davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-28
OLD TIMEPIECES.
First Clocks-Dial Ring, Sun Dial
and 'Clepsydra.
From the London Globe.

From the London Globe.
The invention of clocks has been ia
thered on different persons, at dates vary
ing from before the Christian era to the
fourteenth century: but to trace pre-
cisely the first appearance of an instru-
ment at all resembling the modern clock
is somewhat difficult. In 1883 d clock
tower and clock were set up i'll West
minister at the expense of Chief Justice
de Hengham. a punishment imposed upon
him for classifying the record of Il fine,
and weight clocks were known in Euro
pean monastic houses from the tenth CEN
tury onward; but it is very doubtful If
these possessed a dial face and hands,
more probably they merely caused "a bell
to sound at stated intervals.
The sand glass can boast an antiquity
of rather better than 1000 years at least
and though now enjoying an honorable
retirement. or merely presiding in old
fashioned kitchens at the boiling of the
breakfast egg, had formerly place in
almost every parish church and served
to keep the sermon within reasonable
bounds. Hour glasses of superior quality
at one time contained, not sand, but egg
shells, which finely powdered and kim
dried, formed Il material less sensitive to
atmospheric moisture
OF probably still greater antiquity than
the hour glass was the clepsydra, or
FORMS. One of the simplest was the Hin
docs copper basin pierced with a small
hole in the bottom, which, placed in a
vessel of water, gradually filled and sank
at the appointed time. More elaborate
forms were known in Europe and Egypt.
Though varying somewhat in construc-
ton, the principle of each was the same,
a float" This was either placed in "a
full cylinder. from which the water grad
ually escaped by a hole in the bottom
usually bored i'll pearl as being less
liable to erosion by the constant flow-or
in an empty vessel to which water was
admitted from above. In both varieties
the float, falling or rising as the case
might be, pointed to the scale Of hours
marked upon the vessels side. The
float sometimes took the for moi a NINA
ture boat, in which the pointer was an
Outstretched oar.
Clepsydrae such as these were used in
the Athenian courts of law and had u
special officer in charge, one water
apiece being allowed to plaintiff. defend
ant and judge; during the reading of any
documents which bore upon the case the
flow was stopped A clepsydra which
In its action and appearance foreshadowed
the modern clock CARED upon its float
an upright rod which acted on toothed
wheel and turned a hand upon dial.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-28
Wine in History.
From the New York Mail

From Inc New 1pih NAM
We have had history written i'll terms
Of dynasty, of war. of race. of women,
of climate, of mosquitoes. of metals and
of trade routes Now Guslielmo Ferrero,
the accomplished Italian historian writes
If in terms of the vine He said in his
Columbia lecture this week that the
branches and tendr'ls of the plant OF
Bacchus are entwined about the history
and destiny of Rome Rome not only
taught law. war. road making and IAN
guage; lit also taught to drink wine"
Paris has succeeded Rome as the
worlds capital. and France has inherited
the Roman pre-emnence in wines 1T
would he possible urges Prof Ferrero.
ITO declare that France pours into all
the world her precious wine by tina,
same virttle. intimate. national and his
toric. by which she created tho ency-
ciopedia made the revolution, let Ma
poleon loose On Europe. and founded the
empire. wrote many famous books and
built OH the banks of the Seine the mar
velous universal city
This sort OF thing makes history raeio
interesting. anyway. and gives the pres
ent generation fellow feeling for the
anrieutS.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-28
Early Railway Station.

From the Lexington Herald.
The oldest structure in the world orig
inally built for railway station is the
now disused l.. and \. depot in Lexins-
ton. 1t was begun in 1885. From the
northwest corner of this building the
first passenger railway car west of the
Alleghenies started on it's daily run to
Frankfort. 1t has been used for almost
three-quarterS OF a century and stands
as a landmark to remind the present
generation of the old order of things in
Lexington and central kentucky.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-28
USEFUL TENNIS POSTS.
Each Forms Half of Receptacle to
Hold the Net.

Tennis posts that will do double duty
and obviate the necessity of taking the
net in overnight have been invented by
Pennsylvania man. Each post resem-
bles large metal tube, bisected At the
bottom of each is long spike and in
side is rod which turns like a reel.
The ends of the net are fastened to these
rods and are rolled on one of them
When in position the posts stand firm
and hold the net taut during hard usage.
and when the games are over one of the
posts can be pulled from the ground and
the net rolled up inside the other When
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-28
SCIENCE NOTES.

