davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-12-17

ment was paying sl.44 for it's ordinary
mail nouches This price was deemed
too high and experts were set to work
to devise something which would be OF
equal capacity and equal durability at
A less cost. The result was that a
pouch was designed which the depart
nent contracted for and purchased for
less than 60 cents each, and this pouch
has been produced in large quantities
and is replacing those formerly under
contract.
Experts were also placed on the
proposition of designing cheaper but
equally effective pouch for the ex-
change of mails by moving trains The
department was then paying S1.I0 for
these catcher pouches. Within short
time pouch was evolved designed on
scientific principles. which is giving far
better service and at a greatly reduced
cost. viz, so cents each.
The saving in this production of
equipment will amount to a very large
sum- for there have been over 100000
of these new style bags placed in the
service within the last two years at a
reduction of SO per cent, and this
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-12-17
The Big Rush.

oIR RICHARD CRAWFORD, the Brit
- ish commissioner on the mails
question, said at a luncheon at the
METROPOLITAN Club in New YORK:
1T is true that the big push hash
broken the German line. The big push
has taken Thiepval and Combles "hich
the Germans assured US were untaKa-
ble. but the German line it hasn't
broken-yet.
perhaps some of us look at the big
push too much as the urchin looked at
school.
AN urchin of six years spent his hrst
day at school. Returning home from
this first day. he took UP newspaper;
seated himself in an armenian ana
studied the news columns.
"Then, after minute or two. he
threw the newspaper down ana
growled:
THAT school l go to is no good
why said his mother. ,what s the
matter with your school. laddie?
Its no good he repeated. I've
been going to it a whole day no" ana
l ain't learned to read yet
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-12-17

William McAllister. plying nearby. fell
into the water. The tide was very high
and the grinding propellers OF both
vessels We're almost upon the captain
as. leaping over, he caught hold OF the
man VINO had fallen overheard
There in the midst of the churninr
waters. which the tide made like
maeistrom Burns supported the Nc
Ailister passenger until assistance was
given. and both We're drawn up amid
the highly excited crowds of the two
steamers.
J. L. Breuer medalist of Charleston.
S C.. just "A year later than this rescue
was effected, earned his badge OF oraV-
cry in the Ashley river. :. {. TINS was
truly heroic in conception as well as
in deed. For few men, however brave.
would dream that they could possibly
go. single handed. to save three other
men whose boat had just capsized In
the midst of a gale.
1t was after night, too. and the boat
which Breuer had was a little thing,
hardly more than capable of carrying
four people, under ordinary circum-
stances Under these circumstances
most extraordinary, it was indeed
feat for one man to get three drown
ing men and himself safely into such a
craft in such a gale and under cover
of night. But he did so. Mr.. Breuer
has three other rescues to his credit.
George \. Reed Of the metropolitan
park commission of Boston was given
a silver medal on May last for saving
jeremiah O'Connor from drowning.
The rescue was performed in the
Charles river on April 90. 1915.
Reed. though apparently very eau
tious person, did not hesitate to leap
into the river and remain there for
twenty-five minutes in the effort 10
save OConnor. Upon getting him
ashore. Reed resuscitated the rescued
man and took him TO a hos-,---.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-12-17
TUNGSTEN, SEhiI-PHEcIOJS
METAL, USEL III STEEL

