davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1921-10-23

a bet there would be no ladies pres
I'D hate to have you tell me his
name was Haddon Ross" said Benny.
"Haddon Ross is his name," said the
voice.
And I'd dare you to tell me he
made the bet with Hal Harker," said
Benny.
Yes. he did make the bet with
Hal Harker," said the voice impa-
tiently.
HT ADY." said Benny exultantly, II
knew I had seen Miss Wander
gould's face before! I've got 1t: she's
the dame who stands in the rubber
goods window in a rubber coat and
lets the water trickle over her by
the hour without winking an eye
lid! She's the person the busy New
Workers. stand in front of and won-
der whether she is wax or human"
And If she is? And If the other
person Is the girl who sits in the
window Of the hair store on 2sd
why. there's this Of it," said Benny
cheerfully. I've got you Rll locked
in this room. and good old Haddon
Ross went to lot of trouble and
had somebody get together a lot OF
wax figures for his dinner. and Hal
Harker butted in and did some brib-
ing and got the wax works man to
fix up wax limitations of the rubber
girl and the hair girl. Great little
game! In comes Haddon. with his
guests. Hal Harker staggering in the
background. Good. old Haddon walks
into the parlor-introduces the wax
fakes. Walks into the dinning room
introduces the wax fakes Wine,
chicken and so forth. Hal Harker
laughs aloud. Good joke on you,
Haddy. old boy! Come into the par
lor' Somebody had sneaked out the
wax Cousin Susan. and the hair lady
is there. She's the real. live stuff.
Haddon nearly drops dead. oh, you
Mr.. Easy Mark" says Hal Harker;
come into the dining room" They
Harker; take look at the girl In
steel-blue. Touch her waxy cheek!'
Haddon does. She is alive. Haddon
Ross almost drops dead. And the lit
tie, old promise he made his bride-to-
be is broken. And the little old bet
of five hundred dollars is lost"
so you see" purred the voice in
the room. how important it is that
you should unlock the door and go
away at once. You will. won't your
Benny seated himself cross-legged
on the floor with his back to the
door.
"Girls." he said pleasantly. "you
may as we'll get out your knitting
and go to work. I'm sitting down
Evening star., 1921-10-23
Water From Cacti.
THERE are some thousand

THERE are some thousand vari-
cites OF the monstrous cacti
family, not taking into consideration
the three hundred varieties of the
agave or century-plant, incorrectly
included by many, in northern Mexico|
The varieties of the yucca palm and
all other forms OF vegetation known
only to the arid regions have the
same faculty of sucking up from the
soil every drop of the all too little
moisture in it and storing it up inl
their tough and leathery leaves and|
roots.
OF the many varieties perhaps the
most remarkable is that member of
the family known to those schooled
This plant is shaped somewhat like
keg and is about the same size.
Throughout the years Of its growth
IT has been Sopping up what moisture
the famished earth contained and
retaining it. 1t is the sole reliance
Of desert dwellers in time Of drought
The water barrel is tapped by
slicing off the top with a machete and
pounding the pulp until the water
contained in 1t wells up into the
saucer thus formed. The pulp itself
Is pure and the water stored in il
is likewise pure and refreshing. The
Indian Of the desert worships the
water barrel" as gift of the sun
god.
Not all the water-bearing cacti are
as gracious to thirsty men, however.
as the water barrel" for most of
them impart a bitter taste to the
water they contain. The "peyote."
especially. which abounds in the
plains and deserts of Arizona. secrets
q bitter and poisonous Juice. The
plainsmen readily recognize this
variety and warn away the thirsty
stranger.
In the whole vegetable kingdom
there is probably not another plant
forms as the cscti. 1t is possible to
hnd among them species that crawl
and creep like vines. others that stand
erect In single unbending stalk.
like a green living monument of the
desert: still others are rooted to the
spot. with their highest growth close
to the ground and bearing almost no
resemblance to usual forms of
vegetation. and others branch out in
thick and unblooming branches.
The most impressive variety is the
Cereus giganticus. or giant cactus.
which In Mexico, Arizona and the
height OF from thirty to forty feet.
In many cases the giant is a single
6ranchless stalk. THE Caliban of the
Desert" throws out gnarled and
grotesque branches that run to an
oddity in shapes. varying from forms
resembling a hedgehog to a bishops
inter or Spitx dog.
Evening star., 1921-10-23
Famous Trees of Washington

