davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-07-25

perhaps forgotten material which.
whenever the subject comes up again,
may be earnestly desired.
Few realize what a wide range OF
nformation-scientif1c, technical, polit-
ical, historical, biographical and philo-
sophical-is covered in what are known
as House and Senate public documents.
A senator or representative is attract
a speech, containing material of value.
To preserve it in type and to secure its
wide circulation, as we'll as having 1t
handy for reference, he has it printed
as public document. Hundreds of
these are printed at every session.
'To assist the seeker after informa-
ton We print a monthly catalogue of
public documents. giving full informa-
ton about each. Then. biennially, We
print catalogue of public documents.
or comprehensive index, arranged on
the dictionary plan, SO that in one al
phabet a book, pamphlet or article
may be located by author, by the bu-
reau responsible for it or by subject.
Then, for each session, We issue the
document list. or consolidated index,
for that session. Further, We have in
print a check list of public documents,
congressional, from 1889 to 1909, a list
gov
eminent, classified by department, bu-
reau and series. OF course, we have
not all of these documents on hand for
sale. but the index is such that they
may be located in the Library of Con-
gress or other libraries where those
documents are preserved.
"Thus-it Is not too broad state
ment to make-we have or can direct
the student to the printed record of
every important act of the government
since the republic was established
under the Constitution, as well as to
the printed record Of every bit of in
formation this great machinery Of gov
eminent, in its multitudinous activi-
ties has obtained.
Congressional printing, aside from
the Record, is a huge undertaking. All
the 10000 and more bills introduced
each session have to be printed. some
of them as many as half a dozen times
as amendments are made; all of the
committee reports and all the commit
tee hearings also have to be turned
out rapidly. BY committee hearings I
mean the stenographic report of testi-
mony taken before the appropriating.
Investigating and other important
committees. Day by day these must
be put into print with the utmost
speed, that they may be available on
the committees table the following
day. a..
get the stationery printing that this
office does. One item is the production
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-07-25
RUINED HOME ON PROSPECT HILL FAIRFAX COUNTY.

Leesburg and Georgetown pike on some
very high land between the valleys OF
Bullneck run and Prospect run. Then.
instead Of following the pike either to
the west or east, he struck into an
abandoned road across neglected fields.
leading north, which would be in the
direction of the river. The road led
to an abandoned farm. on corner OF
which was a gray barn in an advanced
stage Of collapse. A little farther on,
in a jungle of weeds and the upshoots
of silver poplar and paper mulberry
trees stood a brick chimney. and among
the weeds, stimulating them to ranker
growth, were the ashes of home.
The ruin lies on the nose of a hill
looking through deep draw" A bit
of the river flows in the middle ground
of the picture and the background is
filled by the Maryland hills. All
around the high clearing occupied by
the ruin the hills are covered with and
the ravines grown full of trees. The
sea of green foliage-fresh light green,
rich dark green. gray green and blue
green-was full of the spray OF the
white and creamy inf1orescence OF
chestnut trees, and the hot. moist air
was heavy with the sweet odor of the
chestnut blooms. On the brow OF the
hill and close to what had been the
front of the house Is an old well, deep.
dark and cool, and here the Rambler
drank and rested, wondering who were
the people that had lived here NO
other habitation was in sight. and In
that very quiet neighborhood the Ram
hler saw nobody of whom he could
ask a question. Some time he Will
come across the history of the ruin.
walking west and entering dense
woods he passed through country OF
=.
fallen trees and laurel brakes lay and
grew among the standing timber IT
ia what is generally described as
rough country" or difficult country.
There was no path and the lano Is Gu.
nv those deep, winding ravines that
enide brooks from the uplands of Fair
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-07-25