TT HE search for tungsten goes on as
the demand FOR this metal, used a.
an alloy of steel. increases The war
developed an immense demand for
high speed" steel. the character or
quality of steel OF which tools o. the
highest efficiency used in the steel
working Industries are made. The pro
duction of shells was vastly facilitated
by the help of a cutting or planning
tool which could he worked at five
times the speed of those made of car
bon steel. Tungsten tools do not lose
their temper and cutting edge when
run at high rate OF speed.
The result of the nightly enlarged
demand for tungsten was that its price
went up 20 something over $4,000 a ton,
and tungsten ore, or other metal ores
bearing a small percentage of tungsten.
were sought for by an army of pros
pectors. Some new tungsten bearing
deposits were found and there was a
somewhat increased production. but not
enough to bring about any noteworthy
decline in the price of the curious and
valuable metal.
The only places. however. in the
l nlteu states "nefe any large de-
posts of tungsten have been found are
Boulder, Col. and in California, where,
on the tiojave desert. the Atolia Min
ing Company became the largest Amer
lean producer of scheelite. one form of
the ore. The Primes Chemical Com
pany and Wolf Tongue Mining Com
pany are the two largest in Boulder,
and have been producers of ferberite
tungsten for many years. y number
of properties in the Colorado tungsten
belt are being worked. these proper
ties being profitable because OF the
war price of the metal
The great steel makers of England
and Germany, the first to rake high
speed tool steel. depend for their metal
the wolframite deposits in Portu-
gal, Burma and the Shan states of the
Malay peninsula. The common term
of tungsten abroad is 'wolframite."
and the finished product is known
''ferro- " olframite" instead of "ferro-
tungsten as in this country. There is
said to be only one deposit of wolfra-
mite of any large size in this country
in California. owned by the Mojave
Tungsten Company.
Even before the outbreak of the great
war steel industries began TO use the
serni-precious metal, tungsten, in nu-
merous ways. Experiments made in
using tungsten in steel rails showed.
it is claimed. that the life of rail can
be doubled By the addition Of three
tenths of one per cent of tungsten as
an allo-. Automobile manufacturers
began 20 make heavy calls for tung
stem 1t has been written that Germany
lined her big guns with tungsten met
al. thereby increasing their life sew
eral hundred per cent.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-12-17
Work of the Governments Mail Bag Repair Shop

a change to better methods torre-
spondence with manufacturers OF ma
chinery both in this and foreign coun-
tries resulted in system being adopt
ed consisting Of large tumbling barrels.
each having a capacity for holding sew
eral hundred bags. Driven rapidly by
electric power, the dust conhned 10
tightly constructed room and carried
off by blowers and lodged in immense
canvas receptacles resembling a Ger
man airship when inflated. the process
was found thoroughly suitable, for
careful tests showed that all dust was
completely removed. Four thousand
bags day are now treated by this
process
The life of mail bag is about six
years, but the rough usage to which
they are exposed renders many of them
unfit for repair. Such bags pass into
the hands of expert inspectors, who
utilize such parts still have some
good material left in making what is
known as ''pieced bags" Many are thus
reclaimed and returned to the service.
constituting. with the sale of condemn
ed material. the salvage of the mail
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-12-17
THE MAIL BAG REPAIRING DEPARTMENT..

economy will continue and grow in
amount the further demand for sup
ply is met. While the old style of
equipment required expert attention to
keep them in repair. this newer prod
uct requires but little. and is kept in
good condition at a nominal cost by
machine operators.
X Z:
The repair and proper maintenance
of mail bags is provided for in an
streets northeast. This repair division
has been in existence a little over thirty
years and is under the supervision of
t. l.. Andrus. Mail bags from every
part Of the United States are sent there
to be repaired and about a million and
IA quarter pass through the shops every
year only experienced and efficient
workers are employed. for repair work
must be well done before bags can
again be permitted to enter the service
One of the difficulties connected with
this repairing process. which was also
something of Il hardship to the opera
tors. was the accumulated dirt and dust
which attached to the bags when re-
turned from the service, and which
was a menace to the health of those so
employed. No attention had ever been
paid to the dangerous and inSanitary
conditions under which the work was
done; attempt to cleanse the bags
from the impurities they collected had
ever been made, and those employed at
the work, men and women, were forced
to inhale the dust which an ordinary
shaking out by hand fails to remove
The official in charge saw the need Of
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-12-17

SNoR forty-two years the Secretary
III of the Treasury. following the
ii mandates of Congress. has been
awarding annually a number of
gold and silver medals. in recognition
of exceptional daring or bravery shown
through attempts to save lives of peo-
pie in danger of drowning. There were
twenty-four medals, all silver. issued
during the past fiscal year.
1t was that father mother and lover
of the life-saving service, Sumner I.
onlmending to Congress that these
awards be placed on permanent basis;
so encouraging not only civilians. but
also the men who were a little set
apart from their fellows in that they
made regular business of saving
lives and belonged to the United States
life-saving service.
On June 90, 1874: on June IS. 1878: on
May 4. 1882, and January %, 1915.
to the continuance of the giving of
medals for such purpose And now that
the life-saving service is no more, ex-
cept part of the coast guard, and
the venerable superintendent has retired,
the gold and silver symbols and what
they represent seem to those who were
friends of the old life-saving service
to embody something of the spirit of
Its only superintendent.
Particularly is this true in the case Of
Frank w. Cri1ley. who made the deep
est dive on record. He was chief gun
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-12-17

