davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-25
Panama Canal Too Small.
rom Popular Mechanic Magazine.

From Popular Mechanic Magazine.
That the limit in the building Of big
ships has not yet been reached or even
decided on, is the opinion of the recent
International congress Of navigation. AS
to what the final extreme length of ships
may, be no one seemed wiling to def
nitely commit himself. The subject came
up during the discussion of a report in
which It was recommended that limi-
tation in size might be secured by refusr
ing government aid to the building or
operation of sea-going vessels whose
maximum dimensions exceeded, length.
500 feet; breadth, 1O5 feet: draft, 3D.
was made that the time was not far dis
tant when the Panama canal will be too
small to permit the safe passage of the
great ships of the future. Naturally the
loss of the largest ship afioat was dis
cussed in it's bearing on future construc-
ton, but the opinion was that that event
would serve as no deterrent; that a
sma Ter ship with the same injury wou
not have remained afloat nea ly as long.
On land the tendency is unQuestiOnably
toward Capitalization and large units.
with result of better service and great
er economy. The isolated electric plant
stations In big cities. Railroads are
building larger locomotives to haul long
er trains. Steel buildings that were
erected only ten years ago and which
should last a century are being pulled
down to be replaced by taller structures.
Whether this same tendency will work
out equally vel when applied to the
operation Of monster freight carriers at
sea is yet disputed question.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-25
SOME QUEER INVENTIONS.
Certain Oddities of the British Pat.
ent Office.

From the Railway Magazine
Inventors always will be a queer frater-
nifty when they venture upon ground
where they are ignorant of technicalities.
We all know the famous proposals for
'featherbed' coaches. or spring buffer
vehicles. designed to absorb the shock of
collision. when it occurs-that is. provid-
ed a catastrophe does not happen when
the buffer car is at the wrong end Of the
train. or is laid up for repairs. Another
idea several times promulgated is that
of allowing one train to pass over an
other. But even these proposals do not
exhaust the list. as the patent records
and much newspaper correspondence fol-
lowing every serious railway accident
abundantly testify.
Other suggestions of which we have re-
Gently heard afford evidence of the amaz-
ing length to which amateur railway in
ventors would proceed. Here are ~
specimens: % Coaches fitted with dupis
cate wheels, so that in the event of
breakage one can be removed and the
reserve brought into use without delay.
(2) Sewing machines operated from the
axles of passenger coaches, for the bene-
MT Of Industrious lady travellers. 60 An
automatic lunch counter for trains. de-
livering various drinks and eatables when
coins are inserted in slots a. Travelling
cots for babies. 90 Conferred cameras
for taking views from trains. And so
on, almost ad infinitum.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-25
THE WEEKLY WASH.
LABOR AND EQUIPMENT.
By Frederic J. Haskin.

separately. There are about 10000
people employed in the 5,1s6 power laun-
dries of the country, in addition to those
working in the smaller establishments.
About 10 per cent of these are women.
The capital invested in these industries
amounts to SOS 936. 600 besides the utili-
cation of large amount of rented prop
erty. amounting as nearly. as can be as
certained, to $1,000 coo annually. The
value of the laundry work done last year
by public laundries amounted to about
S1O5,OOO,OC0. The wages paid in the laun-
dries are as yet below that of many other
industries, but there are increases being
made in most of the large cities. The
great cost of laundry machinery and the
improvements constantly being made is
partially responsible for the low pay of
the workers, most of whom are not quail
fed for any other work. Considering the
comparatively recent developments of the
industry it is reasonable to suppose that
within few years the hardshlps now
existing will have been largely overcome.
The manufacture of laundry machinery
in the United States amounts to millions
of dollars annually and 1t is being ex-
ported to every civilized country, Russia
having been one of the last to call it
into service. In addition to the ma
chinery, there are other supplies required
In the equipment of modern laundry
calling for large expenditures. An item of
no small cost is the wrappings for send
ing out the goods. The best firms now
have a SPECIAL envelope made for each
shirt and the shirt is folded In such a
manner as to be readily put on. This is
great improvement over fastening it
together with pins, as was done until re-
Gently, to the irritation of every man
who wanted to dress hurriedly. Most of
the better iaundries also have dispensed
with the small buttons formerly used to
fasten the neckbands and collars in place
There are long, slender envelopes that are
designed for the collars which are ironed
fat, while for those which are rolled
suitable boxes are provided. Many laun-
dries send all Of their work home in
boxes instead of paper packages and this
involves considerable extra expense.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-25

