davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-03

not to be "disgraced' by the use of life-
saving rigging,
In 1900 it was the same: and now again
they are very much the same men whom
they are engaging for the spring job
of 1912. Eiffel tower painters have be-
come almost specialists. They know
the insidious danger - greater to them
than to any others; yet they clamor for
the job, and reject tackle.
Nine fell in 1SS9-1909 Seven fell in
1907. And. strangely. all hut two landed
in flower beds, making holes that quite
buried them.
I met two painters come to register for
the new job, intelligent, serious work
men, fathers OF families, men who read
book at night, seated by their wives.
Yet both had a queer exaltation, almost
hilarious.
1T is a poetical job, up there" the
younger said "A six-month job. two
coats--I wonder IL ] will live to see it
through? It's like all day in a balloon.
quitting earth and sailing. a vacation
trip away from the dirty world"'
:: *
Its fascination" said the elder. griz+
zle-bearded. up alone, there. in the
silence, an immensely of air and sun
light, like an ocean, The soul sings tn
the great movement onward, the rotations
of the earth upon it's axis, its swing
Of the system toward the constellation
of the Lyre.''
That's strong" I said. DO you feel,
the movement Of the earth up there2 i
never did"
perhaps it's the swaying OF thu
tower" put in the younger man. lit
swings three yards at the top. What
makes 1t vibrate? Not the wind, I'll bet
you. To feel what We painters expert
ence, you gust be sitting there on an
iron girder for hours, the abyss below.
the immensely above, until you feel that
you could chuck the pot and spread your
arms and swim!''
There are 100000 rivet heads to
paint, holding together $1,000 beams.
and cables. not to mention a million
blocks, screws and small pieces" said
the grizzled beard. when 1 begin to
feel like swimming count rivet heads
said the younger. 'tOne was in a storm
They said he fell. Then why did he crawl
to the edge and make dive outside?
The storm came UP black. The rain
played around us. The smell of the cleo
tricity made us tipsy. And We painters
sat there, well braced. enjoying it. The
other copain jumped OF an early spring
flock of wild geese had passed us. They
said that he had quarreled with his wife
/ know lots Of men who quarrel with
their wives down here who jump no fur
Their than the cafe"
On the tip Of the tower Is q wireless tele-
graph plant that communicates with
every part Of France and with French
troops in Morocco and the Sahara. A
time station In touch with the observa-
tory fires a cannon at high noon and
maintains a gigantic clock without a dial.
whose changing figures-S:15, s:16, SIT.
sis, etc.-are illuminated at night.
Around the wireless shed the most power
full searchights IN the world roll on q
miniature railway track.
STERLING HELLO.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-03

Its Reichelt''
Dressed in what looked an aviation suit
OF baggy folds. yoluminous cape bunch
ed behind the shoulders, he walked brisk
~ TO the elevator in the north pillar,
smiling, explaining, gesticulatinG to the
group of reporters who followed. The
crowd murmured:
where's his dummy? Where's his
parachute?' The event will be post
poned. He isn't ready ''Hou, hou.'
Keep back. He's got the dummy up
there; and it weighs as heavy as man
"Of course. In any case, / ask you.
Yes, a lay figure, 1t can't make a move
ment.'' mo, he says that he will jump,
himself,' do you Think
The elevators go up in forest of iron
L need height the queerly dressed
one was explaining. Failing, the para
chute continues to unfold, quite by it
self. Aviators have no time, in case OF
accident, TO adjust. Only swimming
movement of the arms"
They had arrived. They stood on the
spacious platform, Francis Reichelt, in
ventor of a parachute suit OF clothes
for aeroplansts. and a dozen thoughtiess,
reckless reporters, used TO anything.
Every week aeroplanist falls and
smashes. Here was the inventor OF suit
of clothes for them. whose folds spread
gently. q lite right.
where's YOUR dummy Where's the
suit?''
I've go. the suit on he said. There
is no dummy. | viii jump.
1t all happened quickly. they had no
time 10 reflect. He looked into the abyss.
He turned back in fear. He tore news
paper and threw il out to try the wind.
He looked oyer the brink again. Slowly
his face Illuminated. \ look OF voluptu-
ous longing glowed upon it. The fatal
vertigo had caught him. the charm of
the depths OF empty sunlight, the lure OF
the Eiffel tower!
stop. cried the reporters.
He jumped. With a swimming move
ment OF the arms, he dived. His cape
unfurled. Between his arms and feet
spread bellying surfaces of stif brown
silk that joined the cape, spread. caught
the air. and slowed his fall remarka bly,.
For a moment, ii looked like success.
Then the folds wound around the falling
body, and down like lump Of lead it
shot 1T struck the earth with an awful
thud and bored u deep hole in the frozen
ground.
Below tile photograp hers and cinemato-
graph men We're all ready. All got excel
lent negatives.
Yet when tit struck there was a cry
ol horror. This came from the front
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-03