HNHE persons who see mail bags
loaded from the mail wagons of
the government or see them
thrown off at the stations In the cities
can form no idea of the immensely of
this branch of the public service. Sta
tistics and tables of figures may have
little interest for the ordinary reader,
but when it is stated that the total
number Of mail bags used for trans
porting the United States mails
amounts to about 100000. and if
placed end to end would stretch from
Boston to San Francisco and extend
into the Pacific ocean, some estimate
may be formed of the tremendous mass
of such equipment needed in the dis
patch of public business.
At the beginning CT the present adj
ministra ton an inventory was taken
10 learn what equipment for railway
postal transportation the government
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-12-17
Very, Very Serious.

nm a toast to widows at dinner in
Chicago, society leader and after
dinner speaker said:
I'VE all know that widows are like
windows--when you get near one you
ought to look out
II said to chap at the shore one
night:
"Are your intentions toward the
widow serious%
avery. very serious he answered
with q sigh. I intend, II possible, to
get out Of marrying her."
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-12-17
IToniCal Bill.

TT HE immense cost of Henry Ford's
peace propaganda led DIR. Law
renee Carr Winthrop of the League to
Enforce Peace to say in Boston:
Ford at any rate. is universally ac-
knowledged TO be mighty generous.
open-handed man. l heard a story the
other day that shows how thoroughly
Fords generosity has sunk into the
minds of our people.
"A workingmans wife growled at
him one Friday night:
Look here. Bill, this games about
played out For the last three weeks
now you've been bringin' me home
S1l.15 when your pays $12. Is IL
gamblin' or the boozeT
Bill laughed harshly.
No. he said. it's neither gamblin'
nor the booze. I'm savin' up to send
off a Copenhage peace Ship"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-12-17
Annual Distribution of Honor Medals to tn

cate him only to have him dead
weight and iifeless in his grasp. 1t
seemed that several days went by.
In the next hour determination had
become a habit of what seemed ages.
That he was successful at the end OF
three hours and brought his men up
to the surface and the grave-faced
marines that crowded round need not
be further remarked upon.
DR.. Carl Michel, assistant surgeon OF
the United States public health serv-
ice, stationed in Porto Rico. is another
medalist of last year who deserves
made and which gave him his medal
was in November. 1915. Being attached
to the public health service probably
made saving life matter of habit
with the young surgeon. but he was not
in the habit of attempting 1t with
coral reef to boot. Fevers and small
pox are one thing. but the Atlantic
ocean is another.
A swimmer by the name of Howe was
having n taste of the kind of surf
which poets describe. November in
Porto Rico is balmy as in Bermuda,
and the sea, at FL Condado Beach es-
pecially. is then attractive to the veri-
est land 1ubber. Howe was not used
to the quick changes OF southern skies
and waters-the part of the world
where they have no twilight. for in
stance. and the sunset flashes into utter
darkness. He was enjoying his swim
to the fullest. The surf started pound
ing as though it were the heart OF
some giant in distress. and Howe
struggled in vain to make the shore.
DIR. Michel. also enjoying an hour
in the sea. saw him and started through
the surf breaking over the reef 1t was
useless. Howe went down too far
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-12-17

