davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-21

Fortress Monroe, on time, in three or
four days.
fever patients on our man-of-war Sus-
quehanna, DIR. Frederick Henry Rose OF
the British navy was voted gold medal
and the thanks CT Congress in lsaS. In
April of that year the fever had broken
out on the Susquenanna while She lay
at Jamaica, and DR.. Rose, at great per-
sonal risk not only volunteered his serv-
Ices on board while she was there. hut
sailed in her to New York devotiug him
self TO the care OF the sick en- route. SIX
other foreigners We're voted medals il
1s41 for $50 calamity and at imminent
peril of their lives" reScuins the officers
and crew OF The United States brig som
ers in the harbor Of Vera Cruz. These
were the commanders OF three English.
two French and enc Spanish vessel. which
went 10 the Somers' assistance after her
capsiZe. and who both clothed and en-
tertained her officers and crew after thus
saving their lives.
The year previously gold medals were
voted also 10 DR.. Elisha Kent Kane. the
arctic explorer, and his brother officers.
a testimonial for their bravery during
the Lady Franklin relief expedition for
the rescue of Sir John Franklin. DR..
Kane. a surgeon in our navy. had barely
escaped with his life from a crater in the
IHiiipplueS, lidu pldCilted fneuitlHc Ia
China, had had thrilling encounter with
Bedouin robbers in Egypt, had visited the
King of Dahomey and had been In the
arctic regions with the Grinnell eNpedi-
ton, all prior to this final triumph. lie
sailed in search of Franklin in 1852. en-
listed ESquimau recruits, made 'farth-
est north record. discovered humboldt
glacier. and. after being deserted by
part of his company. and having to aban-
don his ship. moved his boats and sick
sixty miles over the ice and managed 10
reach Cape York after a thrilling expert
ence of two years. He and his men were
received with great enthusiasm on their
return, and besides being voted a special
arctic medal by Congress. were given the
queens medal by the British government.
Each of these national medals has been
designed especially for the honored re-
cipient, and they have been works of art
In themselves. They have not been stamp
ed from any die already on hand at the
mint, but have represented a high degree
OF the Sculptors art. The joint resolution
just passed instructs the Secretary of
War to have the Wright brothers gold
medals adorned with suitable emblems.
devices and Inscriptions"
JOHN ELFRETH WATKINS.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-21

after adjournment. but in 1855 it was
passed again. and the medal was pinned
upon the inventor breast by the Presi-
dent in the east room of the White House.
This medal was the largest which the
mint hrs ever stamped for any one save
Grant. 1t was four inches in diameter
considerably larger than butter plate
and is said to have cost 5000. 1t is now
on exhibition in the National Museum
Francis was a remarkable man in many
ways. and. like many geniuses. he was a
precocious youth When only eleven he
exhibited a fancy boat at a fair and
when only eighteen received from the
massachusetts, Mechanics Institute the
first prize for fast rowboat. This was
back in 1919. Then the Secretary of The
Navy sent him to the Portsmouth navy
yard to build modern lifeboats for our
men, and he fell to inventing life
saving apparatus OF surprising design.
Some OF these are said TO have been the
worlds first iron floating vessels. His
life car was given to the world as far
back as 1888 and one of these was placed
on the New Jersey coast near Long
Branch, in 1S43 The following year
when the British immigrant ship AYRSHIRE
was wrecked off the beach, Francis life
car was given its first trial and saved 200
of those on ooard-all save one, who in
sisted upon riding outside the car while
his family We're inside The government,
which thirty-seven years later was to
vote the nations thanks to the then
obscure inventor. had taken small stock
in the crank invention and had allowed
Francis to install it only at his own eN-
penSe. Today this same car Is on exhibit
ton in the National Museum as one of
the nations sacred relics. The first four
years that Francis had this and other life
boats in use they saved lilo lives. He
was seventy-eight years old when the
nation gave him his long-merited reward
Thirty-two years before Napoleon III had
presented him with a diamond studded
snuffbox of gold, valued at $500 and
twenty-seyen years before the car had
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-21