the floor They might be used for auto
mobiles, but there are. none on the island.
The material used for surfacing them is
yellow clay called cascajo, which hardens
to a cement and makes a good, perma-
nent highway.
When we took hold of Guam there We're
practically no common schools. There
was a little college at Agana, although
it was centuries old, but this was hardly
equal to the ordinary country high school
of the United States. There were also
private schools, run by the priests, but.
as a rule, the people were illiterate and
many could not write their own names.
When Gov. Leary took hold he sent out
an order that every man and woman
must learn to write his or her signature
within a certain number Of months and
that Uncle Sam would furnish the copy.
AS result of that nearly every one can
now sign his name.
Gov Shredder brought out some Ameri-
can school teachers, but the revenues
grew short and they had to go back.
Since then other schools have been or
eanized, and they are now to be found in
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-03

of iron. The iron is galvanized and the
most of it now comes from Japan.
In Agana the public buildings face the
plaza. the governors palace faces north
and the college the officers quarters and
the cathedral the remaining sides. The
stores are on the streets. There are five
or six in the town, one of which is an
American trading concern which has
come there for the purpose Of acquiring
land and dealing in copra. In addition to
this there are two Japanese stores, one
native store, and one Chinese store. The
American and japanese concerns have
small sailing vessels which make regu-
lar voyages to bring in cargoes Of mer-
chandise and take out copra or dried CO.
cOanut meat.
Since we took possession of Agana
we have given it a good water supply.
We have put in about a half mile of
six-inch sewer pipe for the use of the
naval station and the city. In the past
the water came from wells six or more
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-03

feet deep which We're practically fed
from the surface and were often full of
sewage. The government has made
dam Of the river that runs through the
town and the city water now comes
from a reservoir.
Our officials have passed laws that
every man must keep his yard and
house clean, and inspectors are sent
around every week to see that he does
SO. If he does not they clean it them
selves and make him pay the cost. If
he does not cut his grass they cut it
for him and he pays the bill. AS a re-
suit of all this Agana is now one of
the cleanest towns of the tropics
Guam has had no contagious diseases
since it came into our possession. and
about the only epidemic disease is dem
que fever, sort of grippe which at
certain seasons seems to run through
the island as it does through the
United States.
The same sort of cleaning UP has been
done in the villages. and roads have been
built from place to >place. These roads
are as hard as stone and as smooth as
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-03