were merely cookie shells. and the five
heroes had difficulty in keeping level
headed and managing their boats. That
they did win out and bring the two
aeroplanists safely .s. to ,h shoTs is borne
Henry Buckley. Solomon kamnisky.
Furman King and George Dana. who
participated, all received silver medals
on November "a. 1915.
On the Rio Grande river. near Camp
Eagle Pass, Tex, Edward G. Flynn won
his medal for the attempted rescue Of
Robert e. Robinson Both men be-
longed to the army. and were privates
in Company NJ, 18th Infantry, station
ed at Camp Eagle Pass. Robinson had
gone into the river to enjoy a swim.
where his comrade entered the water.
The swimmer was pretty far out when
FLYNN happened to notice something
unusual about the mans actions. Then
he Immediately plunged in the water
and started toward him.
y
1t seemed longer and longer. the dis
lance he must cover. When he finally
did reach Robinson, got him and turn
ed to go back over the same distance
he had come he felt too weak for the
task, his burden being unconscious by
this time.
BEING a soldier and used to disciplin-
ing himself. however, he kept on until,
overcome by exhaustion. he was com
PEELED to let go of the man he mad so
valiantly tried to save, and make 1or
the shore alone. 1t was said to be re-
markable that he was able. in the con-
dition he was then. to regain the lana
and save his own life.
Patrick J. Nestor, another medallst,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-12-17

bag repair shop. The bags or parts of
bags which cannot be utilized are sold
under yearly contract to the highest
bidder. The amount thus realized for
the past year was over $4,000.
After the bags are cleaned they are
examined by inspectors, who assert
them according to the repairs needed.
Those that are torn are sent to the
sewers. SO many women are engaged
in the work that it is necessary to keep
one woman at work winding bobbins
for the machines. She collects the bob
bins three times every hour from the
women at the machines and fills at
least 1000 bobbns every day. All the
holes in the mail bags are darned by
machines made for that purpose, and
only the most durable Sea Island cot
ton is used in the process. Some of the
bags need only to be restrung. and
others have the eyelets. through which
the cord is laced. nlended. After the
bags are mended they are sent TO the
storehouse, and from there they soon
continue their travels over the United
States.
The advent of the parcel post and
the great increase in postal business
have made it necessary to enlarge the
scope of the repair shop, because at
times it was found impossible to obtain
bags from the contractor in quantities
sufficient to meet the demand. A manu-
featuring feature was therefore added.
and during the past two years over
quarter of a million bags have been
produced without additional expense
for labor or hardship to the employees.
Last year 10000 catcher pouches and
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-12-17
An Effect of Privilege.

ENATOR SUTHERLAND of Utah was
- talking about certain privileged
persons.
I'm foe to all privilege he said.
privilege means trouble. It's like the
steamboat captain who had the bar privi-
lege.
"rhis captain, to whom all the profits
went shouted through his telephone to the
engineer: -
down. We got 'em drinkin fine.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-12-17
That Settled 1t.

COMMISSIONER DILLON, apropos OIL
his success in the New YORK Hiih
st rike said to a reporter:
The trust had dictated to the farmers
so long It thought it could dictate 10
them forever But the farmers got
together, and from then on they TOOK
the initiative as completely as the lady
in the story.
zone clubman said to another. point
ing with a shocked look from the clUt
window toward a lady in an ultra moo
ish skirt:
II thought you said. George. that
vou'd never consent to let your wife
wear one of those outrageous gar
ments?' 1870, .,,
".Yes. so ] did George replied. but
my wife overheard me.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-12-17

10000 ordinary mail sacks were i:'9.Io
me service is now engaged IN r-Da -
ing and manufacturing more mail sacn
than at any time since its inception
The mail equipment shops represent
a development Of little over til. ri,
years. At one time q Re" e.nplove 4
We're engaged in the repair OF ma
bags in the building now occupied b.
the Central Union Mission. from which
location they were moved TO 559 C.
street northwest. The work continued
IN that location uat. 1901. when the
SHOPS were moved to Isl and l. stseets
northeast
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-12-17

Since the inventory was made the
growth of the service required the pur
chase of more than enc million and
half mail bags to meet the steadily in
creasing demand. This business of the
ulation made in the railway mail serv-
ice two years ago showed that the
eight mail bag repositories of the
United States received and sent out
again during the year just preceding
nearly 100000 sacks and pouches. AS
the real amount of stock then was
about 100000 it will be seen that this
equipment was handled ten times by
the system of distribution devised to
relieve congestion at one point and
meet pressing demands at another.
without which arrangement the pecul-
TAR exactions of the service could not
be met The amount thus handled is
now very much larger, sacks and
pouches passing to and fro through
these repositories and the mail bag
storehouse at Washington aggregate
ing 100000 pieces.
The money required from time to
time for the purchase of this great
supply and the price to be paid. so as
to come within the appropriation, were
matters of grave concern to those in
charge. Congress supplied the funds.
but where the supply could be bought
at the lowest price government stand
ards maintained was the problem.
In the summer of 1913 the depart
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-12-17


