davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1916-01-02

~ NE of the most usual forms
III " into which society, in its
N " Kaleidoscope movements, re-
solves itself is the triangle
representing the employer, the en-
ploye and the public To say that
these three angles have always lived
in peace, harmony and mutual under
standing would be to state an untruth,
and social scientists and benefactors
have long given close consideration to
ameliorating the actual condition.
No other organization has accom-
plished more practical good in this di-
rection. it is maintained. than the Ma
;ional Civic Federation. of which
Seth Low is president. The Civic Fed
Grafton has womans department
which is doing incalculable service for
this social triangle. The ninth annual
meeting of the federation will be held
in Washington January II and Is,
when its woman's department will
Hlso meet to discuss questions of vital
moment to the American woman.
= x
The national officers of the woman's
department are Miss Maude Wetmore
chairman: Mrs. Rogers II. Bacon, sec
retary, and Miss Anne Morgan, treas
urer. Its executive council includes
many women of prominence through
out the country The majority of the
committees of the woman's depart
ment are national in their policy their
work covering prison reform, the
housing problem. immigrant question
as affecting women, home and foreign
relief and country life and rural bet
terment, with many other vital ques-
tons of the day.
Miss Maude Wetmore, who is a
daughter of ex-senator George Pea
body Wetmore of Rhode Island, sue
ceeded Mrs. John Hays Hammond as
chairman of the womans department
three years ago and gives almost her
entire time to her office. To further
the interests of women who work has
been prime object with Miss Wet
more for many years, and to attain
Immediate and lasting results she has
made of herself a very hard working
woman. whose reward has been to see
her efforts yielding betterment in
working conditions in every direction.
Asked recently what phase of her
work was occupying most of her pres
ent time and attention, Miss WetEore
replied emphatically: The vacation
war relief committee This committee
aims to assist women through it's va
cation fund to develop the habit of
saving small sums. and through its
social side to enlarge their recreation-
al opportunities. There are 0 900 de-
positors and nearly 100000 has been
deposited.
Now as to the connection between
this branch of our work and war re-
lief il must be explained that when
the war broke over Europe we wanted
to assist in the awful need abroad but
could not neglect our opportunities a
home. The vacation war relief COM
mittee was organized to help conditions
at home as well as abroad. 1t was
largely due to the war that there were
200. 900 more men and women out of
work in New York during the winter
Evening star., 1916-01-02

part of the extension work off our
hands. feature of our work was
finding new situations for those who
came to us for relief. and in two or
three months we were able to place
large proportion of them in permanent
positions. In the single year of its
existence the vacation war relief COM
mittee has placed 1920 girls. with 40
per cent of them in permanent posi-
tions. The money contributed to this
work has amounted to $1S0.000. Not
penny Of this has gone out of our coun
try All of il has been used to relieve
conditions at home.
This is only one of the various de-
partments of war relief work under
taken by the woman's department
sinke the war began. The New Eng
Evening star., 1916-01-02
HOPKINS
of
Eederat

at the very beginning. 1t is no exag
material were given us, and needles,
thread and buttons in like proportion.
Then we took orders for foreign relief
supplies. and as we were often asked
FOR things we could not furnish
shoes, stockings. etc. which could not
be made In our workrooms-we became
purchasing agents. making particularly
good arrangements with manufactur
ers interested in the work abroad. We
were thus enabled to add 10 per cent.
which helped our overhead charges in
the workrooms.
we have interested many organiza-
TONS In the vacation war relief work
and they have done their full share in
carrying on this most helpful service.
The school board, too, took a large
Evening star., 1916-01-02

expected would propose to them. In
the rural districts homely men paraded
the streets. signing as they passed the
girls: Woe is me, no lady will pro-
pose to me!' In the days of King
Henry VIII. Will Somers, his ia
nous jester, caused much merriment
at court by having the maids on duty
at the palace propose to him in the
presence of the king. Each one made
her own little speech, bowling low be-
fore the court fool. He refused each
one with great dignity, much to the
amusement of the king.
Each maid was presented with
silken gown as her reward. All sorts
of leap year tricks were played by
this famous jester, whose spontaneous
Evening star., 1916-01-02

