davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1923-04-07
THE WAYS OF WASHINGTON
BY WILLIAM PICKETT HELM.

If you will turn your footsteps to
the great building which houses the
Interior Department, you can hardly
fail to find him. The chance that he
will not be there is as nothing. A
Hash Of gay color from a many-hued
blanket, tuft Of waving feathers,
the musical tinkle of a dangling
pendant. and Lo, the poor Indian, is
before you.
A picturesque mortal is this son Of
race that dwindIed to a handful.
but now is coming back. He takes
himself out in the giaddest of shout
ing raiment. . He robs the eagle Of
its tail to decorate his coal black
hair. Or. maybe. II Is the turkey.
He bends the rainbow to his will,
scrambles It's tints with the hues of
man. makes of the whole one grand,
resounding crash of lighting colors,
and puts 1t on his back.
Thus, inconspicuously attired, he
slips quietly into Washington, on his
way to the Interior Department. and
hardly less attention than q sachet
kitten at a picnic or an enforcement
officer at a bootleggers' banquet.
traiied a pair block or so the
other day, wondering what brings an
Indian to Washington. They were in
their usual party clothes and con-
versed with their customary vivacity.
Not word was spoken-no. not even
thousht-by. either Of them. l sup
pose they had decided that their
clothing talked enough.
Morning. chief" ! said, scraping
acquaintance as j quickened my pace
and drew abreast. They both looked
Ugh" replied one The other.
yr,n NJ -;
Fine day" ! hazarded. Been long
in the city,"
Ugh"
And SO we chatted as we walked
along. We talked of this and that
and the other thing: of politics and
the stuff coming in from the Bahamas
and the cost of living; of the squirrel
that crossed our path and-oh, al
most everything
Him John Thunder Cloud" was
the extent OF the conversation from
my newly found friend. Speaks no
English. l am interpreter"
Mr.. Thunder Cloud had the strong
FAMILY resemblance of all Thunder
Clouds. coincidence had noted even
before my Introduction. His welcome
was as cordial as that l received one
day when. as a cub reporter, 1 told
a leading citizen the chauffeur had
| eloped with his wife. But l wanted TO
nnd out why an Indian comes to
Washington, so ] trailed along. Not
objectionably, of course, but as one
, In, not of. the party.
We went to the office Of E.. B.
Merritt, the assistant commissioner of
Indian affairs. And there l faded
from the picture, not wishing to in
trude on Mr.. Thunder Clouds personal
affairs. Later / came back
Mr.. Merritt had received them, as he
receives hundreds Of such callers
within year. with profound courtesy.
He is. one might say, the father con-
fessor. friend and adviser of the
american Indian. They come to him
from almost every place where float
the Stars and Stripes.
And almost every mothers son has
| grievance. John Thunder Cloud was
no exception.
!! One must be gentle and patient with
the Indian. He must speak his piece
without interruption. To interrupt is
TO agttate; to argue is to upset him
violently. So following the usual pro-
Evening star., 1923-04-07

1t may be that the present tide Of
prosperity may ebb, and 1t may be
that 1t will rise higher, but it Is hoped
that the setting In of the ebb tide will
be long postponed, and it is believed
that when 1t shall come it will not go
to the low marks Of other years. Just
now, because 50 many people in the
District are making more money than
they ever made before, they are spend
ing more money and they are saving
more money. Not all the spenders are
saving. There never were so many
reckless spenders, and these will feel
remorse should flush times pass. Now
is the time when they should mend
their ways. Bank deposits have been
built up to their present height not by
the spenders, but largely by those
with whom they. spent their money.
In peace prepare for war, in fair
weather prepare for foul weather, ana
in time of high earnings men should
prepare for a time Of lower earnings.
Such a time may not come, but If it
should the prudent man will be ready.
Evening star., 1923-04-07
The Retirement Annuities.