of space. the thickness OF card
against card. is devoted to Matthew
Fontaine Maury in the card catalogue
at the Library OF Congress
When Virginia left the Union
Maury went with his state. Because
he was SO well known in Europe he
was able to help the Confederacy by
acting as foreign agent. His inven-
tive genius was also at the Confed-
eracy's service. He was establishing
a method for arranging and testing
torpedo mines in Galveston. Tex.
when Gen. Lee surrendered. During
the later years of his life he was
teacher Of physic in the Virginia
Military Institute.
Some one has said OF Commander
Maury, Like few great men, the
closer one got to him. the greater he
seemed" He liked nothing better
than TO work in the midst of the
family circle. Some of his most seri-
Gus writing was done sitting at a
large handicapped table with his
papers spread around him, appar-
emily unmindful Of the music, the
Evening star., 1921-10-23
reading aloud. the Joking and the
hl1hhaah q ahonf him

reading aloud. the Joking and the
general hubbub about him.
He delighted to take his children.
1.-The whole tribe" on country RAM
bles. Often he would construct for
them "a Tennessee arm" long pole
with a crotch fastened to the end.
With this he was expert in bringing
to earth apples, bright-colored sprays
of autumn leaves and an abundance
Of nuts and acorns. He would tell
one Of the little girls just where to
stand with outstretched pinafore.
Great was the glee when the coveted
prize landed safely in the little pima
fore.
We look at the great oaks now
standing in sturdy pride and majesty
on Observatory hill and we wonder
II the great overcup acorns from
which they grew were "once upon a
time" detached from their parent
tree by "a Tennessee arm." and II
they mayhap fell with a happy thud
into the pinafore of an excited little
girl. ISABEL SEWELL HUNTER.
Evening star., 1921-10-23
A Giant Sun.

~ANoPUS, the giant OF the solar
system, Is. according to q recent
calculation, 5000 times ~ bright as
the sun. Its diameter is 13l times
that Of the sun; 1t Is $4,000 times
larger in surface and 100000 times
larger in volume. The distance from
US. according to this calculation, is
4S9 light years.
Suppose that instead Of being at
this enormous distance 1t were placed
in the center Of the solar system. in
lieu of the sun. 1t would then oc- !
cupy IS Of the space lying between
the orbit OF Venus. and as seen from
about 20 degrees Of arc. Thus. when
its lower limb was on our horfzon
its upper would be within 20 degrees
Of the senith. Needless to say. no hfS
could exist on earth with such =
neighbor.
Evening star., 1921-10-23