decent surroundings and the chance to
live in proper streets, like the rest of
the world.
Our plan for the block of model
houses. which is primarily to be a
memorial to the late Mrs. Wilson. is
made to hold thousand people. There
will be stores run comparatively, a
public laundry. amusement halls. a
small hospital, playground and diet
kitchen, with other features of a COM
plete settlement house. There are to
be 125 small buildings in the block.
providing for $50 families. These
houses are to consist of different types,
Evening star., 1916-01-02

of the Haer dynasty, two centuries be-
fore Christ. They also have an as
Economical year. which is solar. and
for the adjustment of these solar and
lunar years they employ a system sim
liar to our leap year plan except that
instead of am intercalary day every
fourth year as in the Gregorian cal
endar they insert an intercalary month
occurring alternately every second AMI
third year in periods of nineteen years.
The year. therefore, contains twelve or
thirteen months according as it has or
has not an intercalary one.
The origin of the custom for women
to Moo. not to be wooed. during leap
year. is traced back to legend of
st. Patrick. AS the story runs, the
good man was strollng along the
shores of Lough Neagh after having
Evening star., 1916-01-02
-tment, National Civic

land section has done splendid service
in Boston. To specify one line, the
work of making surgical dressings was
started in the Parker Memorial Hos
pital under the direction of the doc
tors and nurses. Between thirty and
forty women were given employment
at 81 day to make surgical dress
ings This work Is continued in the
Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Bos-
ton, where the surgical dressings, COM
mittee has established Its headquar-
terS
"The District OF Columbia section of
the woman's department, of which Mrs.
Archibald Hopkins is chairman. has a
very efficient committee in Washing
ton. This has taken up its headquar-
ters in the historic old Bancroft house
at 1928 Fl street, and is doing splendid
Evening star., 1916-01-02

passed in France and received the
kings approval 1t is said that num-
bers of maidens took advantage of this
law. They must have been accepted.
as the records show no fines imposed
upon the men who were wooed.
The same law was in vogue during
the days of Columbus in Genoa and
Florence. and one of his biographers
hints at the time when during leap
year several ladies proposed marriage
to him, but he was already be-
throthed he escaped their wiles.''
In England during the early eight
eenth century the men made merry on
the 29th of February. often climbing
Evening star., 1916-01-02

one year in four To which st. Pat
rick is said to have replied, "Biddy,
acushly, squeeze me that way again
and I'll give you leap year, the long
est one in the lot Then ST. Bridget,
thus encouraged, bethought herself of
her own husbandless condition and
popped the question to st. Patrick.
\: j:
But he had already taken the vow
of celibacy, so he had to patch up her
wounded feelings with a kiss and
silken gown. And ever since that
time, according to the legend, "if
man refuses leap year proposal he
must pay the penalty of a kiss and
silken gown. While this legend
sounds like myth pure and simple
Evening star., 1916-01-02

months
The first day of the month was mark
ed by a stroke turned up from the
notch and each Sunday was dis
tinguished by notch somewhat broad
er than the others. Little drawings
carved beside the notches represented
the holidays. February 20 was marked
in black during the ordinary year. but
every fourth year the black was wash
ed off and the plain notch took it's
place. -
Printed almanacs did not become
common until the end of the fifteenth
century and were not in general use until
Evening star., 1916-01-02

and cannot be found in any of the
lives of St. Patrick as written by his
followers, it is recorded in several old
books and must have been taken seri-
ously in several countries.
In the year 1888 a law on leap year
was passed in Scotland and was ac-
tually enforced for a long time. The
translation in English of this curious
edict is as follows:
1t is a statute and ordained that during the
reign OF her blessed ajesty for every year
known as leap year every maiden lady of both
high and low estate shall have the liberty to be-
speak the man she likes and should he refuse to
take her TO be his lawful wife, he shall be fined
in sum of pounds more less as his estate
may be large or small. unless he can prove that
ne Is already betrothed TO another woman, in
which case he may go free.
A few years later a similar law was
Evening star., 1916-01-02
The Origin Of Leap Year, Its Customs and

