davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-04-03
Polls.

A play that necessitates singing by
stock company is apt to be a sorry
affair, because stock companies eener-
ally are constructed for spoken drama
But the Poll Players last night. in pre-
senting George V. Hobart's musical
farce, Alma, Where Do You Live -,
made an excellent impression on an au-
dience that, for holy week, must have
been gratifying in number to the mani
agemeut
William z. Carleton vas the bright
stellar attraction, his rich baritone
being a musical treat and one of the
refreshing features of the entertain
ment. Miss Rittenhouse had ample op-
portunity to display several fetching
gowns, and her singing was excep-
tionally pleasing to many. Howard
Lang carried the major portion of the
comedy in the role of Count Roliyarfo.
an ardent and hot-headed sutton of
by j. Hammond Daley and Bernard
Thornton, whose female impersona-
lions, though of the ultra-buriesoue
type. We're amusing bits OF character
ization, while Ralph Remley played the
part of Pfquart seemingly to the sat
isfaction Of every one. Garry Nc
Garry, Hardin Meakin, Louise F'arnum
Helen Hayes Brown and Frances Will
liams completed the cast
During the intermission between the
first and second acts Prof Charles F.
Atkinson, formerly of Harvard College,
Boston, delivered a patriotic mono
logue, The Man Without Country"
The applause that greeted his efforts
drowned those of the orchestra.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-04-03
uARDW GOD

l 1 r e t + 1 gerator,
with wire s h e | v e S.
L eonar improve
ments. trigger locks,
galvanized steel lining.
2O1a inches wide, 81
inches high. Holds 80
lbs. ice.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-04-03
DELY ABBAS OCCUPIED
BY BRITISH TROOPS

By the Associated Press.
LONDON, April 3.-The British troops
in Mesopotamia have occupied the
town of DEFY Abbas, according to an
unofficial report issued last night. The
capture Of the town took place on
March 81. DEFY Abbas lies thirteen
miles to the southwest of KILL Robat.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-04-03
Pittsburgh Has $15O,OO0 Fire.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. April Sire
early today Quilted the first three floors
nue. occupied by Taylor Brothers Fur
niture Company. Adjoining buildings
occupied by the Enterprise Suit and
Cloak Company and the Feature Film
Company were damaged. The loss is
estimated at $l50,000 The origin of
the IRE is not known.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-04-03

encourage of Grand Duke Boris, has
led. according to the police. to the dis
covery Of q plot in which the grand
duchess and two grand dukes were in
Duke Nicholas as Emperor Of Russia.
Grand Duke Nicholas now Is in the
Crimea,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-04-03
MRS. HORTON ANNOUNCES
TICKET FOR D. A. R. OFFICES
Miss Dortnda Rogers, an 1ndepend-
ent Candidate for Vice President
General from d. G.

The ticket that will run with Mrs
John Miller Horton, candidate for
president general Of the National So.
ciety, D. A. R. is announced. with Mrs
Horizons authority. as follows:
Recording secretary general Mis-.
Evening star., 1917-10-07
the United States may be doubted. That
is something for the future, perhaps' the
far-distant future.

the United States may be doupted. Inat
is something for the future, perhaps, the
far-distant future.
That n better understanding on the
part of the American people OF japan
activities in the great war mas peen es-
tablished is clear, and that IN 1tseiI
would Justify the ceremonial mission.
Whether Japan is to get steel '1or her
ships and whether japanese SHIPS are
to be transferred to the Atlantic TO sup
plement the merchant ships OF the
United States and the allies douotless
will he disclosed before long.
There is Significance in the announce,
ment from Toxic that Japan Will seno
to this country an official coiii1sSlui ~
of financiers and business men. AZ
Japanese government were not satis-
fed with the results of the Ism mis-
sion it is not likely that a BUSINESS
commission would follow on us neeis
The coming mission might perhaps
one purpose is to explain the economic
potion which Japan now occupies N
consequence of the events Of the worio
war. It Is perhaps Japan's status as an
economic power in the far east tnat Tue
mikado's government now seeks to nave
recognized.
There has been a vast economic
change on account of the. war. Japa-
nese shipping has profited in even
greater degree than the shipping in the
United States and of neutral countries.
Japanese industries have been speeded
up in making munitions for Russia and
the other allies. and the whole indus
trial life of the nation has been vital
ICED to the great profit of the manu-
facturers and of general commerce.
Japan also, from being borrower. has
become something Of a creditor nation.
since 1t has advanced money, to the al
Evening star., 1917-10-07

