davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-06

celebrated to mark the return to work
after the Christmas holidays. On DistaD
day the men sought to burn the fax be-
longing to the women of the house. who
tried to prevent them by dashing their
pals of water in the direction Of the Of
tenders. Though this was perhaps the
most general custom Of the weavers, It
was not representative of their festivals,
most of which took place at the great
fairs of the country and were marked
by dignified pageantry
Pillow Monday. celebrated the Monday
after Twelfth Night. also gave a finish
to the Yuletide vacation and gave occa-
sion to the rural folks to march in gay
procession. Thirty or forty country lads
wearing their coarse shirts over their
small coats and with hats streaming with
bright ribbon, dragged pillow from house
to house. One of their number, who was
strikingly dazzling feminine attire. head
ed the parade. in which there were also
Morris dancers and other fancy steppers
in oSllns pence and shillings from those
who lived along their line Of march. 1t
is said that no one ever refused an Of
fering. as the plowman's festival was not
only popular but commanding. Had the
occupants of any house declined to make
a donation, the sidewalk of the house
would have been plowed up by these
paraders.
AS early as 1926 the guilds of Newcastle
entered into keen rivalry with each other
in presenting their pageants at the festi-
val of Corpus Christi. In 1884 the York
shire coopers, diapers. merchant adven-
turers, pewterers. glazers and plumbers
were all obliged through their guilds and
at their own expense to furnish some
pageant representing some part of Holy
scripture. and every individual was COM
PEELED to be living representation OF
some particular character in the Bible
and to repeat poetry for the celebration
of craftsmen.
The thrashers of Charleton, Wiltshire,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-06
Wickersham,

Wickersham, rs of a region of con-
slant snow and ice, reindeer, noun
tains. bears and arctic scenes, but moth
ing could be further from the truth. We
are one-f1fth as large as the Union and
have as great a diversity of climate.
"In Alaska you can. in certain parts.
find fields of finest vegetables, great
stretches of the best grain. timber in
unlimited quantities. fish by the hun
dreds Of thousands, coal in vast veins,
game OF all kinds. the most beautiful
scenery in the world, the highest noun
tains on the continent and the largest
glaciers on the coast.
cat Fairbanks, the town Is Of the
most up-to-date kind. with banks,
churches. schools, etc, and the climate
is mild. The coast has a mild tempera-
ture on account of the warm Japanese
current which flows near. Just as Eng
land is far north of Labrador, yet
warmed by the gulf stream, so the coast
Of Alaska, though hundreds Of miles
north of the southern part OF Green
land, has a climate as delightful as one
could wish to enjoy.
Our swamps are covered with Kind
of moss and are called tundras. The
moss makes an excellent food for the
reindeer: which animal is now being bred
with an idea of its being an important
commercial factor in future. These deer
can thrive on mushrooms. moss, scant
grass and willow-sprouts on which other
beasts would starve; yet they furnish
meat. leather, clothing. hair and glue.
The meat is fine, the tongues when
dried being a delicacy. The skins bring
a fair price in the market. and their
hair Is used as a filling for life-preserv-
ers: The horns make good glue.
I'm Lapland, a community of $4,000
people were given support by a herd
of 100000 reindeer, and there is no rea-
son why the reindeer herds OF Alaska
of that land in abundance. In Norway
and Sweden reindeer meat Is a staple
goods in the market and sells for 1C
cents per pound. It certainly seems as
If the reindeer will solve the problem Of
the high cost of living in Alaska"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-06
The FArOU5 -
GUILD HALL, l. oNDoN

