davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-18
PEDRO AND HIS CARGO MULE.

good looking man: the other was as Tat
as Falstaff. with huge. merry. moon
like face and an inordinateiy fat bulk OF
body He fairly trembled with corpulence
when he walked. They both greeted us
effusively-they heard English spoken by
others they said. for the first time in
several years. And they were homeslck!
Therein lay their real but absurdly hu-
morouS tragedy.
They told me their story They had
come to the region, rich in gold num-
Der of years before. and had begun placer
mining. They sent the gold over the
mountains by mules led by Indians. Those
Indians are slim Perhaps they don't get
enough to cat. perhaps the cocoa leaves
they chew and constant travelling pre-
vent corpulence. Our two friends had
been extremely successful. they had
amassed quite a fortune and they both
wanted to go home-to merrie England.
But this was impossible.
THE pass leading from the interior and
up the canyon TO the mountain peaks of
the Andes trailed over abysses exceed
row that. as one rode on mule. one
hand brushed the rocks on the right. and
the other, as well as half your body.
dangled over the abyss on the left. The
pass afforded only sufficient footing for
the sure-footed mules, for a COM
paratively thin person. Ii slanted at
places to 30 degrees. In hewing the
trail out of earth and virgin rock on the
ipices the designers had given no thought
to the existence of fat men. Well. i. with
my 121 pounds, had found it a close
shave.
when our new friend the stout Eng
lishman, had come to the place. ne SAID,
he had been as slight L. Then the
mysterious change of nature. whereby
ones body and physiognomy becomes
transformed, took place in him. As they
had waxed prosperous in gold, he had
waxed corpulent. He took exercise
climbed hills. worked like a mailman AT
the placers. But to no avail. Whether
it was the atmosphere or something more
subtle no one can tell-nothing could
hinder the awful development of fat He
was good-natured. as fat men are. But
there was melancholy i'm his beaming
eyes and he was genuinely homesick. For
with his burden of 80 pounds-and the
only pass to the coast at places so mar
row that only a thin person could get
by-he was doomed to this desolate spot,
where there was gold in abundance"
Mrs. Adams explained the inception
of her exploring work by saying that
as child she had felt the wanderlust
stirring in her veins. and in wedding
Mr.. Adams she found husband who
was in sympathy with this desire To-
gether they started on their exploring
quest.
When j started the first year said
Mrs Adams. II sailed for the continent
OF South America much as prima
donna starts en- tour Besides perfect
~ gorgeous evening gowns, | took full
set of summer and winter clothes of the
latest fashions, and all the fuffy-ruffiy
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-18
MRS. HARRIET CHAL-

MRS. HARRIET CHAL-
1VA MERS ADAMS, Wife
of Franklin Adams of the
Pan-American Union. Tells OF
Her Latest Journey Through
Hitherto Unknown Parts of
South America-She Is One
of the Most Daring of Wom-
an Explorers-Has Travelled
Over 10000 Miles in South
America = Narrow Escapes
From Death-Discoveries Are
of Value and Scientists Are
Interested.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-18

RS. III A r r | + L
e III A l. M T. r ;
\ ID A NJ 5 woman
explorer of South
America. and the
wife of Franklin
Adams of the Pan
American Mon.
has returned to
W ashington from
another trip 10
hitherto unknown
parts of South
A1yol marc
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-18

great uneXplored regions of the world.
"a place where no white woman and few
white men had ever been. l shall always
remember that awful descent. Our trail
led precipitately down a series Of can
yons. 1t was irregular and of volcanic
formation. 1t writhed along the face of
towering mountains, and often lay along
the edge of abysmal canyons.
while making our descent storm
arose-a terrific hurricane of wind and
rain. Water gushed down the hollow
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-18

