davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-24

never compared for moment with many
OF those which daily leave New York city
without exciting even passing comment.
One pound of unlimited gold is equiva-
lent to the sum of $500 One ton of gold
is equivalent to $64O.OO0.
The old Spanish galteons were no more
than small boats, to our modern way of
thinking. At the utmost, they were 800
tons burden. The major portion of the
cargoes in such vessels would necessarily
consist of supplies for their extremely
long vOyages-ten tons would be the max
inum cargo of gold. In all probability
their load of the precious metal rare,y
exceeded three tons. Yet a cargo of
100000 in gold-equivalent to nearly
eight tons-what is 1t today?
Only a short time ago transatlantic
steamer left New York with $1,000, 600
i'll gold on board. Not long before there
was shipment of 50 G0o,0O0. y few
years ago the colossal sum of $4O.OOO,OOO
i'll bullion was sent from here to Europe
within "A space of less than two months.
Total shipments of gold into or out OF
the United States have passed the $780,
100000 mark in one year. A total of $4O
100000 for that length of time is looked
upon as nothing worthy of exciting COM
ment.
Cargoes of gold that cross the ocean go
in one of two forms-bars or coins-or
in combination of both. When sent to
a country that has up-to-date facilities
for minting, shippers prefer to send In
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-24

per cent, takes sudden jumps upward.
going at times as high as per cent.
To show that the risks imagined by
insurers on such carsoes are anything
but imaginary, one has but to recall
the fate that befell the British steamer
Menzaleh about two months ago This
vessel, belonging to the khedivial
Mail Steamship Company, cleared for
Hodeida. a Turkish port on the Red
sea, with over 100000 in specie. des-
tined by the shippers as pay for Turk
ish troops in Arabia. 1t was thought
that in spite of the fact that war was
being actively waged by the Italians
on Turkey they would not interfere
with the MenZaleh because they would
consider Hodeida neutral port.
But the Italians did not. Already they
showed forbearance in previous cases OF
a similar nature. They decided that the
time for drastic action had come.
So an Italian war vessel, cruising in
the Red sea, swooped down on the Men
zaIeh with complete disregard for the
British flag flying at her masthead.
compelled her to stop, sent over a
boarding crew and confiscated as con-
traband of war the bullion which she
was carrying.
Fear of similar treatment prompted
precautions when S.
100000 was shipped from this country
during the Russo-Japanese war. The
shipment was destined to become
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-24

ment, to help it in the civil war now
being waged in the celestial empire. In
most cases, war risks" raise the rates
of insurance far above the ordinary. But
il must be remembered that so far as the
present Chinese troubles are concerned
there is no reason for any additional
extra charge for insurance of specie.
The Chinese rebels have no armada as
yet. hence the approaches by sea to
China are as safe as ever they were. and
the big god shipment on the Oceana
really had nothing remarkable about it.
We all have way of looking back on
the days of the celebrated Spanish gal
Icons as the era when the transporta-
ton of treasure reached its most magnifi-
cent proportions. The very words treas
ure Salleons' bring before our minds
more wildly than anything else the pic
ture of heaps OF minted gold and silver,
bars and ingots of the precious metals.
piled in fabulous quantities for transpor-
tation between the enslaved dominions of
Spain and the gold-hungry court of the
Spanish monarchs of yesteryear.
But the fact is that the biggest ship
ments from the gold fields of South and
Central America from the mountains or
solid silver at Potosi and Guanajuato,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-24