Navy. In 1889. on a trip to Ten
nessee-his parents lived in Tennes-
see-he was thrown from the top Of
a stagecoach, and his leg was badly
Maury said there were twelve other
passengers; he was the thirteenth.
The accident happened in Ohio, and
there was a long, tedious GONZALES
cence. When he was considered well
enough to go to sea again he was
mountains in a sleigh. He was de-
layed by storms and finally reached
the seacoast to find that his ship had
sailed without him. His leg never
did get well. For several years he
found himself unable dIo+sS to bis Perform .a
to study and to writing. The needs
of the Navy were his especial inter-
est. He advocated the establishment
OF navy yard at Memphis. Tenn.
the taking of observations on the flow
Of the Mississippi. the draining Of
sippi. the enlargement of the Illi-
nois and Michigan canal-for which
he received the thanks Of the Ilt-
nois legislature-and the establish
ment Of q Naval Academy. All these
things were accomplished, and Maury
received much credit.
In 1912 he was appointed superin-
tendent Of the depots Of charts and
instruments at Washington. after.
wards known as the hydrographical
office. and upon its union with the
national observatory in 1874 he was
made superintendent Of the combined
institutions. The old observatory
shows IN the sketch. behind the trees.
To his duties as astronomer OF the
Naval Observatory he added the task
Of determining the direction Of the
winds and currents Of the ocean. He
examined logbooks Of ships of war
long stored in government offices and
all other accessible sources. wherever
he could find material for his pur-
pose. The first fruit of All this spe-
form Of a book, 1.-THE Physical Geog-
raphy Of the Sea-" which was trans
lated into the languages Of France.
Germany. Holland, Norway, Spain and
italy. AS q result orders OF knight
hood and other honors were show
cred upon him. To name their
sources sounds as II one were naming
the countries Of Europe. Other books
followed, 10 many that over an inch
Evening star., 1921-10-23
Mineral Microbes.

pRoF. MAT1GNoN of the College of
France has described experiments
made by him with ancient medals.
vases and SO forth. of lead. which
are gradually disintegrating in the
Museum OF Cluny. After a certain
number Of years they fall into dust
The cause. it is thought, lies in the
presence of minute traces of saline
matter, with which the objects have
become impregnated during their
long burial in the soil or under water
These microscopic chemical impuri-
ties play the part of bacteria and
microbes In living bodies. In other
words. the lead is Sick" and unless
the noxious n1St.er be removed. will
inevitably perish. Curfously enough.
It 10 found that II traces OF salt q.
impaired to q fresh mass of leac
it Is attacked, and eventually falls /
pieces like the objects In the museu
Evening star., 1921-10-23
Bathing Made Painless
By Ring W. Lardner.

may give added zest to these sports u
have rule that the one that vii
the last game can use the soap q wild
or else have the choice whether NOR
hot or cold water should be let init
the tub.
In three-man tub. the best gam
would be dummy bridge and of couYs|
regular bridge could be played IL th|
tub was big enough 10 as four coul(
squeeze into 1t and the one that wal
dummy could relieve the situation
little by stepping out on the rug will
the hand was played
When the full possibilities OF wha
can be done in the bath Is realized b.
the public, manufacturers of batl
tubs will doubtless begin buildinf
Evening star., 1921-10-23

them bigger and / wouldn't be sur
prised II some day we will have tubs
roomy enough for Z hand poker
game and 1t will be a whole lot mors
even game than the kind that is
played at a table as they won't ht
nobody that amt cleaned.
RING W. LARDNER
Great Neck, Oct. Fl.
Evening star., 1921-10-23
10 THE EDITOR: 1 was reading
a magazine the other day and
they was story in it by

Scott Fitzgerald and the hero
OF the story has got some money and
lives alone in a n. Y. apartment and
takes a bath every A. N. like people
always do in storys. only this bird
wouldn't stand for his bath being a
total loss SO he had book stand
rigged up in the tub SO as he could
enjoy himself reading while he took
his bath and it sounded to me like
a great idear and II everybody done
Evening star., 1921-10-23
The Maury Oak.
GROUP of some half dozen over

~ is now the Naval Hospital is
one of the handsomest in the
city Of Washington. The Naval Hos
pital is on Observatory hill. overlook
ing Potomac Park at the foot of Esd
street. in one Of the most picturesque
locations In Washington. Handsome
trees. picturesque location and inter-
esting story make a combination diff
cult to rival.
The acorns from which these oaks
grew were planted by Commander
Matthew Fontaine Maury. of physical
geography fame. He was born in
Fredericksburg, Va, in 1906. and be-
came a midshipman in 1925. Nine
years later he published his first
book. "Maury's Navigation" which
was adopted as textbook in the
Evening star., 1921-10-23