VI
others exclaim wonder. with eyes fixed on
the abyss and face lit up with strange
holy look, one of those suaye loafers
moves little closer-close enough to
spring and grab!
They are the body -snatchers. Plain
clothes men of the Eiffel tower. AS the
snake fascinates the bird. SO do the
depths fascinate certain type of tourist.
Others by hundreds feel the dangerous
charm. but they break it, theoretically,
promptly, walk about, chat with friend
or with a stranger. Others tamper with
the feeling, and pull themselves up with
horror l have seen a lady fairly rush to
the elevator and squeeze herself in cor
ner of it, her face hid in her hands Those
who might jump feel strong, friendly
common-sense human being bump against
them, with hearty apology, Pardon
And the charm is broken.
Nearly always.
There are no statistics of the jumpers
from the Eiffel tower.
On the ground beside the west pillar is
a police room. In one corner Of it are
wheelbarrows, shovels and pile of earth
When, In spite of every care a party
jumps, few realize it. Great distances
separate the platforms Crowds get part
ed in the different elevators You cannot
call down: did some one fall?"
Below, the falling body makes it's hole
IN the earth. No one sees it lying on the
ground. Even before excited witnesses
can make the slow descent of the lifts
the remains have been piously lifted up
and wheeled to the police ROOM and the
hole is filled with earth and smoothed.
Stray tourists round the very spot may
ne mortified. but remember the legs of the
tower spread over three acres Nothing
remains. Some witnesses, below, hurry
away in their tsxi-autos. Others mount
IN the elevator, chatting excitedly. But
on the first platform. where there is
theater. cinematograph, restaurant cafe
shops, post office and photograph gal
lery, all passengers change elevators
You cannot go up to a stranger and say:
l saw man fall!''
The victims least protected are the
painters
The towers first shade, in 1889. was
dead leaf When the sun lit it to hazy
golden with distant effects of jewelers.
fragility, even the artists admitted the
cycIopean intruder to have its nobility.
by 1soo the magnetic currents had
turned to dingy chocolate the little paint
remaining. They reprinted it an orange.
that cleaned red gold while it lasted.
In 1899 they had to paint it again, the
sun tint which has since been con-
tinued. What became of all that paint?
Thirty tons Of liquid paint for single
coat!
- q queer story, ana may nave some
thing to do with the nervous exaltation
or the fascinated. Camille Flammarior
declares that the quantity of atmospheric
electricity received daily by such an un-
precedented mass of many-surfaced iron
sticking straight up into the air is in
calculable. Conducting cables foot and
a half in diameter lead the electricity
down the four pillars and piles to fifty
rect below the water-bearing stratum,
but its effect on the paint is there for
every one to see 1t does not crack off,
The paint simply disappears.
Il 10 the towers way Of calling for
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-03

persons. Four exterior galleries round
them hold 1900, and the interior galleries
and terraces 400 more. The second plat
form holds 1900 persons, and the inter-
mediate and third platforms hold LOCO
Add 1900 persons mounting and descend
ing stairs and elevators and the total
"saturation" of the tower becomes Ii, 200
more than the population of q good
sized city.
Its painting Is gigantic job by rea-
son of the peculiarly open structure.
There are SO many surfaces In 1889
only five painters fell-Or jumped. The
tower had just taken nineteen victims
during its constructions: and every one
was on guard, by habit. The painters
watched one anOtheE
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-03

In 1898 eleven painters fell-let us say
'fell" Few of them We're the men OF
1889. Unbelievers in the towers lure,
they had all the French artisans vanity
and daring. When, after seven men had
gone. the direction tried to impose life
saving tackle they rebelled unanimously.
AS a result, six more dashed to jelly.
In 1S99-19O0 the direction called for
painters who had worked in 1895. They
responded in a mass-and demanded ex-
orbitant wages. When, however, it was
got into their heads that they were
sought, not for their skill, good looks or
personal charm, but merely as an act OF
they went to work on the old
advance of 10 per cent above the union
scale, on ona-4 condition OF their own
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-03

AS to volcanoes proper the island has
none. It's highest peak. Mount Jumullong
Manglo, is less than 1900 feet high, and
the greater part of the island is a pla-
teau from 200 to 500 feet above the sea.
The whole place is SO small that the
scenery cannot have great variety. The
island is only thirty miles long, and on
the average about six miles in width. 1t
is shaped like the sole of shoe, and on
the west side of the sole, on the bend OF
the instep. lies the chief port. known
as Agana, on Agana bay. This is the
capital of the island; and it is there that
our naval governor lives.
1t is often said that Paris is France.
In the same sense Agana is Guam. 1t is
the seat of society, politics and trade. 1t
has all the public buildings and about
three-fourths Of the people. The popula-
ton is over 1000. and this in an island
of 10000 is a great many. At Agana are
the chief public buildings. The most
palace, the College of San Juan de Let
ram, the courts and the barracks.
The town is laid out about a plaza or
open place about the size of a city square
The streets are all named, and all the
stone houses are numbered. Since we
took possession many stone buildings with
iron roofs have been constructed. There
are also stone houses with roofs Of red
tiles. but the majority of the people live
with palm leaves and matched with
grasses or palms.
Outside of Agana there are villages, but
they are nearly all made of bamboo and
thatch. In the whole island only about
one house in fifteen has roof of tile or
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-03