Washington was President. DIR. Priest
ley made the first rubber erasers. They
were cubes much smaller than the kind
We now buy for a nickel. They were
half an inch long and sold for rs cents.
The first waterproof cloth was made
by an Enslishman in 1897, about the
time that John Adams was inaugurated
President of the United States, but 1t
would not stand the heat. and it was
not until the presidency of John Quincy
Adams that Charles Macintosh,
Scotchman, discovered how to dissolve
rubber in naphtha, and make liquid
which, spread upon cloth, caused it to
shed water. That was the birth of
the slicker and the rubber coats of all
kinds that our men will wear in the
field.
The greatest of all rubber inventions,
however. was made by an American.
This was Charles Goodyear, who dis
covered the process of vulcanizatio
Goodyear was a Connecticut Yankee,
who began life as a hardware man. He
became interested in the study of rub
ber. and when he saw some shoes made
of the pure gum. which had been i'm
ported from Brazil, he conceived the
idea of making something of the kind
for the trade. He used pure gum. which
was then cheap. but the shoes softened
during the summer and gave out bad
odor. Goodyear tried to harden the
rubber by treating it's surface with
nitric acid, and he was able to i'm
prove 1t thereby. He then tried mixing
1t with sulphur. but the process was
not a success until one day when he
was baking a mixture Of sulphur and
Evening star., 1917-10-07

six thousand feet. They are to be built
for the Navy They are testing these
balloons somewhere in Ohio and they
have a school there for teaching men
to fly them. This school Is presided
over by Ralph H. Epson, who will be
remembered as having won the last
James Gordon Bennett balloon trophy
race which was held at Paris shortly
before the war began. Some of the
largest OF these dirigible balloons cost
as much as $4,000 each.
1t would take a column of this news
paper to print even the names of the
different kinds of rubber goods that
are now being made for the Army. In
one of the large establishments here
saw hundreds of men and women max
ing boots and shoes for the men in the
trenches. and in another place they
were making rubber slickers and pom
chos. The trenches are often full of
water and hip boots are a part of the
soldiers equipment. Some of the men
wear rubber stockings, between wooden
and cotton ones, and some of the off,
GERS have rubber sheets upon which
they sleep to keep out of the wet. Every
have rubber coat or slicker and the
rubber shoes and boots required will be
numbered by millions. In one of the
factories here ! saw them vulcanizing
hundreds of pairs of boots at one time.
The boots were on steel frames which
were about two feet taller than the
workmen who pushed them into the
great iron ovens or retorts, lined With
iron pipes, where this was accom-
plished. A touch of a button dropped
the steel door Of the oven, when the
Evening star., 1917-10-07

lies. including s5o.ooo.ooo loan to
Great Britain.
The war prosperity has been bounti-
full and the war expenses have been
negligible. In this respect Japan diff
fers from the United States. She has
no prospective budget Of billions of dol
lars to be raised by taxation or by
loans. although she has to make provi-
sion for increased naval and army ex-
penditures.
1t is characteristic of Japanese vision
and japanese craftsmanship that the
wartime prosperity has not blinded the
empire to the future possibilities 1t
is perceived that while the war has
created a new economic status for
Japan, there must be an adjustment to
the conditions which will prevail when
ever peace comes. This was recognised
months ago when new economic body
was created.
The purpose in creating this body was
to study and inaugurate the policies
which should determine Japan's inter-
national trade position after the war.
Four commissions of inquiry were Gre
Evening star., 1917-10-07

steam was turned on and the vulcan
iZation began.
X X
But before 1 go farther, let me tell
you something as to how the crude
rubber is turned into the manufactur-
ed rubber of commerce. The first rub
Der manufactures were in the shape
Of balls. which Columbus found used
by the Indians on the West Indies Is
lands shortly after he discovered Amer
lea. A little later CorteZ was taught
by the Aztecs in Mexico, to spread it
over the coats of his soldiers to keep
out the rain, and about twenty-six
years before our Declaration of 1nde-
pendence a Frenchman brought some
of the juice of the rubber tree from
Ecuador to Europe in the shape of rude
bottles. The first manufacture of rub
Der by civilized man was by DR.. Joseph
Priestley, an English SCIENTIST who
came to the United States while George
Evening star., 1917-10-07
e Rambler Writes Of Preston, Great Plantation