eminent statesmen were inclined to worls
overtime to purvey what will be exciting,
But just as crop disaster prophecies oe
three months ago came to naught, so
there Is small likelihood that any very
disastrous political things will come Ia
pass as permanent factors. The Amer.
can investor has grown to be careless
of craftsmanship hysterla. People who
own securities and who have carried thenI
through the stress OF recent times are noe
OF the despairing sort. They do not be-
lieve that 1t Is an idle theory that the
United States is all right; they are con-
tent TO believe that the country is not
only big and stalwart. expanding and
entitled to prosperity. but they base hope
and confidence and enthusiasm upon the
belief that such changes as may soon
take place viii be changes for the better.
The investors of the country--tremend-
ously greater in number than ever their
list was before-are not children in
nurseries nor weak minded sanitariufn
habitues. They have minds Of their own,
They know. As far as they are concern
ed the bugaboo business might Wei
forthwith set out OF fashion.
And II market prices by mischance
yield bit, even for time look sertouslT
weak 1t is likeliest that the exhibit VII
be by such investors taken as sigma! tor
buying more rather than selling what al
ready is owned.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-25
Medical Work in Tropics.

From the New York Sun.
The lessons derived from the observa-
tons of army doctors In the tropical
possessions Of the United States have
been OF immense value. not only to the
people of this country, but to the world
at large In fact, our chief benefit from
these otherwise costly territorial acqui-
sitions has been up to the present time
derived from the practical application
|of experiments made in the prevention
of yellow and malarial fevers and in the
treatment of hookworm sickness. The
discovery of the intimate connection OF
yellow fever with certain types of mos
quitoes was made in Cuba at the sacrifice
Of life on the part OF physicians who sub
jected themselves to the bites Of infected
insects and thus clearly demonstrated the
most effective methods of prevention. The
splendid results obtained by DIR. GOrgas
at Panama in the almost total abolition
OF malarial fevers in this hitherto notori-
Gus locality. converting one of the plague
spots of the world into one of the most
healthful zones, also testify to the state
ment made above. And the achievements
Of our army surgeons In Porto Rico are
no less marvellous and beneficent. The
government report contains testimony
like this:
BY these methods of native doctors
acting under rections Of United States
army surgeons luCft True ICoui
rections, because from cadavers they
were converted in a few days into men
valuable for work and capable Of sus-
tanning their families, some of them aban-
doning their enforced vocation Of beg
Gars."
Now comes q report from the Philip
pines which is truly enl!ghtening upon
a subject which demands attention, the
cause of dysentery. n disease which is
not as fatal here as in the tropics. but
is nevertheless painful and dangerous.
The malign influence OF the ubiquitous
fly In disseminating typhoid fever is
more or less familiar to the public: its
destructive meanderings over our food
and drink are now regarded with sus-
picion. and many careful persons are In
tent upon its destruction wherever found.
This warfare against a cause OF disease
which has long been dsregarded must
become more active still when the recent
report of the relation of flies to the caus-
alton OF dysentery is appreciated at its
full value. The Manila correspondent OF
the Medical Record states that several
hundred deaths occurred at Barotac. in
the province of Iloilo, the direct cause
being that the river from which the in
habitants obtained their water supply be-
came infected Immediately above the
town. Despite the fact that at the army
post distilled water was used the disease
continued. It was then suggested that
the ice was infected
Later. however. it was ascerta'ned that
the chief cause of the disease. which af-
fected ~ per cent Of all the employees,
was "a severe pest Of iiies."
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-25
COLONIAL ILLITERACY.
What Recent Investigation Has
Brought to Light.