regular victims. Fifty painters take
three months TO do a single coat.
Do Niagara falls seem high? They
could fall from the first platform-which
scarcely shows above the tree tops. The
loftest masonry constructions in the
world are the American skyscrapers. Not
one of them could reach the intermediate
platform. half way UP the slender shaft,
CAT feet from the ground. The third plat
form-praetically the top for tourists-is
oil feet high. Niagara with a suspension
bridge 100 feet above it could fall between
it and the top of the highest skyscraper,
leaving empty space to spare. And the
true tip is seventy-four feet higher.
The restaurant, theater, cafe, etc, Of
the first platform accommodates Loco
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-03
A. GUAr11rE oF TIE UfFER dRUs TM0HIS TA71ILX

Agana and in all the villages. These
schools run from the first to the eighth
grade. Education is compulsory and the
children are all learning the radiments
in Agana, but it has only about thirty
pupils, and there Is also the College of
San Juan de Latram.
Some school work is being done by the
Protestant missionaries, of whom there
are some Congregationalists and Others
better missionary work could be done
by the American Catholics, for the field
is peculiarly theirs. The islanders are de-
vout Catholics, but. like. the Filipinos,
they have been cursed by the friars and
Of modern American Catholicism for their
development.
But who are these people of Guarno Are
they Chinese. Japanese. Malayans, or
crosses between the Malayan and the
savage head hunters? They are far diff
ferent from the Filipinos, although they
have the, same semi-Spanish civilization
and, dress and look much the same. Our
governors have sent to the Navy Depart
ment some interesting information con-
known as the Chamorros, which was in
Guam when Magellan landed there in
1921. Magellan says that the natives
were warlike and that they defended
gaspi, who called at Guam in 1866 says
that the people lived in the water half
the time and that the only meat they ate
was fish, bats and flying foxes. A Jesuit
father. who wrote of the island in the
seventeenth century, says that Guam
then had $4,000 people, or five times as
many as now. The Inhabitants lived in
towns or villages, having clean houses of
bamboo, rooted with cocoanut leaves, and
divided into rooms by mats. which were
woven in one piece. He says that the
men were so corpulent that they seemed
swollen. and that they shaved their heads
with the exception Of a topknot, which
was allowed to grow to the height of
three inches. The women had long hair,
which they bleached dead white. and they
stained their teeth black.
These ancient people were healthy and
vigorous and the missionaries say that
they baptised 120 men who were each
40 years old. They were great athletes
and were expert spriHters, runners and
climbers. The people of Guam today are
resuming their interest in athletics. Our
marines have introduced them to the de-
lights of base ball.. and there are now
ball clubs everywhere. Every school has
it's club and there are naval clubs and
civil clubs. The little Guamites are ex-
cellent ball players and the native teams
have beaten those Of the officers again
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-03

new category. They are inventors who
believe that they have found the ideal
unfolding parachute, which can be at
tached to the clothing. They also are
charmed by dreaming of the great abyss
of air and light, victims Of vertigo. OF
aviators it is known. Not for lucre or
even for glory do they dart on high, to
dash down, down; and If they fetch up in
vast curves before they strike the earth
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-03

lie DIE mana OIL
Uncle Sam, patri-
arch, grasps the
world. 1t reaches
from the Atlantic,
where Porto Rico
lies under the
thumb, to the far
away western Pa
cific, where the
longest fingers rest
on the Philippines
and the tip of the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-03

rows. In the back rows there was laugh
ter. In between there was disputing.
Word got around that the man himself
might jump. but few believed it. Now
they mixed with the police around the OBJ
ject. The unhappy Reichelt was a jelly.
Telescoped. Thus land victims of the
Eiffel tower The impact digs a grave.
Before these lines can be printed an
other parachute inventor, the aviator
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-03

GRO w d stood
around the Eiffei
tower. in Paris.
Kept back by a
police Gordon. they
watched for an ar
rival, ] a IL z hing.
whispering, calling
out observations.
y young man
pushed his way
through. There
he is" they said.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-03
.OoOoOOOOc