ing the same day in some other quarter
of the island. Thus while the master
gardeners In Worcestershire were cele-
brating a cool April day by giving their
employees an annual treat OF baked peas
and pork, perhaps the gardeners, in the
next county were having more COM
monplace meal. Again, while the garden
ers of RoXburghshire were holding their
regular annual parade of the feast OF
flowers and banqueting at some inn from
which they threw quantities Of blossoms
the second Tuesday in July may have
passed unnoticed by the gardeners in
Willis.
The shoemakers' annual custom of
''wettine the block afforded a variation
to the daily routine Of life. That i'm
portant class of workers celebrated the
first Monday In March Of each year as
the last day when they should work by
candlelight until the days should again
become shorter. At the time Of this
vided his apprentices and journeymen
with their supper and sometimes made
them happy with gifts of money. II
times were hard. however. the workmen
themselves subscribed to the expense of
this particular meal or solicited donations
from their customers to spend on the
supper. After the roast lamb or other
savory dishes had been removed from
the table the block candlestick was
placed in the middle OF the table and the
shop candle was lighted When all OF
the mugs were filed, the oldest man of
the workshop was given the honor of
pouring his ale over the light to extin-
guish it. while the others drank the con-
tents of their mugs as they stood and
gave three cheers for wett!ng the block.
Those who disapproved Of foot ball will
doubtless be interested in the shoemakers'
celebration of Shrove Tuesday At that
time these workmen in some towns offer
ed ball of leather to the diapers. pro-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-06

and wife, living in the mountains OF
Virginia, who were ardent admirers OF
President jackson. They wished to
show this admiration for their President
and the wife suggested that her husband
go to Washington and present to the
President an unusually large brook trout
which he had caught that day. The fol-
lowing morning the old gentleman. after
strapptn a water recepticle to the rear
of the wagon and placing the trout
therein, started for Washington.
TT was a long drive. and when night
had come only half Of the journey had
been made. A farmhouse was near, and
TO this he went for a nights lodging. A
mischievous boy at the house seeing the
trout. and thinking to play Joke on
the old gentleman. substituted for 1t a
worthless catfish. which he had caught
that day.
THE next morning the old gentleman
was up bright and early and on his way
to Washington. ignorant Of the joke that
had been played on him. He reached
there about dusk and proceeded to the
White House. He was on the point OF
entering and presenting his offering tc
the President when he discovered the
ugly looking catfish. Fully realizing
that he should not make such an offer.
ing to the man whom he held in great
esteem, he turned back without hayins
so much as seen him.
"On the return trip he stopped for 9
night at the same farmhouse. The mis-
chIevous boy had become conscience
stricken in the meantime. and during the
night replaced the trout The following
day the old gentleman upon arriving a.
his home was met by his wife who reaG
disappointment in his face. He Their
told her Of his adventure.
Why she exclaimed. peeping int
the receptible. the trout Is still there
Why didn't you give It to President
Jackson?
THE old gentleman. astonished. looked
and saw a sure-enough trout.
WELL he said. meditating moment
it may be a trout in our town. but it /:
. catfish in Washington
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-06

to increase their funds, the Friendly
Society of Carriers also celebrated the
LIST of May with a procession. In country
places the carriers with their wagons
and horses gay with ribbons. stopped az
the numerous public houses and at
homes At every stop those within were
under obligation to give ribbon to help
in the decoration Of the carts. These
visits, especially to the public houses.
often gave occasion for liquid refresh
day, when the races of cart horses and
dray horses took place in the public
roads, there was often much boisterous
excitement.
Liverpool became the most elaborate, and
continued in favor long after the old
guild passed out of existence or be-
came absorbed by the company Of cart
ers of the present day. The rivalry
PROCESSION o10S exhibited itself in the new
suits of the drivers the elaborate DEC
orations, the coats of arms OF the
wealthy team owners. the Velvet morse
hangings worked in silver and gold and
the wagons in foat-like effect. In recent
years railway companies that conduct
transfer business. brewing concerns.
spirit merchants and other wealthy pusi-
success of these professions. and have
been represented at the great feasts ne.o
afterward. Popular speakers were most
loauacious in giving good advice TO the
carriers.
X
The craftsmen seem to have had no
hard or fast rule for appointing their
holidays. 1t often happened that while
the butchers in one shire of Merry Old
England were engaged in festivities. the
ironmongers or goldsmiths were celebrat-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-06