In recent editorial comment in The
Star on civil service annuities 1t was
stated that the invested fund for
meeting them is approximately ST.,
100000. Review Of these figures shows
that it is, in fact, s27 $50. as since
the investment in United States bonds
in June, 1922, there has been another
investment in the current year of $1O,-
100000. Moreover, Jacob w. Starr
president of the Association of Re
tired Employees, says that in addition
to the invested fund there IS a re-
served cash surplus of s2.66S,6S2.92 to
meet the cost of annuities and refunds
to June 80, 1928
More power to this revised showing.
1t is not only additional but is incon-
trovertible argument in support Of the
claim that the law should be expanded
In several respects. The annuities
should be raised for one thing. The
happy financial condition Of the retire
ment system is ample proof that the
plan of raising the fund by the 2e
per cent salary reduction is working
admirably. Money enough to meet the
obligations can be and is being raised,
without prospect OF the government
being called upon to contribute for
fifteen or possibly twenty years. Both
the maximum and the minimum an
nuities should be raised. When the
original law was framed it provided
q minimum of $3.50, but was changed
to take in salaries Of $500 and less,
graded in proportion, so that it falls
out that some annuities are as low as
SIS a year. Senator Sterling, chair
man Of the civil service committee,
will propose legislation at the COM
ing session to expand the law and
smooth out some existing provisions
which are claimed to present inequali-
ties.
Suggestions come to The Star from
time to time from benef1ciaries Of the
act, present and prospective. All
urge that the annuities should be in
creased. 1t is also suggested that the
age limit be reduced; that regardless
of age the annuity should be paid
after thirty years Of service.
Evening star., 1923-04-07
EDITORIAL DIGEST

the path of sacrileee ieee and aii impetv 1pE.ne%
The very fact that the accused
court afser ,he 5eied we'll ~ p9ltiea
soviet fashion" is significant. the
Binghamton Sun holds. as Indicating
the whole matter. trials and execu-
tions. is a part of the anti-clerical
priests and ministers is part of
the plan of Lenin and Trotsky in
soviet officials have admitted the
putting to death of many of the
clergy. The plan of terrorism has
been aimed directly at the church"
chto Creedai diferences." argues the
chicago Post. Should be obliterated
by the sense of horror and indigna-
ton which this bolshevik attack
upon religion and its courageous ex-
ponent must evoke. Moscow should
of faith from every corner of the
world. On such an issue as this
Protestantism must stand with Ca
thoiicism 1t is challenge to all
In God and admiration for heroic
loyalty to that faith. For America
and for all lands which cherish re-
new ,despotism of unbelief. as intol-
erable in the modern world as any
tyranny OF creed has ever been in
human history" Indorsing to The
Standard insists the Russian oligar-
chy views with hatred the few rem
naHts OF religion that they have not
as yet been able to destroy. 1t con-
church. may have detracts so much
from the supremacy of the govern
ment." The execution constitutes a
Challenge to all the world. as. the
ilized. countries cannot look unmoved
on the execution of men for faiths
sake. whatever their religion. Hun
put to deab in bv
soviet government; Among the num-
Der were many high figures of the
Greek Orthodox Church. But these
executions were in the dark. The
of them. But in this case the soviet
Haunted It's viciousness in the face
of the world" And by this killing
Russia is dead and that the judgment
of a soviet court counts for nothing
with honest men," insists the Youngs-
town Vindicator.
That Mgr: Butchkavitch was put
New York Times. suggests the gov
ernment was stung to anger and,
perhaps, went off ha1f-cocked. 1t had
once more that 1t didn't care what
foreigners thought about it." The
execution strongly emphasizes, the
Chicago Daily News asserts. that
"the bolshevist government is car
rying on a bitter and ruthless war
against religion The youth Of Rus
sia is being educated in the ma
terialistic doctrines of the COM
munist dogmatists. Such senseless
and obscurant tactics are bound to
fail The blindness of bolshevik
fanaticism Is nowhere more striking
iy illustrated than in the immoral
and Irrational attempt to destroy re
ligion." And in the killing, as the
B1ffaIo Times points out, Russia
herself has affixed the final seal upon
her own outlawry from the COM
-uoitv aF nations"
Evening star., 1923-04-07
Rock Creek Golf Course.

The eyes Of many golf enthusiasts
will be turned to Rock Creek Park.
for there men are turning a bit Of
beautiful scenery into an eighteen
hole course. 1t is easy to be super.
lative and certain officials and nom
officials are saying that this is to be
the finest golf course in the District
and adjacent territory. Other men,
keeping enthusiasm under restraint,
say that it will be lone OF the finest
golf courses" in the United States
When this new course Is to be opened
is not said. but May Is, weather and
other things favoring. has been tenta
lively agreed on and il may be that
President Harding will drive the first
ball. Here IS another step toward
bringing the parks to the highest de-
gree Of usefulness to plain people.
Traditionally the use Of park is
limited to riding, walking and resting.
There is plenty of room in Rock Creek
Park for walking and resting, but the
roads on bright and otherwise agree
able days are becoming crowded with
autos and driving is not as carefree
as it was. However, it seems to be
the fate of all roads that happen to
be good roads to be crowded. The
walkers, resters and drivers cannot
begrudge golfers the use Of slice
of the park. There is also room for
the accommodation of votaries OF
other outdoor games when the de-
mand for play space becomes pressing
enough.
Evening star., 1923-04-07
Butchkavitch's Execution Arouses
Bitter Resentment Everywhere.

