in the struggle of the colonies
for independence.
There are widows of generals
in the Union army who are draw
ing pensions ranging as high AS
$1,000 a year. and totally disabled
officers who also receive liberal
allowances, but the great mass of the
nation's pensioners are paid amounts
ranging from 800 down to Sc per month
InGeed. the average of all pensions
paid is only about $132 per year. How
heavy is the expenditure in the aggre-
gate, however. may perhaps best be
appreciated from the fact that since the
per sion system was established II has
cost the Government more than $1,000
OO0, 900.
The one man who more than any other
individual. not even excepting the dis
gruntled taxpayer. is appalled, By. tina
present increase in the scope of the work
of the Pension Bureau is Eugene f.
WaNe. the Commissioner Of Pensions,
an official wee has undsse IS direction
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-05-15

among his friends nearly every musical
celebrity in Europe. and is better
known in musical circles abroad than
il the United States.
While Lieutenant Amiss numbers
among his friends all these foreign ar
lists. he Is we'll known. also, to many
musicians of note in this country. as one
of the greatest experts on violins In the
United States. but he is not i profess
sional performer. He plays a little. and
well. but next TO his work and coIlec-
lions of old vioIins. he is proudar of one
Of his sons than all his otkGf posses
sions. His father gave him a thorough
musical education, at home and abroad.
during which he studied under some Of
the greatest masters Of the day. For
a while the younger Amiss achieved
considerable success as profess
sional violinist. but the environments OF
a professional musicians life became
distasteful 10 him, and he retired from
the concert stage to a position in the
Ordnance Bureau of the War Depart
ment.
The pictures shown are snapshots Of
Lieutenant Amiss taken in his work
shop-and, incidentally. without his per-
mission. While Lieutenant Amiss is In
tensely reticent as to his record. and
will only talk about violins. Major Syl-
vester, Chief of the Police Department.
and his fellow-ofhcers OF al rank, are
all proud OF him.
Comes of Farmer Stock.
He was born in Culpeper county Va.
in 1871 He attended school until
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-05-15
QUEEN VICTORIA ON THE VICTORY.

There was probably no one OF all those
on board the Victory during the Kings
re cent visit who could recall that other
day forty years ago-it was the ami
versary Of Trafalgar-when Queen Vic
toria paid similar homage 10 the mem
oTy of our greatenaval hero. She YVES
returning 10 Portsmouth with the Prince
consort from a visit of inspection TO
the Osborne estate. and expressed
wish to see the places where Nelson
eeli and died. The royal barge was
promptly taken alongside the Victory.
and her majesty was conducted to the
part OF the quarterback who're brass
plate bears the isgend. surrounded by
:; laurel wreath Here Nelson fell"
The Queen gaze0 az the inscription for
some moments in silence and with tears
sIi canning down her cheeks, and then.
plucking a few leaves of laurel from
the wreath, asked TO be taken down 20
died. AS she followed her guides down
the ladders into the deep hold of tie
ship, a too jealous young powder
monkey. who was running up with
powder for the royal salute. ran full
butt into her majesty and almost up
set her-a misadventure which she took
in excellent part. When she reached
the cockpit she stood for several mo-
ments In silence, ciaspsng her husbands
hand, before the urn which marked the
spot where Nelson died, and, in the
words of an officer who was present,
$50 affecting was the emotion she dis
played that II brought tears TO the eyes
Of more than one who witnessed IL -
London Westminster Gazette.
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-05-15

than 1t ever had before. That set me to
studying. I did study-different kinds
of wood. different models of violins; and
I made several, being successful altar
a great many attempts.
However, there is one tang aboiIt
violin making which is one of its chief
est pleasures. and that Is, intense in
terest and anxiety as TO how the ms ru-
ment Will turn out.
Theories of Acoustics.
You never can tell until it's com
plete. Ny first two or three attempts
cidn't amount TO much. so 1 s,ud.Sd
some books on the art. a7d one or two
books on acoustics The first hooks
taught me a great deal about IgoSds.
and the scientific ones about SQUAD
waves. Putting the two together.
found that sound in violin is just the
same as N n sounding board, and THAI
the hard streaks in the grain of a
wood are the sound conductors. So III
rleklng my next vioiins, and In scrap
ing down the woods, l scraped dow as
much of the soft streaks as possible.
thus bringing out the hard streaks -
the grain of the wood Then I found
that the left hand side OF the violin
back should have the grain slanting up
tile way II grew. and the right hand, or
right half OF the back. should be the
reverse. Then the rings of the grain
run outward right and left from the
center. and the sound waves thus travel
up and around the violin before being
emitted, thus increasing not only the
volume, but the depth and sweetness
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-05-15
A TRIBUTE TO BACH.