that the painter of Joseph and Potti-
fer's wife and the foure Elements be
fined 43 6s and Sd for such bad worke"
Every guild kept vigilant watch for the
slightest deviation from the high stand
ard set upon hand work. From. appren-
tice to master each had his duties and
restrictions clearly defined. and it was
probably due to the ironclad regulations
Of the guilds that the holidays were
so necessary and SO thoroughly en-
joyed.
That Labor day in Europe today is
the LIST of May is probably the outcome
of this day having been celebrated by
many of the old craftsmen before the
age Of invention. Among other merry
makers. the chimneysweeps spent a
frolicsome May day and in some locali-
customs. In former times London's
chalk-faced chimney-sweeps carried SHOW
els and brushes as they paraded the
streets dressed In cheap finery and
decked with strips of gilt and colored
paper. To them no May day was COM
plete without a May dance, and when
they could have a Jack-in-the-Green, a
fiddler concealed in wicker framework
covered with leaves and flowers. their
Joy was complete.
The beribboned milkmaids who danced
on the same day also aspired to have
music at their jollifcation, and often
marched behind a COW with gilt horns
in procession. On that day these rural
workers borrowed silver cups and tank
ards, which they hung around their
milk pals, decorated with ribbons and
flowers. Such attractive paraphernalia
helped them In collecting coins from their
customers, before whom they danced.
Partly to secure q holiday and partly
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-06

toward me, and finally bowed with
SMILE evidently knew me.
IT returned the salutation. OF course
and, as his face was familiar, l arose
and made my way to his table, think
ing that he was probably constit-
uent of mine on visit to the Capitol.
pardon me- I said. as we shook
hands warmly. but, although your face
is very familiar. I cannot place you
just now. 1 am Representative Walsh
from New Jersey, and II you are from
my district 1 shall be charmed to show
you and your wife any attention In my
power while you are in Washington.
What district do you represent?
aueried the man with a quizztcal smile.
while the eyes Of his wife danced
merrily. -.,
The fourth district Of New Jersey.
1 replied.
az hardly think I'm from your dis
trict,' returned the man, whimsically:
You see my names Fred Britten and
do some representing in Congress-
mysef-the ninth district of illinois, y
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-06

vided they could deliver it to the house
o. the mayor or one of the sheriffs OF the
town. To do this it was necessary to
fight foot OF the way ,d d4p the
from reaching the goal. An account OF
this gayety tells that much harm was
done in the contest by some OF the
throng falling into a trance, some having
heddes, legs broken, and some other
MANNED or in peril Of life" Because OF
these calamities the ball contest was dis
continued and foot racing substituted.
Even fish boat owners recognized the
necessity of making merry with those
under their emeploy. In the latter part
of November each year they furnished
pudding to their crews. who. no doubt,
began to store capacity for such treat
a day in advance.
One Of the old customs which was per-
haps boisterous to our way Of thinking
was the wedding serenade Of the butch
ers When one of their number was
married each of his co-workers welcomed
the occasion as a time to share in the
feast which was usually provided. II the
affair took place during the day there
could be no dressing up, but II the mar
rage was performed III tHe evening Saei
fellow-butcher donned his clean blue
apron and wore a wedding favor of white
paper IN his hat. Sometimes only four
Of these tradesemen would meet for the
serenade, but usually there were eight.
and, as each was provided with a cleaver
ground to produce a certain sound-all
different tones-the complete octave
was sounded when the eight performers
struck their cleavers with marrowbones
When these musicians played in time and
tune the effect is said to have been most
pleasing and chime-like.
The occupation of undertaken does not
seem to be of a particular cheerful call
ing, yet in bygone days many who 1ol-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-06

lowed this vocation selected their work
on account of its social features. The
custom OF perpetuating the memory OF
one who had left legacy to another
often called for paying mournerS to
make annual visits to the graves OF those
departed. The men employed for such
missions are said to have combined work
with pleasure. When mourning, these
and solemn faces. but later when the
Inevitable feast was provided there was
much merriment
An old English account Of an under
takers dinner during the early part OF
the eighteenth century, at an inn near
London. testifies to the good times these
men had. They were returning from an
annual visit to rich mans tomb. and
had stopped for their refreshments at
the Falcon, kept by Robert Death.
were a contradiction to his name. Ihese
men enjoyed their good time out upon
the green, eating and drinking as they
listened to their foreman voice senu-
ments in the following merry song:
Dukes, lords, have buried and squires of fame
But nno Of p all the nne jobs that came in my way
A funeral like this for me.
This is the job that fills the fob,
o the burying of a nabob for mel
1!fFe the horses some oats and some ray:
Drink our next merry meeting and quackeys
with three times three, huzza.
*+
During the twelfth and thirteenth CEN
turtles there was no more important class
of workers in England than the weavers
and spinners, who gave Great Britain
her commercial position at that time.
Rock day or Distaff day, which was
synonymous with Twelfth Night was
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-06