1t is to rush on high again for the heady
intoxication of another downward swoop!
The tower has always had it's victims.
On the upper platforms, all day long,
lounge men who look like tourists-mod-
est, suave, retiring; yet their lazy eyes
watch every new arrival stroll around the
ratings.
immobile on the brink. deaf to remarks.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-03

Camille Guillaume, will have jumped
from the Eiffel tower. TO the police
who indignantly protest that every permit
understands Il dummy or lay figure
Guiiaume answers calmly:
IF YOU stop me jumping from the Eiffel
tower I'll jump from my aeroplane-but
it's u pity to abandon an aeroplane in
movement"
These are the towers new victims, a
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-03
A LOOK AT -AGAN-A
THE CAPITAL

earth opened up here and there, the
whole island trembled, buildings rocked
and swayed and the bells everywhere
were rung by the vibration.
The walls of the governors palace We're
marred. the barracks where the marines
were quartered cracked open and the ice
plant was almost thrown down. All the
public buildings suffered severely. The
hospital became a skeleton, many of the
bridges We're destroyed and large num-
On account of that earthquake the schools
had to be stopped. and all public work was
for time suspended. This was only one
of many earthquakes that the island has
had, and no one knows when another
may come.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-03

little finger nail scratches the Island OF
Guam.
OF all our new colonies Guam is the
smallest 1t is hardly patch of court
plaster on the face of the Pacific and
its native population is less than twelve
thousand Nevertheless it lies right on
the line from the Panama canal to the
Philippines and East Asia, and it may
some day form coaling station ana
naval base for us in the wars or the
future. We got the island as one OF the
by-products of our war with Spain. We
have had it for more than twelve years,
and it is now time to take account OF
stock and see what we have done. The
island has been under the control of the
Secretary of the Navy and naval OF
ficer backed by a corps of marines, has
been its reorganizer. commander and
governor. Since we took possession there
have been a half dozen different men on
the job and out of their WORK mas come
the Guam of today.
What have they done?
They have taken one of the most back
ward little islands of the Pacific and
made it one of the best They have
given il justice and good government.
and have made themselves liked by the
try. have built good roads everywhere
through ii, and have practically elimi-
mated epidemic and contagious diseases.
They have started the people to thinking
and have made every man and e' cry
woman learn to write his or her name.
They have established schools and hos
pitfalls. They have wiped out the va
grants, and have given the little coun-
try a period of prosperity. All this in
Il nutshell. Now as to particulars.
But where is Guam? You remember
how Judge Riley of Virginia, when ap-
pointed consul to Zanzibar, came back
to Washington after six months absence
and said he had been cruising the oceans,
but for the life of him he couldn't find
the darned place. i knew Judge Riley.
He was bird.
Well, Guam is now almost as well
known as Zanzibar. The only way to
get 10 it is by the United States
transports which ply between San Fran
cisco and Manila, calling there on the
way. The island is 1.3OO miles south of
Japan, 800 miles east from Manila,
little over 1900 miles from Honoluu ard
right on the line from the Panama canal
TO the Philippines. 1t is a mountainous
island and is the top of an almost sub
merged volcano in one of the great earth
quake lines and volcanic lines of the
world. We have had an earthquake there
since we took possession. 1t occurred in
1902 when Commander Shredder was
governor. In writing about it to the
Secretary of the Navy. he says that the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-03

A LOOK at Agana in 1912
A-How the Town Has
Been Cleaned-The New
Reconsideration and How
Gov. Leary Taught a Nation
to Write-Among the Cha
morros-Base Ball in Mid
Pacifc-The Guannites of To-
day-The Possibilities of the
Island-Money in Copra,
Sugar and Coffee-A Bright
Prospect for Our Smallest
Colonial Possession.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-03
ondence of The Star

PARIS, February %. 1912.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-03

oblivious of companions. dumb where
others eXclaim wonder, with eyes fixed on
the abyss and face lit up with strange
holy look, one of those suave loafers
moves a little closer-close enough to
spring and grab!
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-03

Copyright. 1912. by Frank G. Carpenter)