davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1913-03-02

others covering ashore. We held a con-
sultation, and the opinion seemed to be
unanimous among the Americans that 1T
was our duty to remain with these people
and render every possible service. Aside
and the searchlights SO ineffective against
the walls of falling ashes that there was
no possibility of getting to sea until the
downfall abated.
''Then there was another danger pre-
senting itself. All the water sources
were filled with the ashes and there was
not a drop of water ashore with which
natives or Americans might cool their
burning throats. The evaporators of the
Manning had early been put to work and
we were distilling plenty of drinking wa
ter for all comers. Without this every
Individual faced death and it made the
plan of remaining doubly imperative
by the time twentyfour hours had
passed the whole island was covered with
blanket of ashes foot deep. The fall
had ceased for a time June and there
was hope that the disturbance was over.
At noon, however, 1t began again and
gradually the pitch darkness settled down
The glimmer of hope was gone. The bell
in the Greek church began to toll the call
to prayers and the natives stumbled their
way through the darkness to that haven.
II sent word to Father Kasherveroff
that all the natives might be taken care
Evening star., 1913-03-02

mersion rescuing the others.
Davis, the local resident spiked this
chain of rescuers. His familiarity with
the neighborhood Of the village enabled
certainty in the direction of the cannery.
But when half the journey had been
traversed and great hallooing had been
set up. a dreaded avalanche was en-
brations of air caused by the shouting
started this avalanche from a hillside. It
struck only the advance portion OF the
party and Davis suffered particularly. He
was bowled over. carried down the hill
side and completely submerged in the
ashes His comrades hauled vigorously
on the rope and he was brought to the
surface before being completely smother
ed Eventually the cannery was reached.
the rescued men were looped into the
chain and the entire party found its way
back in safety to the Manning
"It was 2:3O on the afternoon OF the
Sth that the darkness began to give
way to a reddish glow from above. Soon
objects began to be dimly visible. Tree
shapes festooned fantastically with their
ash burdens began to loom out OF the
darkness and the hillsides to snow forth
in an ashen pallor. The landscape all about
revealed the dead monotony of its all
enveloping blanket where, few days be-
fore there had bloomed flower gardens
and fields of potatoes, this crop being the
chief subsistence of the natives. aside
from their fish. Nothing but the trees
now showed through the sh covering.
Occasional great scars in the hillside re-
vealed the course of the avalanches
which had demolished or submerged
whole houses in the village.
with the coming of the light another
consultation was held. Here was an op-
portunity to make run for the open
Evening star., 1913-03-02

cause violent coughing and great suffer
ing. We knew well that these fumes
need not become very dense to SURROGATE
us all like so many rats In ship that
is being fumigated.
''Dr. Silverman. the local physician at
Kodiak. with whom / was discussing the
situation along toward morning. showed
me a little, handled pistol he was
carrying.
81 NAV use this on myself and Mrs.
SiIverman,' he said. IF the fumes grow
much worse 1t is more merciful than
slow suffocation.'
I'm the meantime the hours arrived
when the light should have returned.
for il is daylight by o'clock that far
north. But 6 o'clock came, and still no
glimmer of light. The men went ABOUT
their work on the decks with lanterns
and bumped into each other. Ihey were
constructing a roof over the deck that
a space in which the air was more
breathable might be available The plan
wac to take the whole village aboard
and put to sea
"Rv this time we had taken aboard a
hundred natives who had pleaded for pro-
tnction Many others were huddled In
their houses and still others were con-
eregated in the Greek church which has
Found it's way into these parts by way OF
Russia. Father Kasherverofr, the priest,
was praying among them.
I'VE sent word that all should come
aboard and that we would put to sea as
soon as the light would permit But half
of the natives responded, however, the
Evening star., 1913-03-02

