davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1922-12-24
Ocean Robbing River.

A CURIOUS result Of study of the
Blue Ridge mountain region in
North Carolina and Virginia IL the
showing that the Atlantic is slowly
gaining some of the waters that have
hitherto flowed toward the Missis-
sippi.
This arises from the fact that the
Blue Ridge, instead Of being a crest
with strong slopes on each side, Is an
escarpment separating a mountain
Gus upland on the southeast, and the
high-level headwaters OF the streams
that flow toward the Mississippi are
continually losing length by the re-
treat of the escarpment, through the
retrogressive erosion OF the low
level headwaters Of the Atlantic
seeking streams. From a practical
point Of view, Of course. the change 10
very slow.
Evening star., 1922-12-24
TIA Claus Has Brought Many Joyous Christmas Days White House

sures for a baby. Many Of these gar
ments. which one little princess in the
White House could never wear. went to
other less fortunate babes. Before the
Clevelands' time in the White House
had expired there was third stocking
to be hung before the great fireplace.
that belonging to six-month-old little
Marian
During the Mckinley occupancy of
the White House Santa came to re-
plenish his pack rather than to bring
gifts for little ones. He had an eager
co-worker in Mrs. Mckinley, who used
to knit and knit socks and other little
garments for many children who loved
her.
"Rooseveltian" best describes the
most gloriously frolicsome Christmas
celebration in the White House for
''the Colonef' brought in four of the
liveliest and most strenuous boys and
two of the most up-and-coming girls
who ever stirred up Capital official
dom. Never before or since did Santa
find SO many stockings hanging in
row by the White House fireplace to be
filled.
What is said to have been the grand
est Christmas party in the White House
since the civil war was arranged by
President Roosevelt in honor Of his
younger daughter Ethel when she
made her debut al seventeen. The Ma
rine Band furnished music, and the
great parlors and ballroom were bril-
liant with the court dress of young
diplomats and the gay colors and gilt
tering gold lace Of Army and Navy
of1icera
Evening star., 1922-12-24


she would spare his feelings by COM
ing to his relief. And he gave direc-
tons that when she came she was to
be brought directly to him. because
he had never met her before. She
came, with eyes that shone the clearer
because they had so recently been
washed by tears. From her disap-
pointment and grief her spirits re-
bounded and she was the gayest OF
the gay, witty and charmingly giriish,
at the magnificent party. No wonder
the baron fell in love with her at first
sight and-the fairy story Of Cinder-.'
ella came true in all its incest details.
They were married in the presence Of
the President, noblemen. and famous
beauties from all over the world. mag.
nificent IN court costumes ana mill,
Evening star., 1922-12-24

Perhaps the purpose to carry out her
inner consciousness at the Hayes
Christmas celebration inspired Mrs.
Taft to make the Christmas frolics for
her own three children in the White
House so wholesome1y memorable.
Chatting with Santa Claus the other
day, the writer was given a RETROSPECT
tive glimpse at two sturdy young
sters in knickerbockers. named Irwin
and Abram, who promptly rode their
velocipedes through the corridors and
spacious rooms where the august Of
the world are received. The two elder
Garfield boys were then in Williams
College, and one Of them is still there
as president, while the other is best
remembered as a member Of the Roose-
welt cabinet. "Mollie" was the pride
of the family and envied of all little
girls in this country.
Then came Nellie and Alan Arthur.
Truly may it be said that no little girl
ever filed the White House with quite
the same intense spirit of the Christ
mas season as did Nellie
x x *&
HAVING spent one term a a lonely
i i bachelor in the White House, Presi-
dent Cleveland. when he came back.
brought with him little Ruth, and only
two months before the next Christmas.
Santa Claus sent baby Esther. He
must have tipped off all the rulers
of the world that a new American
princess had Joined their royal estate,
for from all parts Of the earth came
dainty and costly and rare wearables
and usables and playthings and trea-
Evening star., 1922-12-24
GROUNDS.
: Copyright by Frances Johnson }

