davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-06
S(5HE RAMBLERe1l

spring, the saffron defers its unfolding
until the fall. The color Of its blossom is
purple and Its stigma Is orange-red. and
1t was from the dried stigmas and part
OF the style Of this flower that the saffron
OF commerce was made, and to some ex-
tent still is made
The Bible mentions saffron as among
the sweet-smelling herbs and the
Rambler has been Informed by a saffron
specialist that anybody wishing to verify
that statement should turn to Canticles.
Ala. 1t Is frequently mentioned in the
works attributed to Homer. and Hippo
crates wrote the word saffron goodly
number of times. 1t was cultivated in
Persia and Kashmere ages ago and was
introduced into China at very early
period In the history of the world. One Is
almost inclined to write that the Chinese
discovered it or planted it first and were
familiar with its use while Europe was
In the cave-dwelling stage of civilization
or uncivilization. 1t seems to be habit
with ant!quarians to trace the discovery
and first use of everything back to China,
and it might be that if that strange race
OF men (antiquarians) took up the subject
In dead earnest they might find not only
that saffron was practiced by the Chi
nese ages before Lief Erickson discovered
America, but that the original Chinese
flag was dyed with saffron and that the
of the dye of this beautiful flower. But
anyhow saffron is mentioned in the Chi
nese materia medica
The Arabs are recorded as having Gull
tivated saffron In Spain in the tenth cen
fury. 1t was mentioned in English let
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-06

centenary Of that occurrence small
note seems to have been made of the
capture Of Alexandria by a British
squadron, which event was part of the
campaign of the British against the
American seat of government. Alexan-
dria then being within the federal ter
ritory or the District of Columbia.
The integrity of Fort Washington APP
pears to have been matter of concern
to Gen. Winder and the War Depart
ment. 1t was known that a squadron
of the enemy's fleet had been detached
in the lower PatuXent and had been
sent around to the Potomac. Its pres
ence in that river had been reported.
Gen. Winder's belief was that the Brit
ish intended joint movement between
the ships in the Potomac river and the
column of infantry and marines landed
at Benedict, and which was marching
overland in the direction of Washing
ton. Winder's theory or at least one
of his theories was that the land force
intended to take Fort Washington in
reverse and thus clear the river for
the passage of the hostile ships.
To US at this day there seems grim
humor in that theory because nobody
fired a shot at Fort Washington from
the rear, and SO far from blocking the
passage Of the British ship, the artil-
lery garrison at Fort Washington, COM
magazine of the fort and took to the
woods as soon as the enemy's ships
came in view. That heroic garrison
was not fired on from the rear and did
not wait to be fired on from the front.
1t is another strange incident of the
panic and disorder which afflicted the
Americans in that humiliating cam
paign panic and disorder due to lack
of preparation. mediocre or incompe-
tent citizenship and vain reliance on
hastily armed civilians against sea-
soned and professional commanded
troops
The "mi4tia," which mainly composed
the American force at Bladensburg. was
militia" in the legal meaning of the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-06

tangles things up now and then, and
its blossoms make the air heavily
sweet. AS your road touches the moist
lands along the creek side you come
in touch with masses of elder, bloom
ing and fragrant at the time the Ram
bier passed that way.
AS you approach the point where
Massachusetts avenue extended Is be-
ing improved In its course to the Dis
trict line you see more houses. There
are signs that this country Is rather
older than the houses now standing
there. You see many old wheel tracks
which once were roads and lines Of old
cedar trees, indicating old fence lines
or lanes leading to houses that have
disappeared. When you arrive at the
see that the yellow clay road that
dropped abruptly down from the ridge
on which the American University
stands and crossed the site OF old
Fort Gaines Is being regarded. Cuts
and fills, are being made and steam
shovel and teams were working as
the rambler trudged on his way to
the old mill.
Crossing Massachusetts, avenue the
mill road becomes rougher. narrower
and crookeder than 1t has been since
you left Tenleytown. Nobody uses 1t
except the colored family living in a
house near the mill and few teams
ceased to grind. The banks on either
side of the road are tangled with vines
and show that the road was once well
worn. The creek and Its woods are
close at hand and the breath sAl
odors of this low. wet land come to
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-06

