davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-23

the time to look up, wrote that March
was the time when
- The hounds Of spring on winters traces
Fill the shadows and windy places
With hint Of leaves and ripples of rain.
Some philosopher has said that the years
consist of five seasons-spring, summer,
autumn winter and March.
x X
THE herb gatherers are at work in
the Washington parks. They are Tor
the most part colored women. and their
dress is not the smar. and fashionable
syringe attire which may be Sen on r
street during the afternoon promenade
1t is the same dress these women have
been wearing all winter, and apparently
for many winters though perhaps with
some of the midwinter wraps or wrap
pings left off. But these old-time women
who gather old-tine herbs and greens
in the parks are conservative In the mat
ter of tightening their apparel, and they
are not lured into doing this Dy the nrst
touch Of spring
Each of these herb hunters carries a
De sket, a big market basket, AND knife
It is, the usual pattern or taDie hnlIe'
with wood or bone handle and with
well worn blade-the kind of knife that
goes with a three-pronged fork. A group
of these women was scattered over the
grounds of the Department of Agriculture.
and the Rambler talked with one. she
was cutting dandelions by pressing
knife into the turf, giving it a sharp lit
tie twist severlng the tap root of the
plant. pulling it up shaking Off the earth
adhering to 1t, and dropping the spring
green into a capacious basket piled
with about a bushel of dandelions. Where
the plant was In flower the woman would
deftlv cut the lower end of the root and
pull out the blossom and it's stalk from
the rosette of foliage.
The old woman told the Rambler tnat
Won should pile the dandelions just like
You would any other SALAD or greens.
Some folks billed them in one water II
they liked 'em good and strong favored
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-23
A Modern Sound.

TELEPHONE bells are jingling in q
territory contiguous to Washington
where until a few days ago this merry.
modern sound was never heard. Gaunt
new poles have been planted along roads
and wires strung where until within a
week or so there was no electric commu-
nication of news and ideas and neighbor-
hood gossip And all this in a picturesque
land six or seven miles from the capital
and where from the hills a man may
plainly see the Washington Monument
and the great white dome, and may count
the steeples of Washington. 1t is quiet
farming country mostly devoted to tho
culture of vegetables and small fruits.
After you leave Congress Heights and
go rambling southwark you come in the
course of a mile to a fork of the road
where. under shelter OF hills that over
lap it on all sides. is a fertile field o.
flowers and early vegetables. 1t is called
Drayner's place. Here, one road veers to
the east This is called the Livingston
road. and leads on to Rose Croft. Oxof
HILL and hundred other settlements in
southern Maryland. The other road bends
slightly to the west, and then takes up a
course due south. This is called the
Giesboro road. perhaps because II does
not lead to Giesboro. road strikes
off from this road at right angles and
to Giesboro but the road on which
you are now walking. perhaps riding.
goes on to Bald Eagle hill above the
mouth of Oxon run, and then stops. be
ginning again when you have followed
path across the fields in the valley of
the run.
1t is along this road when you reach
the valley of the creek that you get out
of touch with telephone and telegraph.
On some roads to the eastward are tele-
phone lines and along the road from Oxon
Hill via McNay's to Friendly are the
wires that connect Fort Washington with
the outside world.
1t is from a point mile to the west
and north of Friendly that new wires
have been strung up Broad Creek hill
and onward to point half mile north
of Wares store. with numerous branch
lines running off to the farms between
this. the old post road. and the river.
The Rambler was told that lines will be
extended south along this road. past
the ancient Broad Creek Church, and on
to a hamlet called SILICA.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-23
Remarkable Cedar Hedge.

