davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1923-01-07
A Bit of History
Death Of Sculptor Recalls Ar
senal Explosion in 1864.

In recent articles on the death of
Lot Flannery. sculptor of the first
Lincoln statue, which again stands
near its original place before the
courthouse, il was written that he
ment to the arsenal explosion victims.
The decision of the Washington Lin
coin monument committee to award
the carving Of the Lincoln statue to
Mr.. Flannery was largely influenced
by his acceptable work in designing
and cutting the arsenal victims
monument.
Old residents remember the arsenal
explosion as a tragedy which pro-
foundly grieved the population of the
little old town Of Washington. The
time of that tragedy was a few min
utes before noon on Friday, June IT.
1854. The Evening Star issued an
extra at 2:3o, from which the fol-
lowing is taken:
At ten minutes to IL o'clock today a
terrible catastrophe occurred at the
arsenal which has cast a gloom over
the whole community and rendered
sad many a heart that was buoyant
a few moments previous. While 1os
girls were at work in the main 1abo-
IOE bIIldIl
arms quantity of fireworks which
had been placed outside of the build
ing became ignited, and a piece of
fuse flying into one OF the rooms in
which were seated about twenty nine
young women set the cartridges on
fire and caused an instantaneous ex-
plosion.
The fireworks" were star shells
used in military operations at night,
and the cartridges were paper car
tridges into which the powder had
been poured and into which the balls
had not been put. One gathers from
the news of that day that all the
workers in the room were. killed and
Identification in most cases could not
be made. The news flashed over the
city as only tragic news can. Multi
tudes walked to the arsenal Fire
calls brought out the Columbia.
Perseverance, Anacostia and Franklin
fire companies and the government
steam fire engines Rucker. Meigs and
Hibernfa- There was danger that the
fire would spread to other parts of
the arsenal plant. The powder maga-
zine was not far away. Funerals of
the victims were held Sunday, June
10. On the west face of the monu-
ment in Congressional cemetery is
this inscription: Erected by Public
Contribution by the Citizens Of Wash
ington, d. c., June II, 1866" On the
south face of the monument is this:
KILLED by an Explosion at the United
States Arsenal, Washington, D. c.,
June II, 1854" The east and west
faces are inscribed with the names
of the dead.
Evening star., 1923-01-07
INTERIOR DEPARTMENT
| BILL PASSED BY SENATE.
Appropriation Increased by $685.
900 Over Allowance Made by
the House. i.tz


The Interior Department appropri
alton bill. carrying an increase Of
sS63.000 over the s294S47 900 author
lied by the House. was passed by tRe
Senate late Friday afternoon. OF the
appropriation s25s,ooo,OoO was for TIT
annual pension roll. s.:&S
Before the bill was passed, on mo-
tion of Senator King of Utah, demo.
crat, the House provision authoriz-
ing the purchase of the tract of land
on which the government fuel yard
stands was stricken out. Senator
King declared he was opposed 70
having the government embark in the
coal business and the purchase of.
lands for the establishment of a
permanent fuel yard. He said the
matter placed in the bill by the House
should be stricken out and then con-
sideration of it could go to confer
ence. Senator Smoot of Utah. in
charge of the bill, agreed that il
should go out and be taken up in.
conference between the two houses
On motion of Senator Smoot the
appropriations for the Columbia In
stftution for the Deaf were increased
to conform with the estimates sub
mitted by the budget bureau In
one case the appropriation was in
creased from $4,000 to 100000. and
in another. from $4,000 to $4,000.
Evening star., 1923-01-07
RAILWAY FRElGHTS GROW.
More in Week Than in Same Period
Previous Years.

American railroads are moving
more traffic at the present time than
has ever been moved at this season,
according to reports of the car serv-
ice division of the American Railway
Association. For the week ended De-
cember %, the latest period for which
data has been compiled, railroads ac-
cepted s34.5e1 cars loaded with rev.
enue freight, which was 1S7,sS6 cars
more than ever handled in the same
period of any previous year.
Notwithstanding the usual seasonal
falling off from the fall months OF
heavy crops, a general commodity
movement is taking place and the to-
tai for the week of Decembere23 was
a reduction of 53,491 cars under the
total handled the week previous. =
Evening star., 1923-01-07
S78,860, 600 NET INCOME
OF CLASS ONE RAILROADS
Annual Return Rate of 4.46 Per
Cent Represented by
Figures.