The matter of electric train lighting is
being given great deal of attention at
the present time by railroad people. There
are three systems and each has its ad
herentS The first is the head end,
where the current is supplied from a
dynamo on the engine front end OF
the train, the necessary power being de-
rived from the steam from the engine
The second is the axle system by which
the generators are driven by means of the
power taken from the axle as the train
progresses. The third is the storage sys-
tenn; Some figures relating to the head
end system We're contained i'm a report
recently made to tue Association OF Car
Lighting Engineers. Taking. for instance
a road operating 900 cars over 800 miles
of track. the cost. including interest on
investment in generating apparatus and
batteries. depreciation on equipment, cost
OF fuel labor. etc. would be $3.50 per car
year, or S1.S4 per car-day. The record Of
operation Of such train lighting system
in use on the c.. Nj. and ST. Paul railroad
during the year ending October. 1905
shows that the average duration of fail
ure OF system to supply the light was
H. seconds per day per car, there being
IS; cars in service The troubles We're
mainly due TO defects in the steam supply
system.
made in the Columbia river it has been
found advisable to erect long jetty just
opposite the point where the stream emp
ties into the Pacific ocean and one of
the great difficulties encountered in the
maintenance of trestle work was the raw
ages of the teredo, which is SO active that
often at the end of Il years service these
pieces of wood are so perforated as to
be absolutely useless for the purpose for
which they were laid. An entirely new
mel lOl of battling with this destructive
borer has been tried. The protective
process consists of wrapping each pile
over the portion likely to be in the water
approximately the middle third with
with the best Welsh coal tar coats of
tar also being used between the layers.
The burlap is fastened OH with staples
AS at first used this method was open
to the serious objection that the dumping
of stone from the trestle knocked off this
protection in places, leaving openings for
the entry of the teredo. To prevent this
a number of longitudinal pieces of by 4
inch timber are nailed on, placed at inter-
walls around the circumference. The
method of projection Is considered eX-
perimental as yet, but with very good
prospects of success Mere coating of
the piles without use of the burlap would
not do here, it would be worn off by
the continuous action of the waves.
\ contemplating machine has been de-
viSed on lines similar to the vacuum
process cleaning machines by j. S. Thur
man. The vacuum producing apparatus,
driven by a gasoline engine, is mounted
on a wide wheel truck. which his drawn
about the cotton field by mules. Each
operator has 100 feet of hose with the
picker suction tip at the end. 1t is
claimed that each operator can gather
700 pounds of seed cotton per day of ten
hours at total cost of from SID to
$40 per operation per day.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-28
Romance-Inspiring Dolls.
From the Graphic.

From the Grap!lc.
The love of dolls is old as HE world
il is not only q maternal but Il dramat L.
yearnins. Children live in their dolls;
their fantasy PLAYS around them: they
are perpetual comedy and tragedy; theI
masination works through them and
takes the place of romance in other PEG
pies lives,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-28

the two posts are brought together they
make a round waterproof case for the
net, which can he LETT outdoors not only
overnight. but in the severest weather
thai the court can he laid out wherever
desired. AS the posts need only be pressed
into the ground. Any person who has
had "A costly tennis net ruined by mo!s-
ture when ii WAS forgotten ana left out
i'll the rain will appreciate the merits of
this invention.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-28
Stories of Sufferers
in italian Earthquake
Special Correspondence of The star.


NAPLES, January ~, 1909
ut is doubtful If the full horrible story
of the earthquake will ever be told
The survivors have only confused
Il idea of what took place. They were
awakened by the falling of their
houses, and how they escaped they can
not guess. The awful minutes, in most
cases when they were struggling for life,
are nightmare or a blank which perhaps
even time will not clear.
However, some few have been able to
put their sensations and experiences into
words. / have heard of a man who In
habited the fourth floor of an apartment
house, and who was awakened by what
lie took to be an explosion. When he
gained his senses he found himself in an
alarming position. The floor, probably
through some defect in building, had
given way cleanly as though cut by a
knife right under his large. double bed.
which thus had two legs hanging in the
void. the other two being on the portion
of the floor left The bed was danger
ously inclined. and from it had rolled his
~ife into the gulf, he saving himself from
like fate by throwing himself violently
on to the hoor on the other side. He was
rescued by the firemen after stopping in
his dangerous position for forty-eight
hours, without food. and listening to the
means and cries of his little daughter.
who had shared her mothers fate. She
afterward taken out of the debris,
with scarcely whole bone i'll her body,
dead.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-28
zoe for Newest :SI.oo Corsets.

