davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1912-10-06

able beauty spots They are not only a
pleasiIr To the owners. hut an inspira
ton and a delight to the neiShbors.
\ few such improvements have come
to the attention of the writer. Among
them are two notable instances. Both
should be and are acting as wholesome
examples in their respective communi-
ties.
one is the flower yards of Mr.. aud
Mrs +, j. Parke 1716 18th street north
west. The other is the vegetable and
flower yards of Mr.. and Mrs. Frederic
f.. Hodge. 1876 Bryan street.
1t happens that both these yards are
now in the second year of their improve
ment. Both families took possession Of
their present homes in the different sec
tions of the city last Year and each found
their places in a state of unkept un-
sightliness. The transformation in each
instance is wonderful and is a decided
demonstration of what may be done with
a little care and labor
Mr. and Mrs. Hodge devote some of the
space in their back yard to vegetables
The other has been sodded IT, grass edged
with shrubs and flowers. The vegetable
garden has been made profitable we'll
as Il thing of beauty.
1t is one OF the prettiest as we'll as one
of the most profitable back yards IN the
city. The small space devoted to Vege-
tables has produced a wonderful amount
of stuff this year and has contributed no
Evening star., 1912-10-06

to rob the children and the flowers of an
inch of space.
Mrs. Parkes front yard. though limit
ed in area, is one of the most attractive
in the northwest. 1t was a barren pate
of clay and gravel, uneven and gravelly
when she took the house last year. She
began preparing for Improvement by
building 4 good soil.
Some people seem to think she said.
that plants will grow anywhere if there
is soil. This is not so. They may grow,
but they will not thrive, and are dis
appointing in results. Now, | prepared
every inch of this soil to get the
best results. | have also been careful
in selecting the best seed and also To
get such variety of flowers and plants
that will give the most continuous re-
suits.
For instance. | have here flowers that
bloom during the day and flowers that
bloom at night" and she pointed to a
entire front of the house. and to the sec
ond story This is one of the most ma z
nificent flow erng plants in the world. Its
large white blooms open just after dark
and they open almost instantly like IL
child waking from healthful sleep.
Many people stop here almost every even
ing to watch the flowers open At first
you see the point of the bud untwist just
little. Then the great white flower
spreads wide open at once. At the same
Evening star., 1912-10-06

Special Correspondence of Ih" Star
LONDON, September 20. 1917.
T ONDoN'S cabmen it seems take kindly
l. to American chewing gum. bat the
ether inna abitants of this metropolis dom t.
Perhaps it's because the jehuS here do
SO much chewing the rag, as IL used TO
be called at home that they welcome q
charge but there it is. According to a
man who is trying hard to sell it, the
only folk in these islands who care IL
hang for gum as cheWed in the United
States are the drivers of taxis, hansoms
and 'four-Wheelers."
This man was in the Strand yesterday
the first vender Of American chewing gum
who has appeared there. He stood by the
curb along with the newspaper and flow
ct sellers and the vendors of penny tops,
and he had quite trayful of d we'll
known brand of 4fNfican gum which he
was crying Justify at penny packet
Two packets were purchased and the
merchant was asked how he found buSl-
ness?
Rotten he said. This here Ameri-
can chewing gum amt no go in this
country I've been here ever since -
O'Clock this morning lit was then l:3O),
and l haven't sold a shilling's worth yet.
1t don't appeal to English people. They
buy it once and never again Except
cabmen. They seem to take to it, j
don't know why. but l can always lind
customer on a cab rank.
Selling the gum i'll the streets is a new
game. isn't it, was asked.
Pretty new replied the pessimist
but they've had men trying il OH the
people in the theater queues for several
weeks now They treferring to the pro-
prietorsi advertising it on the drop
curtains in the theaters, too besides on
the boardings and in the newspapers.
But it won't go. They think it will. but
it won't.
I'VE try it in the country" he added,
Evening star., 1912-10-06