A net operating income Of $7s,s6o,-
600 was earned by class 1 rail-
roads or the United States during No
vember, according to returns filed
with the Interstate Commerce Com
mission compiled yesterday by the Asso-
ciation of Railway Executives. This
compares with s66,SS4,0oo during the
same month in 1921 and represents.
the association calculated, an annual
return rate of 4.46 per cent on the
estimated value of property invested
In transportation. Class 1 roads
are those with annual gross revenues
IN excess of q million dollars and are
among those. listed lines which con-
troll a vast percentage of the coun-
try's rail mileage.
Total receipts of the carriers dur
ing the month amounted to $522,631,-
600, while their expenditures in op-
Grating amounted to $409,146, 900.
Both of these items increased over
the same figures complied for De-
cember, 1921; the receipts by 1872 per
cent and the expenditures by 11.2 per
cent.
For the eleven months Of 1892 in
.cluding November, the total earnings
of class l roads amounted to $685.
134,700, the statement said, compared
with $5S5,974,00o for the same period
Of 1921. On this basis the carriers
were shown to be earning 400 per
cent on the value of their investment.
Evening star., 1923-01-07
Wide-Awake Justice.

The original mind discovers the OBJ
vious before any one else sees it. Such
originality seems to be lodged in the
head OF Judge Bartlett Of Detroit.
who sits on the cases of violators OF
the motor vehicle law. Like the rest
of us. the learned judge has frequent
~ heard the term "crazy driver"
Judge Bartlett has done the obvious
thing with the crazy driver, which is.
very surprising. He calls in alienists
to examine such cases.
At this point the judge cuts loose
with another bit of originality. If a,
speeder fails to measure up to the
mental tests for normality the judge
sends him to an institution for i'm
paired mentality. So that the finding
of dementia this-or-that does not set
the prisoner at the bar free, as so
often happens in murder cases. In
stead 1t qualities the accused TOR 2ree
board in an insane asylum.
OF course, many of those examined
are pronounced perfectly sane. Unou
these the judge passes the maximum
penalty allowed by the statutes His
system is to see that every one gets
what is coming to him.
More men on the bench of courage
and ingenuity similar to this would
revolutionize automobiling by making
1t nearly safe.-Boston Globe.
Evening star., 1923-01-07
BY EDWARD NELSON pINGLEY.

4 .
IVY HEN James Proctor Knott
| NM OF Kentucky made his mem
" orable and historic speech,
February 1871. on the bill
| Tor the renewal of the ST. Croix Land
Grant, in which he immortalized
Duluth in satire never equaiIed, he
laid the foundation of, TIE popular
notion that an appropriation for
| rivers and harbors is pork barrel"
legislation. He little dreamed of the
subsequent growth of the northwest,
| especially the very city which he ridi-
culed, and the strides to be made in
| domestic commerce coming out of
that section, due in no small measure,
! to the appropriations by Congress to
| improve our lakes and rivers
The recent rivers and harbors con-
| Ventlon in Washington, and the pend
| ing effort to have Congress re-enact
| the flood control law of 1917, bring
| to the front the Importance of the
| work Of making more servieabie the
! rivers, lakes and harbors Of the
, United States. The maintenance and
protection of an Amrican Merchant
| Marine. it is said, is closely connected
with available and adequate harbors.
Big Improvement Fund.
Up to date about billion and six
hundred million dollars have been
appropriated by Congress for the
improvement of rivers and harbors.
This policy of improvement rivers
for harbors under federal control and
direction began about 1924. Since
The program now in force contem-
important rivers and harbors Of Porto
Ricco. Alaska and the Hawaiian
islands,
OF the billion and six million
dollars expended, three hundred and
seventy millions was for sea coast
| harbors, fourteen millions for coast
wise channels and approaches. one
hundred and forty-two millions for
the Great Lakes, four hundred and
forty-three millions for interior
rivers. and ffty-five millions for flood
control. In addition. twenty millions
were for Investigations Of various
kinds. and another twenty millions
for projects abandoned and discon-
tinued
The early expenditures were largely
principal harbors then had enough
depth for the average vessel OF that
day, and were enough to accommodate
a budding foreign commerce. The
rivers were essential routes OF do
mestic commerce. and the only routes
before the advent of the railroads.
About forty-four per cent OF the
expenditure of public money was for
Improvement, and about sixty-four
per cent for harbors. At present the
work on the rivers. except the Ohio
and Mississippi, Is very small
Nearly a century ago, when the
Ohio river was the main commerce
connection between the east and the
west, Congress authorized the deep
ening of the river to nine feet from
Pittsburgh to it's mouth-1O0 miles:
The Ohio was in the direct line or
traffic, and was essential to domestic
trade. 1t was the earliest route OF
commerce. It's deepening was the be-
ginning Of federal control over the
Improvement OF rivers and harbors.
More River Navigation.
Later. when the Pittsburgh district
produced more coal than it could con-
sumo. shipments of coal went down
the Ohio and were distributed along
Evening star., 1923-01-07
Comrades of the Air.