ship Vanderbilt to the government. He
had just built this handsome steamship
of 5000 tons to. as he said, demonstrate
"that individual enterprise could. with
out the aid of government. encourage
ment, place upon the ocean steamships
equal at least in magnitude. power and
speed. to any which had been construct
ed under government patronage and pro-
lection in any part OF the world" He
spent about 100000 on her, and she
broke the transatlantic record.
In March, 1852, Commodore Vanderbilt
received a letter from Stanton asking
him If he would undertake to prevent the
Confederate steamer Merrimac from es-
Gaping oct Of Norfolk harbor. The COM
modore answered by telegram that he
would come to Washington next day, and
arriving here, he had his first meeting
with Stanton, who took him over to the
White House to see Lincoln. He offered
Lincoln the Vanderbilt. which, he said.
if properly manned, would either keep the
Merrimac bottled up in Hampton roads
a., sink her. IL she ventured out. Lincoln
asked the commodore to name the sum
for which he would undertake the serv-
ice.
Nothing will induce me. sir. to become
a. speculator upon the necessities or my
country" said the commodore. :! MAKE
q gift of her to the government TOT tne
services proposed" And the ship was OH
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-21
Less to Do.

tt7HE late Russell SturEis.' said a
! New York architect, continually
marveled at the swift passage of time
This great architect and critic continually
found new examples OF the swift way
men grow old and ugly While still be-
lieving themselves young.
HE repea ted TO me one day a remark
lie had heard in barber shop.
''An old chap. with hardly hair on
his head snapped at the Young barber on
The completion of Il hair cut
You are not the thorough workman
ynur father was. my hoy. lie used II
take i good half hour 10 cut my hair.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-21

Of Presidents of the United States
But he doesn't need to stay that long
III the service of his country 10 esta blish
new marks in American history. IL he
shall remain in his present place till No
vember - 1909. ne will stand alone for
length OF cabinet service.
Ii lad been thought that the record was
already his. but historians delving deeply
into tho archives have found out that
.Albert Gallatin of Pennsylvania still holds
tie advantage.
Like Secretary Wilson. who was born
in Scotland. Gaiatin did not see the light
% DAY for the first time in the country lie
was destined 10 serve 50 well. lie was
born i'll Geneva, came to the new world,
assisted the colonies in achieving their
independence, became factor i'll states
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-21


people on her estate at San
dringhan- Following her project
Of operating farm dairy for the benefit
of her agricultural tenants. she has
opened a school of needlework for girls
and one of carpentry for boys. The
queens model dairy has long been a
sreat success and il has paid well. In
addition TO making profit from the farm.
the queen In The course of two years has
trained nunlbcr of young women to take
complete charge of q dairy farm, and
there are applications always on hand
for the queens own dairymaiGs.
The queens new venture has also met
with success from the paying point OF
view, and the girls turned out from her
needlework school are finding excellent
positions among the nobility in many
parts of the country. Several have gone
into business for themselves and are
holding their own even against the fierce
competition in this line i'll London.
The queens school for needIework is
located in pretty little cottage. built
in the Gothic style, and scarcely a
stone throw from the queens own rooms
in the royal residence. Her majesty takes
a keen personal interest in this school
and very often spends her mornings
among the girls. watching them at work
The curriculum embraced al the queen 8
needlework classes is a very thorough
one The students begin with plain needle
work and then take up in their order
embroidery, dressmaking fine needieWork,
observation-disclosures and crochet trimming.
The course covers everything that has
to do with a womans dresses including
understanding. the making of trousseaux,
layettes, cutting out and SO forth.
Those W lao show the greatest proficiency
are further instructed in d special course
of Norwegian tapestry, in which the queen
herself takes u deep interest. Her house
in Denmark Is full Of specimens OF work
turned out by her scholars. The girls
are also taught the spinning and weaving
OF cloths and the making Of torchon and
Eoniton lace.
One of the best features of the queens
school is that there Is no regular hard
and-fast system followed. The head in
structress tries to find out what each
girls individual tastes are and to develop
her in conformity with her own artistic
bent. There are no time tables. no
schemes of instruction and no display Of
methods.
About half mile away from the girls
school is the boys Technical School Of
Woodwork. The number of pupils in this
school is limited-only six being taken
and as a consequence, there is keen
competition among the tenants on the
estate for admission. The boys remain in
tho school from their fifteenth TO their
twenty-4irst year. and when they come
out are equipped with sufficient knowledge
to enter any department If the building
or cabinet mahng trades
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-21