THE cedar hedge OF the inaugural
court Of honor brings to mind a re-
markable cedar hedge that grows near
Washington and has been growing since
before the civil war IL is spectacle
I'm cedar. old, tall trees that wave and
bend and bow and whistle in the winds
that sweep that way in winter. old trees
that cast long cool shadows when sum
mer suns shine hot. old tall trees whose
dark cones may be seen for many miles
and have for generations been a land
mark of thu region they adorn. And when
the air is moist these old cedars spread
their Fragrance far.
Ii Is rolling country to the south and
southeast OF the District line 1t is up
land. deep scanned by many streams. and
the number of these Wales which a
traveller climbs down into and up out OF
is large. section of the ancient post
road from the north to the settlements
OF southern Maryland leads from the
steep, wooded ridge south of the valley OF
Oxon run to the valley of Broad creek
down which ii winds by one of the worst
hill roads. From the south crest above
Oxon run to the north crest above Broad
creek is three miles. and the road runs
straight along this high level land.
fhree-quarterS of mile from the point
of beginning this level Is a fiat-top ridge
falling sharply on the west to the river
lowlands and also falling sharply on the
east into the valley of a little stream
that runs north and south generally par
alleling the road at a distance of from
a third to half mile. 1t is across
this ridge that the great cedar hedge
stands. Perhaps there are GOO OF these
stately trees. The rambler did not count
them. but merely counted the number in
what appeared to be one-fourth of the
length of the hedge.
The word hedge seems too small for
this noble line of big trees and wind
break" or wind-brake'' seems too pro-
sale, but the line of trees was planted
as a wind break The break runs
across the south line of the old Bayne
farm. and was planted by DIR. John
Bayne. father of DR.. John W. Bayne. one
of Washington's physicians, now deceas-
ed, and the grandfather of Breckenridge
Bayne.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-23
MRS. D0sEPqNS DANIELS NAVY


wives Of navy men and she will have
the pretty maidens of their homes to
mingle in her throngs.
Mrs. Daniels Is a devout believer in the
home mission of woman, and though she
is active in many ways, her husband,
home and boys are the paramount issue.
She will remain for the present in a hotel
and will remove her treasures from the
hotel leisurely during the late summer
and autumn. During the inauguration
were the guests OF their old friend. DR..
Sterling Ruffin. Mrs. Bagley. Mrs
Daniels mother. resides in pleasant
apartment, but much too small to ac-
commodate her distinguished son-in-iaw
and a cabinet household
=. :;
There arc four sons living. The death OF
a small daughter is the only sorrow
Mr.. and Mrs. Daniels have known since
their marriage of twenty-five years The
sons are Josephus, jr., Worth Bagley,
Jonathan Worth and Francis. and all
four came to Washington to see Presi-
dent Wilson's triumphal entry ana to
witness their father. taking the oath of
Office The younger ones will return to
school Immediately after the Easter re-
cess.
Mrs. DaIiels became interested in hos
pital work during the Spanish American
war and sac was on one of the commit
tees which did such good work toward
providing the proper sort of nurses in the
field and city hospitals. When the Wom-
ans Club of Raleigh extended Its work
into hospital supervision, Mrs. Daniels,
having already much experience, took
charge Of that particular branch.
Though hospitals are not such a VITAL
issue in any part of North Carolina as
they are In other sections less well stu
ated climatically, and with a more con-
gested population the club desires that
these public institutions must be CONDUCT
ed according to the most advanced ideas.
AS head of such an important division of
society as the navy contingent Mrs. DAN
iels will be- of inestimable value i'm pro-
noting the, philanthropic ideals relating
to sailors homes and such institutions;
The majority Of hospitals for sailors and
soldiers are under government control
and present small chance for lNnprovc-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-23

