davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-21
A Clever Ruse.

TLOSE observers looking in the right
- direction might have noticed a tall
young woman. with pinkish hair. come
out of the family hotel and walk rapid
ly toward the nearest car stop.
On her way she dropped a good sized
package that she had been carrying
under her arm. 1t seemed strange that
woman could lose SO large a pack
age and not notice it, but she was pre-
occupied with shopping lists or some
thing and kept right on going.
A man walking behind rushed to the
rescue. however. He grabbed the pack
age of the sidewalk and quickened
his pace to overtake her. But she was
hurrying to catch her car. which was
approaching, and he didn't gain much.
So he decided to call after her.
Il beg your pardon" he shouted.
She didn't seem to hear.
II say. I beg your pardon, lady," he
repeated, but you dropped this pack
age"
Still she didn't hear him. or. at least,
didn't assume that his words were ad-
dressed at her.
climbing on the car, and there was no
time to lose. The conductor signaled
to the motorman, the car started-just
as the painting rescuer OF the package
reached the corner. He was too late.
We'll, she can do without her old
package! he growled to himself.
He decided to open the thing up and
see what was in it. The chances were
good that there was something valu-
able, he figured, for a fool of a woman
like that would drop a valuable pack
age even more readily than one Of no
consequence.
He united the cord, removed the paper
wrapping. and found the cold. still re-
mains of a lunch-three banana peel
ings, the bone out of a sirloin steak
and two or three dry crusts Of bread.
The woman had been doing light
housekeeping In a nOn-hOusekeeping
hotel suite and had neatly disposed of
her cooking debris.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-21
Protecting the Pastor.

STVOU will never know whether your
parishioners really adore you I'M
til you get a chance to observe their be-
havior toward you during an epidemic
of contagious disease" said the expert
enced minister to the divinity students.
Anyhow. I never did.
Several cases of malignant fever were
reported in my parish. AS soon as
heard Of q case called. but the family
was always reluctant to admit me. 1 took
my dismissal philosophically enough until
I found that religious consolation had
been administered by q curate from a
neighboring parish; then l exercised my
authority as q pastor
but 1t was because we thought too
much of you that we wouldn't let you in. >
everybody explained. This disease is
contagious. and we couldn't afford to
have anything happen to YOU
They seemed to think 1t didn't mat
ter If the other man did get sick and die:
was too precious to be sacrificed. And
that, have found ts always the attitude
Of q parish toward q pastor they really
love When danger is involved they pre-
Ter the stranger."~
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-21


Venetian of Venetians. contemplated the
ruins in the piazza and was heard to ex-
claim: "Ghe manca ell paron de casa-the
master of the house is gone
Just year later he took his last look
at the beginnings of the new Campanile
ere he departed for that conclavic des-
tiny from which there was to be no re-
| turn.
| Meanwhile. the new Campanile, in every
detail of appearance like the old, but
possibly with more enduring skill, has
risen in the old place. and on st. Mark $
day. Thursday next, the sound of its
bells will proclaim the completed work.
4
Still it will not be the five ancient bells
that Pope Plus x will hear; nor hear
ing. will he look again upon the piazza.
The telephone will bring him the music
Of the bells all the way to Rome and to
the Vatican. The great bell he will hear
again, but the others cast, as his gift.
from fragments of the old and each bear
ing his efigy and autograph. he will
hear for the first time. Imagine his
thoughts when he listens on st. Mark 8
day for the only articulate message that
Will reach MIN OF the great IeStd tnat
the Queen Of the Adriatic is celebrating!
For the king will be there and SO will
the successor of that sometime patriarch
who is now the Pope In the morning
there will be a historic pageant through
the Grand canal, while later in the day
5000 children from the primary schools
Of Venice will assemble In the piazza
and lift their voices in song. Then at the
first sound Of the bell 1900 carrier
pigeons sent hither from every city Of
italy will be let loose from the tower
to bear the news to their homes. And.
standing on a platform just before the
reconstructed Logetta di Sansovino. Cor
RADIO Ricci, the historian, will deliver an
address.
In the evening the piazza will be bril-
liantly illuminated by electricity with
thousands of lamps arranged on the
Procuratie. the Palazzo Reale, the Tore
del POrologio, the Basilica di San Marco
and the Campanile. At the Teatro La
Fenice Verdfs Don Carlo" and Ros-
sini's I'll Barbiere do Siviglia' will be
sung in gala performance.
At 1O:4O o'clock on the morning Of July
A. 1902. after dominating the piazza for
| just 1.009 years, the old Campanile fell.
The place was bathed in sunshine. In
the shadow of the Ducal Palace some
| Assists were sketching. and before the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-21