King Edwards coronation has eXcelled
in expense that OF any other court func-
ton of its kind on record. For instance.
George Tvs coronation included dinner
that cost $125942 and So55, 500 for furni-
ture and decorations for Westminster
Hall, while, on robes alone. that monarch
spent $4,000. Snuff boxes for foreign
minlsters''-a curious item OF royal ex-
penditure-came alone to more than S41.-
600. and there were many other items Of
equal extravaganza. And Vet George
Tvs coronation was not a patch on that
Of King Edward s. 1t is said with more
or less accuracy that the king made it a
point TO blow a lot OF money on his
coronation because his subjects had COM
planned for many years that Queen Vic
toria was II nliser. She removed her court
from London to Windsor to save money,
and though the royal family was costing
the English people the huge sum of near
~ $j.GO,OJ0 per annun, Queen Victoria
spent practically nothing. 1t was mainly
10 offset this unfa"orable opinion that
King Edward decided to plunge" 1t
was also for this reason that he once
more restored the court to London. With
the royal family living in London. OF
course the London tradesmen. court dress
makers and hosts of others receive the
benefit of royal patronage, whereas with
the king living out of town-especially in
little place like Windsor-the funds are
more or less boarded up.
II is a singular fact that King Edward
has curried popular favor by spending
literally since coming to the throne. Inc
main unpopularity OF his mother-at least,
among the trades people-was due to the
fact that she held on 10 her allowance"
and the people derived little benefit from
the money they bestowed upon her. 1t
is mainly for the opposite reason that
there is no severe criticism passed on the
kings coronation expenses. Even if they
doubled the sum named-Sl, I96 44o-the
English people would feel that they got
their moneys worth in the fact that the
king spent large portion of this money
among the decorators, chefs. caterers,
florists, court dressmakers and other royal
frnctionaries Always a wonderful peo-
ple. these English" Carlyle remarked
long ago. and the saying holds good to
this day
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-21


years.
latin held the place twelve years, eight
months, twenty-five days.
For almost century the record has
stood, and students OF statecraft had
come 10 doubt that IL would ever he
equaled While rapacity for public careers
and the whirlng changes OF political life
worked such swift shifts in places of
power and influence.
But now comes Secretary Wilson who
has put the Department of Agriculture
on such high plane OF efficiency that
three Presidents OF the United States
have honored him with the portfolio, two
Oh them rendering IL To him twice.
William Mckinley irst picked James
Wilson for the place of power. and when
he took office. March 4, 1897. Wilson also
began serving the interests of the farm
Ing constituency. When Mckinley was
reelected he was quick to see the value
of the work Wilson had done and orce
more he gave the portfolio to the Iowa
man.
The bullet OF the assassin took the
loved President from his high place, and
brought Theodore Roosevelt into the
chief office in the gift OF the people.
According TO custom ali cabinet officers
rendered their designations Roosevelt
persuaded them all to stay for the time
being. but lie had his ideas rs to some
changes he wanted 10 make and gradual
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-21