ice cream to be brought To him. He ate
it in the bath and sang song after song
and altogether made such a fuss calling
for ice cream we had to call for the
managers.
The sewing room women have a fne
chance to study human nature. Often
they are asked to remake an evening
gown in time for a ball, to mend CLOTH
ing. to trim hats and to sew on innumer-
able buttons Quite nice little trade is
sustained by the habit the guests have
of forgetting articles of clothing. The
sewing room women. therefore. keep on
hand a supply of different-colored stock
ings slippers gloves. ribbons and laces.
Often extra night garments are required
and a few pretty French ones are turned
to good profit.
has an .rduous and important duty TO
perform. The guests have penchant
for the nice linens and towels of hotels
and even the best of them will purio II
them il "A fitting opportunity arises. The
linen and blanket supply is woven spe-
cially for each hotel, so they can identity
their own goods wherever they are found.
Speaking of this trait among hotel guests.
the woman in charge of the linens AT
big Washington hotel recently said:
kept a suite of five rooms in the hotel all
season kept holding back a lot OF the
linens and spreads. You see, when We
give out any of this stuff we take a re-
ceipt Every time We missed anything
from Mrs. AIillonaire's apartments We
reported it to the office. The office in
structed us to let il go on. she was A
well-paying guest and they did not wish
to offend her We thought she was jus;
using the things and would leave them
when she went home for the summer.
She certainly has money enough to bay
all she wants She did not. however. 50
the manager had Ia send Il detective to
her home To recover them. He said ne
knew she had taken them by mistake.
He had to buy trunk 10 bring il all
back in. That is what happens Ia rich
people when they steal the poor don't
get off quite easily. But IL Is the way
of the world. she sighed as her quick
eye caught sight Of the tiniest tear in a
hemstitched linen sheet.
Evening star., 1912-10-06

stamp is put on you by the Hotel Maid.
BY mystic telepathy this decision Will
reach every member of the hotel staff
Not but what Your service Will be all
YOU desire. but the extras that come
from the suggestive kindness of the help
erS will be sadly lacking.
Yet strenuous and hard as their work
is. relieved by the study Of human ma
ture and the generous tip. the hotel
maids are unit in ptyins the girls who
stand behind store counters for small pit
tances a week and have to find them
selves besides. To the hotel attaches
minds the greater freedom and liberty
the store girl enjoys, shorter hours and
perhaps a higher social status in their
little world. does not nearly compensate
for the additional comforts and lrOtec-
ton thrown around the hotel maid.
a parlor maid in one of the city's
best hotels shudde~ed the other day
as she recalled her former lot as a
shop girl. and compared il To her pres
ent easy life.
Il have served in store. too she
said. as she smoothed out her apron
strings and patted her neat white col
lar and cuffs. ''and believe me. | know
what | am giving you Five per and
meals. rent and clothes, doctors. etc,
etc, TO come out of it Is ii any Won
ueT lHdt lne SnOp girl VINO does not
make "a little on the side" can't stay
up. Look at me here No more sales
lady for mine.
Here | get thirty month and my
meals besides. Our dining room is good
enough for a Connecticut avenue belle
nice, clean naperS, silverware and al
ways bunch of flowers on the tables
White girls act as our Mattresses and
the guests in the big dining room have
nothing on us when it comes to clean.
good food, well cooked and we'll
served. Tonight we had for dinner
chicken, five vegetables Il salad and
ice cream. and our menu is good
every day. There is no stinting either,
and a girl can eat all she wants.
We have four meals a day, break
fast. luncheon, dinner and supper at
10 o'clock for those who are doing
night duty. Besides the girls who
stand in can always get an extra cup
OF coffee or a good nourishine bowl of
broth on cold nights before she steps
Evening star., 1912-10-06