| 1t toward Mr. Daggett. said, Split this.
| Brother Daggett.'
THE latter turned upon him with a
| keen look, and replied: Il said hairs, not
bristles''
Doctors as we'll as lawyers are capable
upon occasion of retorting on their perse-
cutors, James Mcneil Whistler once
learned to his cost
Whistler had a French poodle Of
which he was extrava gantly fond. The
poodle was seized with an affection of
the throat, and Whistler had the
audacity to send for the great throat
. specialist, Sir Morell Mackenzie.
Sir Morell, when he saw that he had
| been called in to treat dog, didn't
like 1t much. it was plain. But he said
nothing. He prescribed, pocketed a
big fee and drove away.
The next day he sent post-haste for
Whistler, and Whistler, thinking he
was summoned on some matter con-
nected with his beloved dog, dropped
his work and rushed like the wind to
Mackenzies.
On his arrival Sir Morell said
gravely:
How do you do. Mr. Whistler!
wanted to see you about having my
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-21

that a repartee of this kind did not fall
from his lips. and they belonged to that
small class OF witty retorts which can
not in the nature of things have been
prepared. and which fly out on the spur
of the moment like the spark from an
anvil
In another story we are made indeed
to rejoice at Reeds quickness. but We
are not quite sure that he got the best
Of a quick-wi opponent.
IT happened to sit next to him In the
House." continues Mr.. Lodge. land he
showed me q letter asking him to de-
fine statesman, and his reply, "A
statesman is 4 successful politician who
Is dead
The epigram was published all over
the country, and has become a familiar
quotation. But the sequel Is less well
known. The correspondent who asked
the question telegraphed as soon as he
received the answer, why don't you
die and become a statesman"
A famous story concerns John Van
Buren,. son Of President Van Buren,. who
In his prime was the leading lawyer
York bar.
One day at the close Of hotly con-
tested suit. in which Yah Buren, support
ed the losing side. a disgruntled friend
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-21

land. In those days the Piazz di San
Marco was an orchard connected with
the ancient Church Of San Geminiano and
the hospital nearby erected for the pill
grims on their way. to or returning from
The capitalization the word cam
pana," or bell-an ingenious device of the
Lombard architects-served the twofold
purpose OF religion and war. Their bells
were first used to announce the sacred
offices to Pope Sabinianus, in 604. In the
maritime cities the lights from the towers
warned sailors by night, while their bells
warned them by day or called the men-at-
arms together to defend the place. Most
Of these towers attached to town hall or
church have been destroyed by nature OF
the hands OF man, but few remain-the
Campanile di San Giorgio In Velabro,
Rome; the Campanile del Palazzo de Sig
more, Venice, and Giotto's Tower, In Flor
ence. which reveals the general lines OF
the New York Times building when the
latter Is seen from the north or south.
-.
The old Campanile di San Marco was
begun by the Doge Domenico Morosini in
9O2. being built. as has been said, Of Ro-
man bricks gathered from the ruined city
Of Altinum. 1t was completed to q height
Of 162 feet by Nicolo Barattieri, more
than two centuries later. In 1910 a bel
AAy DUTY VI great Uulh aIQ weight WAY
added. with an open arcade on each face
and crowned with q pyramidal roof up to
the total height Of $40 feet. The golden
angel. reaching an altitude Of sixteen feet
more, was then set up. In 1910 Sansovino
designed the Logetta at its foot and the
bronze gates. together with the statues
Of Peace. Mercury. Apollo and Pallas
which adorn this beautiful vestibule But
the construction Of the vestibule was the
work OF time, and 1t was not until two
centuries later that the gates had been
cast and were in place.
Thus the history Of the old Venice was
practically the history OF the campanile.
within the sound OF whose bells was even
made or initiated or completed much OF
the history Of the medieval world. The
city with the most perfect form Of re-
publican government that the world has
ever seen lay fronting the then mysteri-
GUS east, with its legends OF untold
wealth. The Adriatic opened before her
a path of commerce and Of conquest
while at her back door all Europe knock.
ed, eager to enter and share in the spoils
The character of her people combined the
energy Of the north with the Imagination
Of the south. Her merchants were the
most successful. her mechanics the mos
skillful and her artists the most human
in expression. The first modern gentle.
men and ladies were Venetian. But, once
wrote Charles Eliot Norton, 'she lacked
however, poet. Her life found utterance
in other modes Of art. She was her own
poem"
And he might have added her most
faithful and sublime epic was the Cam
panile di San Marco.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-21
Not in Her Class.