colonies got in their big stunt at
Philadelphia.
This declaration is known to the
world as that Of Mecklenburg, which
is the name of the county in which 1t
was framed. It seems that the people
of the Old North state had a little tea
party prior to the Boston function and
refused to pay the tea tax. Then in
May, ITS, the men of that county
gathered and wrote out a formal
declaration of independence which
formed the basis of the one a year
later. This historic document 10 still
preserved in the courthouse at the
county seat.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-06
Efficiency Versus Mercy i'm the Modern Rifle
Rifle

in front Of the bullet manifests itself
effectively at the hole OF the exit. This
is the reason that the destruction OF
bone and tissue Is greater near the hole
of exit than at the hole Of entrance.
'Tf the progress Of the bullet Is slow
the parts affected are pushed aside and
have a chance to adjust themselves to
the neighboring tissues. As the velocity
is increased the parts affected are
thrown violently against the neighboring
tissue and destroys them as we'll.
"A great many experiments to de-
termine the effect OF rifle fire have been
made on animals and on the dead bodies
of men, but no satisfactory conclusions
have been reached, for the reasons that
tissues in animals and corpses are diff
ferent from tissues in live human
beings, 1t is said that in a corpse the
explosive effect Of very fast rife bull
let Is much greater than in living
body, because in a dead body the fluids
have nearly disappeared and the flesh
is firm. It's elasticity il gone. and it is
not capable of being pushed aside as
easily as in a living man.
"One of the things which rifle students
would like to know is at what ranges
this explosive effect ceases; they would
like to determine the effect OF bullets at
different ranges, but the difficulty in de-
termining this is that wounded men DO
not know at what range they were hit
Wherever savages get hold OF these
new high-power rifles and the snarp-
nosed and steel-jacketed bullets they file
the point of the bullet, thus greatly
increasing its effectiveness for stopping
men by giving them a bad wound. The
English IN the Chitral campaign in In
dia found it difficult to stop men with
the modern bullet. SO they removed 1t
partly from it's Jacket SO that 1t would
fatten in the body. This was also done
to some extent by British troops in the
Boer war, and gave rise to the stories
that the British were using the dreaded
dumdum bullets.
"A slight wound does not stop fanatics
In the Moro campaign 1t was sometimes
necessary for US to shoot Moro full
Of holes before you could stop him. and
a Moro wounded but not put out Of action
Is more dangerous than an unwounded
Moro. This is usually the way with
savages.
"a rife might be considered most
merciful II when making a hit 1t put
man out of action for the campaign. But
there are various reports showing that
in the Russo-Japanese war many wound
ed men did not 60 to hospital at all. ana
that thousands were hardly missed from
the ranks before they were back on the
firing line"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-06

explosion in closed organs was consider
able with the Murata 6. nm. bullet, and
much less noticeable with the Ariska
65 nm. The humane effect OF the latter
bullet Is beyond question"
The same surgeon in reporting his con-
illusions wrote:
IA bullet which necessitates many hits
to put a man out Of action and permits
a third of the wounded to return to the
struggle within three or four weeks can
not be considered as sufficiently eHect1ve
from a military point OF VleW' nul tue
modification of the bullet SO as TO IN,
crease Its efficiency cannot De approved
from a medical point of view In the IN
terest of securing the certain rehaolnta.
ton of the wounded. but the bullet or
the German army should not be replaced
by one of smaller caliber one OF the
German surgeons comments on the
wounds inflicted on Russian by me Japa-
nese bullets was this: TOO little man
killing. only just man perforatdon."
"Other official reports on wounds OF
Russians in the Manchurian war were
that the smooth, sterile and non-deform-
ing Japanese 6.5 nm. bullet made small
wounds which usually healed under the
simple protective dressing applied at the
dressing stations. One medical observer
reported that within three months after
Mukden one-half of the Russian wounded
Of the corps to which ne was attacheo
had returned to duty.
''The close-range wounds Of the Japa-
nese rifles were serious, because of the ex-
plosive effect Wounds made by the jap
anese Meidu rife up to and around 2oo
yards were severe, but men struck in the
same way at greater distances often got
well. The Japanese rifle has undergone
modification since the war with Russia
and very little concerning it seems to be
known outside Of Japan.
Capt ]. F. Morrison of the United
States Infantry. who has reported at
length his observations on the Manchu-
rian campaign. has written: One ques-
ton was raised In my mind and that is
are we not reducing calibers too far? I
knew Japanese soldiers and heard OF
many more who were hit and continued
to fight and of men who were wounded
and were back to duty in a few days. The
bullet has too little stopping power, un-
less it HITS an almost vital part VIII
not fewer bullets that stop the men hit
accomplish more than greater number
that do not put the man hit out of &C
ton?
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-06
Polite.