showing that the usual statement that
fact.
This Eastern Branch bridge was a big
factor in the invasion and unsuccessful
defense of Washington. One finds fire.
auent reference to it. The following ex-
tract is from Lossing's Pictorial Field
Book of the War of 1872:
Gen. Ross rested at Upper Marlboro
until afternoon of the I'D, august %.
1910, when, being joined by Cockburn
and his seamen and marines. he moved
forward at o'clock and as have OBJ
served encountered and drove back Nal
Peter and his command. He then pressed
steadily on unmolested to the junction
of the roads leading respectively to Wash
ington city and the Alexandria ferry on
the Potomac river, not far above Fort
Washington. There they halted The
Americans We're puzzled Some believed
that an attack on Fort Washington in
the rear. simultaneously with an assault
by the British fleet in front. was con-
templated: but more. and among them
Gen. Wnder and Col Monroe. believed
the National Capital to be the prize
sought to be won. Impressed with this
conviction, Winder issued orders toward
sunset for the troops to retire across
IHe Eastern bTdHtil DTIuSe. anu take lOSlA
ton on the borders of the city. where
greater assistance would be afforded for
assisting Gen Young, who was covering
Fort Washington with a small force. and
for drawing TO himself Stansbury and
Sterett if the enemy should advance
rapidly upon the capital. Late at night
the troops, greatly weared and dispirit
ed. encamped within the limits of the city
Thus, said Gen. Smith. terminated four
days of service of troops of this Dis
fricf They had been under arms with
but little intermission the whole of the
time. both day and night: had travelled
during their different marches in advance
and retreat over considerable tract of
country, exposed to the burning heat of
a sultry sun by day. and many OF them
to the cold dews of night uncovered. They
had in this period drawn but two ra-
TONS
"Winder's headquarters was at Coombs.
near the Eastern Branch bridge, and at
dawn the President and several of his
cabinet ministers were there. While Win
der and the government We're IN council
Ross moved toward Bladensburg. Laval's
scouts first brought intelligence of the
fact to headquarters. They were fol-
lowed by an express from Stansbury Civ
ing positive Information that the British
We're moving in that direction with the
view TO doubt. of crushing the little
force of BaltimOreans near the Bladens-
burg mill. Up to that moment the coun-
ell believed that Ross would move on
Fort Washington, or on the city, by the
very bridge eastern Branch BRIDGE near
where they were in consultation. This
delusive idea now vanished and gov
eminent, general and troops all moved
off toward the point of danger
After that memorable August day in
II the Eastern Branch bridge was re-
paired and reopened to traffic. but after
1920 began to lansuish for lack of pat
ronage A river boat, burning wood, OF
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-18

II was just about 10 faint but they
gave me canned peaches and brandy.
] was 50 hystericai after my experiences
that | wept. | ate the peaches and drank
some brandy, and then took cognizance
OF our hosts. One was a fairly thin,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-18

piles arc the remains of bridge burned
by the British invaders at the sack of
Washington. August u. 1914. but it would
be Well to reject such statement until
you are in possession of the facts.
In 1880. when ii was determined to es-
tabish the capital of the young republic
in a federal territory ten miles square
around the confluence of the Eastern
branch and the Potomac. the farm land
along the Washington side of the East
crn branch east of the site of the navy
yard was owned 10y the Widow Wheeler.
She was the daughter of Abrah ham Young,
one of the early proprietors of land over
which electric cars now run. electric
lights blaze. and which many peo-
pie. who never heard of the Widow
Wheeler or Abraham Young. are living.
On the other side Of the river was the
big farm of Matthew Wigtield, much OF
which land soon afterward became the
Naylor farm. For years a ferry was OPP
Grated between these farms. directly after
the decision 10 make this vicinity the
seat OF the national government "a new
ferry was Incorporated. or chartered. and
this was called the ''Wigfield ferry, after
the name of the proprietor. The ferry
boat was big barge that could carry an
oX-team OF family coach. Ii was poled
across the river The Wigfield ferry be-
came the "Naylor-Talbert ferry" oper-
ated by Capt Henry Naylor and Basil
Tabert
The following is copied from the Ma
tonal 1ntelligencer of March u. 1Su2:
Not1ce-On the 10Th instant Capt Nay
Tor and the subscriber dissolved partner
ship in the Eastern Branch Ferry
and Public House connected Herewith.
tSiSned) Basil TaIbert"
This ferry was also at one time known
as Dyers ferry, would appear from
the following notice. which was published
in the National Intelligencer, July 49,
1902:
'Agreeably to a deed OF trust from An
thonX Addison to the subscriber. will be
offered for sale to the highest bidder at
Public Auction at Stell's Hotel in the
CITY OF Washington on Monday the 18th
day OF August next, all that tract of
land lying and being the Eastern
Branch OF the Potomac opposite the City
called Chichester with addition re-sur-
Neyed' containing three hundred acres.
ON the above mentioned tract of land
is the ferry landing, so well known by
the name of Overs Ferry. now in the
occupation of Capt. Naylor Terms of
sale, cash. tSisned) William Brent
Before the capital got here there was a
demand for an Eastern branch bridge
The Maryland assembly in 1875, passed
an Act for erecting a bridge over the
Eastern branch of the Potowmack river"
and extracts from this old act follow:
whereas, II Is represented to the gen
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-18