Wilson is undoubtedly the right man
in the right place. for he has a!Ways
been a farmer. Beginning as littie TAU
on the slopes of AYRSHIRE his IN 81
land thence in his teens to a Connectl,
cut farm and finally in mature manhoou
to the broad acres Of Iowa, he mas al
WAYS lived close to the soii' ana "n IL
he came into authority over one Oh Inc
inrton there was nothing that had to do
With farming that he did not know.
X
"I am a. hayseed," he delights to say
but none can argue that he looks ike IL.
AS a. matter Of fact, in appearance he
would better fit in the Navy Depart
ment, for he looks for all the world Ike
some bluff old admiral, with his white
whiskers and quiet. forceful manner.
Two good men had preceded Wilson
in charge OF the Department of Agricui-
ture. for 1t is a newly established arm
of the government service, being now
less than n generation old. Jerry Rusk
and Sterling Morton had lent their skill
to shaping the earlier policies. but 1t re-
uuired a builder like Wilson to carry
along the work to the point where the
application of science and organized
methods to farming could produce bcne-
fit to the tillsr Of the soil
Mr.. Wilson is now seventy-four years
Of age but he does not look 1t. He Is
more than six feet tall. is powerfully
built, has Il pair Of keen gray eyes that
follow closely every word or every mar
rative that comes to him while he is SIT
ting In authority at his desk In the de-
partment He yields little to the die
tates of fashion in the matter or dress,
confininG himself to the garb or SOBER
tints, but his immaculase lhen. Sc. on
with a dark tie. suggests the man who
is as unfailng regular in his habits OF
dress as in everything else that concerns
him.
The Secretary. OF his way to the long
service record. has figured in public life
before he came into his present once.
He spent three terms in Congress and
gained q knowledge OF Official routlne'
then he went back TO Iowa to become
professor in Iowa Agricultural college,
Then it was that the peculiarly appro-
pirate combination struck Mckinley.
Here was q man who was a farmer. who
knew the practical side. but who also
NV reason of his life as a pedagogue
was familiar with the scientific phases
of farming, and who also having served
the nation in Washington, understood
lawmaklng ana aoLlihiS tIilise W.
He was made for the place., said
the President. No poll .icians mad
hand in this appointment. It was based
en- irely on fitness, and its fitness has
more than been indicated by the events
of the last twelve years.
OF the many services that this ap-
nojntee of President Mckinley has rem
dered to tile farmer of the country during
the last twelve years one that is usually
mentioned first and most gratefully IS
thai relating 10 the incubation of the
soil with the so-caled benign bacteria.
=;
Secretary Wilson did not invent this
system. but he put it on scale of pro-
fciency never dreamed of by its German
inventor. The basis Of the thought is
thai hY the introduct ION into the soil of
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-21

Edwards coronation have only
just been made public and, con-
sidering the enormous figures in
volved, il Is rather significant
that these accounts have taken six years
to audit.
donarchs Of the past have often been
described as being spendthrifts when it
came to lavish squandering on their coro-
nation. but it is quite evident that King
Edward is Il record breaker in this re
spect. His coronation cost England the
tidy sum OF l.196 4iJ-quite 4 con-
siderable figure considering that Edward
is regarded as one of the most democratic
OF sovereigns.
Strange TO say. the recent revelation OF
the enormous figures involved has not
created even lutter. of excitement in
official or other circles in England. The
only question that has been raised is one
of technicality. The committee who had
10 pass" or audit the vouchers for the
coronation have pointedly drawn atten-
ton to the fact that the accounts, as
finally submitted. were not in keeping
with the original estimates. No ques-
tlOIf OF pTUpTltlN Is raised WfdttNtI tOll-
corning the spending of more than 81 ,TOJ.-
900 on the court function. The committee
only feels slightly hurt that these eX-
penses made the original estimates pre-
Sented to parliament look sick. in tact
these estimates stated that the corona
ton would cost only S12J00, whereas
that figure was exceeded by just 81 .01i,-
G6O. OF course. million dollars here or
there. when extracted from the British
. xrNs u M Zoe Atat ~
least. not to the NOBILITY and the court
king. AT the same time. it is a singular
not a single word about graft" is heard
when estimated expenses Tor the eiabor-
ate ceremony should exceed thir original
allowance by such huge sum, and es-
pecially when these accounts have been
held back from public consideration for
more than six years.
The British treasury. in accepting the
final accounts. commissioners in sorrow
than in anger-''My lords chat Is the
lords of the treasury take note OF the
committees opinion. in which they con-
cur. that the estimate presented for such
part of the expenses connected with the
coronation as required special provision
should have been accompanied by an eX-
PLANTATION that the sum go provided repre-
scented only portion of the cost To be in
cured
This is mild English way of ce1suring
the court officials for exceeding their eSti-
mate to the extent of u million hut tie
matter will end there. and the p'it..ir will
hear no more about ii, saving. pcrAaps. IN
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-21