From the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
"I noticed that you didn't ask the min
ister's wife to play bridge. OF course she
wouldn't play, but 1t seems to me that
common politeness might have impelled
you to ask her"
'sOh, fudge! Shed play fast enough,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-21

EORGE r. SIMS,
veteran E n 6 ! ! S n
Journalist, perpe-
trated a hoax the
other day on his
fellow countrymen,
which took unto
itself the principal
attributes of that
famous Australian
weapon, the BOOM
erang, in that 1t
recoiled upon its
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-21

His readiness was most remarkable =
he tells us. Il never saw him at a loss.
He had a greater power Of stating a case
unanswerably In few words than any
man I have ever known. His presence
Of mind never failed. and do not recall
an occasio when he was obliged to ex-
plain or retract from q position sudden
ly taken, a mishap which may happen to
the best and most competent of leaders.
With his exceptional capacity for
terse, forcible and lucid statement was
Joined the unrivaled power of retort for
which he was famous. His mind worked
with astonishing rapidly. and his
natural originality Of thought enabled
him always to take the unexpected in an
unexpected way.
One Of his best known retorts il
illustrates his quickness. Mr.. Springer Of
Illinois was declaring with large and
loud solemnity that, in the words Of
Henry Clay. "he had rather be right
than be President"
1.-The gentleman need not be dis
turbed." interjected Mr.. Reed, she never
will be either" Hardly q day passed
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-21

ly because experience had shown It's au-
mirable power of resisting decomposition
in clay and partly because larch piles are
straight, while oak Is often bent and twist
ed and would therefore have left frequent
interstices The piles were on an average
Of thirteen feet long, and were driven
home to what IS known to builders as alb
solute resistance. That is, until they
yielded one m llimeter to each blow from
q weight Of $40 pounds raised four feet
six inches.
These piles are calculated to have a car
rying power of 10000 tons. The weight OF
the new tower is little over 10000 TONS
At the angles the piles are in contact
age a dozen to the square yard. The to-
tai enlargement Of the foundation
amounted to 232 square yards. The pile
driving. which was carried on by the
primitive method Of hand rope, pulley and
weight-eleven ropes or "campanelle. and
eleven hands to each pile-driver-was
completed October 8, 1904.
Then came the attack on the old foun-
dations, consisting Of a cut made eight
feet all round, so that the new platform
could be knitted to the old. Then on the
top of this new platform massive blocks
Of Istrian stone cut in paralleloplpedes
were carefully cemented together. These
stones, noted for their fine grain, were
placed in eleven courses, and made 10
enter into the old foundations to the
depth of six feet six inches The largest
blocks were nine feet nine inches IN
length and four feet seven inches IN
width. Thus the new shaft was to be
ra sed from what was practically new
platform, the weight of which would oe
partially borne by the old piles.
The subsequent erection of this brlck
shaft has offered no technical difficulties
Of any importance. It is In reality, com
posed Of an inner and an outer SHAFT. Be-
tween them mounts the inclined plane
which leads to the belfry. The walls OF
the outer shaft are six feet thick, and the
interior of the tower presents fine piece
Of brick construction. quite Roman in its
finish and solidity. The design of the in
ner shaft offers the only important struc-
tural change which differentiates the new
tower from the old, for the sake OF light
ness the double arch on each of the four
sides has been replaced by a single span
from angle to angle.
The inner and outer shafts are bound
together at each angle by iron rods run
ming through the cement of which the
corner landing places are made. while the
pilasters at the angles of the inner shaft
are similarly united by iron rods running
through the cement which forms the basis
Of the inclined plane. Thus is the whole
tower linked together. and must stand
and fall like monolith. 1t will never
again crumble up and drop in component
parts, waiting the angel on its summit
gently earthward-
The foregoing particulars were OBJ
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-21
Strange.