The hazards Of flying develop a
strong feeling of comradeship among
the pilots. No effort is too great to
lend assistance to a fellow aviator in
distress or to locate missing ma
chine when it fails to arrive at its
destination.
An instance is the case of a Salt
Lake mail pilot. who was forced to
descend in binding blizzard on the
snowy plains of Wyoming.
When he failed to report, every mail
pilot in the territory tributary to
Salt Lake was ordered from his route
to take up the hunt. Moving in great
circles, the mail machines examined
every foot of the ground on the miss
ing pilots route. Finally. he was
found comfortably sensconced in a
ranch house. where he had sought
shelter. Save for few frost bites
he was unaffected by his somewhat
thrilling experience.
Sharing dangers brings men closer
than the bonds OF brotherhood. Know
ing that a comrade is dependable and
stanchly loyal in the hour Of peril
establishes ties that can be broken
only by death. This. feeling Is what
makes companies, regiments or air
patrols efficient.' Good comrades are
usually good 'soldiers.-Seattfe Times.
Evening star., 1923-01-07
Story of a Touch.
Irishman's Lie Was Pretty Raw
But Good for S.,

Men in public life hear many touch
ing stories, and the account of one
such experience told in the Speakers
lobby the other day by Representative
Elliott w. Sproul OF Illinois, describ-
ing how he was called upon at the
very threshold of his political life to
patch up a quarrel between a man
and wife over his own candidacy and.
incidentally, to repair their front
window, is a good example.
THE first time l ran for alderman
of Chicago" began Representative
Srroul. II attended a mass meeting
one night and got home about 1870
am. had just retired when the door
bell rang. When | answered it in my
bath robe / found there big Irish
man, who said: Good evening. alder
man: of course, you're not alderman
yet, but l want to get used to calling
you that. But that's not the real rea-
son / came to you now. You see, my
wife is for your opponent, and she
went and put his picture up in our
front window. So goes out and gets
big picture of you, and / comes
back and takes down Mayhew's pic
ture and puts up yours and carries
Mayhew's out into the kitchen.
After the meeting tonight I goes
the kitchen to get bite to eat. May
hew's picture isn't there. but your
picture is in the sink. Then 1 gets
dog-gone mad l goes in and grabs
Mayhew's picture out of the window
and tears 1t up. Then I takes your
picture and gets a hammer and a
couple of tacks and I goes back to
the window in the front room 1 puts
the tack through the cardboard and
hauls back with my hammer and
sWats-but ] missed the tack and
smashed two panes of glass. SO I have
come to you to ask will you give me
So to get that window fixed, because
my wife will not let me come back
into the house till do"
Sproul admits that he knew il was
all a lie, but 1t was such a good story
and so we'll done that he contributed
the SO. And he found out next dav
that the Irishman did not even live
in his ward and couldn't vote for him.
Evening star., 1923-01-07
Eventually. WAY Not Now.