a LII time is reckoned by years.
M\ months and days. all of the
A\ Protestant and Catholic ma
& ~ tions now accepting what is
known as the Gregorian method of
measuring the lapse of time. The
Greek Church, however, still adheres
to the Julian system. while the Jews,
Mohammedans and Chinese each have
a different mode of computation.
The Gregorian calendar is perhaps
the most accurate ever devised. The
length of the year is strictly expressed
by the space of time required for the
revolution of the earth around the sun
namely. S65 days. hours, AS min
utes. 49 seconds and 7-1Oths of a second
but for the convenience of reckoning
it has been found necessary to make
the year terminate with day instead
of during some part of the last day.
and by Jumping the fractions together
add an extra day at certain intervals
which is known as leap year.
Away back in the days of julius
Caesar. about forty-five years before
Christ Sosigenes, Il philosopher from
Alexandria. after taking counsel with
several astronomers. decided that every
four years should consist of 366 days.
and in this way the extra hours could
be consumed. and thus avoid any over
1apping which would become an ap
preciable quantity after the lapse of
centuries. and be quite disturbing
element in the division of the seasons
He decreed that the extra day should
come in February, the sixth before the
calends of March (sextiles) and occur
every four years. and each fourth year
was called bissextile. After a while
1t was called leap year. Just why it
was given that name is not made clear
In the records. except there is legend
that Father Time takes leap after
February % of the bssextile year.
After that date he leaps over the day
of the week on which it would fall in
ordinary years. Thus Christmas came
on Saturday in 1915. but owing to this
year being the bissextile year Christ
mas skips over to Monday. instead of
coming Sunday. as would be the order
of occurrence in other than a leap
year. Children born on February %
have few birthdays
Rossini. the musical composer. was
born on this date in 1872. and when he
celebrated his birthday seventy-two
years later he declared that he was
only eighteen years old because that
was his eighteenth birthday. He in
sisted that he was still boy and had
not finished sowing his wild oats. Ac-
cording to the calendar, if he only
counted his birthdays he was but sew
enteen, as the year 1900 was not leap
year
Reckoning time in the early days
was not easy, as there were no written
manacs until the second century
ana time had to be mea sured by what
was known as a clog almanac. This
consisted OF square piece of wood
about eight inches long fitted to be
hung up somewhere for reference 1t
was perpetual almanac designed 10
show the days: Sundays and fixed hol-
idays were especially marked. The
days of the entire year were repre-
sented by notches running along the
angles of the square block, each side
Evening star., 1916-01-02

driven "all the frogs from all the
bogs and banished all the varmints.
when he was accosted by ST. Bridget.
who. with tears and lamentations, told
him that dissension had arisen among
the women of her nunnery over the
fact that they were debarred the
privilege of popping the question.
In St. BridgetS days celibacy was
not enforced as an absolute rule for
the clergy of the church. although
it was regarded as the proper state
for a man of the sanctuary.
st. Patrick was stern. but he offered
to concede to the ladies the privilege
of proposing every seven years. Then
St Bridget threw her arms about
his neck and exclaimed, "Arrah. Pat
rick, jewel, ] daurn't go back to the
gurls wild such a proposal-mek it
Evening star., 1916-01-02

ernment department buildings. Our
work has rested largely on Mr.. Taft's
order to place all public buildings,
with the exception of the executive
buildings, under the board of healthy
and the Secretaries of the various de-
partments, with their chief clerks,
have given US all possible aid in our
efforts. We have been successful in
establishing restrooms and lunchrooms
in various of the public buildings which
formerly lacked these conveniences to the
employees.
'The late Mrs. Wilson lent her hearty
support to this endeavor, going with
me through several of the government
buildings and noting conditions. 1t
was through her efforts that the first
aid room was established in the gov
ernment printing office. This room 10
Evening star., 1916-01-02