Quanah had appeared few years
earlier before the committee, and its chair
man had given him some very definite
instruction to the effect that polygamS on
his reservations should be stopped. He
was told that his bucks should be made
to send their surplus wives back to their
parents.
Two years elapsed and Quanah again
appeared before the committee. Senator
Clapp asked him If he had remembered
the injunction to make his followers dis
pose of all but one wife.
Yes. Me tell EN-" said Quanah.
did they send all their wives home
but one?' asked the senator.
Yes. Bucks got one wife. no more"
said Quanah.
Now, Quanah." said Senator Clapp, 81
am told upon good authority that you
yourself have six wives.
Yes. Me got six" said Quanah.
This will never do" insisted the sen
ator. You must go home and send those
wives away. You must tell them to go
back to their fathers"
You tell en-" said Quanah.
Evening star., 1913-03-02

most to the limit by saying
That statement you made was ialso'
and you made ii knowingly.
Every one looked for a fight, while a
peaceably inclined Congressman suggest
ed that the matter be stricken from the
record.
II suggest" said Representative Jchn-
son. standing UP to his hIil height which
is over six feet. that the committee
take short recess, so That the sentie-
men involved Will not be bound by par
Ijauentary laws in their manner of set
Ting their differences"
There was no more calling OF names
during that hearing.
Evening star., 1913-03-02

three hours high, for dark does not come
I'm these latitudes until 10 in the sum-
Iner. Yet almost instantly absolute dark
ness set in. This darkness was not like
that of the ordinary lightless night. 1t
can be appreciated when it is said that
q lantern at a distance of six feet was
entirely invisible. The falling ashes threw
up an impenetrable wall between it and
the observer. On Woody Island. the
wireless station, structure as big as a
six-room house was burned yet the light
of it was not visible to people living
forty yards away!
kodiak lis a village of some 400 peo-
pie mostly Aleut natives. There are a
few American traders residing there with
their families, some Russian priests. an
American doctor and his wife and a
plucky United States marshal.
x
"The revenue cutters are accustomed to
dealing with the emergencies that arise
among these isolated peoples. Both
Americans and natives have formed the
habit of leaning upon these government
boats whenever they are near and there
is trouble. So it happened that the peo-
pie Of the village. in their dismay hur-
ried to the Manning. The Americans
were taken aboard and assurances were
given the natives that they would be
cared for in case of emergency.
The night that came on was one of
terror The downpour of ashes was
frightful. There were already several
inches of it as a pail over the ship. So
heavy was it that 1t began to look as
though 1t might swamp the vessel and
drive it to the bottom. All hands were
ordered to the decks and put to work
Evening star., 1913-03-02
A Love Story.

DROF. HENRI BERGSON, al a dinnep
i'm New York. talked of love with
that gay and sparkling philosophy which
has made him famous in Europe
Love, in the sense of passion" he said,
love does not live long. There's little
fable above love which has deal OF
truth in ii.
Love. SO the fable runs. bent over
beautiful maiden, when Cynicism sneered
and said:
'''Oh, yes, her eyes are stars, and her
mouth is a rose. but twenty years hence
she will be fat and round-backed: with g
double chin. just like her mother. You,
though-ha ha, ha!--you, though. will be
blind EN-?
No Love answered, calmly. Il SIM
plv shan't be there to see
Evening star., 1913-03-02

a native woman for an hour anu hiia"'
induced her to sell him for eisht ooi'a'
string of gold beads Tor WHICH enc
had originally asked twelve lie aiuii
need the money, but he had lou OIL iuii
out of the native woman.
Having finally made the purchase ne
was inordinately proud of his BEADS L.
II was alleged. the gold for them had
been mined from the deposits owned by
those Indians and the beads had peen
fashioned by their own workmen.
When the party approached the Texas
border the majority of It's members
showed little disposition to produce the
various trinkets they had purchased, put
CONGRESSMAN Murdock. having had
hand in framing the tariff laws, insisted
on declaring everything he had and pay
ing duty on 1t.
He had shown his opals and blankets
and silks to the authorities and had been
soaked good and hard for them because
of the annoyance of collecting on such
small things. Finally he dug up the beads
from a vest pocket.
That's all right" said the customs Of
fetal, wearily.
But 1 want to pay duty on the beads.
insisted Murdock. "The schedule
That's all right" again pleaded the
agent
ION an ad valorem basis" continued
Murdock, "I should pay"
Its all right. ] tell YOU" cried the
agent "You got em in Tehuantepec.
YOU paid eight dollars, but their value is
nothing! They're brass!"
Murdock subsided
Evening star., 1913-03-02

depot" said one OF them'
Well. what do you think OF H. pa
asked the old lady, after her HUSBAND hao
looked the engine over carefully.
She'll never start said tn old man
with conviction; she'll never start!
Presently the engine gave preliml-
nary snort, got slowly under way and
the train began to grow small in the dis
tance.
"'WeI, now, what do you think Of it?'
demanded the old lady.
Her husband watched until ths tail OF
the train had disappeared around curve
"'Sherl never STOP he declared, shell
never stop"
Evening star., 1913-03-02
Always Merry and Bright.