many which fringe our sea line, was
born on August IS, 1857, the first child
of English parentage, to see the nsnt
of day in all North America Our his
tory, which furnished all that Is thrill
ing and worthy In the way of adventure
and romance, is source or special
study, especially to those who belong 10
the various patriotic societies. We have
already pretentious field Of literature,
and. as historical research has such a
vogue now. every chapter OF our annals
is being diligently studied by competent
scholars
Mrs Daniels. in addition to the clubs
already named, takes great pride in be-
longing to the Sponsors Club, one COM
posed exclusively Of those who have
broken the traditional bottles over the
prows of vessels either devoted entirely
to the navy or held in the navy reserve.
1900 the torpedo boat Worth Bagiey was
launched at Newport News. The So
ciety of sponsors has a large member
ship in Washington and they hold fire.
quent reunions. Mrs. Daniels will, as
soon as she has the leisure and her do
nestle arrangements are complete, enter
tain her colleagues. The club has re-
Gently permitted the sponsors of the big
ocean liners which can be converted into
cruisers to belong to their organization.
but they do not admit the sponsors of
GOLFERS or the lesser kind of naval craft.
y
Though the Navy Department as cab
met portfolio figures as the fifth in po-
litical Importance when the order of pre-
cedence is followed, from the social stand
point it ranks with that Of the War De-
partment and is second only to that of
State. Some twenty years ago. or even
as late as the second Mckinley admins
tration, Washington society could be uni
fled as it were and a house of ordinary
dimensions could serve to entertain all
Now there are accepted divisions and
subdivisions of these classes. kor In
stance, the cabinet circle forms the high
est class" of official society and is COM
parable only to that formed by the Su-
preme Court circle. But in the cabinet
set there are now four distinct classes
which make up powerful wing Of official
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-23

his report February II, 1853, and by c.
NJ. Conrad. the Secretary Of War. it was
forwarded to President Willard Fillmore
who transmitted it to Congress. This re.
those persons inclined to pursue this sub
ject closely can find it. printed as Senate
executive document No. AZ. Thirty-second
Congress, second session.
X *
In his recapitulation Lieut.. Meigs finds
that the project of drawing from Rock
creek the water needed for washington
and Of installing water service ITO the
Capitol, navy yard and public buildings
including a high service in Georgetown
would cost 81 .2:S, 1853. The advantage OF
this plan over others is the cheapness OF
it and it was computed that Rock creek
could furnish 26. 600 gallons daily in
winter and spring, but that this volume
was liable to be diminished in the heats OF
summer to about eJO0OOV gauops. The
Little Falls project would. cost 81 ,597. 415
The advantage Of this project over tina,
Of Rock creek was the steadiness of sup
ply, which at the cost named would sup
ply 100000 gallons daily and this vol
ume could be Increased, at any time to
100000 gallons by installing another
pumping wheel 1t had certain disar-
.vantages,. among than being thesxant ef
simplicity and: the OseS OF pumping NIB
Ch1n6ry, winch - Always, however well
constructed, would be liable to injury ard
Interruption
Another drawback to the Little Fails
plan was the want Of reservoir space for
settling the water and still another draw
back was liability to interruption for a
time during floods. The Great Falls pro-
ject would cost 81 .021, pa and at this price
could be obtained IAN verlasting daily
supply of 100000 gallons. This esti-
mate was on the basis of a seven-foOt
conduit and the estimate was later re-
vised to comprehend a nine-foot conduit
The advantages OF the Great Falls pro-
ject were simplicity. durability. perfect
security and inexhaustible and unfail-
ing source. Lieut.. Meigs wrote that under
the Great Falls plan there could be a Law
ish use of water in Washington. power
for street washing. cooling the air, and
embellishing the city with great .foun-
tains; use for driving small machines,
1athes, presses and the like. great spa &c
for settling and purifying reservoirs and
a great quantity in store for emergencies
when once established And consequent
low price Of water delivered in houses
and factories. ~ H.
It IL curious, but by. no means gtnpleas-
ant, to read in this formal. Ufffeia1 re-
port, bristling with facts and figures. the
following paragraph on the subject of
fountains: tr,is
Fountains ,udiciousiy placed and kept constant.
the sewers as much to the health OF nffy az By
the GOODNESS they dinuse; they add 10 its com
fort while by the grace Of their sparkling JETS
they please the eye and add beauty and comfort
seems Instructive; It 10 associated with our
earliest reading The cool fountain IN the desert
BY which the patriarch OF old watered his hocks,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-23

