davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-02-18

ence of the United States was brought
by fast and hard riding men into this
part Of Maryland At the close of the
civil war the tract of Seat Pleasant
came into possession Of William Jack
son OF Washington, and he SOLD 70
David Rollins, who was the founder OF
the village of Seat Pleasant.
In a field near the ruins of the Seat
Pleasant mansion is a neglected grave
yard. and on one of the slabs is the in.
scription: Sacred to the memory OF
Mrs. Mary Berry. consort of Thomas
Berry. born November 3. 1880; died De-
cember o. 1857" There is one stone
Sacred to the memory of Thomas
Berry's three children" but only one
Of the names is legible, it being
Thomas o. w. Berry. who was born in
Q. w" in that name no doubt STANDS
Tor Thomas Owen Williams, for among
the stones Is one Sacred to the memory
Of Maj. Thomas Owen Williams. who
parted this life October 81 1878" No
doubt this is the grave of revolu-
ttonary officer. and this matter the
Rambler intends to look up. There ts
William Luther Williams. who was born
April 20. 1854, and departed this life
April II. 1911" Among the other stones
Is one which tells that Here lies the
December %, 1719, and who departed
this life September 10. $780," and next
to this is a slab Sacred to the memory
of Mary Claggett Williams. who was
born August 81, 1716. and who depart
ed this lie March. 1911"
The original Seat Pleasant house was
burned some time about 1880. David
Rollins rebuilt 1t and sold 1t to Mrs.
browns. That house was the scene OF
one of the most atrocious murders In
the annals of crime, the victim being
Mrs. browns young daughter Margaret.
Three or four years after the murder.
which was about 1895, the house was
again burned and has not been rebuilt.
The land around the ancient graveyard
is farmed by Louis Hellmuth, and the
ruin of the house is owned and a
considerable acreage around it Is titled
by j. II. Frye Confederate soldier
who settled in Washington in 1855 and
bought into the Seat Pleasant tract In
1900.
Passing east along Central avenue,
one soon comes in view, far off to the
south, of Sunnyside, which was once
a Berry farm, but which for many
wears has been Brooks farm. 1t had
been part of the tract Independence. DR..
John L. Berry of Independence gave
Sunnyside to his son. Albert b. Berry,
who sold the farm to Judge Thomas E.
Brooks. who was born in Connecticut.
october 90, 1921. and was brought to
Prince Georges county while child.
Judge Brooks married Susan r.
Waters of Prince Georges on Decem-
Der 9, 1914. and their children were
Claudine. Rufus Chancey. William Pinck
ney, Thomas r. Brooks, jr.. Albert John
Brooks. Anna. Clara, Mary, Ida and
Ada, the latter being Mrs. Whiting
ham Bryan.
AS one passes the point where a
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-02-18
French Government Makes Big Collection of Cartoons

and their allies) all together, classified,
in a great volume.
This great volume Of the war car
toonists of the world Is proposed 70
be sent broadcast throughout the world
to clubs, fraternities. newspaper Of
fees and to be distributed by French
and allies consuls and others on ap-
plication.
X X
A thousand perforated voting blanks
will be bound in the back of each.
What for? For voting.
A worlds vote on any subject would be
startling, unique. unprecedented, unim-
agined heretofore and almost unimagi-
nable-unless undertaken by govern
ment with a great artistic purpose.
That the subject Is artistic adds to
the attractiveness of an idea worthy
of a great artistic nation like France.
Numerous and rich money prizes are
to accompany the renown won by the
lucky cartoonists in each land. Which
are the best" cartoons the world Will
tell.
A windfall for the modest, unsuspect-
ing newspaper artist!
Let him not fear, in accepting, the
stigma of being bought" Such publ
cation, distribution and voting could
take place only after the war Is over.
Also, we are now in the third year
and probably the last year-of the war.
and up to the present neither France
nor any of her allies has given a hint.
officially or otherwise. of such pur-
pose. Probably these lines (Which in no
way bind any government will give
the first inkling of the idea. So 1t is
rather late for any cartoonist to be
suspected of changing his style for
hope or lucre.
Also, how (and you may ask this) Is
France sure that the world vote would
result. morally in her favor?
AS to this, I think that France is
easy.
The truth of the war Is in it's car
toons. STERLlNG dElLli.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-02-18