The execution by the Russian soviet
government of Vicar General Butch
kavitch as a plotter when his only
proven offense seems 10 have been
that he carried out his duties as a
priest of the Roman Catholic Church
has brought about unanimous con-
where. No excuse is found for the
killing which. to many editors, was
simply a cold bloodcd murder. and
they insist that II means that never
In Moscow will there be any recog-
milton of the Russian republic.
THAT the execution was a blunder
needs no argument whatever" the
New York World insists. in holding
that "blundering is the specially OF
opportunist governments Historical
ly the cause Of terrorism is fear.
What has sovietism to fear, now, that
II should so shock the public opinion
Of the world by inexplisable and ,,,6. qn,
places the soviets beyond the pale"
as the Philadelphia Public Ledger
views the killing, even though the
soviets may be within their rights as
they. read these rights. But for a
people striving for recognition in an
unfriendly world they are the poorest
politicians since ever the morning
stars sang together. When Denikine,
Wrangel and Kolchak have been for
gotten even in Russia: when the
great famine of 1921 has faded from
memory and the czars of yesterday
are no more than a legend on the
steppes, the story of the martyrdom
in Moscow will be alive in the world.
The soviets have raised against them
selves new and powerful enemies who
will not forget" That argument re-
ceives full Endorsement from the New
York Herald. which characterizes the
execution as 1.-The soviet's defiance of
all Christendom" and insists that, "of
course, this policy OF blood and cru
city is folly on the part of the men
who carried 1t out. 1t confirms the
nations of the world in their esti-
mate of the Russian government
that government Of whose stability
it's admirers prate. Stable In repu-
diation, stable in confiscation and
stable now in a cold brutality from
which Christendom recoils. II the
soviet had wished to make the real
Russians turn more fervently than
ever to their religion they could not
have accomplished 1t more easily
than by such crimes as they have
just committed"
Attention is directed by the Peters
burg Progress and Index Appeal to
the fact that "the bolshevik govern
ment had guaranteed to the Catholic
priests freedom to profess and preach
the Boston Transcript adds. that the
slain prelate had committed no
crime. Vicar General Butchkavitch
is a martyr to the insensate hatred
of the communists for all the things
that hitherto have kindled the rev.
erence and the veneration of man.
kind. For king and priest are hated
BY the Communists with the same
hate and are cursed in the same
breath. The Russian communists
have gone still further than the most
fanactical of the French revolution
Evening star., 1923-04-07
SHOOTING STARS.
BY PHILANDER JOHNSON.
Ambition.

Ambition.
When vernal sunshine sweeps the
scene.
Ambition thrives anew:
Full many are the things, ween,
started out to do.
The sands Of time within the glass
Flow fast and never stop.
'Tts years since set out, alas.
To learn to spin a top.
I wound it carefully with string.
hurled it to the pave.
It bounded like a living thing
Full bent to misbehave.
A window smashed, stranger gashed,
A shout Of HI The cop!"
In constant fear of being thrashed
I strove to spin a top.
How gracefully for other boys
1t glided through the air!
How sweetly soothing was its noise
AS It stood humming there!
Twas then 1 learned how often pride
Is doomed to take drop.
tried and failed and failed and tried
To learn to spin a top.
In spite of wealth and fame that
spread
Allurements more mature,
When skies grow bluer overhead
And songbirds trill secure,
And all the world Is fair with youth,
scorn the garnered crop
OF worldly things-to tell the truth
I'd like to spin top.
Evening star., 1923-04-07
The Tornado.