course. under her boilers and emitting
sparks. passing the draw of this bridge
in the forties, set it on fire. 1t burned
down and was never rebuilt.
The reason its patronage declined was
that in 1920 bridge was built at the
foot of 18th street southeast A hamlet
came into being on the other side OF
the bridge called Uniontown. This bridge
was called the Navy Yard bridge, or the
Lower bridge. The Eastern Branch
bridge, that had been called the lower
bridge. came then to be called the middle
bridge. and the Bennins bridge continued
to be the Upper bridge.
All three of these Eastern branch
bridges We're toll bridges. but in 1874 an
agitation was started in MARYLAND to
have them made free bridges. The gov
eminent had made the Great bridge over
the Potomac a free bridge and there
We're other free bridges connecting Wash
lngton and Virginia. This was discrim-
ination against Maryland. The Maryland
legislature urged the Maryland represent
atives in Congress to press the matter
bills were introduced and after the usual
delays the toll bridges were bought and
made free to traffic
Ii carries ones mind q long way back
to go down TO the river bank and look
Al those umeworn old piles that poke
their tops out of the weeds and dirty
water of the Eastern branch
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-18

ROM the suburban end of the
Pennsylvania avenue bridge over
the Eastern branch broad road,
how we'll built and rather We'll
maintained leads SnIli westerly
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-18
JAGUAR KILLED ON ONE TRIP.

toilet accessories dear to women. How
ever-I had to learn. When l got on the
trail | wore a skirt of corduroy in cold
weather. and one of linen homespun in
hot. | Wore boots reaching to the knees,
and under my skirt knickerbockers, tuck
ed into the boots: also a sombrero and
Salntlets. was an NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
ing figure. But l soon got used to rough
ing II. 1ou must if YOU want to travel
A. I've said. | never lost my love for
my face from cracking in the Andean
cold.
Mind met was cold there. | spent
ten DAYS at height of l7.UD feet where
my eyeashcs constantly froze. and where
| suffered dreadfully. On the trip into
the interior my clothes were necessarily
limited-so limited that | had to wash
them constantly in streams. Women often
ask me what | ate Funny how these
things interest them-as though woman
traveller couldn't use the same ratiOns
as man. Well. we had German soup
sticks. tea. cakes of chocolate, a Won
derful revver. hard crackers and whisky.
We also carried bottle of aGuadiente. or
native brandy, to use as fuel in our alco-
hol lamp.
II managed on all my trips to get along
well. and I've wondered why men have 50
absolutely monopoliZed the field of eX-
ploration. Why did women never go to
the arctic. try for one pole or the other.
dernesseS? I've never found my sex n
hinderment. never found difficulty which
woman well A man could not sur
mount, never felt fear of danger, never
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-18

road and the mules We're almost swept
from their feet One OF our guides dis
appeared-later we learned the mule he
led had fallen over the abyss and. afraid
TO follow us he returned TO an Andean
settlement. To keep our spirits. and in
the face Of imminent death. my husband
began TO sing ON. amt il shame. "A
mcasly shame 10 keep us waiting out
in the rain
We had been instructed to follow
the trail above the river. but at a GER
tain point to turn To a new trail. as there
had been a landslide the old pass
week before. The trail between two
mountain spurs is a narrow path. blasted
out of the virgin rock 1T places. and
rises falls and twists over the face OF j
rocky gorge which at places is absolute
~ perpendicular. Ii is SO narrow that as
YOU sit on Your mule You overhanS the
abyss Your left. Innumerable pack
mules are constantly killed on this trip.
sure-footed as they are. The gorge was
cut and split at innumerable places. and
We crossed many dizzy ably sses on
swinging bridges.
Arriving suddenly al these. / was I'M
able TO dismount, and as the mule trod
the dangerous space the bridge swung
to and fro like a hammock. j could
almost feel my hair turning gray.
Toward niShtfall we missed the new
trail and went the wrong way. At 3
O'Clock that night. in the darkness. we
dismounted. Rain was falling in tor
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-18