FEoui the boston HERALD
No true son or daughter of Massacnu-
setts has ever doubted that Massachu-
sets has maintained from the very be-
ginning of things In the new world an un-
approachable superiority in all things in
lellectual- IL Is for the enlightenment,
therefore. Of the rest of the country that
the United States bureau of education is
publishing "a historic bulletin which shows
now far IN advance of its sister colonies
Massachusetts, stood as regards the eGu-
cational a,tainments of the people, in the
seventeenth century. The present prmacy
of Massachusetts. OF course goes with
out saying. but IL there is ANYBODY In
the past this bulletin will meet the re-
quirements of his case
The investigators on behalf OF the bu-
reau made a study Of iiiteracy in Mas
sachusetts. New York, Pennsylvania and
Virginia In colonial days basing their
investigation mainly on the SIGNATURES
to the extant legal and other documents
of that period. In the absence of other
sources of information this seemed a
line decidedly worth following since IL is
fair In It's comparisons, and the results
are of much interest. For example. a
study was made of the signatures to
deeds. etc. executed in Su--olk county.
Mass, over two periods, 1G.l3-1Gy6 and
l6St'-l ts. and In both periods the per-
centage of men who made their mark in
place OF writing their name remained
constant AT IL per cent. OF the woman
signers. - per cent made their mark in
the first period and IS per cent In the
second period.
OF over I3,cU men in Virginia who
signed deeds and DISPOSITIONS in practi-
cal'y the same periods. ~ per cent made
their marks. and of 5000 Virginia women
90 per cent made their marks In New
York OF 36O signatures of men examined
at Albany. from documents of the years
1864 To 1915, u per cent were made with
marks-a far better showing than that Of
Virginia. but still far behind Massachu-
sets. In Pennsylvania the. period taken
was little later-the first ha.f of the
eighteenth century-but of ioGo sigma
lures examined ~ per cent were made
with mark. Naturally IN ali of the
colonies at that time the percentage of
iuiteEacy I'm the entire population was
much larger than among those who were
OF consequence enough to be signing
deeds. jury lists. wills and dispositions
Such data are not complete enough to
allow a final or wholly adequate measure
OF educational conditions, either as be-
tween the colonies or between the
past and the present, but the fiaures are
exceedingly suggestive: and they not only
indicate clearly the early primacy of
Massachusetts. but they also emphasize
the great progress which popular educa-
ton has made in the wnoie country.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-25
SEEN IN THE SKIES.

The planet Jupiter and his satellites
which have been for some months in a
favorable position for observation. are now
the subject of some interesting astronomi-
cal deductions which have attracted UNI
usual interest to the giant planet of our
system.
When the transit OF the minor planet
Lutetia across Jupiter some months ago
was too early for observation, Prof. Bar
nard began to make observations of the
great red spot and Of the transit of
satellite No. II on that date. Prof. Bar
nard says: THE spot was fairly seen
and the bay north of it was, as usual,
we'll defined. The southern edge of the
spot was in contact with or partly over
Tapped by a heavy irregular and some
what narrow dark belt. At the 18th
hour, am. there was a long dusky mark
ing on the following limb of the planet
in the same latitude as the spot. which
subsequently would overtake the spot and
probably. provide some interesting phe-
nomena."
Astronomer Herr Archenhold observed
the spot at Treptow and recorded it's
transit at IL hours, 35 minutes. The
spot, he says appeared intensely white
streifen appeared to have a very rosy
brown hue
The Lick Observatory. with the thirty
six-inch Crossley reflector, has made some
interesting observations of the sixth.
seventh and eighth outer satellites of Jul
piter, and photog. apis made in the prin-
cipal focus, at exposure durations from
A to 100 minutes. The guiding was done
by computing the positive angle and
amount of Jupiter's motion by the NOV
ing wire system in the retide of the
guiding telescope.
This method OF the Crossley photog
raphy was applied to the seventh and
eighth satellites, which gave q per-
ceptible trail to the image of the satel-
lltes. 1t was then decided to compen-
safe for the motion Of the satellites
themselves. after which very round i'm
ages were obtained in much shorter time.
In these observations and photographs
the accuracy Of Jupiters ephemeris has
been tested. also by means of an oc-
cutting shutter sufficient stars for de-
termlning the plate constants. together
with good measurable images of Jupiter
were obtained.
Thus far observations made under
new opposition of the planet Jupiter
and his satellites have given some very
satisfactory results, indeed, results in
which astronomers at all the great OBJ
servatories feel just pride. especially
American astronomers in that Of Prof. f.
f. Barnard, whose untiring efforts and
results in celestial photography have been
the wonder and admiration of the age
and the pride of American astronomy
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-25
Baltic-Black Sea Canal.
rom the Manchester Guardian.