owed in a given time, and the preacher
he was Il little elderly man-went out
and got back within the time limit and
paid up.
Not many months ago Russian
count came over here to sell big estate
in his own country. At least, that was
his ostensibe purpose. He stayed at his
chosen hotel three weeks, and ran up
bill Of about $500. When he went away he
gave the cashier draft on Il foreign
bank. Letters the nobleman had with
him indicated he was all right and when.
after three weeks more, word came back
from the other side that the draft was
not good every body was surprised There
was another count who some time ago
gave the hotel check for $50, which
turned out to be not good. The credit man
in this case had insisted that friend of
the signer's who was known to himself
should 20. Is. the check, and he had to
make good The Russians beat was a
rare instance.
1t is generally supposed that the losses
of d big hotel by bad bills are enormous.
AS a matter of fact the system is such
and the ways of getting information 50
numerous and SO good that little is lost.
The man who gives bad check to a
hotel does foolish thing. because he
thus gets in wrong with every hotel in
the country.
Sometimes a man Of business is actually
surprised at the readiness with which his
check is cashed at New York hotels. A
man who owns downtown bank wanted
to leave New York one Sunday. He Went
into Well known hosiery and handed
his check for 500 over to the cashier. No
questions We're asked. The cashier simply
looked at the signer and then at the
check. and passed the money over. The
banker afterWard hunted up the manager
Il have had lot of experience in the
banking business he SAID. but if one of
my cashiers should cash check for
man he didn't know any more about than
Your cashier does about me I'd fire him
in minute.
There's nothing wonderful about the
way your check was cashed.' the credit
man told him. The cashiers here know
who YOU are. They have often seen your
wife here. and they, know she has an ac-
count with us, and while YOU didn't know
it, the cashier knew your check was just
as good as any ones.''
Evening star., 1912-10-06

moment it sends forth a fragrance that
is marvellous and invades the entire com
munitN. | have seen croWdsi of people
stop in front of the house at night when
the plant is blooming to watch the open
ing OF the blooms and enjoy the fra
GRANGE. You can see the flowers on the
darkest night. They are very large and
milk white. They sometimes open in
great clusters l have counted as many
thirty blooms open in single night =
In the center of the yard is n mammoth
caladium, or elephants ear. as IL is COM
monty called. 1t is said to he the largest
and finest caladium in Washington. not
excepting those in the Botanic Garden.
Several of its leaves measure thirtysiN
inches long and twenty-siX broad. The
longest stalks stand seven feet high. The
entire plant measures thirty feet in cir
conference and twenty feet in diameter.
The plant has been admired hy thou
sands of people passing along the street.
Mrs. Parke prepared the soil with great
care for the growing of this plant. 1t
also receives daily and almost hourly at
tention. AS she expressed ii. This plant
is hard drinker and requires. lots of va
ter. Without water and plenty of sun
shine it could not thrive.
Other plants and flowers growing in the
front yard and arranged artistically are
colias. dahlas. roses. astors. salvias,
chrisanthemums, Gamma and others.
Aside from the pleasure that my fam
Evening star., 1912-10-06
NO RUSH IN ENGLAND
TO BUY CHEWING GUM

contidentially. and with the air of part
ner in the enterprise. but the sales very
quiet | go to all the race meetings but
| don't make nothing worth speakin of.
That's my bicycle over there Indicating
"A % vintage safety leaning inside the
gateway TO Charing Cross and CARRYING "A
sign in praise of the gum. but I'm fed
up with this game after six months of
Ii. No. l amt no Brtisher. I'm a Ger
man and I've been in the states and L
wish I'd stayed there.
Later on in the day the manager of
fair-size confectionery shop i'm the sub
urbs which has big display ads of the
same brand of chewing gum handled by
the Strand CROUCH was asked how il
went. and gave me>much the same ac-
count as the mar IN the street He said
he had IA few stead& British customers.
but thought, personally. il must bs
nasty. Perhaps it would help some If
the American people interested hired
demonstrators, for it's reported that
the Britons who sample the gum swallow
instead OF chew il.
Anyhow. it's early i'm the day Yet to
decide that the attempt, which has been
backed by many thousands of British
pounds as well as American dollars, to
make gum "chewers'' of the British IS a
failure, for the public here is the slowest
i'm the world to take up a new thing
Particularly one like gum. against which
they have an unexplained prejudice
Evening star., 1912-10-06