In telling her story Mrs Adams said:
never. during all my experiences,
uttered from a tuinge of fear-that eie-
nent IN my making seemed left out of
NJ. Md Yet | have gone through ter
iiic hardships have endangered my life
Gany times and endured frightful suffer
aS. Throughout al my experiences |
nj0Ned the peculiar advantage of a fem
nlne viewpoint | think the man en-
lorers miss much. They don't see
ne romantic aspect Of things. They're
o blind 10 the picturesque, Now for
myself, in the interior of the South
american wilderncSs-where no white
Fornan had ever been-I always insisted
IN performing my toilet, and / had to
Sc leaves as towels and bark as a tooth
rush
"of course, when I started for South
America from Panama. womanlike l
lad 10 take several trunks OF fashion,
tpie clothes including number of even
'ns gowns. with me. Imagine my dismay
Hhen those trunks Went Spiashing into
INC sea as they Were being landed from
he shin IN one Of the rough South Amer
can ports However. | never should have
needed them. for certainly evening gowns
"ould not have been worn on the Inca
highway. IN the haunts OF South Ameri-
AN saVages or ON the site OF the world
oldest civilization
The most interesting of Mrs Adams
adventures are those relating 10 her trips
INTO the interior countries
In going over the Andes she said
I'VE passed many PERCEPTIONS trails The
worst was that which took US down
the ASualian canyon into the tropical
South American wilderness. On this very
trail YOU descend from mountain-coyered
heights more than 10000 feet above the
sea into hot, tropical Wilderness
place by day OF wondrous flowers and at
night infested with pestilence OF mos
nuitoes. After frightful experiences in
which / nearly lost my life we came
exhausted and undone. to a small placer
mine. where. to our delight, We found
two Englishmen
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-18

"a
how we'll built and rather Well
maintained. leads southwesterly
in the direction of Anacostia. The pres
ent name of this thoroughfare is Mime
sofa avenue The course of this avenue
now underlaid with water mains and
other modern convenences and necessi-
ties and frinGed with homes set in gar
dens, was the course of the ancient River
road, the main way Of overland travel
between the settlements and plantations
of southern Maryland and Philadelphia
New York and New England
After crossing the Pennsylvania avenue
bridge follow this road west for about a
quarter of mile. Crossing IL in "A north
and south direction is another suburban
street, the north end OF which reaches
to the Eastern branch. When this street
was only a country road II was called
the Nayior road and extended from the
river to Good Hope, village now. but
for long d crossroads hamlet on the
crest of the lofty and picturesque ridge
that rises back of and along the Eastern
branch. Perhaps because OF the speed
with which changes and improvements
have gone forward in that old settled
part of the District this road has been
given "A new name or "a number. III was
the Naylor road because ii ran through
the farm of the MAYORS. a family which
for a number of generations lived on the
ridge above the river.
Follow this old road 10 the weedy,
Shiny, oozey shore of the river. The road
still has a dirt bed but it has been
graveled and otherwise improved. yet il
bears those certain marks of ripe old age
which distinguish an old from a new
road. At the river end of the road is
the trace of an ancient causeway. The
trace is faint. but IL is there. There is g
slight elevation extending into the slug
gish, often stagnant. water. and the soil
of this elevation Is different from that
of the adjacent land. The little apron of
land. or promontory, swelling out toward
the river is grown with SycamoreS, eims
and naples. The place is occupied by
small cattle yards and pens, and is now
a slaughter house Look out across the
river in an extension of the line OF this
road and some rotting piles will be Wis
ibIe if the tide is low, and If the ribbon
grass, wild celery and water dock are
not too tall and rankly grown.
Those piles are relics of the first bridge
built across the Eastern branch And
operated there. The rotting stumps pro-
truding above the weeds and water at
low tide may be seen from the Pennsyl-
vania Avenue bridge Guides and some
old inhabitants may tell you that those
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-18