fax county to the river. About mile
of this hardg ding brought the Ram
bier into what had been clearing,
with the trace of a road crossing It,
There was no sign of human life. but
all other forms of life went on as
though human life were mere Incl
dent in the great life of the world.
The clearing was growing up in trees
and in a few years it would be back in
the forest state. There was one partic-
ularly high and thick tangle of green
cry. and going into it the Rambler came
again upon ashes of what had been
home. The chimney was still standing.
but this will soon fall and be swal-
lowed up and grown over Here again
the Rambler could get no information
as to whose home it was. Birds and
bees were very busy about the place
providing for themselves, and it was
no concern of theirs as to who had
lived there. or died there. or what trag-
edy had been enacted when that home
burned down. MEMS troubles are Of
no interest to US. we attend strictly
to our own business. and hard luck
stories are a great bore" is what the
birds and bees probably would have
said. 1t is the attitude of other crea-
lures than birds and bees.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-07-25

papers prevents the possibility Of
forming a just estimate of the loss in
the mechanical departments heretofore
enumerated. OF that relative to the
stores on hand it is presumed toler-
ably accurate estimate may be formed.
and will be the subject of a future
communication. which shall be trans
mitted as soon as it is possible to eff
feet"
There would seem to have been some
irregular conduct at the yard, for Com
modore Tingey says that on his return
to the yard August 26 ne had the
modification to observe that the pro-
visions that had been loaded on board
the old gunboat No. 140 (and with
which she had grounded in endeavor-
ing to get out of the branch on the
24th) had become a prey to numerous
unauthorized persons, some of whom.
however, instantly offered to deliver
up all in their possession, which was
subsequently done. but several barrels
are yet to be accounted for" He re-
ports that "a subject of still greater
regret Is the loss of 200 barrels of
powder, which were instantly and un-
authoriZedly taken out of the magazine
and chiefly thrown into the water, the
cause of which, however, being under
investigation by a court-martial on the
corporal of the marine guard there. l
forbear to enlarge on the subject, as
my feelings would dictate
Chaplain H. B. Kibben, in his His
tory of the Washington Navy Yard"
wrote the following interesting para
graph:
The capture Of Washington and the
consequent destruction of public prop
erty deeply Inundated and exasperated
the public mind, and as usual in such
circumstances the blame of our misfor-,
tune was sought everywhere except
where it belonged-viz., in the neglect
of Congress to provide against the pos
sibility even of an attempt on the part
of the enemy to invade the District Of
Columbia. In a history Of the invasion
of Washington, published by Maj
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-07-25

John s. Williams, an officer OF the Co.
lumbar brigade in the war Of 1919.
the author. though charging our mis-
fortune originally. as We do. to the neg
other directions. especially with the
Secretary of the Navy for ordering the
destruction of the yard. and with Capt.
Tingey for the 'unyielding disposition
which he displayed In the execution OF
the order.
THE author. in common with later
historians who have written upon this
subject. is strongly imbued with the
helped the enemy by anticipating their
intentions and doing their work for
them; that in their haste to leave the
city, or by some fortunate accident,
they might have neglected or failed to
burn the navy yard with its property
and shipping. He therefore strongly
condemns the Secretary of the Navy
for ordering the destruction of the
yard in the event of our defeat. and
thinks that the reason given by the
ridiculous to any one not under the In
f1uence of panic. That this condemna-
tion is both unreasonable and unjust
appears first in the fact that the Secre-
tary could not know certainly that the
enemy would remain in the city only
twenty-four hours; secondly. in the
fact that the assumption or hope that
Gen. Ross. in his haste to get away
from the city, might have overlooked
or forgotten the navy yard Is utterly
ba seless.''
In reply to a letter of Joseph Andsr-
son, chairman of the congressional
naval committee, inquiring ''by whose
orders and under what authority the
navy yard was set on fire." Secretary
Jones officially states that the order
was the result of consultation Of the
entire cabinet, held on the morning OF
of the gath of August. in which it vas
unanimously resolved to destroy the
shipping and stores to prevent them
falling into the hands of the enemy.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-07-25
FIRE WRECK NEAR FORT MARCY.