word, but was not militia" in the sense
in which that word is now generally un-
derstood. The militia" today includes
eve~r man in the United States who in
the event of war might be drafted for
niIsitaly service The armed and drilled
bodies Of troops ger orally called the mi
litia are the organized militia" or the
more or less trained and equipped part
American troops at Biadensburg were
simply citizens without military train
ing. who had been called out and armed
and sent into the field in regiments
ard "biisades." which up to the moment
Of the call for men had ony an existence
on paper. There Were some "volunteer'
organizations under Gen. Winder and
these bore some resemblance to the or
ganiza tons now generally called militia
The organized militia IS an outgrowth Of
these old volunteers"
There were also certain regular army
troops under Gen. Winder. There was a
squadron of the United States Light
Dragons. about 120 strong. under Lieut.
Col Laval. company of about eighty
men of the 18th United States Infantry,
under Capt: Morgan. and parts Of the 36th
and SSth Regiments United States In
-antry under Lieut.. Col. Scott There
We're the regulars of the naval establish
ment sailors and marines under Commo-
dere Barney. who had blown up his flo.
tilla in the Patuxent at the approach of
the British. and to these men history
gives the only credit that any Americans
are able to get out of the rout.
Trio sc'I iers who faded away from Fort
Washington when the squadron of the
enemy love in sight were regulars. They
might have done as the regulars at Fort
McHenry a few days later. but they
didn't. It is interesting to look at a
note which Gen. Winder Incorporated in
his statement to the congressional COM
mittee of investigation of the Badens-
burg affair. He wrote:
81 will state as nearly as possible the
forces which were in the field under these
various demands and acquisitions, the
time of their assembling, their condition
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-06

than one-quarter of the worlds annual
production Of gold during the last three
years. The Argentine, Brazil. Canada
these, opening and expanding and grow
ing rapidly in population and wealth, Keep
calling for gold. 1t is estimated that in
the last dozen years S3,Jo.pOOeo of for
sign capital has been invested in Canada
in constructive work. Probably 5000 1o.
900 similarly has been invested In
Brazil"
The governments three mints-Phila-
delphia, Denver and San Francisco-and
its eight assay offices are under Mr.. Rob
ert's direction. At present the New York
assay Office is much in the public eye.
1T" said Mr.. Roberts is the institu-
ton where our money system comes In
touch with the money systems of the re-
mainder of the civilized world. 1t fixes
the exchange rates with foreign coun-
tries, for the price of drafts sold is based
on the cost of delivering gold at the as
say office in New York compared with
the cost of delivering it in foreign capl-
tails All of the gold which has been
moving to Europe also passes through
the New York assay office.
The New York office also does large
trade in jewelers. bars Of gold and silver
Nearly all the gold and a large part OF
are procured at this office. The policy OF
permitting manufacturers to buy solo
from the assay office at a signt chafes
to cover expenses over the STANDARD
price was adopted twenty-five years ago
in order to keep the manufacturers iioii
using gold coin for the purpose
"Other assay offices, maintained largely
for the convenience of miners, are opef-
sted at Deadwood. S. D.; Helena,
Mont. Boise, Idaho; Salt Lake. Utah;
New Orleans They are purchasing
agencies for the mints. although the
mints also buy metal.
although minted gold is rarely found
in circulation in the eastern states. paper
being preferred, it is in common use in
the west Comparatively little OF 1t is
minted at Philadelphia, but the Denver
and San Francisco institutions mint 1t
in large quantities. For example last
year the three minis had an output or
3150,673 gold pieces of total value OF
sos AS 81 80 OF these. 1924. 600 were
IL pieces 30. 1865 were $3.50 pieces,
coined chiefly to supply the demand for
Christmas presents; SOC. S3s were twenties,
and 5OS,O71 were tens.
.Siiver dollars have not been coined
since 1895, but halves, quarters and dimes
were coined last year to a total OF 3D.
22sS5
more than %, 600 900 one-cent pieces and
more than T3.OO0,O00 five-cent pieces were
coined during the year
Then, In addition to that, we coined
1903 25S pieces for the government OF the
Philippine Islands, the total value being
$50, 1920 pesos.
"As seigniorage on our coming we turned
into the Treasury a total of IS, 469, SS1. IL.
seigniorage being the difference between
the price paid for the metal and the face
value of the output. OF course, there is
no seigniorage on gold, that being the
standard, but the seigniorage on the cop
per one-cent pieces and the nickel five-cent
pieces amounted to $3.417.667O2 Of the
total" ASHMUN BROWN.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-06
RUIN OF MURDOCH MILL. WEST OF AMERICAN UNIVERSITY