Mrs. Adams has spent about eight Years
IN exploratio In this work and pleasure
she discovered high in the Andes. an I'M
Known river of peat-an important geo.
graphical discovery. which sheds new
light on the geologic formation of the
continent She was the first white woman
10 invade the interior Amazon in the
company of jaguars. monstroLs snakes
and other wild animals-none of which
ever harmed or eve nattacked her which
Jed Mrs. Adams to the conclusion that no
wild beasts are dagerous unless first at
tackled themselves by men. On this trip
Mrs. ADAMS came TO a region infested by
vampires, which previously she had be-
lieved TO be mythical and spent a night
the most horrible, she says of her life
among them. On this occasion her hLs-
hand and Indian guides We're attacked
and a number of their mules killed by the
understanding creatures which measure
three 10 four feet from tip to tip of their
wings.
Mrs Adams also went monkey shoot
lng-an exciting sport: she ate monkey
meat. the meat of tapirs. of huge red and
green toucons. Of the iguana and South
american tortoise-and she found all good
She attacked by Indians, and was
later poisoned by eating "a bird which had
peen killed by a poisoned arrow. Mrs.
adams got into the proximity of a strange
tribe OF Indians who eat the dead and
heard also from a man who had invaded
heir dangerous territory of a tribe who
AXE the heads of slain enemies and BY
peculiar process of extracting the skull
ZONES reduce the faces to miniatures
md then petrify them. so that, thou. IN
mall as a dolls head. they preserve the
"Ndct features and expression of the nor
nal heads when living
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-18

America she mas no" tTdNeeu ihoie
thar 4o,e10 miles in that continent
Speaking of her experiences. she says;
Il have gone through experiences
such as. ! am convinced. no white wo-
man has had. I have circumnavigated
the South American continent. cover
ing more than 40,Wo miles. and have
penetrated savage wildernesses where
no white woman had ever been. ] have
climbed mountains. walked IN the eX-
tinct crater of Mount MIST. wandered
in regions of mountain cold where my
eyelids froze. and, descending into the
xnazonan wilderness, stayed in a re-
cion infested by vampires-creatures
which until then | imagined TO be pure
myths. | have stood on the site of what
Is possibly the worlds oldest civilization.
and have studied ruins built before the
time OF Babylon.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-18

suddenly crashing sound struck ter.
ror to my heart-while | stood there,
graSping the rocks behind me. an AVA
lanche Of earth and stones. loosencd bv
the rain descended suddenly from tina
heights above. Rocks and stones struck
mel struggled with grim determination
to hold to the stone hehind-at times L
feared | should be carried down. But Y
was soon over. /. however. Was sore TO-
weeks. Slowly and cautiously we low
cred our bodies and then. on hands and
feet. inch by inch. crept downward. This
is death l whispered to my husband.
We can't go on But we went
finally We reached the bottom OF the can
yon. where expected to ind a bridge
spanning the river. In the darkness ""
reached out TO find 1.-THE bridge Mas
gone. Ii had been washed away. We
lay painting. suffering. tortured by horoes
OF mosquitoes. throughout the night.
Firefies came ont after the storm. and
they flashed a radiance intense as
arc lights.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-18

Il often nearly lost my life As for
adventures | should say have had
Embarrassing adventures. But of them
all | shall never forget the time l fell
into a deep and turbulent storrent not
far from the foot of the Agualiani can
Won. and as l was seeking in the seeth-
ing water thought frenZiedly of saving
one thing-not my life. but precious
tube of cold cream fastened in my hat.
The thought of drowning hardly occur
red TO me. for while ! was in danger
of losing my life all my mind was focus
Cd on my precious unguent. for just how
precious cold cream can be can be real
lied only by a woman who has explored
an uninvaded wilderness Ny husband
fortunately rescued me. hut the incident
LETT certain thrill. IL was so feminine
And il showed me that although I'd
roughed ii and accomplished real man s
work in exploration, | was still above
all things woman.
As one listened he saw a little woman
with Vvacious. youthful face and dane
ing brown eyes. and wealth of soft
black hair. woman clothed in an ex-
quisiteiy fitting golden brown evening
gown She seemed one for whom a bril-
liant drawing room might be fitting
background. but neve rthe wilds of South
America
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-18

rents. My husband went ahead leading
his mule. The trail narrowed to the width
of one foot | had simply TO put my
back against the rocks and hold on with
both hands We turned to go back but
my own little horse behind me, because
of the narrowness of the trail, was un-
able to turn. We had to go on. The
rain increased. the lightning flashed ter
ribly. below my feet. in the depths of the
canyon / could hear the furious waters,
swollen by the rain. kissing.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-18

piles arc the remains of bridge burned
by the British invaders at the sack of
Washington August ~. 1914, but it would
be Well to reject such a statement until
you are in possession of the facts.