tary officers in their gold lace.
Perhaps 1t was Santa Claus again,
spreading his spirit through the
American people,, who wove another
fairy story about little boy named
Benjamin. aged seven, who came to
the White House with his grand
father. planning for four glad Christ
masses in the White House-and then
william Henry Harrison died, and the
little Benjamin thought that his
dreams of a White House Christmas
were oyer. But years afterward Ben
jamin came back to the White House
and spent four Christmases there.
"The latest little thing. and the
sweetest and worst you ever saw"
according to her father. was littis
Alice Tyler. aged twelve. when she
Evening star., 1922-12-24

the wealth of tho French. The pa
pers are full Of their woes, and in
that which follows I would not
minimize them or abate by one jot
the terrible losses Of life and prop
erty they suffered In the war. Their
loss of man power In the vast number
killed, crippled and dead through pri-
walton and disease numbers almost
3.000.0 900. even including their gains
from Alsace Lorraine.
But to say the French stomachs
now hug their backbones, and that
they are out at the elbow and down at
the heel, is not true. The workers
are fat. sleek and well clad. This Is
shown by my pictures. The peasants.
long famous as the thriftiest and
richest Of Europe, have never been
richer or thriftier than now. Every
one Of them, I might say. has his
wooden stocking hidden under the
rafters. bulging with money or bonds.
and he invests more and more every
week. 1 have before me figures
ehowing the savings of the French
people during the first six months of
this year. They amount to almost
$4,000, ,000. 900 francs, or at the current
rate Of exchange. more than 1,000,-
100000 gold dollars. OF this, more
than half has gone to the purchase OF
shares and bonds which, directly or
indirectly, will help in the rebuilding
of France. \ great part of it has
been invested in short-term treasury
bonds at Az per cent interest.
to;r 81
has his men hard at work or is build
ing the machinery for new enter
prises, and the unemployment which
Lloyd George says will force Great
Britain to put more than 1000, 900 of
its idle men on government doles
during this winter is unknown In
France. 1 am told that there are less
than $4,000 people in the whole re-
public who are out of job.
Indeed, as to concrete wealth, /
wonder whether the French people,
as going concern, have not gained
rather than lost by the war. In this
consideration I repeat I do not in
clude their terrible losses. These are
beyond conception enormous and
should outweigh all gains. But is it
hoS AAbhS " iOoh uPOa IitC SAiSh
nation as a corporation whose men,
bers are individually liable and to
measure its wealth by the total
assets Of all Of the stockholders? II
they owe only their own members
1t Is like taking the money out Of one
pocket and putting it into another.
The total assets of the nation remain
the same. This may not be so in
the financial assets Of the govern
ment. but is it not so Of the people?
That is one way of looking at the
country.
4 X i
n TOW, France has a debt, domestic
/ Y and foreign, of more than 50.-
0oo.00o.00o gold dollars. and of that
more than seven-eighths is held by
the people and Is payable in francs.
Only about $7.00o,000,000, including
the $4,000. 900. 900 or $4,000, 900. 900 they
want US to cancel. is held by other
nations. and this $1,000, 100000 is all
that really counts as an international
liability. If the total wealth Of
France. as some claim. amounts to as
much as 100000. .oo0. 900. this debt is
only per cent Of the whole.
Again, inasmuch as the above sum
Of $4,000, 100000 was figured at the
Evening star., 1922-12-24

pre-war value of the franc. which Is
worth much less than half as much
now, the forty three odd billions re-
naming. payable in francs. must be
cut nearly two-thirds to get the pres
ent actual value of the domestic debt
in good, hard American dollars. This
would reduce it to about S15,00O,000.-
900, or ss.oo0,000.oO0 less than the
$24, 1000 100000 which Uncle Sam owes
you and me. These are all In round
numbers. do not vouch for their accu-
racy, but it seems to me the point of
view may be the same as that of
Evening star., 1922-12-24

She was the great spending place of
the allies. and, if l am correctly in
formed. Uncle Sam alone paid more
than a billion and a half gold dollars
for war materials here. He paid the
peasant for all the land he destroyed,
and they made money also in supply
ing the British and other allies. More
over, the peasants laid up money in
the midst of the struggle; they paid
of their mortgages, they bought more
lands and increased the size of their
holdings. Today there are two mill
lion more farm owners in this little
Evening star., 1922-12-24