r rom the Manchester Guardian.
Largely as the result of the heavy
losses sustained by south Russian grain
shippers through the recent closing Of
the Dardanelles. the scheme to construct
q canal between the Baltic and the Black
sea has been seriously revived. 1t is
proposed. / hear. that a sum shall be set
apart in the next Russian budget for
a resurvey of the route. and IT is now
said that IL the Russian government Is
not prepared to undertake tlfe work a
financial syndicate will proceed with 1t,
provided, of course. that concession Is
granted Beg inning at Riga and ending
at kherson. the length of the waterway
would be about 1890 miles. Of which long
distances would be comprised by means
of the Dwina and Dnieper. These two
rivers. however. would have to be dredg d
and widened in parts. while 1t would also
be necessary to dig canal between
them some sixty miles long in the vicin-
lily of Eitebsk. The realization of the
project would naturally be of incalculable
advantage to the grain trade. 1t would
also enable the DOnetz district to supply
the Baltic provinces with coal and rem
der Russia to a very great extent indie
pendent of foreign supplies.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-25
Synthetic Rubber.
le Philadelphia INQUIRER.

the PllIdOelpRla INQUIRER.
A London scientist has discovered a
way to make rubber artifically. which Is
said not only to equal the natural prod
uct, but to be exactly the same in every
respect. company is being formed to
exploit the discovery. although it is adj
mitted that at present the process is ex-
pensive and may not be successful COM
mercially. The demand for rubber has
grown enormously in recent years, large
ly due to the popularity of automobiles.
and the price has risen to double former
figures. The earth is being secured for
the natural trees and plants which sup
ply the gum, while immense plantations
are being set out in various parts of the
far east.
It has been a complaint brought against
chemistry that although it could analy2e
almost any substance in the world. it
could not often take the original atoms
and combine them "a process called syn
thesis) and produce commercial results
Much progress has been made In this de
rect on of recent years, and more is ex-
pected. but it is curious fact that so far
as rubber Is concerned the synthetic
process comes through methods Of which
cent times. The process is not by the
ordinary use Of chemicals and retorts. but
by use of bacteria in working on starch,
making ferment and producing SUBJ
stances out or which the new rubber is
made.
1t Is an interesting ard rather Impress
i've fact that often when man, proudest
and strongest of the animal race. wants
to make something he does not use his
own mighty engines or his brawny arms,
but has recourse either to atomic SUBJ
stances or to the microscopic bacteria
which were utterly unknown and abso-
lutely unsupported until within the time
Of living men. People have used leavened
bread for thousands Of years without sus-
pecting that the yeast was composed of
living bacteria, and now by somewhat
similar process and with nearly the same
materials we are promised good rubber at
once and cheap rubber hereafter. All of
which is of general interest but especial
ly to those who have to patronize the
tiremakers so frequently and with so
much expense.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-25
The BARRIERS Future.
From the st. Louis Republic.