EVENTUALLY, declares Mr.. Gary,
in denying the eight-hour day to
the steel industry. we shall have to
come to eight hours. Mr.. Rockefeller
who also makes steel in Colorado, is
giving his workmen the eisht-hour
day and making money under it. But
Mr. Gary is afraid. He says in his
statement that the twef'e-hour day
is ethicaIly and socially wrong. but
that it keeps the steel industry going.
That is a good argument. You can't
answer it. The truth is that the only
thing wrong with murder is its eth
ical and social obliquity. And the
only excuse for rape. larceny and
burglary is their temporary expe-
diency.
Mr.. Gary's ability to satisfy stock
holders and the conscience of busi-
ness men with hfs arguments, 'indi-
Gates how tired the tired business
man really is.
Evening star., 1923-01-07
"As | See 1t
from First Page.)

Guy Empeys, the exalted 'doughboy
of the town. Suppose that the real
hundred per centers in America, the
lads who will stand no nonsense. the
plug hats who believe in Timing 'em
up against wall and shooting en-"
the sleuths who provoke trouble to
prove it exists, the hard boiled and
the cold-nosed among us-suppose
they should get control of the gov
ernment, what post would they choose
as the symbol of America? Would it
be Eddie Guest or Robert W. Service
or George Cohen? Surely it would
not be the paciflst Whittier, nor the
internationalist Longfellow, nor the
atheists Emerson, nor Lowell, the
mugwump.
The truth is that America does not
breed poets. Art is exotic here. We
chiefly breed statesmen like Wash
ington and Lincoln, inventors like
Whitney and Edison, Industrial cap
tains like Rockefeller and Carnegie,
men who. in. their way. help humani-
ty on its pilgrimage to the stars as
well as poets. Every people does
its part in the world. eW have no
right to sniff at the Italians with
their Dante: neither have they much
call to elevate their noses about our
dollars. Dollars and Dantes are both
needed TO make a happy world. But
IL the Eluxers ever got control of this
country, it is interesting to speculate
Just what Americas bust they will
impress upon an admiring world.
Evening star., 1923-01-07

THREE United States senators
from the same family is the
unusual. and not altogether
unwelcome. situation faced by
the people of Alabama, according to
many astute politicians of that state
That Bankhead family, OF which one
member already has served several
terms in the Senate and another now
is serving in the House of Repre-
sentatives, is referred to.
John Hollis Bankhead, sr., was
chosen as alternate senator from Ala
bama together with Joseph Forney
the lifetime of Senators Morgan and
Pettus, both of whom were in poor
health at the time OF the election.
When this was done, senator's were
still being elected by ths legislatures.
provide against any contingency. and
the state committee decided upon the
course Of nominating alternate sena-
tors.
AS was feared, both Senators Nor
gan and Pettus died In midterm, and
Bankhead and Johnston took their
places. according to the wishes Of the
voters of the state.
Senator's Som Elected.
When the democratic Congress
under President Wilson passed the
reapportionment bill Alabama found
one more representative allotted to
her. The state was redistricted, after
one term with a representative-at-
large, and William B. Bankhead, son
of Senator Bankhead, was chosen to
represent that district. He Is still
doing so and is regarded as one of
the foremost statesmen Alabama has
ever produced. That he has a greater
future before him even his political
enemies concede. If he has any per-
sonal enemies they have not shown
themselves since he has been in pub
lie life.
In 1924 Alabama must elect a SEN
ator to fill the place now occupied
by Senator J. Thomas Hefiin. That
Senator Hefiin will be a candidate
clusion. But already from the south
ern state are coming rumblinEs to
the effect that John Hollis Bankhead,
jr., will seek to go to the body his
august father SO ably represented for
many years. Advices reaching here
from Alabama indicate that Mr..
Bankhead has a large following
which will do its utmost to put him
in the Senate.
.. Underwood May Not Run.
On the other hand, according to
present indications, Senator Oscar w.
Underwood will not be a candidate
to succeed himself when his present
term of six years expires in 1928.
His recent announcement that he will
resign the minority floor leadership
in the upper chamber Is taken as an
indication by many who are well
versed in. reading the political signs
that he will not again offer himself
for the ONCE he now occupies. When
Senator Underwood completes this
term in the Senate he will have been
in Congress thirty-two years, having
previously served ten terms in the
House of Representatives before his
first term in the Senate. He is now.
serving his second senatorial term.
It has been intimated, although the
time 10 some distance off, that friends
of Representative William 3. Bank
head Will. offer, his name to be the
successor 1of Senator Underwood. His
Evening star., 1923-01-07
PANAMA PACT PARLEY.
Secretaries Hughes and Weeks
Will Discuss Treaty.