cTAN Y. HENKELS, an auctioneer.
- was talking about the wonderful
Hale autographs which he sold last
month.
BENJAMIN Franklin's autoSrap aphs, :"
said Mr. Henkels, showed him, as all
WAYS. shrewd and witty. 1t was Frank
lin. YOU know, who. replying to revo-
lutionary letter, which said. The cream
of the English army is now in the fied.'
answered:
81 suppose you mean the whipped
cream
Evening star., 1913-03-02

ticularly personal Finally he pOundeu MS
fist on the table, and shouted across to
Mr.. Fisher:
DO you drink
What's that?" queried Fisher.
DO you drink?'
Il don't understand your question"
II demand 10 know repeated the other
lawyer, now plainly irritated, If You
drink
A smile came across MIR Fisher S face,
ard he replied, very seriously:
III counsel for the defense will ask me
nat question after court has adjourned.
and change the tense, l may be able TO
answer
II is related that both lawyers took
tee same.
Evening star., 1913-03-02
Looking for Trouble.

Victor MurGock,
the Kansas insur-
gent congressman,
not long ago toured
Mexico with a
party of newspa-
per men from tn ;
states, he being d
pencil pusher when
not worning at pol
itics. In Tehuante-
nee. an Indian vii
lage on the mar
row neck in south
ern Mexico, he one
day wrangled with
Evening star., 1913-03-02
Kodak In ITS NANELE OEVo1 GANG Ash

of either on the Manning or in the ware
house on the dock BY this time they
We're ready to accept the dictation of the
priest, and soon there were 80 of them
in the warehouse and 1S5 on the Manning
The pinch of hunger was already upon
the multitude and we undertook to sup
ply them with food as well as water.
with most of the inhabitants thus ac-
counted for. reports began to come In OF
isolated parties that might be suffering
great hardships. There was, for instance.
a party of six men half a mile down the
beach at cannery. Nothing was known
of the condition of these men. Lieut.. w.
K. Thompson of the Manning came to me
on the second day and asked that he be
ordered to the rescue. / told him that |
would give him no such order. as it would
be like sending a man to certain deatn
but that he might go Of his own accord
if he desired
s'IIe Immediately proceeded to make up
a party of volunteers and start for the
cannery. This party consisted of a sec
ond lieutenant in the revenue cutter serV-
lce a third lieutenant of engineers, the
ships writer, the assistant master-at-
arms a seaman, the master of a private
tug that happened to be in port and one
local resident.
''In the intense darkness the first fear
of these men was in losing each other.
This was obviated by the use of a long
rope, each man attaching himself to it at
a given distance This precaution also
helped toward safety from another great
danger in the expedition. There are high
hills just back of the town of Kodiak and
upon these the fall of ashes had become
so heavy that great slides were breaking
loose and from time to time coming
down upon the town like an avalanche.
If one of these should strike the party
the rope might aid in those escaping SUD-
Evening star., 1913-03-02
Playing It Both Ways.

Two S e n a or 8
we re W a [ c ming
preparations for an
aviation flight at
the army training
school at College
Park, Md. One OF
the army flyers
was having diff
Guilty in starting
his machine.
Reminds me OF
the old farmer and
his wife who first
saw a train Of cars
standing at tie
Evening star., 1913-03-02
A Soft Answer.

Before he came
into national pror :
inence Walter l.
Fisher, the Secre-
tary of the lnte-
r;or. was trying a
case in Chicago 1t
came at the end OF
a hard day. and al
most ev er ybody
connected with the
litigation had be-
come o o m e what
peevish. G o u nsei
for the other side
had become par
Evening star., 1913-03-02
He Was.