The Drectore-with newly high bust and extra long
hips The difference between 7oc and dollar will not be
great attracont will be in the fact that these
New all the style and grace of much
expensive models. All sizes. of
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-28

II matters little what it is that YOU
want-Whether Il situation or Il servant-a
want ad, in The Star will reach the per-
son who can fill your need.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-28

The whole world is most thoroughly represented here.
What does of the spring styles of 1909? Are these
suits especially the 3button cuaway models to
proclaimed the avorites Note the spring coorngs
bengane and satin trimmings SI4oS instead of $1,000
for only
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-28
The New Cloth Suits of Tomorrow.
$500 for New $1,000 Garments.
$500 for New 5000

Il" they go in Washington they all rght-thls the
opinion of leading New York maker of Women Ma1-ta1-
ored With tomorrows price $500 instead OF
$1,000 their introduction is assured greatest possible num-
bcrs in least possible time.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-28

What SAYS Cosmopolitan Washington:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-28

en- NQ for lovcliesi of New
epIoIC Satin Foulard Dresses,
latest princcss-empire models. In
Paris Note the lace yoke and the
Persian lace trimming. The dress
proper is of new colorS with Sradu-
atcd polka dots. forming stripes,
lending height and grace to the
WedreT
The National tribune., 1909-06-03
They Are Not LOYAL.

Editor National Tribune: I believe all
true descendants of our Revolutionary
fathers who wish to give proof of their
loyalty should faithfully uphold the
principles for which they imperiled
their lives in that seven years. war. ]
am an old Union soldier of the civil
war, but God knows I have nothing but
kindness in my heart towards those who
contended with us on the other side
until they saw their mistake, and came
back to us, like all good soldiers, ac-
knowledging it. I have always well
coined them with the right hand of fei-
lowship. but the Daughters of the Con-
federacy by their actions, pointing their
most destructive guns directly at the
hearts of their lustrous forefathers and
hypocritically claiming themselves true
and loyal to the memory of such men
as washington and his able followers, is
too sickening a dose for an old soldier
to swallow. Their only way out is to
drop that disgraceful work and come
back into the Union the same as their
brothers did in 1S65.-Samuel F. Har-
ris, 1st d. G. and 1st Me. Cav, Med
ford, Wis.
The National tribune., 1909-06-03
Do you Know the comrade,

Comrade F. L. Emery. I'd Light Bat
terry. Maine Vols, Concord Junction,
Mass. is anxious to locate Charles B.
Chamberlin and Charles Beecher. who
served in the same battery. Comrade
Emery says: "Comrade Chamberlin is
my cousin. and as I was brought UP In
his fathers family after the death OF
my own father he was to all intents
and purposes my brother. He was three
years older than /. and when / Joined
the same battery as a recruit in 1854
he made good in the matter of kinship
to the letter, but I have not seen him
nor heard from him directly since 1881,
and don't think he knows my address
L understand he was. and for many
years had been, connected with the cat
tle-raising industry in the wild and
woody West POSSIBLY in Montana), and
that his occupation brings him to the
eastern seaboard and across the Allan
tic from time to time. II my request
should meet the eye of any comrade in
that part of the country who can give
me the address of Chamberlin or Beech
er. I would be very grateful for the
same"
The National tribune., 1909-06-03
Execu,ions Before Pctersburg.