ORGANIZATION Hold Ninth Annual Meeting
- National OHrsWok Prison Reform and Home
Vacation War ehe-Io Promote Harmony Mutual
Enpye the dforW EMPLOYEES
efareC ommitee
Evening star., 1916-01-02

taken by Mrs. Wilson in its install
ment.
X
I'm the Treasury, under the SUPER
vision of James l.. Wilmeth, who takes
very sincere interest in the adapta-
tion of the building to the convenience
of the employees. a restroom was estab-
lished, at our suggestion, over four
years ago. This has, since then, been
of service in 1000 cases. and is in con-
slant and daily use, with a matron in
charge, the whole expense being met
by those benefited by it. Last year the
general health of the employees was
made subject for consideration, and
the Treasury building, which was
claimed to be one of the most insani-
tary of all the government buildings i'm
washington, is now model in modern
systems of ventilation, water supply.
lighting and all the accessories which
make for the most healthful conditions.
During the year 1915, DIR. George Col
Inns, working under the board of health,
VIII give his entire time to testing and
treating the eyes of employees.
THE Department of Commerce has
promised to install lunchroom in the
building for the convenience of the en-
ployeS. The restroom there is now in
constant use, and on sitting summer
day has had as many hundred ap-
plicants for first aid. The room has
IL
cooperative lunchroom in the BUREAU
of engraving and printing was an en-
terprise in which the Civic Federation
took the deepest interest, its efforts re-
ceiving the heartiest commentator and
cooperation of the director.
Our organization was also permitted
to go over the plans of the new De-
partInent of the Interior building now
in course OF erection, and il will have
the most modern and amply equipped
lunch and rest rooms in any of the pub
lie buildings in Washington. Its light
ing appliances of the most ap-
proved, and ii will serve as "A model in
all respects for government buildings
of the future.
In the mailbag repair shop, where
the problem of dust WAS serious one
and a menace to health, we have been
able to introduce some improvements.
The result is that the death rate from
tuberculosis, which was formerly 80 per
cent, has been reduced to 80 per cent.
pounding the dust out of the bags have
been installed the floors have been
painted and are now cleaned with wet
sawdust. This method of protecting
employees in the repair shops from the
contamination of the mail bags before
repairing them was seen by J. L. Lewis.
assistant superintendent of the Cana
dian postal service, and he was so
pleased with the result that he has
had il inaugurated into the same
service in Canada"
In connection with the Monday Even
ing Club and the board of charities,
the local section of the woman's de-
toward securing legislation for feeble
minded and defective children, for
new almshouse and for a home for in
ebriates.
Evening star., 1916-01-02

of 1914 and 1915 than during the pre-
vious year. and this made the aggre-
gate of worthless reach not far from
500 200
1T was then we opened the vacation
fund committee rooms as a vacat
war relief headquarters. We put in
operation nine workrooms and gave
work to women-jobs at making gar
ments for the relief of the war-stricken
Europeans. paying them a tide-over
wage of 80 and IS cents a day. which
kept them alive. We did more. We
opened trade extension schools and
gave instructions SO that girls could
increase their efficiency in several
given lines of work II was a fact that
the best paid and most efficient women
lost their positions first.
I'VE did not put the clerks and ste
ncgraphers to sewing, but gave them
further instruction. training them in
stenography and typewriting, book
keeping. filing, etc. with the tide-over
wage to keep them alive while wait
ing for other work. The trade schools
taught several of the trades in the same
way.
IN all we had between seven and
eight hundred girls earning tide
over wage. and we shipped to Europe
something like forty or fifty cases of
clothing a week, in all 2,222 cases. Re-
member. we could not have done the
work on this scale had it not been for
the generosity of the manufacturers
Evening star., 1916-01-02

OWth Queer Women Popping
From yhhe Various Calendars U-Chmese Civil
INDUCED Year Celebrations the
Second Cenly'-Leap Year Supertiions
Evening star., 1916-01-02