A number Of
years ago Uncle
Joe" Cannon and a
party of congress-
men made q trip
down through the
West Indies. Rep
res g n t a tive j..
Hampton Moore OF
Pennsylvania was
historian of the ex-
petition and the
late Vice President
Sherman and Rep
resentative James
r. Mann of Illinois.
Evening star., 1913-03-02

now republican leader OF the house' "eio
two of its most active members.
At San Juan, Porto Rico. they found
the local legislature in session, and were
warmly received.
''One of them seemed very much in
terested in Mr.. Mann" said Mr.. Moore,
''and told him he had read every one OK
his speeches in the Congressional Record.
'iAt this Sherman gasped, and, grasp.
Evening star., 1913-03-02
An Expert Needed.

r c pr e sentative
Kahn OF San Fran
cisco tells a story
upon Luther Bur-
bank and a certain
congressman high
in the councils of
d e m o c aey. but
whose name is not
revealed because
of his size and
lighting reputation.
II seems that this
congressman I " o
years ago toured
the state of Cali
Evening star., 1913-03-02
No, Indeed

Ben J o h II ; - u,
yepr sc N [ atlVe
from Kentucky, Is
a resourceful per
son. While he was
presiding over
long and spirlteo
congressional IN
vestigation not long
ago two of the at
torneys in v oived
began to call each
other liars In par
liamentary a n :
guage. Finally one
of them went al
,Sv.O-
Evening star., 1913-03-02
That Settled It.

Quanah Parker,
until his recent death
chief OF the Cher
okee Indians down
in Oklahoma, won
the reputation OF
being the wit of
his race. An occur
renee In Washing
ton a year before
his death illuxtrat-
ed the peculiar la
comic wit of this
sentative of a
people that is sup
posed to have no
sense Of humor.
Evening star., 1913-03-02

ing the colored member warmly by the
hand, eXclaimed:
iIpon meeting the busiest man IN forto
Rico"
II was on the same trip that Cannon,
then Speaker of the House. got on MS
famous epgram OH "hoW TO pulio ="
Panama canal. ~
What do you think of the canal! he
was asked. ~
My boy, it's simply a matter or dig
GIN and dammin'," he answered
Evening star., 1913-03-02

wizard of plant life and the two dined to-
gether.
According to Representative Kahn. Bur
bank Immediately returned to his expsrt-
Evening star., 1913-03-02

determined the fate of nations
Therefore the recent adoption
of d new sword model for the L. S. Army
a weapon straight, double-edged and de-
signed for both cutting and thrustinG, is
"a matter of more than technical interest,
more than the hobby of officers charged
not infrequentlIy with changing types of
weapons with little cause and much
fickleness.
The new weapon, Straieht-blade
steel, was adopted after the most mod
ern practice of European fighting ma
tions had been carefully studied. The
mounted officers and men of the l. S.
Army areA placed on equal terms with
the fighting men of other first-rate pow
ers. For more than fifty years the United
States has used a curved saber for its
cavaIrymen, weapon praised and
abused, extolled as the best for defense
and offense. and ridiculed as fit only to
spit bacon over slow fire.
-.
The controversy is as old as the sword
itself The world has turned again to
the straight blade, and the United States
is getting in line.
tain only small standing army. with
practically no experienced reserve. was
one of the determining factors in chang
ing the shape of the army sword
When a. rocky gets into the saddle his
in,niI1se is to use the sword for thrustinG.
He thrusts instinctively. In time OF war
the United States would fight a large
part of its land engagements with the
unframed recruit. He must have Weap-
h, nd
too much training Later, with expert
ence, he will learn to cut me stralsnt,
two-edged blade is available 1or poth
practices: the curved steel is a cutting
weapon only. -, :;
The adoption of the new model is
grounded on the experience OF hghting
nations of twenty centuries Ihe snoi
sword of Rome was very early cu'.iis
weapon But when Rome was spreaoins
her empire it was thrustmg "eapon r,
it was the sharp point or the slousy
gladius before which the Gallo hordes
melted when attacked by Ceasar le-
gions Later chain mail was lnvenlea. !.
The point was ineffective; pio" VIII
the edge might not cut the mail, DIT II
would break bones Therefore the west
ern world took to the edge again.
Plate armor was the next decisive IN
vention The sword edge made little L.
preston on the steel. The German mer-
cenaries, clad in shining plate, sought
Italian gold They earned it, what with
their strong arms and plate armor they
could work against their opponents
The history Of the sword was changed
again bv necessity. An Italian captain no
ticed that when a Teuton, clad in plate
armor. raised his arm for a blow, he ex-
posed beneath his arm and in his breast
nlafe an lIuDrOtected surface,
1.-The point!'' cried the captain TO his
, men, They began. with a vigor born of de
spair to thrust at the vulnerable spot il
German armor. Thereby was the life oi
Italian cities, whose fate seemingly had
Evening star., 1913-03-02