Episcopal houses of worship in this vi
cinity. and this old road was the main
shoroughfare in those parts before the
cutting through of the Mud pike, which
was a long time before the civil war.
The junction of the Chapel road and
Central avenue is on what was the
large estate of Seat Pleasant, a farm
name that has become one of the per-
manent place names of the eastern part
of the District and nearby Maryland,
for the village of Seat Pleasant takes
it's name from that farm.
Not far from the road junction stood
the mansion of Seat Pleasant. and the
site of its ruin is now marked by pit
heaps of bricks and locust trees. Seat
Pleasant belonged to Samuel Harper
when the District of Columbia was
created, and near the opening of the
nineteenth century it was bought by
Thomas E. Berry, a member of one of
the great landowning and slaveholding
families of the Potomac valley. The
land passed to his widow, Polly" Ber-
ry, and at her death 1t passed to her
son. Thomas e. Berry, who sold It TO
his kinsman, John Edwin Berry of the
Prince Georges county estate called
diversified, and who was son of
DR.. John f. Berry of the planta-
ton called Independence. a plantation
which was given that name when the
news of the Declaration of 1ndepend-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-02-18

While fighting Off the invader, the
artistic French government finds time
and energy to make the most colossal
collection of war cartoons ever mag
ined by the mind of man.
1t is international. 1t begins even
with the events leading up to the war.
1t tries to include all cartoonists of regu-
lar publications of all neutral and bel
ligerent lands, including Germany ard
her allies. and all post cards, war
prints. reprinted cartoons on heavy
paper, and even on-photograph) war
book illustrations as far as they are
obtainable
French consuls and other agents in
foreign lands have been sending the
material to Paris since the winter of
1914. You know, the great European
governments have their own clipping
bureaus. In the rue Francois Ter. Paris,
an entire floor of the house of the
press" run by the French foreign Of
flee. Is devoted to receiving and CLASH
floors. But never mind. The cartoon
collection is different. 1t is not there.
1t is immense. After the war there
will be grand publications of chosen
cartoons from it.
Unof1cially, private publishing houses.
encouraged by government, are already
feeling the way to an international car
toon book. In England 1 refer to the
artistic volume of Chatto & Windus.
from whose introduction by II. Pearl
Adams I have taken certain apprecfa-
lions for this story. In France l mem
ton the larger volume of LEdition
Franchise Illustree, patronized more or
less officially.
But the French governmental publ
cations. after the war, are purposed te
go miles beyond such efforts.
And yet gFander idea Is connected
with them.
This idea (Which I will say has only
been proposed) Is to collect, in q grea,
volume Cor volumes), the best works OF
all the cartoonists Of all neutral and
bel1igerent countries (including, joy
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-02-18

cord. II was owned by Zachariah the
first and the second. and was sold about
half century ago by Thomas Berry to
G. H Walker, who operates the mill to-
day.
At this point one still has a walk of
something over two miles to Largo. As
one comes within a few hundred yards Of
the settlement and climbs a hill there
shows up far across the fields to the
south gray timber house. with tall out
side chimneys One is too far away to
tell other than that 1t is very old
fashioned house and the attention will
no doubt be taken by large frame
house off the north side Of the road. 1t
is In a splendid AMI prosperous state of
upkeep. Sheep browse in the field.
There is a village Of farm buildings
barns. stables, sheds. cornhouses and
the like.
Passing through these. one comes to the
fenced-in garden in which the big house
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-02-18