France Brown. daughter Of Rev. Rich.
ard Brown OF Port Tobacco. and ~ the
virainia % home home overiooEin. sds king Washins-
ton the portraits Of Frances Brown.
Rev. Richard Brown, DR.. Gustavus
Brown. one Of the physicians to Wash
with the portraits Of many Of the
Chapman and swann family, look down
upon him. Two of these portraits
were from the bruch Of Van Dyck- Thsy
and her husband. Robert Scott; both Of
Edinboro. Neither came to the col
onies. but Elizabeth Brown was an
aunt Of old DR.. Gustavus Brown Of
brought to Maryland BY one Of the
Port Tobacco Browns.
=
:. Charles Alexander. son Of John and
his wife, Frances Brown. had the fol.
lowing children: Charles Alexander.
who married Mary Bowles Armistead:
william Alexander. who married .
woman who. the Rambler Is informed.
was a Spanish countess. or perhaps
princess; Susan Pearson Alexander.
who married George Chapman Of Thor.
oughfare, Va: Gustavus Brown Alex
ander., who married. nrst, Miss Stuart
of virginia, and, second. Miss Judith
Blackburn; Frances Alexander, who
married william Thomas Swami, and
Richard Alexander and Lee Massey
Alexander, neither Of whom married.
At the death OF Charles Alexander the
house Of Preston and a great tract OF
land belonging to 1t passed by VIII to
his youngest son. Lee Massey Aie1en-
der, and on his death the property was
left to his sister, Frances Alexander.
the wife Of william Thomas Swami.
The children of Frances Alexander
and William Thomas Swami were
Charles Alexander Swami. who married
Miss Louisa Oorick of Bath county. Va:
Edward Swami, who married MARIA
Thrift Of Montgomery county. MO.
Frances Swami. who never married:
Mary Swami. who never married; Wiz
liam Thomas Swami, who married Miss
Rosina Alexander Moore. daughter
OF Gustayus Alexander. and Thomas
William Swann. who married Miss
Helen Mary Chapmrn: Z, Tn:orenHSfars aaIsnse. ys
On the death Of william Thomas
Swami and his wife. who was born
Frances Alexander. Preston passed 70
their two unmarried davgnters. rIancss ,'sss
Ieft-to the four brothers. Charles Alex
ander Swami, Edward Swami. Miiiiam
Thomas Swami and Thomas Munn
Swami. and by these. or their heirs. tns
gn1PsrEn geopsr.y .R.ilroad RAJ sS,a compsny. c.
On a hill above the Wasnlne.on,s
exandria boulevard and overlooking
Preston. IL an old house bearing the
name Of Mount Auburn. It was built by
Thomas William. Swami, the son OF
Charles Alexander Swami ana Wnose.
wife was Helen. Mary Chapman. It was
buiit Just as the civil war closed. Their
daughter, whose maiden name was eu-
san Pearson Alexander swann. lTes
there today. She married George Eo-
Gsr,i Csivert Of the Mount Airy Caiverts
Of Maryland. with her lives her daugn.
tar Miss Helen Chapman Calvert, VINO
has been long prominent In the ID. A.. =:
and was recording secretary oh
society for four termss
Evening star., 1917-10-07