story by his act, he SAID:
'True politeness cannot be too highly
praised, but 1t has always appeared to
me to have limits which were exceeded
in the case Of Boston woman whom
know. I have heard 1t said Of her
that IL she should meet the devil face
to face on the street. she would walk
right up. shake hands. and remark:
why. how do you do. Mr.. Satan
What lovely red horns you have and
what a pretty curl to your tail"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-06
His District.

To the layman
who thinks that
Congress Is a lit
tie coterie Of in
innate souls who
daily meet in the
close union of a
social club the
following expert
ence of Repre-
sentative Allan B.
Walsh of New
Jersey will be in
teresting:
II was taking
lu n 9 h e on with
some friends In
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-06

and the ammunition fired by 1t" said an
army officer. NOW continued that OF
ficer. eff they mean that the steel-1acket-
ed bullet, going at high velocity. does not
make as bad a wound as the older type
of soldier rife they are. Of course. right
but real mercy in war consists In fight
ing that war as fast, furiously and NOR
tally as possible and having done with IT.
There Is no mercy in dragging out war.
1.-THE present military rife at certain
ranges makes wounds, which, unless IN
vital part of the body, heal quickly and
allow the wounded man to return to the
firing line before tie campaign closes.
Mercy can be carried to such an extreme
in the matter of rifle calibers and ammu-
milton that efficiency is sacrificed. and a
great many military men believe that the
.stopping' power of bullets has been too
much sacrificed to speed and consequent
f1atness of trajectory. However, that Is
a question on which experts may reason
ably differ and we believe that the 80
caliber United States magazine rifle rep
resents a fair compromise.
These modern bullets have tremendous
speed. range and penetration. but they
have not the stopping enect or the
older bullets. In the Italian Abyssinian
campaign, 1896. the Abyssinian guns
ington-when they hit put man out OF
action and inflicted wound which kept
him out of action for a reasonable length
of time. The rifles used by the Italian
troops, and which. Of course, were OF the
modern type. did not stop an Abyssinian
as a rule until he was hit several times
or unless he was hit in a vital place. 1t
Is recorded that after the battle of Edowa
80 Der cent Of the Abyssinian wounded
were able to walk without assistance OF
the Italian surgeons for treatment and
thousands of them were entirely recov-
cred from their wounds within n1teen
days.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-06
Fourth of July in May.

r e p r sentative
f. Y. Webb of
N tn Carolina
comes from q part
of the n a t l o n
which celebrates
its Fourth Of
July in May. And
the reason is the
excellent one that
the first declara-
ton of tndepend-
ence in America
was that issued
by the brave old
North Carolinans
n wear before the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-06
Alaska.

Delegate James
Wickersham of
Fairbanks, Alaska,
is enthusiastic
over the pros
poets his country
holds out and
thinks a few years
will see this do
main the most
paying proposition
Uncle Sam ever
undertook.
at h 9 popular
i'm pr Q g 8 1 o n OF
Alaska" said Mr..
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-06

Representative
bill" Murray of
NJ a 8 s a C h usetts,
who gives up his
seat In the House
in September to
become postmas-
ter OF Boston. and
who was once the
youngest member
of the lower body,
got up the other
day to give his
seat in a street
car to a lady.
Reminded of a