less graves still bear witness to the
results.
Our hospitals did not remain empty
It was but 4 portion who could get on
in any manner and their places We're
soon taken by Others who had remained
nearer the battlefield, had attempted
to follow the retreat, but, having reached
Shepherdstown. could go no farther. We
had plenty to do, but all that day We
went about with hearts bursting with
rage and shame. and breaking with pity
and grief for the needless, needless waste
of life. The amateur nurses all stood
firm, and managed to be cheerful for the
sake of keeping their men quiet, but they
could not be without fear.
One who had no thought of leaving her
post desired to send her sister-a mere
child-out of harms way. She, therefore,
told her TO go to their home, about hall
a mile distant. and ask their mother Tor
some yellow cloth that was in the mouse,
would never permit the girl to come back
into the town. But she miscalculated. The
child accepted the commission as sacred
trust. forced her way out over the crowd
ed road, where the danger was more real
than in the town itself. reached home.
and made her request.
The house had it's own flag flying, for
it was directly in range and full of
wounded. Perhaps for this reason the
mother was less anxious to keep her
daughter with her; perhaps in the hurry
and excitement she allowed herself to be
persuaded that it was really necessary to
get that strip of yellow flannel into
Shepherdstown as soon as possible. At
all events, she made no difficulty, but
with streaming tears kissed the girl, and
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-24

great deal of execution. but it made a
fearful noise. 1t is curious how much
louder guns sound when they are point
ed at YOU than when turned the other
way, And the shell, with its lons-draWn
screeching. though no doubt less terrify-
ing than the singing mimic ball, has a
way of making ones hair stand on END.
Then too. every one who has had any
experience in such things knows now
infectious fear is, how it grows when
yielded TO, and how, when YOU once pc
gin to rum it soon seems impossible TO
run fast enough; whereas if you can
manage to stand your ground, the alarm
lessons and sometimes disappears
j. x
Some one suggested that yellow was
the hospital color and Immediately
everybody who could lay hands upon a
yellow rag hoisted it over the house.
The whole town was a hospital: there
was scarcely a building that could not
with truth seek protection under the
plea, and the fantastic little strips were
soon haunting their Intellectual remon-
STRANGE from every rooftree and CHM
ney.
When this specific failed the excite
ment became wild and ungovernable. 1t
would have been ludcrous had 1t not
produced so much suffering. The danger
was less than it seemed, Tor Mcclellan,
after ALL was not bombarding the town,
but the army, and most or the smells
flew over us and exploded in the fields:
but aim cannot be always sure, and
enough shells fell short to convince the
terrified citizens that their homes were
atout to be battered down over their
ears.
The better people kept some outward
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-24

blotches. which had been shut I'D for
years. and was in the last stages of
diapidation
Thursday night We heard more than
usual sounds OF disturbance and move
ment, and in the morning We found the
Confederate army in full retreat Gen.
Lee crossed the Potomac under cover of
the darkness. and when the day broke
the greater part of his force-or the more
orderly portion of it-had gone on toward
Kearneysville and LeetoWn- Gen. Nc
Clellan followed to the river, and without
crossing got a battery in position on
Douglas hill and began to shell the re-
treating army and, in consequence, the
town.
What before was confusion grew
worse; the retreat became a stampede
The battery may not have done a very
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-24

which we live have grown SO safe and
the risks attendant on ocean voyages are
considered so small that the Oceana $
precious cargo was insured at the rate
of about one-tenth of l per cent-that Is.
every dollar of the SJ,oOO,OO0 carried one
mill of Insurance.
And those VINO insured the gold do not
look upon the disaster as anything final.
They argue that In all probability the
bullion will be recovered. in spite of the
fact that it now lies many fathoms deep
in the English channel
The low rate of insurance obtained in
spite of the fact that the S5,O0o.000 was
part OF an advance being made by inter-
national bankers to the Chinese govern
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-24

sinews of war for the Japanese in
their anti-Russian campaign in Man
churia.
From the outset OF the negotiations
that eliminated in the securing of this
huge sum, the Japanese ENJOYS TO Wall
street realized that absolute secrecy
would be needed, and succeeded in i'm
pressing this necessity on their American
helpers.
All that was known in Wall street
about the big transaction for a while
was that $5.0p,Hto i'm gold had disap-
peared. Later ii was traced to San Fran
cisco. There, however. il vanished COM
pletefN. Not before several months later
did news of its safe arrival in Yokohama
leak out.
No story af a war risk taken and hon
orably eXpiated is more interesting than
that centering in the wreck of the treas
ure snip Lutine over a century ago.
In that case the insurers lost their bet
and paid UP without a whimper. II now,
after over loo years, they should re-
cover what they lost-and il seems like
ly-they merit congratulations.
When the Lutine set out on her voyage
England and France were at war. Be
cause of this war and other international
Hamburg had suddenly be-
come the principal market for a great
part of northern Europe. The sudden
ness of it's rise to importance had taxed
(COntinued on Sixth Payel
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-24
1 912