American spirit is shown by the
proinptness with which wind-torn Sill
yer Spring plunges into the work of
setting itself to rights. Scarcely does
the tornado pass when the people of
the town begin clearing away wreck
age and rebuilding. Saw and hammer
play their merry measures within a
few hours after the wind-roar has
hushed. Some folk call this enterprise,
and others call it pep" and by what
ever name it may be called it is com
mendable. Such a blow as hit Silver
Spring is not apt to visit there again.
Tornadoes are rare in this part Of the
country, though strong winds are
common enough. Men usually build
their homes to withstand such winds,
but a tornado is not to be reckoned
with. 1t is not only a wind of extraor-
dinary violence, but it is a twisting or
turning" wind, hence the name tor
nado." 1t displays on small scale
the characteristic freakishness in de-
struction of the funnel.shaped whirl-
wind Of our northwestern cyclone
belt. Meteorologists at our weather
bureau say that only a few Of these
winds have blown in our section, and
that they were only squalls in COM
parison with that which struck Silver
Spring and It's neighborhood and fol-
lowed q course about 200 yards wide
and two miles long. The meteorologists
recall that one Of these turning winds
came upon Sandy Spring in 1879, and
that in 1891 the village of Nottingham
was struck. The peace and quiet Of
old Prince Georges county is not often
disturbed by tornado.
Evening star., 1923-04-07
Railroad Traffic.

Executives Of many American rail.
roads, believing that they must pre-
pare for a spring. summer and au-
tumn Of extraordinary passenger
travel and freight traffic, are con.
sidering resort to some Of the war
measures taken to increase carrying
capacity. One of these measures
would be a freer interchange Of cars
and interchange of locomotives. While
government control worked hardship
on the railroads 1t must have pointed
TO some lessons in economy in the
matter of cutting oA duplication of
effort, elimination of competing traiRs,
common use Of terminals and longer
and fuller loaded, though less fire.
auent, trains. 1t is generally believed
that government control Of the rail.
roads, undertaken as q war measure,
did not work well. Pay Of employees
went up by leaps and bounds. ef.
Evening star., 1923-04-07
Bank Oenosita.

The returns Of the banks to the con.
troller's call for reports of condition
give measure Of the prosperity of
the District. Never before have so
many persons in the District had 80
much money on deposit. Never before
have the banks had so much money
with which to make loans for the ad-
vancement Of business. The figures
far exceed those registered in ell other
.good times" and boom times" We
are living in a boom, though people
generally cannot recognize it. Boom
times in the past seem not to have
been recognized till they were gone.
Evening star., 1923-04-07
CAPITAL KEYNOTES
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS

1t is sometimes asserted that the
conditions In Russia are not nearly
so uncivilized as generally represent
ed. A Red Cross relief agent re-
turned to Washington. expatiated
within the last week upon his love
Of the Russians and admiration of
the accomplishments OF the soviet
government. Judging from his en-
thusiasm, we Of America might we'll
emulate the liberty and enlighten-
nssnt of the Russian bolshevists.
AS IL confirming this rosy picture Of
Russian conditions. there comes an
other American traveller - James f..
Cannon, chairman of the workers
party OF America-who, fresh from
alleged intimacy with Trotsky and
Lenin, leotured in Washington, be-
fore an audience Of workers"
Amongst other statements made by
Mr.. Cannon was this: Although the
soviet government is hostile to re-
ligions and the established church
evidently so hostile that almost while
he was speaking II shot an arch
bishop for upholding his faith and
appealing to his flock to remain true
to religious beliefs -ft refuses to
interfere with any persons who care
to believe in their gods
Current news gives the lie to such
represen tations of liberty of con-
science. but, what is more enlighten-
ing, Is the form of Mr.. Cannons own
believe in their gods" He adds. 1T
does, however, put up communist
ideas against Christian ideas"
This champion Of bolshevism, in
ridicuie of the practice in the Roman
Catholic Church, described the burn
Ing Of candles before the shrine Of Il
saints bones. and added: II do not
know who bought the concession on
the enterprise" The sale OF rights
to make profit on shrines, like ancient
customs of selling the right of
tax gatherers. appears legitimate
money-making enterprise. to the boil
sheyistS.
His description of the civil marriage
ceremony or license, and the ease Of
severing II, at the option of either
party, without any evidence of rea-
sons for the annulment, brought
cheers from the Cannon audience of
Washingtonians.
y X X
All this would be OF no interest to
enlightened Americans, perhaps, for
there are savages in many parts OF
the world and barbarous customs can
not be cured suddenly, but the actual
conditions in Russia are of interest.
In view Of the misdirected entnusi-
asms and sentimentalism of Ameri-
cans who urge official recognition of
the soviet government.
4 X X
In case of forcible election OF A.
600 alley tenants June l by United
States marshals or local police, will
the jail be enlarged in time to re-
ceive that many? That will make
quite a building boom. which will
keep mechanics busy. Such jail
enlargement should include all mod
ern and sanitary improvements. What
| If there are strikes?
VIII the government, which takes
over the property Of the alley houses,
ton law says nothing on that sub
ject, but the United States Consti-
tuition does.
i: X X
I Once there was an old man who
had lived a life of isolation and ig-
norance. He found 1t difficult TO
express himself intelligibly, and in
his distress he calculated:
"Puzzlin' work-talkin' is
The Trainer cf the eviction law
Evening star., 1923-04-07
cedure,, Mr.. Merritt seated his guests.
called for a stenographer and told
them to turn on the current.