you. Thickets of alder with Its elm
like foliage grow on both sides; sweet
gum. with its star-shaped leaves. throw
shadows on the road; bog rush and
joint grasses grow in the wheel tracks
now become quite faint, and in the
bushes on both sides catbirds are
merry and inquisitive
The road climbs a little rise and at
the top of this you look down into a
basin-like formation. There is the old
mill. 1t was built of wood, and wind
and weather have stripped it of much
of Its boarding, and the framing re-
minds one of blackened skeleton.
The Rambler has tried to tell you in
tbs picture just how this ruin appears.
Near by, with an old red cedar grow
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-06

For more than a gen.
Grafton the world has
lived in an age of ever
increasing production.
Increase, however,
now at a standstill.
George E. Roberts, di-
rector of the mint, and
an acknowledged world
authority, talks of the
metal and its move
ments.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-06

ing by its side, is the shell Of a small
house. This probably was the millers
house. In the bowl-like formation
around the mill stands another house
which has the appearance of once hay
ing been a store. colored family
dwell there. They have four dogs. The
Rambler desires to give testimony that
they are excellent watch dogs. They
are very attentive to their duties and
the old mill. IL not their personal. or
canine, property, is at least under their
Immediate supervision and control
cautiontne persons against trespass,
but the dogs are there. They are rather
small dogs, but the volume OF their
voices is out of all proportion TO thelr
bulk.
However. they are reasonable dogs,
and If you explain your mission TO
them in way that dogs can un s,e
stand and address them in a concilia-
tory manner you can probably get
back to the car line at Tenleytown.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-06

scale commensurate with the worlds
demands"
But since you say that SO many OF
our fields are being worked out, and
since there have been no notable gold dis
covereS in the United States or its pos
sessions, are you relying wholly on new
processes to maintain normal rate OF
gold production in our own country
Not entirely, but largely. The old
time proprietor, to whom we owe most OF
our discoveries, is passing. The pros
pecting area of the west has become cir
cumscribed. The regions richest in pos
sibilities have been pretty well prospect
ed already. And, also, the day of the
impecunious miner is practically at an
end.
I'm the future We must look to high
ly scientific and expensive exploitation
of possible mineral bearing zones, to the
Introduction of economical processes-all
very costly to inStall-and in a measure,
to accidental discoveries. These are
always possible. for the old prospector' s
adage, Gold is where you find it, is as
true today as when originally uttered.
'.Outside of the United States there IS
a vast field for possible discoveries OF
gold. Bear in mind that gold is the most
widely scattered of all metals. 1t has
been found in all parts OF the world. Inc
aristocrat of metals in one aspect, 1t also
is the most democrate- VINO knows
what possibilities lie in South and Cen
trail America, in Africa, in Alaska ana
northern Canada?
'.No, the end of the gold is not in
sight. We may not continue the ever
increasing rate of production OF the
golden era, but we certainly Will have
enough to keep up with the demand.
great and growing though that demand
may be- even though we did not hold our
own during the last year.
The stock of gold in the world is so
large that the production each year is
small as compared with that STOCK.
What is the stock?"
There are no reliable figures extant
on the subject The only figures we
have is that of gold stocks on hand for
monetary purposes in the treasures and
hanks of the world. AT the end OF l;'l2
this figured up $3.50, 100000 of which
the United States held ,S795O0,oo. But
you must also consider that. according
to the best estimates in the word pro
duction of gold from 14a3 to the END OF
1912 is given as much more man mat
S147751lOUo0 to give the agreed hgure
and further, the production of gold IN
the United States since 1850 alone mas
been greater than the total monetary
gold now reported in existence. our pro-
duction from 1850 to the END OF loi@ was
$40, $40 800, 800.
But gold is always being used in the
arts. Thus, In the United States alone
we use about ss5 100000 of gold a year
for various purposes, aside from coming
money of it. The figure for 1912 shows
a total of S174.900.Oo0 used in the arts In
all the world.
Demand for gold In the arts is In
creasing all the time. Ornaments. the
making of gold leaf. dental purposes
these are but a few Of the uses to which
constantly Increasing. AS the world grows
rich it uses more and more gold in the
arts.
gold for all purposes. India. for example,
Where modern economic ideas are begin
ming to make progress, has absorbed more
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-06