FrOm FuCK.
Mrs. Highupp-How was the charity
pall?
Mrs. Blase-All right, but it's q wonder
they make anything when you consider
the small amount they spent on 1t. Their
expenses were actually less than their re-
ceipts.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-21
Ves New Campane Be Dedicated Next Thursday St Marks Day

tanned from signor Piacentini. the archi-
| tect In charge, who has also furnished
| further and more precise details, which
will probably interest others than archi-
| tects and builders:
| 4 X
The number of bricks employed is
| about 1000. 900. They are Of special
size. made at Casale. near Treviso. Of
clay twice mixed and baked in wood
fired kilns. They contain salt in con-
siderable quantities. which produces in
certain weather a sort Of white effiores-
cence all over the tower These bricks
are twelve inches long, six inches wide,
and three inches thick.
| The shafts were built without scaffold-
ing, the bricks being laid from an in
genious sliding platform which rose with
the structure. The last brick was laid
| in November, 1909, when the more diff
cult part of the reconstruction began
| the stone work Of the belfry with its ar
cade of arches.
June %. 1870 the imposing ceremony
| Of installing the bells was presided over
months later the belfry was complete.
| The three verde-antique columns which
occupied the middle places on the east
| ern, northern and western arcades in the
/ Olu OS1iHpAHlk6 Hhtc OcSu ~ CSCiSC0s ~
| the gray granite column in the center OF
| the southern arcade Is new. The lions,
| heads in the spandrels and the capitals OF
the columns are also new. all having been
| faithfully reproduced from surviving
specimens of their predecessors.
| The two figures of Justice which adorn-
| ed the east and west sides Of the square
| chamber above the belfry are intact, as
are also the lions Of st. Mark which oc-
cupied the center of the north ana sOutn
! sides Of the chamber.
Above this chamber is the pyramddal
| roof, which in the old structure was built
! of bricks round a hollow cone, producing
| a mass of tremendous weight. The new
] roof is built Of tiles over steel frame.
| On a steel rod over this roof the angel
| stands as of yore, its golden wings turn
| ing to the breeze and it's lateral pressure
modified by pendulum that swings free
| in the chamber beneath.
| And 800 feet below the angle on the
roof the beautiful Loggetta di Sansovino,
! with its famous bronze gates deftly re-
paired. also stands ready to welcome the
| throngs to the dedication of the first
structure of that new Venice of the Third
Italy which must in century or two
| utterly replace the old.
! The Venice which is passing did not al
ways repose upon an hundred isles. !"
| There were originally three islands, con-
nected by bridges and having the usual
narrow streets of the cities Of the main
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-21

front door painted"
I'VE are not SO brutal as our an
cestors, yet most Of US perhaps find
it in our hearts to rejoice in retrospect
over the discontinue Of a pickpocket
by the French dandy, the Count de
Soysons. Being seated at play one
evening, he happened to cast an eye
upon q looking-glass in front of him.
and distinctly saw q man at the back
of his chair cut away the diamond
loop of his hat. He took no immediate
notice. but pretended to be called
downstairs for a moment, and asked
the thief to play his cards in the mean
time. The man could not we'll refuse.
The count Immediately descended into
the kitchen obtained large and sharp
carving knife, and, creeping softly be-
hind the fellow, cut of his ear. Hold
ing it out to the affrightened wretch,
he calmly said:
Return me my diamond loop, sir,
and 1 will return you your ear"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-21