give it to me when we returned. but we
were no sooner at the top than we
heard the stern voice of P. H. Nc
Gloughlin. whose messenger was.
calling on me to come down. was
quickly lowered. but was disappointed
at not being able to get the owl. which
was more serious to me than the fear
of being rebuked for an infraction of
the rule that no one should be allowed
to accompany the rigger up the Monu-
ment.
However, when Butte came down he
brought the owl with him. Col. Casey,
who was the engineer in charge, In
structed the carpenter to build a cage
for me to keep my captive in. which he
did. We chrfstened the owl Gen.
Washington. and he lived under that
famous name for not more than two
or three months. When he died. the
colonel put him in the hands of taxi
dermist. and had him Aged 6.1 W, up in ma
sented to Mrs. Hayes, the Presidents
wife. It remained in the White vrhlt,n a0 wss
taken away by Mrs. Hayes when she
left the White House"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-07-25

monument. Dead? No. 1t was Sc
we're jolt, but pussie felt relieved that
the noisy monster which had pur-
sued her to the top of the Monument
was no longer at her heels. But an
other danger arose. The dogs of John
picion to those dogs. but this particular
cat dropping from the skies demand
investigation. The cat ran and the
dogs gave chase. The story unfor-
of mercy swerved the dogs from what
they conceived to be their duty. 1t
would be pleasant to the Rambler to
relate that the poor and terror-strick-
en- cat escaped. but the odds against
her were too great. She died. but for
the honor of the cat family it is only
just to record that dying she put up
the best fight that was in her."
Mr.. Burns has since given the Ram
bier another version, and which no
doubt Is accurate. He said: II read with
considerable interest the story about a
cat that jumped from the Washington
Monument away back in 1879, for the
reason that I was employed at the
Monument as messenger boy, but
there are few discrepancies in the
I happen to be the one who may be
partly held responsible for the cats
tragic end. Boylike, on seeing the
cat prowling around the base Of the
Monument, 'S1cked JOnn Sned uoS
onto it. Shea was the Waterman then
at the Monument. The dog chased the
cat up the steps, following her to the
top of the part finished at the time.
which was about 200 feet, and she
jumped from the safety net which had
been placed there a few weeks before the
event 1 am speaking of occurred. The
mesh of the net was rather large. and
the cat passed through 1t and down to
the terrace below. The dog rushed for
the cat and shook it. but 1t was dead.
/ took the cat to the back of the black
smiths shop, and with due solemnity
performed the duties of undertaken
with all the gravity appropriate to the
OCCASION
Mr.. Burns told the Rambler another
Washington Monument story. 1t is the
story of an owl that took up its resi-
dence in the unfinished shaft. Mr..
Burns said About six months before
the cat incident an event occurred that
may me of interest just now to old
timers in Washington. An owl took up
it's residence in one of the apertures
used for placing the beams for the
stairway One morning I asked the
rigger, Charles Butte, to take me up IN
his chair, for there were no stairs then.
He consented. and sat In his lap while
the men below hoisted US up by block
and tackle. As we went UP Butte dis
covered the owl and promised he would
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-07-25
The Cat and the Monument.

THE unfortunate cat that jumped
- from the Washington Monument
during the construction of the shaft.
was the subject of some "reminiscences
OF the Rambler a few weeks ago. The
little story came under the eye OF
man who was directly concerned in the
tragedy of the cat. That man is John
]. Burns, and at the time Of the in
cident. or the tragedy. in 1879. he was
employed as a messenger boy at the
Monument. In the original story of the
jumping cat the Rambler. having OBJ
tanned his information from man who
knew about the matter, wrote:
THE cat struck the ground near the
sheds of John Shea, at the base OF the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-07-25