as 1t was. for chemistry has put many
growing things out of business dyes.
Saffron is a name which suggests sas-
safras to a mind not saturated with the
subject. Sassafras is the fragrant shrub
and tree from which so much spring
medicine and spring tonic have been
made and with which old-fashioned peo-
pie or even new-fashioned people, who in
some things incline to old-fashioned ways,
still make spring tea from. On the little
stands outside the city markets you may
see small bundles of the brown bark off
the roots of sassafras.
Saffron is flower and belongs to the
crocus family, but whereas the ordinary
varieties Of crocus bloom in the early
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-06

ters as early as the tenth century and the
story is that it was brought from Tripoli
by pilgrim who concealed the precious
bulb in the head of his staff. AS its popu-
lar;ty grew it came to be largely culti-
waited at Hinton in Cambridgeshire and
a place in Essex. England went into the
culture of saffron on such scale that
it came to be called Saffron-W Walden. The
place Is still In existence, but the saffron
business has languished.
The Rambler has .ooked 1t up in the en-
cyclopedia and finds that Saffron Walden
is a market town in England on the Cam
a river, forty-ive miles northeast of Lon
don. There are old castles in and about
the town and the ruins of earthworks
dating from times unknown, but probably
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-06

ern perfected cyanide process promi-
nently before the mining world, the out
put of gold has amounted to 2S4, 0S1 2Ss
fine ounces. This is a most astonishing
showing, especially when compared with
total output of 4O1,311,14S fine ounces
14es to $780,
with that process. with new. discov-
ern Canada. with the development OF
other forms of cheap mining, such as the
enlarged use of dredges which work
over alluvial soils to recover the gold
which was either missed in original crude
mining or occurring in too small guam
titles to mine under old expensive pro-
cesses with all these. I say, gold pro-
duction kept on increasing until recent
years.
Then we began to halt. Labor troubles
in South Africa last year figure largely
in the cause of reduced production, which
last year. in that field alone amounted to
six months of 1913 the gold production in
the Transvaal exceeded the production
for the corresponding months of 1912.
Then came the strikes. Production went
down. The first six months of this year
also showed a decrease. But now that
the troubles are being settled I look for
sharp increase. Last years total out
put In the Transvaal was $1S3, 100000 1t
may go higher this year.
Australian states. as gold producers,
are steadily declining, being worked out.
They reached their high point in 1889
with a production of about 10000 600.
Last year they were down to So. 500 900.
1.-THE opening of new-though not newly
discovered-minees and the cheapenipg of
processes promise to check any further
falling off in the production Of gold in
the United States and its possessions.
though there is nothing in sight to indi-
cate that the remarkable annual increase
of the past will be kept up. From 1S49 up
to the early nineties California led in gold
production. Then. with the Cripple creek
discoveries, California yielded first place
to Colorado. which state reached the high
one year. California, however, having
developed the dreGge, has resumed first
place again. and Colorado Is declining
there being no new discoveries there.
100000 a year. Colorado about SIS, 500, COO
and Alaska about $15.AO0,OnO
When Alaska's placers were new her
production ran as high as s21. 900. 900. but
Nevada got her production up a few
years ago to s15OOO,OOO, but her produc-
ton also Is declining.
'1n Alaska, however, there are great
possibilities in the development now TAX
ing place in the great deposits of low
grade quartz in the southeastern part
Of the territory. Cheap mining is posi-
BILE provided vast capital is invested in
adequate machinery. One interest in
southeastern Alaska Is investing $4,000
600 before extracting an ounce of gold.
Within year 1 expect to see this prop
erty operating on a large scale. with
other like properties in the same neigh
borhood. Their possible enormous pro-
duction probably will give Alaska first
place in gold output.
1.-THE point I am making. however, is
that just as the cyanide process was the
forerunner of our great increase in gold
production, SO must the Introduction of
other processes and scientific methods be
relied upon to continue production on a
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-06
Saffron Grows Near Washington.