started into run the White House.
She had a younger brother. Tazewell,
and with cousins and some Of their
own nephews and nieces they stirred
up Merry Christmas in the Executive
Mansion. Just to illustrate, one
Christmas week the President direct
ed fancy dress ball in honor of his
granddaughter. Mary Fairlie Tyler.
with Miss Alice as hostess. and fused
up with silver wings and scepter and
other gauzy sheenery. presiding on a
throne in the east room as Titania,
queen Of the faries. while the Lillipu-
tian courtiers paid obeisance and re-
ceived her gracious favors.
During a stretch of twenty years.
the kind-hearted Santa thought it the
better part of Christmas spirit not
with regrets and repinings and sense
of loss to the White House. But when
two old favorites of his. Willie and
Tad Lincoln. moved in Old Nick start
ed in to resume his old habit of dodg-
ing the White House guards. Willie
White House Christmas. But Tad
with a heart like his father. had
vitalized another fairy tale, for after
being rebuffed and temporarily
thwarted by the White House cook
in his scheme for bringing in a score
or more of street urcllins to feast on
turkey. cranberry sauce, plum pud-
ding and fxin's in the White House
kitchen, he carried the appeal to the
President and. of course, as usual had
his way. That story of Tad's Christ
mas party spread around the world
and beyond the skies.
n YEXT comes the story Of the three
~ little Andys" and Belle. The
three Andys were Andy johnson, jr.,
and his cousins, Andy Slower and
Andy Patterson, while Belle was the
latter's sister. President johnson in
1868 gave a ball in the east room for
400 little boys and girls, who went
through the stately steps then taught
at q famous terpsichorean academy
for the juveniles of fashionable
.ociety..
When Gen Grant was in the White
House. little Jesse was encouraged to
entertain his small friends at
Christmas frolic, and Gen. Sherman,
his uncle. used to help keep things
along.
Fanny Hayes, aged ten. and her
brother Scott, aged seven. had a
Christmas tree and called in the chill
dren from the cabinet families to en-
joy It with them. They learned from
the practical example of their good
mother to be thoughtful and generous
to the poor. Mrs Hayes always gave
forty turkeys to needy families and
the children saved their coins and
bought stockings and mittens and
small toys for the less fortunate. For
four years Fanny was belle Of the
children's parties. It was at one OF
Fanny Hayes parties that another
famous romance started. A charming
little girl came on from Cincinnati,
Helen Heron by name. and daughter
Of President Hayes law partner. She
enjoyed her visit SO much that when
she went home she confided to her
mother that she intended to marry
man destined to be President-and
she did 1t. Some years later she came
to the White House as First Lady of
the Land. when william Howard
faft. now chief Justice. was elected.
Evening star., 1922-12-24
Curious Form of Door.

ONE Of the oldest forms Of human
inventions is the door swinging on
hinges at one side. Some weaving in
sects. such as trap-door spiders, employ
a similar device. But nothing is too
old or too good to escape the efforts at
improvement. A Belgian. Joseph Henri
Dierick, invented door Of q new type,
consisting of two triangular parts which
close together on a diagonal line, run
ming from one lower corner of the door.
opening to the Opposite upper corner.
The two parts, or leaves, are pivoted
in such manner that when opened they
swing into partitions In the ceiling, leay-
ing an entirely unobstructed passage.
Evening star., 1922-12-24

automobiles. France goes about on
leather shoes and often in clogs.
America moves on rubber tires. each
of which costs from SIS to SIS, and
carries other expenses that lead to
the rough path OF poverty. The busi-
ness street of every American city
has fence on each side, the golden
pickets Of which consist of automo-
biles, each worth at least $500.
1t is not true that we amassed
wealth during the war. But tits true
that we spent it like water. France
added to her savings during war time.
Evening star., 1922-12-24

some of my other friends on the
srreet.
And now just one word more as to
France before I show how Germany.
that arch -juggler of national finances.
Is camouflaging her true situation and
escaping scot free. The thrift of the
French. while the rest Of mankind is
drunken with spending, is likely to
make her the richest of nations. She
is economizing in every possible way.
while we Yankees are tossing our
dollars into the air SO that they drop
down like rain. Take the matter of
Evening star., 1922-12-24