REMAIN TURNEI
Evening star., 1921-10-23

THE house needed repairs TIE
paint was peeling: number of
the fretwork scrolls had fallen or
hung loose; the veranda floor was
rotting and last years autumn leaves
were matted in the corners of the
railing. The veranda railing sagged
and lacked many Of its dowells. The
whole place was on the verge of
The rather massive front door. in
two leaves. had no glass in the
panels, which were Of oak. now void
Of varnish. Instead OF an electric
bell one Of the leaves of the door
was fitted with a cross bar handle
sets changing a gong fastened on the
inner side. Benny pressed the bell
handle down it's full distance and let
IL fly. The whole house seemed filled
with the mighty clangor that re-
suited. Benny waited. his foot ready
to slip over the threshold the moment
the door was opened. but no one
came.
Putting pin cushions on the guest
room bureau" he said, and pushed the
bell handle again. Evidently the door
had not been tightly latched. or the
swung slightly ajar. Through this
opening Benny saw into the wide
old fashioned hall. The afternoon
was near it's close, but. although 1t
was still light outside. three candles
burned on a stand in the hall. They
were long candles. Of wax. and were
hardly burned below the little cone
at the top. They must have been
lighted by the man who had Just
left, or by some other person about
the time the man had left.
Benny rang the bell again. Not a
sound Of foot or voice answered. He
pushed the door open a bit farther and
put his head into the hall.
Hello. folks" he shouted. ANY
body home?"
There was no answer. At one side
Of the hall was . large reception
room-an old-fashioned parlor would
be Q better term, perhaps-and this
was, like the hall, dimly Illuminated.
Wax candles burned on the white
The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1921-05-26
NORTHFIELD

John Plunkett is in Randolph, SUI
perintending the construction OF a
piece of state road in that place.
Mrs. r. Simons of Williamstown is
with her sister, Mrs. II. L. Cheney, for
a while.
Miss Mary Welch has returned from
Burlington, where she has been spend
ing few days with friends.
Memorial day in Mortified. under
the auspices Of William II. Boynton
post. G. A. r.. will be celebrated with
appropriate exercises. On Sunday a un
ion memorial service viii be held at
the Congregational church at l0;45.
The address will be given by Rev.
James b. Sargent, pastor Of the
church. All veterans of the Civil war.
Spanish war, World war, Sons Of Vet
erans and auxiliaries Of the several or
CARNATIONS will attend the services in
a body. Monday. Memorial day. the
veterans Of the Civil war viii 60 to
Mount Hope cemetery and 10 the ceme-
tery at Nor1hfield Falls. where ritual
is,ie memorial services OF the g. A
r. viii be conducted by William II.
Bnvnton post. At I O'Clock in the aft
ernoon y procession will b. formed un-
der direction Of the marshal A. fol
lows. Marshal and aids. Mortified
Cornet band. Norwich university corps
OF cadets. Sons Of Veterans. American
Legion. William Boynton post. G. A.
r.. aud citizens. and march 60 Elm
wood cemetery. where memorial sery-
ices will h. held. The procession viii
return 90 the common. where there wiil
b. music BY the hand and an address
by Principal J. , FinHessy. The officers
of the day. president. Captain John J..
Moselcy; chaplain, Rev. e. L. Paddock,
orator. Principal J. J. Fiunessy. mar
shaL. Colonel Frank Tempkins. =. 5. c.
The friends Of Mrs Alice McKrnue
a. Barre viii b. pleased 20 hear that
she has accepted a position - office
manager Of thc Barre Peerless knitting
mills. Co suuecel Iahu Z AVerH 81
that riiv Mr- Mckenzie ~ thc 0iie-t
Hauahter ~ = ~ Winrh 81 Nau
feld M- MeNar5e dr5 atsfE hee
trars - a1d .et BE- 1e eta are
baEs-
Efr Frd DAVE af Eru8ruRiIIe ss
a rFant vf.5tur at tfr ame ef Mr aud
Mrs NJ NJ. HzrtuglL
The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1921-05-26
MINOR AMENDMENTS
LEFT IN NAVAL BILL
And Vote Is Expected to Be Taken in
the Senate Late
To-day.