There Is good story in a contempor-
airy about Sir Frederick Bridge and a
certain mechanical piano player He
paid visit TO a country house, and
found every one in raptures over Bach's
Fugue In ID minor. as rendered by the
tuneful machine. He listened with awe.
but quite failed to recognize the work
IL turned out. on inquiry. that the piece
had been inserted upside down, and had
consequently been played backward
London Globe.
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-05-15
The o4nabfious Political CRATER of Today
His Devious Ways and Ingenious Wles

w Thy do manysgood men shy at
NV running for Office and say
and why do men who have previously
enjoyed a reputation as comparatively
honest and decent citizens so often be-
come bOOdlers when once they get their
noses into the public trough?
These and similar questions are fire.
quently asked by the general public, es-
pecially that portion of the public which
has never taken an active part in poll
tics. They reason that there Is a cor
rupt practices act which places a limit
on the campaign expenses Of a candi-
date. and cOmpels him TO make a sworn
statement Of the expenses thus con-
tracted.
The filed statements Of the winners
after an election do not as a rule show
that any great fortunes have been ex-
pended in securing the desired offices.
The expenses generally include a contri-
button TO the campaign committee. fling
fees. and printing, all of which are con-
sidered legitimate.
Work of Grafters.
The fact Of the matter is that most
people have no knowledgs Of the de-
mands made on all candidates who come
out for Office by a vast army of "tin
horn grafters" who wait and watch with
hungry eyes and itching palms for every
municipal, state, or national election.
and then proceed 20 go after their vic
Tins
Minneapolis. for example. Is a 'Stef-
fanized' town." says a wen-known poll
tician OF that city, "and the doings Of
her former boodling officials have been
made known to the entire country
through the medium Of the public press.
All over the country boodling among
public officials is cropping out and be-
coming public
''The small CRATER. however. is gen
orally able 10 work where he is not
seen. and his work very seldom comes
TO the public notice. The amounts he
raises are not individually great. but in
the aggregate amount TO considerable.
These parasites can be prosecuted and
made 10 pay for their work and a plan
is now proposed by the better candl-
dates TO combine for mutual protection
against them.
May Be Prosecuted.
by laying traps some OF them can be
caught and the law Will attend to the
rest. When few have been placed be-
hind the bars and sent over the road
the others viii ind that honesty. though
forced. is not bad thing after all
Many officials have outlined the fol-
lowing schemes. all Of which have been
tried AT various elections in Minneapo-
lis. The 'grsfters' have already begun
operations for the present campaign,
but the greater part Of them are waiting
for the grand finale when there will be
more doing IN things political
There Is no game too small or too
big COR these people. Anything from a
cigar 10 an automobile will do. I hope
the candidates OF both parties will unite
to light this evil and after a few prose-
cutions IL VIII step"
Do l know anything about political
Krafters? said another: you might as
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-05-15
Gallant Police RecOa.

Gallant Police Recoa.
On his discharge he rerurneoto Wash
ington In 1864 and was IN the nploy OF
the street railway company or four
years. when he was appointed on the
Capitol police On March 3, $40. he
joined the Metropolitan police as a
patrolman. Among the notable arrests
he made was that of the notorious
Charley Wood" gang OF safc-bloVers.
which consisted Of Wood, J. Seccr. alas
Burns: Bob Merrill. a notorious Brook
Ign burglar. and Charles Lilly. of tsis
city. He caught these men in an ALLY
one night after they had blown open the
safe OF Robert Fleming & CO., Of Penn.
sylvania Avenue. He hung on to his men
until they beat him almost into insensi-
bility with slungshots and left him lying
on the ground. He captured all Of the
desperadoes the following morning.
He was promoted to acting sergeant
in 1881. and on December 3. 1856. was pro-
NOTED to the neutenancy and command
of the First police precinct, which In
cludes several theaters, most of the prin-
cipaI hotels and business houses, and all
the night resorts of the seamy side OF
Washington life. During all the time
Lieutenant Amiss has held his command
he has never had a complaint made
against him. So highly is he held In the
esteem OF the residents and business
men in his district that some years ago.
when transfer TO another district was
contemplated. a unanimous protest was
sent to Police Headquarters asking that
he be retained
While he Is feared as an officer and
strictly enforces the law. he has gained
the esteem Of the many ourcasts in his
district. who frequently consult him as
a friend, and many one has taken adj
vantage Of his wise COUNSEL and as
many have been recipients OF his gen.
erosity.
The coming promotion of Lieutenant
Amiss to the rank of captain. while a
subject OF cOngrztulation from his many
friends. is regarded with deep regret by
those with whom he has been brought
in contact in the discharge of his duty
and by the men of his present command.
by whom he Is regarded with esteem
amounting almost 10 affection.
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-05-15