ners mate. in the navy, and it was at
the time the submarine FL went down
off Honolulu. There was a stir went
round the world when the submarine
and her men were lost.
No one felt worse. perhaps. than the
men of the 1avy who were sent to
work in connection with the salvage
of the sunken boat. 1t was a strain on
mind and body Crilley and n group
of comrades who were experienced in
deep-sea diving went about their work
with tension.
One comrade, after working consid-
cradle time. 'fouled his lines" to use
the vernacular. He was go feet below
the surface of the water. Crilley was
not at work at that hour. Amid the
excited onlookers. he jumped into ms
diving paraphernalia and went down to
get his mate. Even in the short time
II had taken to prepare for descent the
endangered man hanging there amid
his lines in the deep water had become
entangled and given up all hope of get
ting to the surface again alive. Crilley,
when he had dived down and reached
the place where the other man had
been working. could not hnd hlm. !.
To be $50 feet below the surface of
the seattle tropical sea-where ones
imagination can play havoc If nerves
are taut, is & feat in itself; but the
work that Chilly undertook and the
way he stayed with it-these things
cannot be estimated by any medal,
1t seemed TO him that he must have
been there al! day and that night mad
come. During the second hour, When
he was swung between hope and doubt
like a pendulum that has no power in
itself, when he would get hold of his
helpless comrade, only to be unable to
extricate him, then be able to extri-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-12-17

away for any one to reach him in time
his attention to another who also had
not measured the coming and going OF
the treacherous currents in the neigh
borhood of San Juan. This man, eX-
hauSted and hopeless of rescue, DIR.
Michel and a third man were able to
get to shore and rescuscitate. The doc
tor was given silver medal on the
18th of January, 1916.
A very proud mother is that of Ed
ward S. Waters, Mrs F. d. Mcconnell
of West Liberty street, Savannah. Ga.
When the photograph of this medalfst
was asked for, 1t was the mother who
answered. and sent 1t. She gave the
information also that Edward S. Waters
was. at the time of the rescue, on June
20. 1915. seventeen years and seven
teen days" of age. "A heroic act for
boy of seventeen" she added, and no
one would blame her for this proper
pride.
1t was very modern rescue. too. 1t
couldn't have happened a hundred
years ago, nor fifty, nor even twenty
five. When young Waters is old man
he can look back and say, Yes. when
! was a boy. and aeroplane flights were
still a novelty, | helped rescue couple
of daring f1iers.
A sudden rain had come up in the
afternoon in June, when the trouble
occurred. high wind followed. The
men in the aeroplane. Mr.. Beach and
man by the name of Davis. lost con-
troll of their machine, when near Iybee
Island, Ga, and dropped headlong into
the Atlantic. The wind became violent
and the rain was binding as the
Waters boy and four others started IN
canoes to the rescue.
1t was an exciting hour; the canoes
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-12-17

in a most natural and interesting man
ner The story leaves Darsfe Garnett
in an implication of doubt as to the
power of the college education to
change this particular girl into
strong minded. undomestic new Wom-
an"
MIDSUMMER MOTORING IN Ell RofE.
BY De Courcy W. Thorn. With "a
illustrations New York: G. p. Put
MANS Sons.
In these days of carnage-red Europe
it is refreshing to read a book when
breezes back to a happy Belgium. a
carefree England and a Germany at
peace with all the world. The 4,ooo
miles of sightseeing. which also IN
cluded Switzerland. was over tourist
trod ground. but the author gives TO
each familiar point the glamour OF en-
thusiasjsm and love--it being con
tinuation Of his honeymoon trip. win
the added pleasure of a couple of IN
laws congenial to himself and BRIDE
and even conveys an atmosphere OF
almost news to his impressions OF the
overwritten and "movied passion
Play" of 1910.
The log" is written in pleasant mar
rative style and gives satisfying CON
ceprion Of summertime in Europe -FOUR
years before the war.