ject than this connected with the cap
ital of the government. The public
safety, the public property and health
Of ali parties concerned in the admin
istration of the government, and the
establishment and prosperity Of the
capital, require that water should De
supplied to this city. The security OF
the Capitol requires it, and il we are
ever to do it there Is no time SO well
to do 1T as now. The experience OF all
cities which have deferred such enter
prises has been to show that 1t Is
much cheaper and more profitable to
adopt the system early
Senator Brodhead Of Pennsylvania
said he thought this the commence
ment Of an expenditure upon the part
Of the general government of about
$4,000, 900 for the benefit OF this city.
II am one Of those" he said, who en-
terrain the opinion that q company in
corporated to supply this city with
water. as all other cities are supplied,
would be the proper mode"
Senator Dtdge of Iowa thought the idea
Of a private company was the correct
one. Look he said. al the enormous
cost Of the waterWorks OF Few York city
take into view Whist ought to be the ulti
mate growth and extent Of this city, and
undertake. to say that If the work is
undertaken with that degree. OF magni-
tude with which it should be, with a view
to the ultimate supply of a city OF the
size and probable growth Of this. 1t Will
absorb even larger amount than that
which the senator from Pennsylvania has
stated. l think the people of the District
of Columbia ought to furnish themselves
with water. 1 am utterly unwilling to
vote a dollar for this object
Mr. Hale said he felt strong interest
In the amendment, and arose to correct
the senator, who had said that all large
cities of this country are supplied with
water by private companies Il say IL
there is one thing this city has right
to call on Congress for 1t is for water.
We supply them with rum. Hundreds of
shops are open every day and night and
Sundays, too, for the sale Of rum by vir-
tue Of our authority or want of author
ity, which we have given to suppress
them. We supply the people here with
lottery tickets. It is the greatest depot
Of gambling that there is in the United
States. After we have given them rum
and lottery tickets, when they now ask
for pure and wholesome water we have
not got the constitutional power to give
it,
Senator Dawson Of Georgia said: Il
think every one here knows that L am
not at all prodigal in appropriations. and
this appropriation is one in which the
whole country is interested. Now. today.
perhaps every state in the Union has q
large number Of persons in Washington,
every one Of whom Is interested In hav-
ing good water, and we all know that we
are deprived Of that privilege. Besides,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-23
A Remarkable Gift.

tSA SENSE of humor is fine posses
sion. With some men. however, it
goes to extremes-to CHASTITY extremes .
The scene was the Economic Clubs din
ner In New York. The speaker, Mayor
Hunt of Cincinnati. continued:
Il used 10 know in Horace EnnesIey a
man with this excessive sense of humor
Horace said to me one morning, with
ghoulish laugh:
I've got the greatest joke to tell
you,
We'll, what is it, said /.
You know said Horace. that l was
examined and passed for life insurance
last week? Well-ha, ha. ha!-fve been
to consult a specialist this morning and
he tells me I've got an incurable disease.
He gives me just one year Ha, ha.
hai'
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-23

the gray head. The gardener hopes to
be able to cause this plant to grow a
gray beard and to carry a walking stick
One comes across a cluster of cacti
called ..the bishops inter- and they are
strangely like the object for which they
are named. They could not be more like
a bishops inter in form and color had
they been cast In a mold for that pur-
pose Nearby Is 1.-The Turks head cac-
tus, q stumpy plant topped with growth
OF red spines easily suG costing a red fez.
The gardener will introduce to you a
low and compact form of cactus called
Living rock SO called because it is a
living, growing thing, and SO hard. that
no matter how hard you press upon 1t,
and no matter how strong you are, you
cannot make an impression on it You
can stand on 1t and the heel of your shoe
Will not dent It. You should not miss
seeing the cactus called mammala. be-
cause of it's curious form and the milk
like sap which exudes from it.
xx
In this dollhouse are variety of
mescal buttons very small cacti of the
shape Of buttons and from which the
fiery drink. or the red-hot potion called
mescaI is obtained. There is a miniature
garden where these buttons are being
raised from seed. They are. Of slow
growth, and q very small one is pointed
out which has grown from seed that was
planted in 1904.
A fine specimen of the spineless cactus
from Algiers is there. 1t Is ten feet high.
and presses against the top Of the glass
roof. The thick and feshy lobes or
leaves are as big as the blades of pro-
pellOr on ordinary bay or river craft, and
some of them weigh twenty pounds.
Many cactus forms from Lower Cali
fornia and other parts Of Mexico have
recently been added to the exhibit, and
the cactus experts are waiting for them
and classification Of them may be made.
Among the cactus forms you will see a
group OF the water barrel cactus, huge
spiny things of globular or ovate form,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-23