GOODNESS. with perhaps a feeling OF
hopiesse obllge; but the poorer classes
acted as If the town We're already i'm a
blaze, and rushed from their houses with
their families and household goods tn
make their way into the country The
road was thronged, the streets blocked
men were vocifering, women CRYING.
children screaming: wagons ambulances.
guns calssons' horsemen. footmen. all
mingled-nay, even wedeed and damned
together in one struggling, shouting
mass. The negroes Were the worst and
with faces of a CHASTITY ash color and
staring eyes. they swarmed into the
fields. carrying their babies. their
clothes, their pots and kettles. fleeing
from the wrath behind them. The COM
parison to hornets nest attacked by
boys Is not good one. for there was
no light shown: but a disturbed ant
hill is altogether inadequate. They fed
widely and camped out of range nor
would they venture back for days
Had this been all. We could afford TO
laugh now. but there was another side
to the picture that lent it an intensely
painful aspect. 1t was the hurrying
crowds of wounded. All. me; those MAIN
ed and bleeding fugitives, When the
firing commenced the hospitals began
TO empty All who were able to pull one
foot after another, or could bride or beg
comrades to carry them, left in haste
In vain we implored them to stay: in
vain We showed them the folly, the sui
eide of the attempt; in vain We argued.
cajoled, threatened. ridicuIed, pointed
out that We We're remaining and that
there was less danger here than on the
road. There is no sense or reason in a
panic. The cannon We're believing upon
Douglas hill, the shells whistling and
shrieking, the air full of shouts and
cries; We had to scream to make our
selves heard. The men replied that the
Yankees were crossing: that the town
was to be burned; that We could not
be made prisoners but they could; that,
anyhow, they were going as far as they
could walk or be carried.
And go they did. Men with cloths
about their heads went hatless in the
sun, men with cloths about their feet
limped Shoeless on the stony road; men
with arms in sings. without arms, with
one leg with bandaged sides and backs;
men in ambulanceS, wagons, carts,
Wheelbarorws, men carried on stretchers
or supported on the shoulder of some
self -denying comrade-all who could
crawl went, and went to almost certain
death. They could not go far, they drop
ped off into the country houses, where
they were received with much kind
ness as il was possible to ask for, but
their wounds had become infiamed, their
frames We're weakened by fright and
overeXertion: erysipelas, modification,
set in, and long rows OF name
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-24
II OF
OF MARYLAND

streets already crowded, the people all
astir, and the foremost wagons, of what
seemed an endless line, dscharging their
piteous burdens. The scene speedily be-
came Shastly, but fortunately we could
not stay to look at it. There We're no
preparations, no accommOdations-the
men could not be left in the street-what
was to be done?
:, x
Federal soldier once said to me- 81
was always sorry for your wounded:
they never seemed TO get any care" The
remark was extreme, but there was much
justice in it. There was little mitigation
of hardship to our unfortunate armies.
We We're fond of calling them Spartans.
and they were but too truly called upon
to endure Spartan system of neglect
and privation. They were generally ILL
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-24

bars, since they are the exact equivalent
in weight of the money sum represented
by the shipment. This is not always
the case with coins. which must neces-
Sarlly lose part of their weight from the
wear and tear Of constant usage.
Formerly all the gold received in this
country from abroad by the government
was at once melted into bars and held
until needed. But recently a law was
passed which allowed the government to
use its discretion as to what it should
melt and what it shoulud hold in the
form received. Owing to this law the
United States is now enabled to keep on
hand a supply of foreign gold coins for
shipment abroad.
* X
Probably the biggest single shipment
from the port of New York occurred in
May, 1904. when "A transatlantic steam
er took to Europe the equivalent of
Sl5,OOO,O0O in gold. April 81, 1910, the
kronprinZessin Cecile of the Nord-
deutscher Lloyd carried a gold ship
ment of 100000 900. Such extraordi-
nary skill is devoted nowadays to
making ocean greyhounds thoroughly
safe in every particular, and the per-
centage Of total loss by shipwreck is
SO small. that such enormous ship
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-24