serving the array of goodies for Six
little grandchildren Of Jefferson.
i y y X
TT was not until James Monroe came
i to live in the White House that the
child of a President enjoyed the dis
tinction Of entertaining there. Miss
Maria Hester Monroe was the first bona
fide White House belle, and right royalty
she held sway. Born in Franco while
her father was on a foreign mission, she
was much travelled. much petted. mature
for her years, and yet lovably romantic
and intensely proud Of her most unusual
privilege.
Maria Monroe was in her early teens
when she came to live at the mansion.
glistening in its pristine coat Of white
paint. Her third Christmas there was
most romantic, for Santa Claus brought
i,er a lover, who first whispered to her
"the sweetest story ever told at
Christmas party-one who was for a
time private secretary to her father,
who was her own first cousin, Samuel
Gouverneur of New York, and whom
she married that winter, although she
was scarcely sixteen.
Santa Claus just sort of overlooked"
the White House during the next re-
gime, because there were TO little ones
about the fireside Of the stately. digni-
fed and unbending John Quincy Adams.
To make up for this. good old St.
Nicholas received a very special invi-
tation to drive his reindeer and sleigh
in on the White House inclosure and
consider the White House his head
quarters when Andrew Jackson set
up his menage there. Although with
no chick of his own, jackson was de-
termined that the laughter. gay
shouts and merry antics Of children
should dominate Christmas in the
White House. so he commandeered
the children of his adopted son, An
drew Jackson, jr.: Of his private sec
retary. Andrew Donaldson. and all of
his grandrephews and grandnieces.
That was the first real "peppy"
Christmas frolic which Old Santa ever
peeked in upon at the White House.
"Old Hickory" marshaled his troop Of
drafted Christmas merrymakers into
the state dining hail, while an orches-
ira played 1.-THE Presidents March,"
Delighted to see them vying with
one another as Sourmands, "Old IIicA =
ory" was deaf to protests from fear
iul parents-but he had a trick UP
his sleeve. When they had thorough
ly spoiled the looks Of everything but
big pile Of what looked like snow
balls in the center of the table pre-
sided over by an enormous gilded
game cock, "Old Hickory started dis
tributing these. They were made of
cotton-coated over with starch. He
filled the arms Of each little guest
with these snowballs, then shooed
them all into that magnificent parlor,
''the east room." which has witnessed
many historic receptions. marriages
and affairs Of state, and bade them
have a real SNOWFALL fight. Which
they did in real earnest.
Aided and abetted by his Vice pres-
ident, Martin Van Buren,. he frolicked
all day with the child-guests in games
Of blind d-man's-buf, forfeits. hide and
seek. cross tag. puss in the corner,
follow the leader and London bridge
until they were physically tagged
out. The two men were storm CEN
ters of mass attacks to drive them
under the mistletoe bough tied to one
OF the great crystal chandeliers.
The closing. scene of the merry fout
Evening star., 1922-12-24
BY FRANK @. CARPENTER.
PARIS, Franc,

PARIS, France.
w We are on the banks OF the
Seine this morning. in the
wv very center Of Paris. on
top OF tho great Ethel
over. listening to the financial Jazz
,and OF the nations. Each Of us has
adio caps on his cars and we can
ear the financial publicity broadcast
rom London. ESQ miles over the
cI.annel. We can hear the humming
.: the fasteet printing presses on
,.arth in Berlin. $40 miles or. as they
roll out tho marks by the billions.
We can even hear Uncle Sans cry for
fair play and plain common sense
from over the ocean, while from the
chamber Of deputies just below US the
speeches Of the French politicians.
who demand that the Germans shall
pay for the damages they have
wrough. in north France. sound loud
in our ears.
What Is that mournful dirge that
comes from the Old Lady of Thread
needle Street? Methinks we have heard
il before:
1t is q very good world to live in.
10 lend % spend. o. TO give in:
But to beg or to borrow or to get ones own
1t Is the very worst world that ever was
Known.
We can hear Uncle Sam clap as he
listens. while he bursts out with a
quotation from Hamlet:
Neither 4 borrower nor a lender be;
For loan Oft loses both itself and friend
And borrowing dulls the edge Of husbandry.
And then from far-off Berlin rolls
in triumphant blast mixed with the
rustling of paper:
"A national debt is a national bless
ing!"
And from the chamber Of deputies
du Nord searches the Bible and gives
us that verse Of Solomon:
THE borrower IS servant to the
lender"
And then adds with a shrek as he
thinks Of the German:
And, name Of q name. he snail be-"
X :: 81 4
nut, seriously, I want to give YOU
ID some views Of the financial s:t,l-
alton IN CHIS pdFI VI CUIope dS IL
looks to tho man on the street. In
the first place, I am not an economist.
although studied political science
at college. I am not q statesman,
although much Of my life has been
spent at our National Capital. am
not even a scientist. although, some
how. I belong to the Cosmos Club,
most of whose members can tell you
tho exact number of winkers on the
eye Of q fiea, write volumes on the
hip-bone OF q gnat, and to whom
every star Of the milky way is as
we'll known as tho stones you tread
on tho path to your work.
cannot even think in millions and
billions. but have to get down to tens,
hundreds and thousands to know
what things mean. In short. I be-
long to the plain common folk who
work for their living and figure every
item in dollars and cents. Moreover,
although born In Mansfield, Ohio, 1
am like the man from Sedalia, Mo-, in
that I have to be shown. I say this
that you may know what sort Of eyes
you are looking through as we study
this financial muddle.
Before starting out let US look at
Evening star., 1922-12-24