Washington, d G.. May 26.-Only
minor amendments remained TO be CON
sidered when the Senate resumed de-
bate to-day on the naval appropriation
bill. As the result of adoption yester-
day by unanimous vote of the proposal
of Senator Borah that the president be
requested to call naval disarmament
conference between the United States,
Great Britain and Japan, a final vote
was looked for possibly late to-day.
Debate and disposal Of minor amend
ments, however, it was said, might de,
lay final action until tomorrow or pos
sibly next week.
Senator LaFollette was expected to
speak again in opposition to the capital
ship construction program.
The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1921-05-26
MANY CANDIDATES
Initiated Into Mysteries of Knights of
Birmingham.

A group of 81 candidates were initia-
ted into the mysteries of the Knights
of Birmingham in the Barre opera
house evening before crowd OF no
less than 400 memers of the order,
many coming from distant points in
the state. Under the direction OF
+. w. Bisbee, T. !. NJ +. X. S., who
was assited by a degree team OF 20
local men, the candidates entered the
sea of mystery.
In consideration of the long rough
Quincy they were embracing upon,
sumptuous banquet was served the 81
capdidates, togethd with many mem
berg of the order under the direction
of the banquet committee consisting
of Kenneth Macrrae, chairman, and
Gordon Watson, ohm NJ. Leith. and
ohm McCourtie, in the Masonic hall at
6 o'clock
And with the assistance of is la
dies of Ruth Chapter No. 33, Order
of Eastern Star. more tran 800 men
were served. Manwhile the l0peice
Masonic orchestra, consisting of Peter
F. Laudi. leader. Noble S. Love, Har-
nv Graves, Mario Barberi, DIR. Howard
Reid, Harry Fisher. Maurice Wat
kins, Edward Bruce. DIR. d. c. Jarvis,
and Mr.. Patterson Of Brookfield,
furnished music.
Following the degree work buff
fet luncheon was served in the Ma
sonic hall
The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1921-05-26
VERMONT OPTIC -METRIcS.
Elected Dr.. L. P. Folsom of South Roy
alton as President.

Rutland, May 26-The 0pto-Metrical
society Of the state of Vermont closed
its 18th annual convention here last
evening. Approximately 30 members
were in attendance and the meetings
were held at the Bardwell hotel A.
X. Slader OF this city, the retiring pres
ident, presided and, following brief
business session, officers for the ensu-
ing wear were elected as follows:
President, DR.. L. p. Folsom, South
Royalton; vice presidents, DR.. A. b.
Saul. Woodstock. and DR.. P. c. Davis,
Burlington; secretary treasurer, DR..
A. ID. Barter. Rutland; executive COM
mittee. DIR. +. W. Perry. Keene, n. H.,
DIR. o. Z. Scott, Waterbury, Dr. c. j.
Campbell. Morrisyille; legislative com
mittee. DR.. A. @ Mansur, Burlington,
chairman; membership committee, DR..
G J. Cleveland. RutHnd, chairman;
librarian, Mrs w 5. Humphrey, West
field.
Delegates to national convention in
New York. week OF June 26,' A. ID.
Barter, L. P. Folsom and c. }. Cleve-
land.
The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1921-05-26
While Dublin's Historic
Custom House Smould-
ers in Ruins
OTHERS MAY HAVE
DIED IN RUINS
Archives of Almost Price
less Character We're
Destroyed