field. But what did they know of wounds
beyond cut finger or a boil? Yet they
bandaged and bathed, with a devotion
that went far to make up for their in
experience. Then there was the hunt for
bandages. Every housekeeper ransacked
her stores and brought forth things new
and old. l saw one girl, in despair for a
strip of cloth. look about helplessly, and
then rip off the hem of her white petit
coat. The doctors came up, by and by. or
suppose they did, for some amputating
was done-rough surgery, YOU may be
sure. The women helped, holding the in
srruments and the basins, and trying to
soothe or strengthen. They stood to their
work nobly; the emergency brought out
all their strength to meet it,
x x
One girl who had been working very
hard helping the men on the sidewalks
and dressing wounds afterWard in a.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-24


To come out had been comparatively
easy, for she was going with the stream
The return was different matter. The
turbulent tide had now to be stemmed.
Yet she manased To work her way along.
now in the road. now In the field, slim
ping between the wagon wheels. ard
once, at least. crawling under a stretcher
NO one had noticed her coming out. she
was but one of the crowd; and now most
Were too busy with their own safety TO
pay much heed 10 anything else
Still. as her face seemed alone SET To-
ward the town. she attracted some atten-
ton. One or two spoke TO her. Now il
was. .'Look-a here little gal, don't Won
know you're a-goin' the wrong way
one man looked at the yellow thing she
had slung across her shoulder and said
with an approving nod: That's right
that's right; save the wounded il Ne kin
She meant 10 do it. and finally reached
her sister breathless hut triumphant
with as proud sense of duty done as il
her futile errand had been the deliver
ance OF a city
| have said that there WAS less danger
than appeared. but il must not be sup
posed that there was none A friend who
worked chiefly i'm the old blue factory
had asked me to bring her a bowl of Cruel
one of her patients. | had Just taken II
to her. and she was walking across the
floor with the bowl in her hands. when a
shell crashed through "A corner of the wall
and passed out at the opposite end of the
building. shaking the rookery to its foun-
dations, filling the room with dust and
plaster, and throwing her upon her knees
to the floor. The wounded screamed. and
had they not been entirely unable TO
move, not a man would have been left in
the building. But il was found that no
one was hurt. and things proceeded as
before. | asked her afteTWard If she was
frightened. She said Yes, when il was
over, but her chief Thought at the time
was TO save the Cruel for the man need
ed it. and it had been very hard TO ind
any one composed enough TO make IL. I
am glad TO he able to say that he got his
Cruel i'm spite of bombs That factory
was struck twice. y schoolhouse. fCll Of
wounded and one or two other build
ings We're hit but believe no serious
damage was done.
Saturday morning there was a night
at the ford. The negroes We're still en-
in the fields. though some. ind
ing that the town WAS Vet standing.
ventured back on various errands- DUR
ing the day. What We feared were the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-24

I'VE millions of
dollars in actual
cash went to the
bottom of the sea
a week ago last
Saturday when the
Peninsular and Or
iental liner Oceana
was rammed by
the German bark
Pisa qua off Beach
Head in England.
Yet the times in
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-24

LOW the Women and
L l Children of Little Shep-
herdstown, Va, Cared for
the Streams of Confederate
Wounded That Overlooked
1t After the Battles of Lees
Maryland Campaign Had
Been Fought - The Panic
That Fell Upon the Place
When the Pursuing Federals
Began Firing Over the Town
at the Retreating Enemy.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-24