q ARGO is hamlet in the en-
Ill virons of Washington. 1t may
y, be that everybody in the capital
90 has not been there, and the
Rambler cannot at this moment think
of any particular reason why every
body should go there. 1t is much like
other hamlets. 1t comprises general
store. blacksmith shop and a dwelling.
but on the tops and the slopes of the
hills and in groves of bare trees in
the broad fields are comfortable farm
homes and here and there a dwelling
which the word villa seems to fit. The
houses may be a mile or more from
the general store, the blacksmith shop
and the single dwelling that properly
make up Largo. yet by one OF those
topographic fictions popular in the
country they are said to be at Largo
because they happen to be nearer Largo
than to Brightseat. Seat Pleasant.
WOODWORK, Oak Grove or Richie.
Largo is one of the place names of
the neighborhood in which we live, and
to some persons it is Interesting work.
or recreation. TO attempt to trace the
origin and meaning OF these place
names and to recall the names and
memories of those persons who be-
Queathed the names.
1t seems curious that the italian
word largo. which means slow or
broad. should have been adopted by the
settlement in question. Although there
is breadth or broadness of view at
Largo, there is nothing to suggest that
1t is slower than any other hamlet
having a general store, blacksmith
shop and a dwelling. The Rambler felt
tina. Largo might have become con-
fused with "Largus," "Lata.' Tonga"
or even "Largess," because the sit
uation suggests bigness. width and
length. and these fields and hills may
have been a gift or bounty, but this
theory would not work. The age-old
name is Largo and the Rambler
this tract had in mind the sroadness
of the place rather than its slowness
Largo hamlet lies four and a quarter
miles east by trife north of the east
angle of the District of Columbia. If
you walk from that part of the Dis
longer, and If you follow Central ave-
nue. from the point where it crosses the
southeast boundary line of the Dis
trict, the distance to Largo will be
five miles. Central avenue branches off
from Benning road. Nearly mile
eastward of Benning village there is
fork to the road. The right fork which
inclines southerly. climbs the heights
above the Anacostia and joins Bowen
road. That fork is Benning road. The
left fork, which continues almost di-
rectly east, is Central avenue This
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-02-18

but 1t Is an inconsiderate quantity.
The inhabitants of Sterling, like
those of many other famous COM
munities, are perhaps not as appre-
ciative of the historical atmosphere in
which they live as they might be, and
that may be the reason why the fame
of the little town has not spread more
than 1t has.
True. Sterling was only incident to
the manufacture of the chain and no
doubt the same work could have been
done well elsewhere, but it is GER
tain that had the chain not halted tho
march of the British up the Hudson. st.
Leger and his Indian allies would have
beaten Herkimer at OriSkany. Bur.
goyne would not have lost Saratoga
and the final triumph of the American
cause would have at least been long
delayed.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-02-18

finished. Sinking a few feet below the
surface of the water, the chain and
supporting logs were invisible. 1t is
said that on the completion of the
work Washington remarked, mo Brit
ish ship will ever pass that chain" His
generals, convinced of his wisdom,
agreed. Whether Washington made
that remark or not, it remains a fact
that no British ship ever did pass the
chain.
Very soon after the chain had been
placed, vessels of the British attempted
the passage of the Hudson, unsuspect-
ing the danger that lay concealed
among the hills. Full sail spread.
loaded with troops, fleet attempted to
pass. There was no evidence that the
ships should fail. When they struck
the chain they stopped. Masked bat
teries upon the hill belched a volume
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-02-18
Great Chain Used to Bar British From Hudson River

of death on them. The chain was .
success. Gen. Washington was hailed
as invincible. Peter Townsend was re-
warded generously for his untirin9
efforts to man lfacture the chain. but it
is said received his honors modestly.
The Sterling iron mines remain. the
furnaces are in state Of ruin,
crumbling and nearly forgotten; of the
FORCES no traces, are seen. Tablets
have been erected by the Daughters Of
the American Revolution on the sites
of the FORCES that mark the spot where
men toiled for America. There is yet
some ore mined at the Sterling mines,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-02-18

Washington was entered into on Feb
ruary 2. 177s. The chain was to be
500 yards long, made Of the best iron
of the Sterling Mines" The links were
to be two feet long and two and one
half inches thick. At every 100 feet
there was to be a swivel, and at every
1000 feet clevis. When completed,
the date for delivery being April l,
177S, the chain was to weigh approx
mately 1856 tons. Peter Townsend was
to receive f440, or about 5000. for
every ton of chain.
Spies brought news daily of the prep
arations of the British for their big
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-02-18

as 1t was being stretched over the logs,
it slipped and a section of it would
go plunging far beneath the water.
Skill, patience, diligence and confidence
were required to place the great chain.
Stories handed down through the gen.
erattons state that Gen. Washington
worked shoulder to shoulder with his
men, here encouraging and approving,
there reproving. He was tired, cold,
wet, but the work that his men could
do he could. Sleep and rest were almost
unknown. There was no time for that
Several days after the work of
placing the chain was begun it was
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-02-18
Not Wanted.