wit was the talk of the English court
of the sixteenth century. Even as late
as the nineteenth century leap year
entertainments were held and women
proposed to men in public. Skating
parties where the women called for the
men and took them to the frozen ponds
were the fashion. The men gave ex-
hbitions of skating. after which pro-
posals of marriage were In order
Sometimes the best skater had the
question Popped to him half dozen
times. Leap year balls and parties
were in vogue WELL and altogether
leap year in Merrie England in the old
days seems to have been a gay twelve
months.
According to a quaint book pub
lished in London in 1906 under the
riage." the English seem to have
taken the leap year custom as an
unwritten law. for the author says:
Albeit. it move become a part OF the
common law in regard to social re-
lations of life. that as often as every
leap yeare doth return. the 'ladyes
have the sole privilege during. the tim.
il continueth of making love, either
by wordes or lookes. as to them II
seemeth proper: and moreover. no
man Will be entitled to the benefit OF
the clergy who doth in anywise treat
her proposal with slight or con-
tumely."
Another authority declares that IL
is both just and proper in case of a
refusal of the ladys proposal that
she should be presented with silk
dress. This, too. seems to have been
practiced for a time, but was stopped
because some of the men were taxed
with giving a score or more of gowns.
1t seems that every maid and widow
was seized with the wild desire to
pop the question: and in this way
replenish her wardrobe in pay for
her modification in having been re-
fused. All these customs have died
out, although one occasionally hears
of leap. year party being given
where the girls ask the boys to dance
the men to supper. All these are
merry jests and there are no serious
proposals of marriage. although one
of our noted writer's declares that
women are everlastingly leading us
on
But one leap year superstition 10
found in the United States. and this
comes from New England. where. dur
ing the last century, many people still
clung to the old uncanny idea that
in leap year beans grew on the wrong
side of the pod"
And so in many unaccountable ways
a custom springs up. and whether il
grows to be the source of innocent
amusement to be stern law il
fastens itself upon the habits of the
people and becomes a part of their
life. and long after it has lost its
original meaning or value it fingers
in the memory of succeeding genera
tions as a link to the distant past,
retaining enough of its old force to
lay the foundation for much amuse-
ment and entertainment. In this in
stance, as in many others. we recog-
nize the force of custom and the re-
luctance to shake it off.
ITO follow foolish precedents. and wink
With both our eyes. is easier than to think"
copyright 1916. by International Syndicatel
Evening star., 1916-01-02

in constant use, being of aid to an
average of thirty persons a day. 1t is
now self-supporting, and the employees
have placed brass tablet upon the
wall in commemoration of the part
taken by Mrs. Wilson in its install
ment.
Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-01-15

Washington, Jan. 14.-Administra-
ton oflcials today anxiously awaited
the outcome Of General Carranza's eff
forts to round up and punish the Mex
lean outlaws concerned in the killing
of American citizens near Chihuahua
City. Assurances that this would be
done have been given by Eliseo Ar
redondo, ambassador designate Of the
de facto government Of Mexico.
Officials indicated today that the
steps thus far taken by the Carranza
authorities to apprehend the bandits
apparently were satisfactory. Carran-
"a will be expected, however. to pun
ish the murderers. and furnish evil
dence Of 1t. This was made>clear by
Secretary Lansing, who stated that
unless proper steps were taken an is
sue might arise between the United
States and the Carranza administra-
ton. The statement was taken to mean
that the United states was determined
to enforce protection of it's citizens
in Mexico.
Omcials are awaiting the full facts
in the case before determining wheth-
err the Carranza government was re-
sponsible for the tragedy. These facts
are being gathered, through consular
representatives, in Mexico, along the
Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-01-15
MARSHALL SAYS
he EXPECTS TO
WIN HIS BIG SUIT

Lisbon Falls, Me-. Jan. 4.-"Yes. ! ex-
pect to win my billion dollar suit; that is,
1 expect to tie up every ounce of proper
ty belonging to the British Empire in the
United States" said Louis J. Marshall
to a reporter in referring to the billion
dollar suit he has brought this week
against British officials in the United
States He went on to explain that he
was the primary complainant for all
the people Of the United States for
crimes being committed against justice
by the British Empire through it's Off
Gals"
He says the writ will be returnable the
second Tuesday in April He referred
to the recent trial concerning his mail
order business held in the supreme court
at Portland, as farce" as there wasn't
proof presented that he received single
10-cent piece
But of course you would admit that
you did receive money" said the re-
porter.
IL admit nothing. 1t is for them to
prove it," said Mr.. Marshall, who seems
very we'll informed on legal matters and
derives much enjoyment from his legal
studies, which he has conducted entirely
by himself. He commented further on
his suit: No person living on the planet
can bring it but me. because of my ex-
perience."