Had this sad. surprising thing hap
pened in the middle ages it would have
been recorded as a miracle, not only be-
cause no lives were lost, but from the
fact that curious phenomenon occurred
while the tower fell which for some
time puzzled me, as, indeed, it did sew
eral others. You know that gilded
angel surmounted the pyramidal roof on
the top Of the tower. When the first
Bits of falling plaster had warned us Of
the coming catastrophe and we had with
drawn out of harms way this angel
seemed to spread its wings and slowly
descend in a lateral direction until, puffs
of white appearing at the windows. the
bricks fell out in all directions in the
space between the Palace of the Doges
and the Sansovino Library, and I lost
sight of it in the cloud Of dust that
arose.
This angel was found almost intact
just beyond the circle Of the Logetta.
Although the fact had been unknown for
years to Venetians, this angel was orig
inally made to turn with the wind, and
so. of course, in the making it had been
most carefully balanced. Evelyn, 1 be-
lieve, speaks Of seeing it turn like a
weathercock."
When the debris had been cleared away
the foundations were found intact, and
SO it was decided that the cause of the
fall was due to the weakness of the lower
walls and the fact that they had been
cut away when the Logetta was built
In the sixteenth century. The added
weights of the belfry, constructed thirty
years before that time, and the weakened
walls had been too much for the old
Roman bricks that had already done serv-
Ice in the houses of the mainland for
centuries before they were carted to Ven
ice from the ruins Of Altinum.
AS the patriarch, who is now Pope, had
exclaimed in the language of the people:
CHE manca ell paron de casa" in a sim
liar strain arose the cry Of the Venetian
boatmen: Go passo CO la barca par ell
molo mi struca ell cuor, bisogna che varda
da Ian lori when l row along by the
dock there is a stab at my heart, and
have to turn and look at San Giorgio)."
CThe church Of San Giorgio Maggiore,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-21

It pays to read the want columns OF
The Star. Hundreds q situatioos are
filled through them.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-21

which, with its smaller campanile stands
on an island just south Of the piazatta.)
Everybody the world over said that, Of
course. the Venetians would rebuild the
fallen tower, and they offered to SUBJ
scribe money for the work, an offer that
was kindly but gently declined. On the
other hand. there were people-among
them some architects and artists-who
solemnly declared that the piazza, as
well as San Marco itself, to say nothing
of the Palace of the Doges. gained much
by the absence Of the tower. which, after
all, was ponderous. ungainly and in
artistic mass and utterly out of keeping
with Byzantine and renaissance struc-
lures that surrounded it.
Venetians and Italians generally turned
deaf ear to this criticism, and with q
grant from the state and by public sub
scrtptions raised more than $4,000 for
rebuilding the Campanile.
Time moves slowly in Italy, and 1t was
not until April Is. 1903, that the new
foundation stone was laid by the Count
of Turin. representing the King OF Italy
Leo XIII. The foundations were COM
pleted three years later at an expense Of
$4,000.
Investigation had proved that the old
tlOuNOdllOuS were never INTENDED TO SUP
port the massive weight of brick and
| masonry that had from time to time
been added to the original structure. Al
though. however, In no way responsible
for the collapse Of the tower. it was quite
obvious that the foundations were too
narrow for so imposing superstructure.
The idea of rebuilding the old foundations
was hence abandoned, and the question
arose whether they should be dug out en-
tirely to make room for an entirely new
work or whether they should be pre-
served and enlarged so as to form the
nucleus of the new base.
The latter scheme was adopted. In or
der to render the basic structure homo
geneous the engineers proceeded to en-
large the old foundations by the original
method of piles. platform, clamped
stones and stones arranged stepwise up
to the level Of the piazza, which, In the
course of centuries. was found to have
risen three feet above the original. A
ditch about sixteen feet deep-that is.
down to the level Of the pile heads-was
dug all round the old foundations to the
width Of about twelve feet and carefully
bratticed.
Into the area thus laid bare they drove
3,O76 piles of hardwood from Cadore
fresh cut SO as to insure the presence of
abundance of resin. The average diam
eter of the piles was eight and one-half
inches. Larch was preferred to oak, part
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-21

Church of San Marco children were feed
ing era cked corn to the pigeons. Work
men on ladders were repaintfng the
tower. Suddenly bits of mortar began
to fall and everybody ran. An artist
at the top of the tower, saw the golden
angel there slowly descend until it
disappeared behind the roofs of the
houses, and a dense cloud Of gray dust
arose in it's place.
Another artist in the piazza itself
wrote to the late Charles Eliot Norton
of his experiences, in substance as fol-
lows:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-21

When We hear a good thing said at q
dinner party our enjoyment is enhanced
by sympathy more or less unconscious
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-21

F"TER ten years the Prisoner of
the Vatican" will again hear the
bells of his beloved Campanile
di San Marco. On the evening
of that fateful July day in 1902