Dublin, May 26 (By the Associated
ss).-Smoking ruins mark the site
of the historic customs house of Dub
lin, which was burned yesterday after
noon by raiding party Of civilians.
During the night sullen bursts of flame
in the twisted chaos of stone and steel
lighted up the scene, about which Brit
ish armed forces kept vigilast guard.
and this morning flames ragged in parts
of the ruined building.
Fifty men, arrested by crown forces
after a pitched battle in and about the
old building, spent the night in various
prisons in the city and the bodies Of
upwards'of dozen persons killed dur
ing the struggle reposed in morgues,
1t was believed that some of the raid
ers persisted in the fire they kindled.
The exact number of wounded had not
been learned early to-day.
The customs house was completed in
1881, and was one OF the chief arch-
tectural ornaments OF the city, al
though railroad bridge built across
the river Liffey detraeted to some ex-
tent from its beauty
Archives of an almost priceless charac.
ter were destroyed in the flames which
swept through the building after gas
olne had been thrown about and ig-
nited by the raiding party. 1t was
said to-day that the destruction of
no other building in the city. not even
Dublin castle, would have caused as
great a loss to crown officials.
at is not merely blow to Irish
pride and commerce" said the Irish
Times, "but it Is a blow to all our
prospects of peace. Its political effect
in Great Britain win be to still fur
ther discredit the republican demands,
but the effect in Ireland win be to in
crease the difficulties of any form of
national settlement
The Freeman's Journal said: at
NAV be noble thing to rise to higher
things on the stepping stones OF our
dead selves, but when the stepping
stones are the corpse of our dead coun-
trymen the achievement is not noble"
The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1921-05-26
Pres Harding Discusses
Business Conditions
With Financiers
SECS. MELLON AND
HOOVER PRESENT
Policy of Prom 1ag Ex-
ports Was CT ldered
at Ler "a


Washington, D. Ay.ay 26.-Ehe ad-
ministrations pol SSSof promoting ex
ports as a means = ard restoration OF
normal bushes = 1nditions was dis
eussed at a WhIpe House dinner last
night attended by Secretaries Mellon
and Hoover, ]. p Morgan, Paul War
burg and number Of other prominent
fnanciers. President Harding was said
to have talked over the whole subject
with his guests
The dinner was quietly arranged and
no word of it made public until to-day.
1t was understood that while no hard
and fast program was decided upon,
the discussion served TO cement the be-
lief of administration officials that one
Of the best remedial measures avail
able would ke active cooperation be-
tween the government and business
men for revival of export trade.
r was also indicated that the ad-
ministration's policy would turn to-
ward some sort of aid to the financial
situation in Europe as part of the
effort for general world stability.
The dinner was expected to have an
echo in numerous conferences in the
near future between the president and
other financial leaders.
Others attending the dinner were
James A. Alexander of the National
Bank of Commerce and Charles A. Sa-
bin of the Guaranty Trust Co, New
York; Governor Benjamin Strong, New
York Federal Reserve bank; C. f.
Mitchell, National City bank, New
York; William Kent of the Bankers
Trust CO., New York, and H. C. Me-
Eldowney, Union Trust Co., Pitts
burgh,
1t Is understood that one of the
presidents chief purposes in calling the
financiers into conference was to dis
cuss the contemplated loan Of Ameri
can private capital TO foreign govern
ments and the effect OF such a loaiI
on the resumption of normal industrial
conditions at home and on the Ameri-
can export trade President Harding is
said to have laid before his guests an
offer to do everything practicable to
cooperate for the relief of economic
conditions, while the bankers are said
to have replied with willingness to
work in close conjunction with the ad-
ministration.
Most of those present are understood
to have argued emphatically that the
surest way to promote export trade
would be by helping actively in the re-
Mobilization of European finances. 1t is
said to have been suggested that Amer
ican products could be sold in many
parts of the old world only if Amer
can capital were invested abroad to en-
able the purchasers to pay.
The problem of promoting American
investment abroad, particularly in in
vestment form, is said to have been
brought forcibly to the front and de-
tailed ways and means discussed at
great length.
President Harding had an engage
ment to-day with Charles NJ. Sehwab
and although no announcement WAS
made the assumption was that he was
consulted on the same general subject.