The Republic has recently devoted
some space to the future of the ton
serial art. menaced by safety razors
without and barber colleges within. A
letter appearing in this issue demon
strates that the exodus Of practitioners
from the ranks has already begun The
writer. like our correspondent of a few
days since, Yields practiced pen.
When men Of force and character de-
spair OF the future Of their own calling
the prospect must be dark indeed.
We are constrained however to take
issue with the view so ably and forci-
bly, presented. The fact that the safety
razor enables any fairly sober person
OF the male persuasion to shave him.
self does not prove that the craft of
easy shaving with the unguarded
blade Of the happier days was unwor-
thy the name of trade. When the
automatic lathe does away with the
turner. that does not prove that he
was not a mechanic, but simply that
the advance Of invention has changed
conditions.
Now. while shaving may be, in view
of the safety razor's cheapness and
reliability. as much a lost province to
the barber as Alsace-Lorraine is to
france. there are parts Of his inherit
ance that may not lightly be rapt
away from him.
Shaving is purely mechanical A
smooth surface is its sole aim and OBJ
Ject But with hair cutting we enter
different world. The hair cutter is
mechanic. beyond all doubt. The
feather edge" Of the modern hair cut
is conclusive on this point
The barber of the old school shaved
the neck of his customer up to an
imaginary line running through
thicket of hair. and shortened the cap
Hilary growth down to this margin,
which remained as distinct as the edge
Of field of corn. The modern barber
causes the length Of the hair to dimin-
ish gradually until it fades away and
dies; no man can say where the line Of
demarcation is.
But this, while a triumph Of me-
chanical skill. Is only the beginning.
There is no connection between the
shape Of a human head decreed by
nature and the surface Of a head Of
hair decreed by fashion. head Is a
thing of bumps. Of hills and hollows;
the BARRIERS skill disregards the un-
brings the surface OF the hair to
fair and symmetrical evenness. More
than this: the barber worthy of the
craft that has inspired the genius Of
ventive faculty of tellers of tales scru-
tinizes the face and head of his sub
ject" While he beguiles the time with
anecdote and Renaissance he does
what Sargent does to the sitter for a
portrait; studies the personality before
him and imparts to the work that
shapes beneath his hands the immortal
touch of genius.
Say not that the BARRIERS work is
not art because it is but for the day,
or at most the week. Ia an opera
singer less an artist because her golden
notes die In the instant that gives
them birth?
We make bold to believe that as
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-25

watching the muscles Of the back or the
pitching shoulder of the man on the slab.
No pitcher can conceal the preparatory
launching of those muscles, and although
some. notably Ed Walsh Of the Chicago
White Sox, have cultivated false mo-
ton OF the muscles, even these limitations
do not duplicate the real movement.
Not infreQuently base runner can tell
by studying the pitchers habitual tricks
Of delivery when he intends to pitch and
when he is planning to throw to first
base For instance. l know one famous
American League pitcher who invariably
before pitching to a batter reaches out his
right foot and scratches the dirt in front
of the plate with his spikes. 1t is a
nervous trick Of which he himself is I'M
conscious. but he never paws that way
when he intends to throw to first. The
base runner who knew that fact would
get a flying start every time and either
make palpable balk.
In running from first to second run
ner must keep his eye entirely upon the
man who is receiving the throw and
base line. dropping his body away from
the baseman and hooking the base with
his foot. The hooking OF the base Is an
art in itself. There is one of the fastest
and best base runners in the business
who would rank close to Cobb but for the
fact that after making perfect side ne
hold to the base with his foot ana
slides on past the bag, and nine out OF ten
times Is tagged out.
1t is possible for a pitcher TO throw
only twenty-seven balls in a nine-inning
game. No accurate record of the small
est number of balls thrown in any game
exists. as no one counts every ball n
every game. I scored one game In which
Ed Walsh pitched only lightweight balls,
seven Of which were fouls, which re-
gard as remarkable. l saw COombs pitch
seventeen balls to one batter last sum
mer. The greatest number OF pitched
balls / ever counted In a game was I'll,
George Rube) Waddell being the vic
tim, and he weakened in the ninth and
allowed five runs. showing that the strain
was too great even for a man or his mar
velous power and endurance.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-25
DEAD BASE BALL RULE.
How Finished Pitchers Evade the
One Against Baking.
American Magazine.

From the American Magazine.
The rule prohibiting. baking is perhaps
the greatest dead letter In the game
Every finished pitcher has cultivated a
balk motion. false start. calculated to
hold runners close to first base or to
catch them of the base in case they
make a false start.
The runner invariably can detect the
real from the false pitching motion by