Editor National Tribune: / see that
Comrade ]. E. Miller sends you few
lines for The National Tribune of May
in regard to the hanging of a rebel
spy in front of Petersburg in the sum
mer of 1864, and that the Second Divi-
sion, Fifth Corps, witnessed 1t 1
was in the Second Division, and wit
messed a number of executions at that
place. 1t was called Cedar Level, and
was in the rear of the works held by
the Fifth. There was one shot that I did
not learn the crime committed; two
hung who belonged to the 72d n. Y;
two brothers who came into our lines
from the rebels and were given papers
to go North. They went to Baltimore,
and enlisted in n Maryland regiment,
and when sent back to the regiment in
front of Petersburg they deserted, and
tried to go North on the papers q sec
ond time. They were caught on the
boat and convicted as spies, and were
hung there. There was a negro shot
for drawing his gun on an officer, ana
one for criminal assault on a female.
The powder that was put in the mine
was parked there in six wagon loads
six and half tons of powder in kegs.
in charge of Lieut.. Newburt and 10
men, Serg,t Burger, Corpr VIM. Hal
sted and Corpr VIM. Campbell If they
are living / hope they will write to me.
was one of the 10 to guard the pow
dsr. Comrade Miller speaks of a race
track There was one laid out, but just
as the fun commenced an order came
from somewhere to cut it out-Frank
Timmons, Co. II, 18th N. Y. Fl. A, 7S0
Central avenue, Dunkirk, N. Y.
The National tribune., 1909-06-03
Crater incidents.

Comrade Arthur Buckingham. Co. B,
81st n. Y, Oswego, N. Y, writes: Il
was on duty as a sharpshooter in lit
tie fort about east of the Crater ana
quite near X. Our instructions were to
pick off the officers and the artillery
gunners in the enemy's position. Their
shots we're very effective among us.
Close beside me a Captain was standing,
when a piece of shell about the size of
ones palm struck him under the chin.
and almost entirely cut his head off.
1 caught the body as 1t fell. OF course,
he died at once. A Lieutenant in the
fort with us, / think. was his brother.
] do not remember what regiment they
belonged to. I had emptied my cart
ridge box and left the fort, going 10 or
IL rods to the rear for box of ammu-
milton. I was NOT absent over 10 or Is
minutes at most. had the box on my
shoulders, when I heard the roar OF
the explosion, and at once there came
dashing from the rear party on horse
back, and I thought the rebel cavalry
had managed to get around there, but
it was Gen. Butler and his Aids. heard
the General say to one of his Aids:
'D-n them, If there Is another battle
they will be in it, He may have been
speaking Of the colored troops or OF
some other Generals or somebody else
who had kept his men out of a battle
that he wanted them to be in. When
i got back / could see the terrible
slaughter, and there were bayonets and
sabers used frightfully. The colored
troops were driven off, and some came
in over the works was in. You may
imagine flock of sheep fleeing, goins
over stone fence, and pack OF
hounds after them: The men fought
hard, but the Generals Or some COM
ma nder shirked / said 10 one big fel.
low: Where are yonoigeingY and he
rolled his big eyes and safss, oh. Lawd
marsar, this is hot qpfaGe TO a mig
| gah"" 1-Hr7g
The National tribune., 1909-06-03

teries Nos. 9 and 10 without resistance.
Our army was sleeping in supposed Sc
curity, and the intruder had everything
his own way for the time.
Our Lines Broken.
Battery No. 10 was soon and easily
taken by the enemy. Thus they ac-
auired the great advantage of close
attack on Fort Steadman. The garri-
son, consisting of a battalion of the
I4th n. Y. Art, resisted TO their utmost
ability, but being attacked on three
sides (while they were hardly awake),
was soon overpowered and mostly all
taken prisoners. The day had not yet
frightened, and it was almost impossi-
bile in the twilight, to distinguish
between friend and foe.
Gen. Mclaughlin, aroused by the
tumult, endeavored to rally his brigade,
passing down the line, leaving orders
as he went, entered Fort Steadman after
the enemy had captured tt, and. of
course, was made prisoner of war.
Gen. Parke commander of the Ninth
Corps, and at that particular time COM
mander of the Army of the Potomac,
thru the temporary absence Of Gen.
Meade. on receiving intelligence of the
enemy's movement. ordered Gen. WILL
cox to form the remainder of his divi-
sion for resistance, and Gen. Hartranft
to concentrate his division TO reinforce
the irnperiled troops. and Gen. Tidbail
Chief of Artillery, to place batteries on
the higher ground in rear of the poini
held by the enemy. Forthwith the
guns of Fort Steadman and Battery IL
were turned on our lines. One column
of the assailants pushed forward to oui
rear, while the others turned to the
right and left, sweeping our lines on the
tanks and endeavoring to create panic
! in our ranks.
The column which went towards oul
rear. before, reaching Grants Militar,
Railroad. encountered that remnant o
the 18th Mich. which had escaped deatf
and captivity at Spetsylyania Cour
( House May 12, 1864, and was detailed
to do guard duty at Gen. Wilcox
| headquarters. While there were les
than a hundred of the old regiment
they succeeded in retarding the advance
The National tribune., 1909-06-03
Congressional pretenses.