SSsrs HIS war must not end in a COM
promise"
British Consul McSweany was ad-
dressing Sons of st. George banquet
in Mobile.
"a compromise" he added. lis an
argument whereby both parties get
what they don't want"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-02-18

drive. The force that Peter Townsend
had at work was considered made
quate. Sixty artisans were excused
from military duty in the American
army that they could assist in the max
ing of the chain. The company kept
seven fires burning for forging and ten
fires for welding. Day and night men
worked. The fires had no opportunity
to go out. Excitement grew. II the
British learned of the preparations be-
ing made to receive them, they prob
ably would hasten their sortie 1t was
impossible to crowd another man into
busily digging by hand the ore from
the mountains short distance from
the furnaces. Woodcutters were send
ing in wagonloads of fuel for the red
maws of the furnaces The puddiers
were turning out bars of pig iron as
rapidly as possible. BlacksmlthS beat
and hammered the iron into the links
of the chain that was to stop the
British.
together that section of the chain was
sent by muleback or wagon over the
mountains to the shores of the Hudson
opposite West Point, where it was
welded to that already there. The
length of the chain grew rapidly. No
better strategic point could have been
chosen for the placing OF the chain
The river as 1t flows down from West
Point takes a sharp bend to the east
quickly another sharp bend to the
south. The sailing ships of those days,
lacking, lost speed, and SO enhanced
the value Of the chain to be stretched
midway between the bends of the river.
+ y
The chain grew and grew. News of
the British advance was being received
daily. Washington himself appeared at
the place where the sections of chain
were being welded and supervised the
work. One bright sunshiny day, April
1, 1878. as stipulated in the contract,
the chain was completed. Lumbermen
had been at work for days cutting the
logs that were to support the pom
derous chain in the water.
Skeptic, but lending every aid, many
officers of the army prepared to assist
in the placing Of the chain. More than
100 logs were required to support the
chain, the prime lumber Of the dense
woods Of New York. Great iron bars
bolted the logs They hoated on the
water. Infinite effort was required to
make the test Of whether the chain
was to be a success. Time and again
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-02-18
correspondence of The Star.

Special Correspondence of The Star.
PARIS. February s. 1917.
n DRAIN, the great French satiric
III draughtsman, is said to be
working on his masterpiece, in
4 two parts. The first cartoon
shows Bismarck, Won Moltke, etc. re-
ceiving the Swiss minister. on behalf
of vanouished France. in 1871. The
words are from Theirs Notes ct Sou
venirs" (p. 1929:
February "a, 1s71-M Kern, minis
ter of Switzerland. interviewed with the
German chancellor. He was badly re-
ceived. What have you to do here?
exclaimed NJ. de Bismarck. Why do
YOU mix in? This is a question to be
settled between France and ourselves;
and you neutrals are not to mix in. We
have given conditions; they are irrevo-
cably fixed. and we shall not change
them. If they are not accepted. the
war will recommencer"
There is no caricature. The German
figures are proud and impressive 1t Ia
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-02-18
The Gentleman Farmer.

NyINCENT ASToR, at one of his sd1s
v cational dinners in his 5th avenuo
mansion. introduced q friend Of his ~
q gentleman farmer.
ST.. .psppe GU ..IsuIsJ uswr3ueS H.
one who never raiseS anyth1ug put -
hat
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-02-18

Washington was firm. Finally. the
council was at least reconciled, If not
convinced. The matter was then taken
up with Peter Townsend. proprietor Of
the Sterling iron works. by Col limo
thy Pickering. president Of the board
of war, which corresponds to the pres
emit War Department. Townsend stated
that the plan was feasible. and after
some Investigation a contract for the
making OF q chain as prescribed by
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-02-18