IlttIe To the tuXurleS OF the falnllN tdDte
well having minimiZed the food
expense account.
This is the gardens second year 1t is
practically the first. as most of last year
was devoted To cleaning up the place and
putting il in shape for cultivation. This
year the II by 30 foot plot devoted to
vegetables has produced practically all
the vegetables required for the table
during the season and i'll addition many
of the neighborS have enjoyed delicacies
from its bounty.
The remainder of the back yard space,
including entire area of % by III feet,
is sodded i'll grass and planted to flowers
and shrubs. The entire plot is as clean
and wholesome we'll kept park.
Mr.. Hodge is employed in the bureau
of soils Department OF Agriculture He
knew the book side of soils and believed
he could apply them to the square of
soil in his back yard He also became in
terested in the 'clean up campaign.
When | began this work :: little more
than a year ago, shortly after | moved
to the place. / found that my back yard
was composed of most everything but
SOIL said Mr.. Hodge yesterday. Il haul
ed out more than 100 Wheelbarrow loads
Of trash. For instance. ! found old rags,
u ba>tered garbage can. twisted wheels
from baby carriages. old shoes, blocks Of
cement. stones and bones The collection
d wonder. From nearby livery
stable | got all the manure / wanted for
the hauling. | brought il myself and put
it on the plot of ground after had
Evening star., 1912-10-06

ment just the same. The manager
usually catches on. however, and never
carries it any farther Then often the
guests will send down candy. flowers or
a nice tip TO reward us for being the
scapegoats.
Il have been asked to check every
thing under the sun, from dogs and birds
to money | take the animals, but refuse
the money. | make them turn that in
at the desk In the wintertime, when
balls and dinners are frequent, we make
extra money checking the guests wraps.
Lots of these women lose their checks
and then call us stupid because we cam
not find or remember their wraps out of
hundreds. Others get mad because they
have to identify their own property. The
trouble in they will put their checks in
their shoes. their stockings or down the
neck of their decollete dresses, and then
forget where they have put them. Some
funny requests are made OF US at these
functions. | have rebuttoned backs 1or
fat women, put puffs on the hair and
painted faces with rouge sticks. Ii would
surprise YOU To know how many attempts
are made to borrow car fare ana sihati
amounts of money from us. although We
have been specially instructed not TO
loan it.
The chambermadS in the hotels are al
most as we'll off as the parlor maids. al
though in the servants hotel society
they are considered as belonging TO So
cial scale lower than that of the parlor
maid They are we'll fed and are lodged
in rooming house run by the hotel.
Their clean dresses are provided tor III
the hotel laundries. and their hours are
not hard The work. of course. is often
flisa aereea ble but it has its humorous side
as well.
One chambcrmaid hlmoriSt talked over
her experiences the other day. We run
uD against some funny ones, all right.
she said, chucklinS at the recollection.
''One guest insisted on having the rugs
taken out of the rooms because they hurt
her feelings. They had a little green in
them, and she could not abide green. An
other woman insisted upon changing her
room. We finally found out it be-
cause a picture of bulldog hung over
her bed. l was ordered to hang another
Evening star., 1912-10-06

each. One was drawn on a New York
bank, the other was on d bank in another
city. The traveller had 100000 worth of
other checks in his pockets. He went in
to eat his luncheon He said he would
like to have the money for the New York
check right away. Fifteen minutes later
a messenger took him five ten-thousand-
dollar bills and he stuck them in MS
rocket said Much obliged" and went on
with his meal A big deal was on, and
he wanted little cash to put down.
There is considerable difference be
tween the work of the credit man of il
big commercial house and the credit man
OF Il bis hotel. The former can usually
fortify himself before delivering goods.
There is almost always time To obtain
information about customer between
the time of an order and the shipment
or the latter may be delayed. If a mer-
chant wants to buy 5000 or $4,000 worth
and If he is all right the goods are
shipped; if not. they are held up.
The hotel credit man has little time to
work in. Yet the latter considers him
self we'll protected. for he has sources
of information with which the public is
not conversan;. His time allowance may
he only half an hour or even five minutes
Frequently there are LOO to l.J30 pa
irons in tie house over night and Il
large proportion of them may be absolute
strangers. \ close watch must be Kept
on the accounts.
One day last summer little man
rived at the hotel with very little bag
gage. He took one of the cheaper rooms
but his looks-he wore d readymade suit
Evening star., 1912-10-06