the majority have married southern
women Two of the cabinet hoatesses
Mrs. Albert Sidney Burleson ana
Mrs David Franklin Houston. are
natives of Austin, Tex. Mrs. Daniels.
who will be a conspicuous social figure,
has spent all her life in the capital or
North Carolina-Raleigh She was born
there, received most OF her education
there and was married there in 1888.
Three members OF this cabinet and their
wives were born in the states where they
now reside and on which they confer
such political distinction. namely. the
Postmaster General and Mrs. Burleson OF
Texas, the Secretary of the Navy and
Mrs Daniels of North Carolina and the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-23

society and are dominated by as many
cabinet hostesses. The wife of the Secre-
tary Of State must assume responsibility
for all the amenities toward that august
body, the strangers within the gates, rep
resenting the nations with which the
United States holds friendly diplomatic
and commercial relations, namely, the
diplomatic corps.
The wife of every Secretary OF State
finds this task ollie of large proportions,
and which requires unremtting care ana
solicitude. There are now ten ambaSsa-
doris and thirty-one ministers and lesser
diplomats, and al must receive courtesy
according to their rank. The wife OF the
Secretary of War has the great ocoy OF
army men and their wives stationed In
and about Washington and in addition
retired officers and widows and children
of officers. All expect courtesy from the
head of the land defense and every mis-
tress Of the War Secretary's household
has been careful TO follow traditions
The wife of the Attorney General has the
Supreme Court and the intricate windings
of judicial society as a. special care.
Mrs Daniels as wife of the Secretary
of the Navy will be the official chatelaine
of the sea branch Of the national defense.
Navy people are somewhat more numer-
Gus in Washington than army people, and
this was shown when the retiring Secre-
tary and Mrs. Meyer gave reception
as a farewell courtesy to those with whom
they had been SO long identified. More
than 500 guests were present. Scores of
retired admirals reside in Washington,
and the widows of officers include some
OF the most distinguished names which
have adorned recent history. Admiral
Dewey and his wife make Washington
their home and they occasionally mingle
with the gay tl1rong both as guests and
hosts. Mrs. Sampson and Mrs. Robley
Evans are residents. and Mrs. Schley is
frequent visitor. The Marine Corps is
counted with the navy, and this extends
the list. Mrs. Daniels will have the pleas
ant duty OF knowing all these people and
Of asking them to her home on occasion.
According to tradition, she viii select
her aids at formal functions from the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-23

even when not seen the plaintive note OF
this bird could be heard, and the love
note of the male was heard in January
a very early mating.
x x
In the woods to the south Of the Dis
trict line some cardinals spent the win
ter. 1t may be that these birds moved
further north as the days warmed and
frightened and heightened, but there is
plenty of testimony that a number OF
these birds fitted about Washington on
sunshiny days all winter. And so also
did crested titmice and chewinks Some
country people have told the Rambler
that nuthatches were seen all winter and
that the downy and hairy woodpeckers
were here but there are many persons
who believe that these birds are resident
throughout the year.
The robin blackbird, grackle and the
meadow lark showed themselves so early
in the spring that it is believed some of
the members of these families wintered
here. and it is reasonably certain that
some robins and grackles did not go far
Their south than Washington and the
country beyond the Eastern branch.
A GREEN flagpole, or flagstaff, or flag
"A mast-anyhow, 1t is painted green
is an innovation at Washington. The
traditional color for fiagpole Is white,
considering that to be a, color. and
grass green flagpole is something new.
It may be seen at the Zoo.
The earliest green lawn in or about
Washington was that on the southeast
ern hillside at the Zoo-the hillside that
slopes down to Rock creek south and
east from the main Zoo building. where
in are the lions, the tigers and alligators,
the serval. the spotted hyena, the snakes,
the ella monsters and other things which
the Rambler would have noted had not
the closing gong sounded too soon.
The hillside falling away from the lion