tcers. After more than five years OF
army life. Mr.. Ware opened harness
shop in Kansas. and, incident p, wrote
poetry. which in time brought him no
small degree of fame. Soon after las
gas admitted 10 the bar. and then fig
Ured as the hero in a pretty little ro-
nance, which eliminated in his mar
rage to Jeanette Huntington. Vass1-
girl who had gone West 10 teach
school.
rne Pension Office at Washington. the
great repository OF claims which viii
hcrceforth be more crowded than ever
* one of the largest buildings IN the
country. 1t occupies nearly two acres
of ground. being 100 feet IN length.
This immense structure. which contains
175 rooms. was patterned by Gen. Mont
gomery c. Meigs. the architect after
the Farnese Palace. In Florence. Italy.
but Congress after spending S1,6oo,000 on
the structure. grew suddenly economi-
cal. and the builders were compelled 70
deviate from the original plans and I'm
ish the huge building as best they
could
The organization of the work OF the
Pension Bureau is characterized by the
greatest possible degree of system Its
scope Is far-reaching in the extreme
For instance. there are more than 1000
doctors and specialists employed on its
medical boards throughout the countr.-.
and its correspondence corps answers
each year fully 100000 letters. a sufh-
Gent number 10 extend fully 100 miles.
IL placed end to end. The millions Of
documents relating TO pensions which
are stored in the great fireproof Pen
sion once are nled in rows upon rows
Of cabinets. but so perfect is the system
that within five minutes after inquiry
the entire record of n pension case may
he laid before an official or visitor
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-05-15
With Granlfather's Fid-
die to Strt, Taught
Hlmselfthe Art.
Artists From Home and
Foreign LanG Visit the
Washington Officer.

three years service he sas honorabIy
discharged from the arm. taking his
discharge on, receiving II news that
one of his four brothers. VII were fight-
ing on the Confederate sio. had been
killed before Petersburg.
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-05-15

in some "soup foundry where there
are twenty votes He controls the en-
tire vote Of the house and is willing to
sell out for anything he can get. II he
can sell II to one side lie will then
try 10 sell IL 10 the opposition, and
when IL comes to delivering the goods
VIII be selling or Offering for sale the
vote Of some other boarding house.
The Ticket CRATER.
1.-THE ticket seller is the most deadly
OF all the grafters and the most plenti-
full" said one prosecuted of1ceholder.
Il believe that there are raffles and
concerts and shows of all sorts ar
ranged solely for the purpose OF getting
graft off the man who is foolish
enough 10 run for an office. / have
about 1000 tickets acquired In various
campaigns and never saw a show for
any of them.
This ticket graft is the genteel game,
and is resorted TO by many who appeal
otherwise fairly decent But they come
in in droves and have tickets for all
sorts of things. Dances by the Light
foot Social Club, benefits for orphans
and cripples, dog fights, lawn fetes,
church fairs, raffies on anything FROM a
dog 10 automobile. and so on. Ninety
nine out OF a hundred Of these people
/ never saw before, and they never saw
me. Because 1 am running for Office /
am legal game. Some of them hang on
after election
Subscription Workers.
Another of1ceholder has been swamp
ed not only by ticket grafters, but by
subscription workers. Everything was
represented. One well-dressed woman
was going to start a cat hospital and
from that they ranged to a church that
had a mortgage and wanted to pay IL
off,
THE pastor said they would all Vote
for me RI ] would give them $50 to heip
pay OFF the mortgage" explained ire
candidate. II actually believe that al
the mortgaged churches Of one demon
ination waited for that campaign year
TO pay off their mortgages and then
went around TO all the candidates on
both sides. l know of one man 'ti.o
offered a church vote to me and to my
opponent, who was also a good friend
of mine.
I'VE found out his game and both
offered TO help after he had delivered
the goods. / told him TO come around
II was elected. and would help the
church out, and the other man did the
same. We agreed between ourselves TO
be on hand IN the winners office when
he came and toss him down the stairs.
was elected, and he actually came for
his money. We were both on hand to
meet him, but he 'crawfshed' so beau
tifully that we let him go with our
opinions of him as a minister Of the
gospel"
Money for Clubs.
Don't forget the clubs" said another
victim. The clubs the thing. and be-