glanced carelessly at the little woman.
but she did not look good to her and so
she did not suspect this was the friend
of her son. / indicated to her that it
was the little woman who wished to see
her
Her society expression changed to
quick anger In a voice tnat would freeze
ice cream she SAID to the caller, Did YOU
send me this card? What does this i'm
position mean? Then she raised her
lorgnette and looked the little woman
over
Z" Madame. said the little woman in a
very iadylike manner. 1t is no imposition
Your son was staying at my sisters hotel
in Virginia this summer and he took
quite a fancy to me and | to him He
got interested in my civil war stories and
descriptions of ante-belum life in Nir-
Sinia and said that when came To
Washington he would like YOU to meet
me- He said he was sure you would
take me around and show me good
time
=: !:
Huh sneered the naughty old cat.
you have imposed on the credulity of
youth. He is only a 10y and does not
fully understand that he should asso-
ciate only with gentle people. Does he
think ] would receive the sister OF an
innkeeper. No, Next time You try 10
take in a young man remember his hioth-
er is not quite so easy
Then she drew herself up like tras-
edy queen and swept out of the room.
The poor old lady cried like everything.
| gave her some ice water anu trled 10
cheer her up. But she only looked sadly
at the piece Of pastehoard that had been
thrust back into her hdnu
1T is the outsiders who come into use
the parlors and their convenience that
annoy us most continued the maid.
"One woman actually had the audacity
to hold a weekly reception for her friends
here until | discovered she was not d
guest at the hotel. She would walk in
the dressing room and get her hat and
wraps checked. wearing Il handsome aft
ernoon gown underneath. This parlor is
never rented for receptions. but she would
take up her stand by the door ana greet
her friends, who were evidently there on
invitation. The only thing she lacked
was tea to serve, but evidently she dld
Evening star., 1912-10-06

lily gets from these yards. | hope to be
able to inspire others to improve their
premises said Mrs. Parke Il think
The Star has done a good public service
in agitating the matter of beautifying the
front and back yards. Good results de-
pend upon individual effort. One must
improved I'm any community IL an inspira-
tion 10 others To do likewise. Household
ers can do more toward beautifying the
city than all the civic organizations can
accomplish by talking. 1t depends upon
the individual.
Another Yard that has attracted favor
able attention Is that of Mr.. and Mrs. Al
bert Riddle. IL Adams street northwest.
This back yard is also devoted To flowers
and contains many plants that are not
only rare. but have been brought up To a
state of unusual perfection.
This yard is most artistically arranged.
with cement walks and patches of grass
that are kept in perfect trim and condi-
ton. Here is also moon plant covering
almost the entire surface of the back
wall of the house. There are a number
of large plants and trees. with artistically
arranged arbors of trailing vines.
Such lalidab q improvements in front and
back wards may be found In many sec
tionS of the city and indicate "A real desire
ON the part OF the citizens To make Nash
ington the most beautiful city in every
respect in the country.
Evening star., 1912-10-06

Il had good return of vegetables last
year. though l began late in the season.
and got a good coat of grass started on
the remaining part of the lot. This year
/ have had good returns from my Vege-
tables. though | expect To do much bet
ter next year
Il put in rather unique irrigation
plant. consisting of pipe extending
across the garden few inches above
the ground. From this main pipe extend
five short nozZleS at intervals of every
six feet. The main pipe is so arranged
that | can turn ii so that the nozZles will
throw water to either side. This outfit
cost me less than ST. | made most of
it myself with secondhand piping. |
had to buy some of the fittings.
Along the fence | planted lima beans.
This was "a second thought. ] did not
plant them till late While we have had
a good many beans, they We're planted
too late for the best results but the vines
only take up few inches of space along
the fence. From four drills of lettuce
had all could eat, gave great
deal to neighbors and much of it went
10 seed. We had as fine lettuce as you