the old Loudoun and Hampshire rail-
road. later the Bluemont division Of
the Southern railway and now the Blue
mont division of the Washington and
Old Dominion railway. reached the Po-
tonac river. and which was also the
outlet and inlet of the old canal, which
crossed the Aqueduct bridge and wound
along through the flatlands to the Po-
tomac river close to Alexandra.
Petersburg is directly west of and
opposite that long trestle which Wash
ingtonians have known since the early
70s as shepherds Landing" The point
of land from which that trestle juts
out was formerly called Marbury point,
and the name of the estate of which
Marbury point was tip was Blue
Plains, which tract has given it's name
to the District home for the poor, aged
and infirm. Once there was a ferry
between Marbury point and the vir-
ginia shore called the Upper ferry. to
distinguish 1t from Addisons ferry,
later Berrys ferry and still later Foxs
ferry. which was generally called the
Lower ferry. That ferry connected the
Evening star., 1917-10-07

definitely, It was stated that the com.
mission will aim at finding means OF
practical cooperation with the United
States This means that japan wants
to do more business with this country
and wants to get 1t on permanent
basis Whether commercial treaty is
in mind probably will be developed
while the commission Is here.
The United States and Japan are
doing a pretty good business. but their
trade relations are susceptible Of ex-
pansion during peace. notwithstanding
that part Of the present increased trade.
Is due to the war. Japan's trade with
Europe through the Suez canal has
been hampered because OF the activity
Of the German submarines. General
commerce also has suffered because
the entente allies were not able to sup
ply Japan az freely as formerly with
certain articles, while at the same
time they were unable to take jap
Evening star., 1917-10-07

making dirigible balloons for scouting
along the shores and for some distance
out at sea. These balloons are enor-
nous gas bags of the very best rubber.
The larger ones are more than hun
dred feet in circumference and a hum
dred and seventy-five feet long. They
carry wireless apparatus, and are of
great use in detecting submarines that
come near the coast They are similar
to what the British call "blimps."
Some of the blimps are already in use,
and 1t is said that we shall need three
hundred for our home service alone.
These balloons are equipped with pom
toons which enable them to settle upon
the water. Other dirigibles when not
inflated can be squeezed into small
compass and can easily be shipped to
any point where they are needed. And
then there are the kite balloons and
captive observational balloons which
are in use among the armies abroad
and which we shall have to supply for
our force in the field. Some of these
balloons must be able to fly thirty-fve
miles an hour and that at a height of
Evening star., 1917-10-07

lands, Aurora Hills, Four-Mile run.
st. Elmo, Hume. ST Asaph. Mount Ida,
Del Ray. Lloyd, North Bradtlock, Brad
docI- North r0Se'nort and RoSem"nt.
Along the Mount Vernon automobile
highway, which. alter passing through
the Arlington experiment grounds and
crossing the Columbia pike at East Ar
lington, pursues it's way along the Ar
lington ridge and over the valley OF
Four-Mile run. numerous subdivisions
have come into being. Some of the
other place names in that region which
occur to the Rambler at this moment
are Alexander Island and Gravelly
point, which is the southeast end Of
that island; Luna Park, which occu-
pies part of the hill on which Fort
Scott stood during the civil war; Hun
ters point, on the north side Of the
mouth of Four-Mile run. and which is
named after some of the olden owners
of Abingdon, the birthplace of Nellie
CustiS; Hume Spring, a memorial in
the middle of the Mount Vernon boule-
ward to Frank Hume. and Petersburg,
at the upper end of Alexandria, where
Evening star., 1917-10-07

PRESTON.

vert to the family" There is probably
some confusion of names here. The
Charles Alexander who built Preston
soon after the purchase Of the Howsen
grant of 1869 by John Alexander must
have had gray hair by the time Christ
Church. Alexandria, was built. The
church was completed, il the Rambler's
memory is in working order. in 1873.
The Washington Bridge Company.
which built the Great bridge, or the
Long bridge, was chartered by Con-
gress in 1908 and the Long bridge
Alexandria road was opened as toll
road at about the time OF the building
of the bridge. The Alexander family
was prominent in the undertaking. It
was by act of Congress, February S.
1908. that Robert Brent. Daniel Carroll
of Duddington. Thomas Monroe, James
D. Barry. Frederick May. Samuel Har-
rison Smith. Jonah Thompson, Jonathan
Swift, Thomas Vowel. Cuthbert Pow
ell. Elisha Janney and Charles sAlexan-
der were constituted board of COM
with full power and au-
Evening star., 1917-10-07