large boats were nearly ready for launch
ing and all her water casks and every
material of cooper work were ready to
go on board.
The sloop- of war Argus lay at the
wharf with all her armament and equip
were in the sail loft. Her powder had
the Lynx-was in some way not des-
troyed by the flames, but her foremost
was carried away by the great storm Of
August 25. the day which followed the
night Of sack and pillage. That storm.
which. swept over Washington while the
the historic storms of the Capital. One
large and one small row-galley, both
armed. rugged and prepared for service,
and three heavy armed scows with their
the fire, which was set to the yard under
direct orders from Commodore Tingey
by command from the Secretary Of the
Navy.
The hulls of three old warships were
also destroyed by the flames. They
were the vrfgates Boston. New York
and Gen. Green.
The buildings destroyed at the yard
were the mast shed and the timber
shed. the joiners' and boat builders
medical store. the plumbers and smiths
shops. the block makers shop, the
sawmill and the block mill, with their
whole apparatus and tools; the build
ing for the steam engine and all the
combustible parts of the machinery and
materials, the rigging loft and the
apartments of the master and boat
swain of the yard. with their furni-
ture. Other buildings destroyed were
the gun carriage makers and painters
shop, with all their materials and tools.
and the storehouses burned were the
provisions stores, gunners' and ord
nance stores. cordage store and sail
loft.
Continuing the detail of the losses at
the yard. Commodore Tingey in his re-
port includes the navy storekeeper's
detail-issuing stores, containing in
their different apartments a large
quantity of new canvas, Irvine, lines,
bunting and colors All our stock of
mathematical instruments and nautical
apparatus appertaining to navigation.
shipchandlery, tools, nails, oils, paints.
etc, had escaped through the night the
effect of the fire. but it was fired by
the enemy on the succeeding morning,
the 18th, and entirely consumed, with
all its contents, were also the coop
ers shops. two small timber sheds and
that in which our tar, pitch, resin, etc,
were deposited. The general loss of our
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-07-25
Sunday Golf.

MFRS. r. H. BARLOW, golf champion
wi of Philadelphia. sat at dinner at .
sea fronting villa beside a clergyman.
Mrs. Barlow" said the clergyman.
what is your opinion OF Sunday golf!
WELL" Mrs Barlow answered. my
opinion is that II the players don't
need a rest. the links do"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-07-25
Hard Riding.

m IFFoRD PINCHoT, on his return
VI from Germany. said to New York
reporter:
.'Militarism is riding the German
people hard. 1t has been riding them
hard. in fact. for fifty years. Mill
tarism in it's treatment Of the German
people reminds me of Mrs. Peck.
my dear said Henry Peck to his
wife in timid remonstrance, you've
kept my nose to the grindstone ever
1--WE done more than that Mrs..
Peck grimly answered. I've made you
turn the grindstone. too"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-07-25

foremost labor leaders in his state At
New Jersey. rose up and combated such
doctrine. He held with the theory which
President Wilson aptly expressed in his
nations military dependence in the
future, as in the past, must be In Q
citizenry trained and accustomed to
arms"
whereupon. thoroughly to express him
self. Cornelius Ford Joined the National
Guard Of New Jersey. in which he spent
six and a half years. acquiring the mill
tary training that he thinks every
physically fit American citizen should
possess That was his answer to the agi-
tation.
Mr.. Ford served his apprenticeship In
the printing trade in a New York job
office, ultimately going into Hoboken
newspaper and job plant, where for
some seventeen or eighteen years he
worked, and where he varied his work
by extensive writing on labor topics.
His prominence in the typographical
union caused him to become the unions
representative in the Hudson County
Central Labor Council.
For fifteen terms he served as presi-
dent of that council and as representa-
tive in that district of the American
Federation of Labor. For eleven years
he was president OF the state reo9!A
ton of Labor. In that time he handled
and settled many labor disputes.
A man of family. he has nine children
livtns-hve daughters and four sons
with a little grave to mark the resting
place of a tenth child. He took keen
interest in educational and civic work
in Hoboken. and for four years was
member of the board of education in
that city.
In 1910, 1911 and 1912 he served his
district IS a member of the New Jersey
legislature, there coming In frequent
contact with Gov Woodrow Wilson,
among whose supporters he was num-
bered, and with Joseph p. Tumulty,
now secretary to the President. who
was also a member of the legislature.
Mr.. Wilson and Mr.. Tumulty got to
know him we'll and to appreciate his
capa bilities. And that brought him to
Washington as public printer:
ASHMUN BROWN.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-07-25

