Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-10-10
HEARD,AND SEEN

Do you know why you have two lungs.
two ears. two eyes? Why so many or
gans Of the body are in pairs?
Maybe you are like a certain young
captain who has been at Walter Reed
Hospital for considerably more than a
year. He confesses he never knew why
he had two lungs until he came there.
Now he knows.
This Army man was one Of the heroes
Of the war, a man who went through
thick and thin on the battlefields of
France and came out Of the fray In
such q condition that his life did not
look worth much.
He was sent to Walter Reed Hospital.
Under the care given him there his
wounds began to heal. but it was long
pull. and a hard pull to bring him back
to a condition resembling health.
His right shoulder and lung were ter
ribly crushed. Today only a droop in
the right shoulder is visible But his
right lung is gone.
Il never realized why it was that
Nature gave us two of many organs"
said the officer. as he took in breath
of crisp October air. such as visited
washington last week. Now. with one
lung out Of commission. 1 know why
Nature is SO kind"
&
One Of Washington's prettiest and
brightest three-year-olds has devel-
oped a positive, affirmative way Of
thinking and answering questions
that undoubtedly will do her in good
stead in the years to come.
Recently she went to take dinner at
the home of friend. When she re-
turned hnr
began to question her about the din
ner. her conduct there. and what she
had said.
Now. did YOU thank Mrs. Jones?"
asked the mother.
oh" said the child, confidently,
'she didn't want me to thank her.
X X
Some people never go around Union
station plaza without being struck in
the face, figuratively. by those three
immense flag poles that are erected
there directly in front of the main
'entrance.
There is some reason for this feeling
on the part of some people. Those
flag poles are huge affairs, and in a
sense cut Off the view Of the station
from those approaching on the street
cars.
1t may not seem possible that such
slender things as flag poles could OBJ
struct the view of the station, but to
the sensitive this Is the case. Per-
haps these people are too easily af-
fected by such things. Perhaps they
are right. I do not know.
But / have heard several visitors
remark on those poles recently. as
they were riding up to Union station,
and as heard them the thought came
might be.
On Memorial day, when the poles
bear dags, the approaches to Union
state occasions. when the flags Of 9TH
er nations float from the poles, the
sight Is beautiful. But when the
poles are bare, as they are most of
the time. 1t is a matter of opinion.
Speaking Of flag poles and flags
reminds one Of an old soldier who
lived out west. He erected a
tremendous flag pole in front of his
house. At the top. Of the great pole
he swung to the breeze a diminutive
nag.
The nag was 50 very small, in COM
parison with the length of the staff.
that 1t invariably excited comment.
AS the old man usually sat in his
chair before the door Of his house. it
was not at all unusual for the
passerby to ask him about it.
That was what the old soldier was
waiting for. He would look at the
speak with evident satisfaction.
That flag is about the size Of the
pension ] git" he said.
To get back to Union station, the
National Capital is perhaps the only
great city in the country where one
can come into the terminal without
passing block after block Of homes.
In most other cities a train must
run through the outskirts Of the city
for several minutes before the station.
be it union" or not. Is reached.
usual at ia every street crossing
He stands soiemnly in the middle
of the interesting street, holding
aloft, so that all may see it, a yellow
sign bearing the single word in black,
Stop" The word is on both sides of
the sign. 30 that those on the train.
VINO 40 not stop at all, can be warned
as properly as those who are forced
to stop in the street. If, now and
then. a sign-bearer is seen who in
sists on standing behind a hedge SO
that nobody except those in the train
can see the wording, 1t does not seem
to matter much. 1t they can't see the
sign they can see the train.
But we have nothing like that sys-
tenn In Washington. for the first thing
one knows. when coming into the
National Capital on most of the lines
that enter it, you are set down with
out fume or fuss about two blocks
from the great Capitol building itself.
Straight from fields one runs into
the yards. then suddenly finds him
SELF getting off the train under the
umbrella sheds. Visitors to Wash
ington often express Amusement that
they have been gotten into the very
center of the city without their really
ing it. CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.