RESToN was one Of the large
W plantations near Washington. 1t
was the name given to that
s~ tract Of 5000 acres which Sir
william Berkeley. Of Virginia granted
On 0ctober II. 1853. to Robert Howsen
- q recompense for bringing settlers
% > colony. and, which tract was sold
BY 4owsen. almost Immediately after
tAsl.3ssuance Of the patent. to John
Ale6ander for six hogsheads of to-
bac1
Two other famous estates were cre-
ate6rout Of Preston. One Of these was
Ab6kdon. which John Parke Custis.
souAvf Mrs. George Washington, bought
a3tsss his marriage with Nellie Calvert
of 3cunt Airy. Md. The other Of the
est9tes was Arlington, which George
WssAington Parke Custis. son of John
Pa5e Custis. created out Of Abindon
aftiS the death of Mrs. Washington.
hisa1randmother. at Mount Vernon.
IL Rambler came near forgetting
thak-another of the famous estates that
cal out OF the Howsen ehn hn1aa en,Aaeaanaer oa an
tho Fraser. The first of the Frasers
70 >1ettle there was son OF LORD
Iovx8,. the last man beheaded In the
.,
cfi@s being that he was valiant par
9is46 Of the Pretender in the rebellion
Of 1z6. The Abingdon. Greenvaie and
ArNngton houses survive. but the four
one 4nother nearly on the same site.
hxva. passed away. A few bricks and
weeds mark where the last house OF
Pre4eon stood. and near that spot is
peop&e of Preston were buried. Even
this is soon to disappear. Perhaps be-
fore these lines are set in type the
bones and ashes that lie there will have
iux-Oeen made for their transfer to the
cemetery of Pohick Church, southwest
ofsMount Vernon.
80
qAat part of Preston with which the
Rambler is Immediately concerned lies
along the Potomac river from the south
sAoce of Four-Mile run to point near
tie north line of Alexandra. Preston
extended from the river westward into
those high green hills which rise to the
Wast.of the steam and electric railway
tSaeKs leading between Washington
ana -.Alexandria. The great Potomac
1y1Kpt yards, the largest freight haa Yards hI;1s
On the land of Preston. and the Ram
bier was told last Sunday that the
Washington-S Southern railway had ac-
,Qutred all that part of Preston lying
S4FWeen the freight yards and the
.Tha face of that part Of the country
orixinally included within the bounda-
res Of the District of Columbia has
uoflergone marked changes within a
9enaration or so. Alexandria has made
q iteasly and substantial growth to
eh0-west and the north. and from the
south end of the Highway bridge to
Alaxandria large villages are so close
to0ofher that in some cases they are
merged. Among these villages and
towns are Arlington Junction, South
Washington. Addison, Virginia High
Evening star., 1917-10-07

ated, representing the departments of
foreign affairs, agricultural commerce,
finance and communications.
Particular attention was given to the
prospective work of the department OF
agriculture and commerce. This was to
make Investigations into the changing
conditions in various branches of in
dustry with view to co-ordinatinS
production and distribution of COM
modities to other countries. This meant.
of course, foreign trade. The finance
department also was charged with some
aspects of foreign trade by carrying
out Investigations of proposed tarin
changes and inquiring into the wars
effect on the money market.
A distinctive phase OF the foreign
trade inquiry was to develop plan for
standardizing Japanese products under
the supervision of the government IN
such a manner as to compel strict ad-
herence to business agreements abroad.
Quite recently a detailed report has
been made on this plan. The substance
of it is that it puts the government
back of the exporters in guaranteeing
the quality of their exports.
i
With a general economic policy al
ready in effect. it is logical for the
Japanese government to look to the
United States in the application of that
policy. Baron Tanerota Megata, head
Of the business mission, will be accom-
panied by staf of experts from the
ministries Of finance and commerce, as
well as by commissioners representing
the commercial life of the empire.
The official statement transmitted
from Toxic was that since the entrance
of the United States into the war Gre
ated a new order in the world of finance
and industry, Japan wished to adapt
herself to the new conditions. More