of considerably more than a billio,
postal cards a year. Also for the Posi-
Office Department, nearly half mil
lion money order books, containing
more than ninety-f1ve million separate
blanks.
Under the heading of letter heads
note heads. envelopes. specification
blanks. schedules and similar bits OF
job work, during the year We turn ou'
more than one and three-quarter bill
lion separate pieces. Blank books fig
ure up considerable more than mil
lion in the course of a year. 1t is use
less to burden you with more hgures
these should give some idea of the
amount of work done.
This plant in which we work, cover.
ing thirteen and a half acres. Is just
about an ideal workshop. for it wal
built in 1904, and arranged with espe.
cial thoughtfulness for the health ano
comfort of the employees. An emer-
gency hospital, well equlpped; ana ia
restroom for women are provided, I'm
Gle Sam thus setting an example TOT
other employers. Every man and WON
an in the place, from the deputy public
printer down. is in the civil service.
The scale of pay approximates tne
cent higher than the scale TOT Gay
work. Each employe is entitled to
thirty days annual leave.
'aThe machinery of the plant Is COM
plete and thoroughly up-to.date. II
has to be to permit us to maintain the
hieh standard of efficiency. One COM
paratively recent addition Is the IN
stailation of a thirty-inch belt con-
veyor, operating through a seven-Ioot
tunnel. connecting the printing oince
with the new city post once. rms rs
great help in handling our mails, winch
are not inconsiderable as you VIII
realize when L tell you that we mall
out from the document room aIone
more than forty-two million documents
in the course of year..
What manner of man is this VINO d.
reefs this huge establishment, ana why
Is he public printer?
First off, he Is printer. ne mas
been a printer ever since he was ap-
prenticed to the trade away BACK IN
1882, when he was fifteen years DID,
just out of the Hoboken, N. j., high
school. Job printer and news printer
and foreman of a big office he has hao
wide experience. But, over and ABOVE
all that. he has natural capacity t9a
leadership, for getting other men TO 40
what he wants done, which is the test
of executive ability. Somehow. ne al
ways gets to be president OF Whatever
organization he joins. just as he has
been president of the Hoboken Typo
graphical Union for many, many years
and he has joined many organiza-
lions since then.
Some men achieve leadership py
dominating. by commanding Others by
gentler and persuasive methods. To the
latter class belongs Cornelius Ford. A
Celtic twinkle in his eyes. a touch OF Celtic
humor in his speech. persuasive quality
in his manner. these give the hints as to
his strength in leadership. A labor leader
he has been for long, a square" labor
leader. and a cool-headed one. Moreover.
a man of opinions and determination, un-
afraid. An instance:
Not many years ago there swept through
trades uHis9ism an agitation against
the National Guard. or organized militia.
Ono element sought to put the ban on a
union man joining the citizen soldtery
Whereupon Cornelius Ford. one OF the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-07-25

Cornelius Tells Uncle Strenuous Efforts Keep the
DongRende Great Per
Cata Weekly Monthly Publications.
Results of Available PeopSom Stpendous
of
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-07-25
CORNELIUS FORD. PUBLIC PRINTER.

of such special price lists, one for each
subject. For example. price list No. SO
contains q list Of documents relating
to the navy. These include several hun
dred public documents inssued in re-
cent years. notable speeches In House
and Senate. reports on special subjects,
such as gunnery; In fact, it is COM
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-07-25

plete photography Of government pub
locations on the navy.
"As an instance, here we ind listed
Hearings before subcommittee Of COM
mittee on naval affairs, House, on haz-
ing at the Naval Academy, February
1924, 1906. 453 pages. Cloth. 40 cents
use that as as q sample Of old and