United States NAVY. He was veteran
of the civil war when he sailed for the
polar regions with De Long in the Jean
nette in 1879 They had been gone FROM
San Francisco two years when their YES
sci was sunk in the ice. When Melville
and De Long succeeded in reaching land
with portion of the crew they were
Ia, miles apart, and De Long and all
but two of his men persisted Melville
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-21

ly the complexion of the list of advisers
began to change; but when the new staff
was more arranged it was significant
that James Wilson continued TO admin
lister the affairs OF the Department of
In 1894 Roosevelt had the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-21

VII
son has started IN
the last lap of his
record breaking
cabinet service.
II he serves out
the four years TO
w h / C h President
Taft appointed him,
the Secretary Ut
\ gric ulture viii
have been sixteen
years at the elbow
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-21

Endorsed the Judgment of his two prede-
cessors, and continues the veteran cabi-
net officer In the place he has go we'll
administered.
This IS a most remarkable record and
one that Will long be quoted.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-21
Wilbur Wright.

Wilbur Wright.
K7ON-WARLIKE Acts
/ Honored by National
Medals on But Twelve
Prior Occasions-Voting
of a National Medal
Places Recipient in In
nermost Sanctuary of Our
Temple of Fame-Comes
Only by Joint Resolu-
ton of Congress-Others
Honored for Peaceful At
tainment.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-21

motion of education in the south was in
creased in 1869 to SD. 500, coo. He spent
millions on other philanthropies here and
s., 100000 for the building of
model lodging houses for the poor of
London. In 1867 Queen Victoria offered
to make him a peer, but he declined. But
she presented him with portrait of her.
self which now hangs in the institute at
Peabody. Mass. He died a bachelor in
1869 and was the first private citizen of
a foreign country to be honored by burial
in Westminster Abbey. but to carry out
his wishes his relatives had his remains
removed to Massachusetts, to lie beside
those of his mother. The Monarch. the
first frigate Of the British navy. carried
his body across the Atlantic where 1t
was received by an American squadron.
commanded by Farragut. Gladstone's
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-21

in putting currency on a sound basis JEFF
ferson reappointed him.
Madison decided that he could do no
better than to retain the efficient Penn
sylvanian, and so it happened that CAL
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-21

ions acts of a peaceful nature.
Our national medalists belong in the
innermost sanctuary of the national tenn
pie of fame. where they can be placed
only by joint resolution Of Congress. ap-
proved by the President. The first of
their number was Washington himself.
whom the Continental Congress in 1875
voted a gold medal and the nations
thanks for his causing the British evacua-
ton of Boston. Since then upward Of
forty joint resolutions of Congress have
conferred this great honor upon the con-
spicuous heroes of various wars,
whose stories we already know by heart
But this is an era of peace. and
what interests us more is to recall the
deeds of civilian glory which Congress
has rewarded with national medals in
gold.
The Wrishts are the first civilians to
receive this reward in more than twenty
years. OF previous recipients of this cat
eSory the last was Joseph Francis of
Boston, inventor of the life car. Congress
in March. 1887. passed joint resolution
thanking him for his lifelong services to
humanity and TO his country and voting
him a gold medal to be presented by the
President. Cleveland withheld his sigma
Iure from the resolution until too late
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-21
Copyright. 1909. by John Elfreth Watkins }

voting
national medals in
gold to Orville and
Wilbur VIII e h t
for their ability.
courage and sue
cess In navigating
the air. is a sig
nal honor confer
red on but a
dozen previous oc-
casions as a re-
ward for meritor-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-21

Secretary James wilson.
manship and an expert in finance. and
when Thomas jefferson assembled TO the
place of President, i'll 1901. Gallatin was
his choice for Secretary of the Treasury.
The period was one of vital importance
from a money standpoint. for the fnau-
cill systems Of the country were just be-
ing SNAPPED and when Callatin succeeded
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-21

Two years after this award to Francis
Congress had, however. voted gold
medal to a national hero who, although
not a civilian. had rendered these re-
warded services upon mission Of peace.
This was George Wallace Melville who
until recently was engineer in chief,