seemed to rise from the ground at our
feet. l did not know where they came
from, or to whose command they be-
longed; L have since been informed that
at Lees orders Gen. Jackson recrossed
INTO Virginia at Williamsport, and hast
ened to the capture of Harpers Ferry by
the shortest roads. These would take
MN some four miles south of us and our
haggard apparitions were perhaps a part
OF nus force. They Were stragglers. at ali
events-professional some of them, but
some worn out by the incessant strain of
that summer. When | say that thew
were hungry l convey no impression of
inc gaunt starvation that looked from
lhelr cavernous eyes. All day they
crowded to the doors of our houses, with
always the same drawing complaint:
I've been a-marchin' and a-fightin' for
SIX weeks Study. and l amt had mar
thin' to eat 'cept green apples an green
GAVIN an wish you'd please to gimme
a bite to eat
ana When they told us they had "clean
gin out we believed them, and went to
get what We had. They could be seen
afterward asleep in every fence corner.
ana under every tree, but after a nights
rest they pulled themselves together
somehow and disappeared as suddenly
as they had come. Possibly they went
BACK TO their comrades; possibly they only
moved on TO repeat the same tale else
where
-
The next morning-it was Sunday. Sep
tember live We're awakened by heavy
lTlhg at two points in the mountains
We were expecting the bombardment of
Harpers Ferry, and knew that Jackson
was before it. Many of our friends were
with him, and our interest there was so
intense That We sat watching the below
ing and smoking heights about that town
1or long time before we became aware
mat the same phenomena We're to be
noticed In the north, in Maryland From
our windows both points could be OBJ
served. and we could not tell which to
"dtch more keeny. We knew almost
nothing except that there was fighting
that 1t must be very heavy, and that our
friends were surely in it somewhere. but
Whether at South mountain (Where Nc
CieHan was forcing the passes in order
10 get at the main body of Lees army,
OF Harpers Ferry we had no means of
discovering. L remember how the dav
Wore on, how we STAYED at the windows
until we could not endure the suspense:
how We walked about and came back to
them, and how finally, when night fell.
ii seemed cruel and preposterous TO 60
to bed still ignorant of the result.
Monday afternoon, about or 3 O'Clock
when we We're sitting about in discon-
ISOLATE fashion, distracted by the contra
uctoTy runorS, our negro cook rushed
INTO the room with eyes shining and face
working with excitement. She had been
down in de ten-acre lot to pick a few
years OBJ GAVIN and she had seen a long
train of wagons coming up from the ford.
ana al dey is full OBJ wounded men. and
de blood runnin' outen dem dat Deep"
on her Outstretched arm to
the shoulder. This horrible picture sent
us flying to town, where we found the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-24
BY MARY BEDINGER MITCHELL

EPTEMBER. 1862,
was in the skies of
the almanac, but
August still reign
ed in ours; it was
hot and dusty The
railroads in the
Shenandoah Valley
had been torn up.
the bridges had
b e Q n destroyed.
communication had
been made difficult,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-24

stragglers and hangers-on and monde
scripts that circle round any army ike
the great buZZardS We shuddered TO see
wheeling silently over us. The people
were still excited, anticipating the FED
eral crossing and dreading a repetition
of the bombardment or an encounter in
the streets. Some parties of confederate
cavalry rode through. and il is possible
that body of infantry remained drawn
up in readiness on one of the hills dur
ing the morning, but | remember no
large force of troops at any time on that
day.
About noon or IA little after We We're
told that Gen. McClellan's advance had
been checked, and that il was not be-
lieved he would attempt TO cross the
river at once-a surmise that proved to
be correct. The country grew more com
posed. Gen. Lee lay near Leetown, some
seven miles south OF US. and Gen. Nc
day we were able to have some short
church services for our wounded cut
still shorter, L regret to say, by reports
that the Yankees were crossing.
Such reports continued to hafass us, es-
pecially as We feared the capture of our
friends who would often ride down to
see us during the day. but who seldom
yentured to spend a night so near the
river. We presently passed into dehat-
able land, when We were in the Con-
federacy in the morning. i'm the I mon
after dinner and on neutral ground at
night. We lived through disturbed and
eventful autumn, subject to continual
alarms and excursions but when this
Saturday came to an end the most try
ing and tempestuous week of the war
for Shepherdstown was over.
Copyright. 1912. by the Century Company