Comrade Chas. w. Slawson, Co. A,
Hath N. Y. lone, Ark, writes: 81 know
women, wives of soldiers, who are good
women, good wives, kind, unselfish. de-
voted to older men whom they married
since 1897, for whom they have toiled.
for whose comfort and happiness they
have faithfully ministered until their
own strength is impaired, their own
health broken and their physical ca
pacity to earn their own living by work.
ing for wages destroyed. Congress
brands them as frauds. Congressman
who refuse to provide pensions for these
women are brutal, inhuman and un-
worthy of the respect due the dignity of
their position as legislators for the peo-
pie of the United States. Their pre-
tense of economy is fraud. They in
crease their own salaries, enlarge the
salaries and expense funds of the Presi-
dent, his Cabinet and others, in all
branches of the Government, vote mil
lions for contractors everywhere to be
spent on improvements that could wait.
but let the veterans who made the
country great and rich suffer and their
widows starve."
The National tribune., 1909-06-03
gettysburg Battle Was in Virginia.

Comrade Amanuel Russell, Co. I,
10th Ohio, Route 1. Fillmore, o..
writes: 'Comrade Ezra Walker re-
Gently asked me IL 1 realized that the
victory of Gettysburg was really won
at Winchester. Va, when Milroy de-
tanned Lee and his army there for
three days, June IL to IA, 1863. holding
the whole rebel army back with his
little band of 5000 men? The idea is
sound, no doubt, for had Lee not been
checked as he was he would have
reached Harrisburg, Philadelphia or
some other point further north than
Gettysburg before the Union army
could bring him into decisive battle.
He may have decided to attack Balti-
more or Washington, indeed, instead OF
invading Pennsylvania, had Milroy not
forced him to fight his little army. 1t
was Milroy's resistance that caused
Lees choice of route. Why he did not
flank Winchester instead of fighting
Milroy would be hard for military
man to explain"
The National tribune., 1909-06-03
The Oldest Veteran.

Francis s. Long Post. Willimantic
Conn, claims as the oldest veteran in
Connecticut Comrade Leonard Shaffer
who was 81 on Feb. 6. 1909. He enlist
ed May Z, 1861. in Co. E, I'd Conn. for
three months. and after his discharge
re-enlisted in the 18th Conn. for three
years. He was discharged Aug. IL,
1865, after more than four years of ar
duous service, during which time he
was never sick or wounded and never
missed roll call. He had three sons
with him in the 18th Conn. and one of
them is now Commander of Francis S.
Long Post. Comrade Shaffer is living
with his granddaughter in Bridgeport.
and. while totally blind. is in good
health. and bids fair to live for a long
time as the Oldest man in the Depart
ment.
The National tribune., 1909-06-03
Hampton's Battery.

Editor National Tribune: Our battery,
Battery +, Ind'p't Pa. l.. A, was or
ganized at Pittsburg Oct. II, 1851, and
mustered out June 25. 1865. 1t served
in the Army of the Potomac. We had
a total enlistment of 800 members, of
whom there are at present surviving
65. Our. first Captain was Robert B.
Hampton, a full cousin of Gen. Wade
Hampton, C. s. A. He was born in
Virginia, near WarrentOn. and was
killed at Charlottesville. He was bur-
led in Allegheny Cemetery, and his
grave is marked by a monument erect
ed years ago by the survivors OF the
battery In addition to this the battery
has erected monuments in Allegheny
Park, Allegheny City, Pa; one in the
Peach Orchard at Gettysburg, and on
Hancock avenue, at Gettysburg, in
front of Pickett's charge. 1 should be
glad to hear from any of my old COM
rades.-George v. Marshall, 21st and
Mary streets, South Side, Pittsb,rg, Pa.