mental gardens and began the culture of
a peculiar variety of pea. 1t was to be
square pea in order that 1T might not
roll off Oh off of the democratic con-
gressman's knife!
Evening star., 1913-03-02

Rev William Richardson, democrat Of
Alabama, is supposed to have entered the
Sixty second Congress with the slightest
known opposition. His republican op-
ponent received only six votes.
Evening star., 1913-03-02

Machinery has done much to accelerate
the production of a sword, but 1t remains,
after all, the product of a hand craft.
Only an experienced eye can determine
the cherry-red to which the blade should
be heated in tempering, and only hand
craft can test the blade so thoroughly
that when it leaves the arsenal it is a fit
weapon to which man may trust his life.
During the civil war, when many sa-
bers were made in private factories,
swordmakers reaped harvest. The gov
ernment tests were severe and the anna
tcur could not produce a satisfactory
weapon. 1t is a good workman who can
make 90 per cent of his blades stand the
government test: of the Springfield ar
senaIs product less than 10 per cent are
rejected.
4 swordmaker at the old Ames factory
always arrived late at work. He was dis
charged Then followed the usual expert
cnce So many blades were rejected that
the factory lost money. He was asked To
return He demanded more wages and
the factory owners refused his terms.
They were again confronted with loss and
appealed to him. His demands rose high
er. Finally he was re-employed at some
Evening star., 1913-03-02

.HE difference between a straight
and curved sword may seem a
negligible matter, but 1t has
determined the fate of nations.
Evening star., 1913-03-02

German soldier. Therein lies food for
thought. These weapons. together with
the new Swedish sword, almost Identical
with the weapon used by Napoleon
cavalry, were the object lessons from
which the new model for the United
States Army was devised.
Among the major nations OF Europe the
only one not using a straight model now
is Russia Her cavalry will carry a
lance. straight and intended for thrust
ing. The present practice of Europe was
determined and reported to the War De
partment by a board comprising brig.
Gen. f.. j. McClernand, Col. James Par
ker. Col Joseph r. Dickman and Nal
Jesse Mel. Carter, who had I'm charge the
general subject of revision of cavalry
equipment.
The swords with which the cavalry is
to be equipped-officerS and men VIII
carry the same weapon-will all be made
at the Springfield arsenal. Their con-
struction will follow that of former
years, except that the tang the piece
which fits into the grip will not be weld
ed to the blade, but will be a part of the
original piece of steel from which the
blade is made. This will add strength.
United States Army swords tenn
pered i'll oil. Until few years ago water
was used to chill the hot blades, but
water tends make a brittle steel. After
the blade, pounded rolled and hammer
ed from a bit of steel about nine inches
long. is ground 1t is subjected to very
severe tests.
The point is caught under staple and
the blade, thirty-hve and one-half inches
long is bent over a block of wood, the
bent blade making the arc of a circle
of about thirty-five inches in diameter.
1t is then bent in the opposite direction.
Afterward the blade is struck on an oak
block, tested on sides and edges. After
this severe treatment If is dipped i'm Oil
and bent. While bent the oil is wiped off.
If the blade is cracked, even though the
defects might otherwise be invisible to
the eye, the oil in the minute crevices
will be forced TO the surface when the
blade is Strengthened, and the defects
will be instantly revealed by slight
streaks of oil, hardly broader than "a
hair.
Evening star., 1913-03-02
A|fPfQl:l|

- rNCLE SAM owns a volcano that
last June came near shaming
Vesuvius at her best. 1t Is Kat
mai. that Titan of the Alaskan
coast, a mountain that rears
,+s head among perpetual SHOWS. ana
nurses on its sides glaciers that never
melt vet carries in its vitals a merry
demon that now and again cries denance
TO the gods of the north and unieashes
its furies upon them.