CAFFRoN. which figures so conspicu-
- ously in ancient cookery and ancient
medicine, grows near Washington. And,
SO far as the Rambler knows. it grows
in but one place near Washington 1t
has lost its vogue in the kitchen. and 1t
Is not held in apothecary shops In the
same esteem with which 1t was regarded
several centuries or even two centuries
ago STILL it has its place in medicine
today. AS a dye 1t Is not so popular
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-06

OLDi
When "grim-vis-
aged war" takes
the stage all the
world begins to
talk of gold. The
sinews of war. 1t
has been called.
Credit crumbles
when war stalks
forth, for credit
is but the shadow
Of gold and the
demand Is for the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-06

HE Rambler has
not yet exhausted
the subject of old
mills In the neigh
borhood of Wash
ington and an IN
eresting relic OF
this kind is to be
seen, If you know
the way, deep
down in the valley
of Little Falls
h-arcb Th0IIph II
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-06
The Capture of Alexandria.

IN the narratives Of the capture Of
Washington by the British which
have lately been called forth by the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-06

treating refractory ore in the Transvaal
following the discovery of gold there In
the early eighties. The process Is a
chemical one by which the gold is leached
out of the stubborn rock by immersing 1t
in a bath of cyanide of potassium. 1t
made possible the economical recovery
of gold from both high and low ores that
heretofore had been SO expensive to treat
as to make profit practically impos-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-06

substance, not the shadow.
Hence. In those dark days Of late July.
all the civilized world began to call for
gold. and the United States, far out of
the storm center and well sup plied with
the yellow metal. was asked to yield her
treasure She did. She could afford to.
She could sell 1t at profit
And still the talk of gold goes on. In
chancelleries. IN war offices. the CONVEX
sation ever turns back to the subject, for
gold spells armies and munitions and re-
sources.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-06

In an office on the second floor of the
United States Treasury In Washington
sits a man who is one of the worlds
greatest authorities on gold. Few men
know as much of the subject as he. His
statements are authoritative
George Evan Roberts, director of the
mint. is this country's hard money ex-
pert. For years his annual reports on
the precious metals have been standard
No government on earth has better
sources OF Information than Mr. Roberts
possesses; no government on earth col
lects and disseminates that Information
SO thoroughly as this government
through Mr.. Roberts. does.
He has, to quote the official statemen,
Of his duties, general supervision of all
the mints and assay offices in the United
States. He prescribes the rules, to be
approved by the Secretary of the Treas.
ury. for the transaction of business at the
mints and assay offices. receives daily re-
ports of their operations, directs the coin
age to be executed. reviews the accounts
authorizes all expenditures. supertntendi
the annual settlements of the several in
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-06

sible The new process developed in
South Africa. quickly spread to all parts
Of the world. It practically revolution
lied mining. Let me quote from an ar
ticie once printed by the Mining World
and Engineering Record OF London on the
subject:
In the comparatively brief twenty
year interval since 1891. when Messr1.
Macarthur and Forrest brought the mod