Has Had Choice OF Eight Large Chimneys
When Children in Executives Families
Awaited His Coming and Others
Who Have Shared in the Delights OF Fairy
land-"Old Hickory Driven to Tears When
Youngsters Insisted on Filling His Socks
With Juvenile Trinkets - A Resolution
Which Was Realized in After Years
Evening star., 1922-12-24

was one which -"Old Hickory treas
ured during the rest of hts life. The
little guests, tired but happy. much
disheveled and somewhat begrimed.
marched past N. throwing him
kisses and shouti' individually and
collectively. "Good-n.snt, general, we
had a great time"
Another picture of Christmas eve
with President Jackson shows two
young Jacksons and five juvenile Don
aldsons hanging their stockings at
the fireplace in "uncle's room" One
irrepressible and mischi evous boy
came flying in with one Of the gen.
erals own wooden socks, and tied it
to the massive brass andirons. shout
ing, Now. let's see what Santa will
bring you. Mr.. Uncle. General, old
Hickory Jackson. President of these
United States"
1t is reported that during the wee
small hours of that Christmas eve his
secretary found "Old Hickory" cry
ing over heap of trinkets which the
youngsters had surreptitiously tucked
into his socks. not trusting to Santa
Claus to do all they wanted done.
For those little girls who are anx.
ious for details regarding the sort OF
gifts which Santa carries down the
White House chimneys-at the re-
quest of Vice President Van Buren,.
he left a dolly's cooking stove for
charming Mary Donaldson, and to sat-
isfy Nine. Serurier, wife of the
French minister, there was also set
standing guard over this range. ON
which much pastry was later to be
cooked for "Our General, big, awe
inspiring doll with red jacket and
gold-braided trousers, stuffed into
patent leather boots. topped off by a
plumed chapeau and, true to the part
Of a French zouave, with saber and
spurs.
X X
"A fARTIN VAN BUREN, first aide to
lNl President jackson in his Christ
mas frolics, had no small children or
grandchildren to have parties with
him over the big feast day in the
White House when he became Presi-
dent, but he participated in one Of the
most striking Christmas stories that
have ever come true in this city. 1t is
a Christmas fairy tale.
Christmas eve found poor little Har-
riet Williams. a Georgetown school
girl, crying at home, like Cinderella,
because all Of her playmates had
been invited to the greatest Christ
mas party ever given in the capital
and she had received no invitation.
Baron Bodisco, the noted Russian
minister. was outdoing fairy1and in
honor Of his two hephews. His man
sion. on o street, Georgetown, was
turned into such a realm Of childish
delights as Is indescribable. Lights.
shone and reflected everywhere, there
were mysterious silken, shiny. daz-
sling, alluring alcoves and recesses.
There were swings Of crimson and
gold hanginss and there was a pile
Of beautiful gifts which q real Santa
Claus dispensed in person. while OUT
side the house great fires blazed, after
the Russian custom, for the comfort
Of the coachmen.
Some one whispered to Santa Claus
of poor Harriet Williams. crying at
home. A hint was given to the baron,
who, like true nobleman, sat right
down and wrote her q very abiect
apology because the note Of invita-
tion he had intended to send her had
not txbeen delivered. . He begged that