cedure,, Mr.. Merritt seated his guests.
called for a stenographer ana toto
them to turn on the current.
Old Thunder Cloud began his piece
and rambled on for more than two
hours without q break. save to af-
ford the interpreter a chance to In
terpret. And when the powwow end
ed the stenographer's notebook had
it all.
"I come" said Thunder Cloud. from
the tribe Of Winnebago, in the far
away place called Wisconsin, near the
great lakes. The Winnebago is the
white mans friend: the friend OF the
friend to my friend, the white man,
to ask the white man to right deep
and grievous wrong
give years ago or more some of
our lands were sold. The white men
who bought those lands paid many
vided among the Winnebago tribe.
For Ave years l have waited for my
share. My patience has departed.
My interpreters patience. too, has
ceiyed his share of this money.
TOO. the nights of winter are long
and cold among the Winnebagos.
Long have needed blankets. My In
terpreter is of no warmer blood
than I.
ne white man agent Ildue IIlc
the loan of two blankets, that / might
guard myself against the cold Of win
ter. But the white mans agent Is a
cunning agent. Before he would give
me the blankets he made me sign a
paper.
Thunder Cloud knows not the written
words upon that paper, but he fears
they were of evil omen, for not yet has
he received his money.
And so we come, Thunder Cloud
and his interpreter. to ask the white
man to pay US $SS each for our
lands"
That Is what It resolved itself into.
this two-hour wordy rambling. Mr..
Merritt made as IL to go, but the in
terpreter laid OBTAINING hand upon
his arm.
Not yet. white brother" he said.
There is more.
The Winnebagos trust their white
brethren. They love the great white
father. They love the Secretary OF
| Commissioners. They love you. Mr..
| Merritt, for YOU always are good and
kind and just. In your ears always
the plea Of. the red man finds
lodgmeRt-"
"In other words" Mr.. Merritt said.
Yes, SIR. we're broke
How much?'
Hotel for three or four days and
| the fare back home"
They were told to go back to the
modest hotel where they had quar-
tered themselves. Meantime. from
| the voluminous files recording the
history OF every Indian wards life.
MIR. Merritt learned that their tale was
of the stun that leavens dreams
But they are childish. these Indian
wards Ike Thunder Cloud. and the
government has recognized their
need for protection. An emergency
| fund has been established for just
| such cases. So their hotel bill was
| paid and they were sent back to
Wisconsin at the governments ex-
pense.
Almost every Indian ward that
comes to Washington taps the
Emergency fund in much that man
ner. They seem to be broke when
| they get off the train.
And now I know why an Indian
comes to Washington. 1t is to get
money to go back home again.
Evening star., 1923-04-07
A Mission Fulfilled.


Jes' to cheer us up bit,
Birds keep chirpin' as they fit
On their errands, day by day;
An the sunshine's golden ray,
With gay and roguish g,eam,
Laughs and loiters on the stream;
An the stars at night are lit,
Jes' to cheer US up bit.
Life can't all be serious toll,
Cause the sunshine and the soil,
While they cause the oak to grow,
Set the wildhowers, jes' below;
Nature doesn't scorn to bring
Care to some slight, triflin' thing
Seems to think right well of it
If it cheers us up bit.
Evening star., 1923-04-07

Instead of sending 500 kiddies to
the circus this year the Kiwanis Club
Is going to apply the sum involved to-
ward a necessary operation upon a
little cripple. When all Of US start
treating our ''circus money similarly
the world will be a whole lot happier
place.
Evening star., 1923-04-07

News from Paris announces the ad-
vent of silk stockings 80 sheer as to
give the effect of no stockings at all.
Wouldn't it show more progress if we
could have no stockings at all that
would give the effect Of stockings?-
Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Evening star., 1923-04-07

A bill before the Connecticut legis.
lature would make public display of
time an offense sub
ject to fine and Imprisonment Jails
then would be equipped with time
locks.
Evening star., 1923-04-07

A Boston judge has sentenced four
teen fish profteers to jail. Yet, com
pared with coal and some other neces-
stiles, the cost of fish is a small item
in the average family budget.