The war cartoon is priceless in this
it deals almost entirely with what peo-
pie are feeling, in distinction to what
they are doing.
The cartoon uses deeds as a simple
background to emotions. and at such
times 1t is only the emotions which
count. when the historian is cropping
into the motives of the past.
What the soldier felt, the sailor, the
mother at home, the man in the street,
in 1914, 1915, 1916 and 1917, these are
the important things, because they are
the causes of events. If enough ordi-
nary people want peace at any price. all
the governments in the. world will be
powerless to wage war one moment
longer. If enough ordinary people con-
slider that the civilization, liberty and
future peace of the world depend on
fighting to finish, emperors and kings,
presidents and trades unions united will
be unable to break the smallest twig
from the olive.
Certain cartoons have actually swung
phases Of the war
The classical example u Toraius
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-02-18

civilian" picture, in the late winter
of 1914-15. The great victory of the
Marine was followed by fatigue ana
stagnation, and Paris was murmurins
that at is long" and could defeat be
worse than war;" Then Forain drew a
picture of two French privates in a
trench. Amid snow, mud. bronehitis ana
they hold OUT why. who?" inquiries
the other. Those civilians" is the
poilu's answer. In a week, the drawing
was historical and civilian France, with
a blush and a laugh, had pulled herself
together.
A cartoon by Demar. an American.
showing a Christmas turkey chopin
off his own head, is said to have given
the grand Shereef of Mecca the final
courage to permit himself to be pro-
claimed King of Arabia.
X
factory population of Barcelona (the
most German city of SPAIN was swung
to France by a cartoon of "Apa" in the
Iberia. 1t showed a Spanish mule
driver seated at a dinner table. France,
as waitress. brings him beautiful
plate of hash, marked Annual riches,
24.000,000 excess of purchases from
Spain," while the German, stabbing him
in the back, draws off a bleeding flow
of gold pieces, entitled: Annual i'm
poverishment. s22.O00.0oO excess of
sales to Spain"
In the same way, 1t is claimed, that
Germany's partial let-up on submarine
frightfulness was due as much to Bush
nelrs Death and the Lusitania" cartoon
in Cincinnati newspaper.
So the political recognition. public
renown and cash selling price of war
prints and cartoons have gone skying
together.
At the beginning of the war the Jean
Weber print. on heavy paper, showing
Napoleon standing on his own tomb
and crying. 'Hurrah for England" sold
for 81. Within a few months 1T was
unobtainable for less than 500. / don't
mean the original. but a mere dated
print.
Collectors took the hint. and draw
ings of Forain. Steinlen, the Australian
Will Dyson. the heroic Bernard Part
ridge. and his brethren of London Punch.
the fantastic Heath Robinson, the
Dutch Peter van den Hem and Lazrem.
and others began to be eagerly sought
for. Mr.. Haselden has made a fortune
with his big and Little Willie" book,
and every body knows that Raemaekers
gets from So to $50 for his family tint
ed black and-white prints, and from
$40 to $500 for his originals.
Between the big and Little Willie"
book and Jean Feber's closely held
prints on artistic paper there may be
all the difference in the world, but they
have two points in common-public ap-
probation and adequate businesslike
presentation.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-02-18
La
"a OFF

entitled. when Germany Is Victor
ous': and all its satire is in the COM
parison with Cartoon No. 2, entitled,
when Germany Fears to Be Beaten
where. in a kind of fourth dimension
whirl. the Chancellor Bethmann. Ger
man ambassadors. publicists and press
agents of the present hour are crying
TO the neutral nations:
TN the name of humanity, stop the
carnage, Good neutrals. please mix
in
So. in the two sides. Forain rises all
the way from reserved. academic satire
to phantasmagoria which can only
be called Cubic, Paulo-Ante-Fu
or Whirling Vision. And the two are
one.
Such is the universally of the mod
ern war cartoon
All enjoy. but few really appreciate
the war cartoon.
For the future, IL is priceless.
The historian who. 100 years hence,
shall attempt to get at the secret of the
great war will find himself over
whelmed with material, buried under
evidence. A wealth of war books has
already sprouted from the bloody fields
of battle White books, green books,
esd book1-of bel1igsrent chancelleries
Valdez daily prospector., 1917-03-20
How the Dust Gets In.

When the barometer falls the aii around expands into large volume and the air inside the bookcase, the clothes closet and the cupboard als; expands and forces itself out at every minute crevice. When the barometer rises again the air inside the cupboard as we'll as outside, condenses and shrinks and the air is forced back into the cupboard to equalize the pressure and along with the air in goes the dust. The smaller the crevice the stronger the jet of air. the farther goes the dirt. Witness the dirt tracks so often seen in imperfectly framed engravings or photographs. Remember whenever you see the barometer rising that an additional charge of dust is entering your cupboard and bureau drawers.