Secretaries Hughes and Weeks
Will take up tomorrow the task
of agreeing to a treaty to be pro-
posed to Panama and covering a wide
range of matters affecting the Pana-
ma Canal Zone. Col. Morrow, govern
or OF the zone, and Francis White,
chief of the Latin american division
Of the State Department, already have
worked out a general agreement be-
tween the State and the War depart
ments on all but a few points in the
treaty.
The purpose of the new treaty is
to facilitate relations between the
United States and Panama along the
lines which experience has shown to
be desirable in the interests Of both
countries in connection with the Canal
Zone. When the two Secretaries have
reached final agreement on the form
and terms of the proposed pact nego-
tiations will be opened with the Pana-
ma government
Evening star., 1923-01-07
War Heroes Nav
Wear Medals as
They May Choose

The War Department yesterday
disclaimed jurisdiction over the man
ner and the times when former
soldiers shall wear medals or other
decorations which they won while
in the Army. A paragraph was
added to Army regulations stat
ing specifically that Army rules
were not to be construed as pro-
hibiting civilians entitled to mill
tary decorations from wearing
them ION all appropriate occa-
sions"" nor as indicating how deco
rations should be worn with
civilian clothing.
In a statement the department
said it considered it very desir-~
able that authorized medals and
decorations be worn on every ap-
propriate occasion with any kind
of civilian clothes
Evening star., 1923-01-07
MUSEUM GETS NEW EXHIBIT.

A collection of miniature bronzes.
ivory carvings and silver work from
Burma have been placed on exhibition
in the Natural History building o.
the National Museum. These art
works were collected by Lawrence p,
Briggs, former American consul to-
Burma and 1ndo-China. Considerable
interest is being taken in Burma in
works of art, it was declared. and for
number of years competitions have.
been held among the native workers
to secure the best examples Of their
skill ~;f
Evening star., 1923-01-07
IRISH LEADER TO SPEAK,
Sir Horace Plunkett Coming Here
for Agriculturists, Meeting.

Sir Horace PIunkett, leader of the
Irish agricultural cooperative move
ment, has accepted an invitation to
address the annual meeting OF the
American Agricultural Editors Asso-
ciatien,, to be held here during the
week of February 2s.
1t was announced by the association
that representatives of the agricul-
'ture departments of Russia, Denmark
and Argentina also would attend and
that President Harding and Secretary
Wallace were on the program for ad-
dresses.
Evening star., 1923-01-07
BY HENRY ". BUNN.

. HE following is brief summary OF
the most important news of the world
for the seven days ended January 6,
1928:
Evening star., 1923-01-07
FRENCH PLAN TO BRING
TRYING EUROPEAN HOURS
Enforcement of Sanctions Believed Ger
tain to Bring Dangerous Upheavals in
Germany and Elsewhere.
BY OLIVER OWEN KUHN.

a goose in Europe that
is suspected of ability to lay
golden eggs.
Putnam patriot., 1923-09-21
MACHINE RUNS WILD
 ON HAMPTON HILL
Auto Finally Skids and Turns Over, injuring One Occu-
 pant

While enroute to Brooklyn Fair. where they had made arrangements to conduct a concession, and as they rolled down Hampton Hill, Paul Simth and Peter Long, the former of New York City and the latter of Bridge port, had thrilling experience which resulted in Long becoming a patient at the Day kimball Hospital.
 They were riding in light truck with Smith, the owner, at the wheel. Half way down Hampton Hill the breaks burned out and instantly the truck started down the steep grade at break-neck speed. The car was unmanageable, but Smith tried heroic. ly to keep 1t on the road. He wasn't successful. however. and the machine skidded and turned over at least twice.
 Smith escaped almost unhurt, as did another man whose name was not learned. But Long sustained many painful abrasions and bruises. His clothes were tattered and long strips of skin were torn from his body in several places :.
 He was rushed to the Day Kimball Hnsnital in the machine 5f Rhode Island man who happened by st the moment At last reports Long was still a patient at the hospital, but was making an excellent recovery.
Putnam patriot., 1923-09-21
GRANGE TO ENTERTAIN
Pomfret Organization Mskss EIsbor'
 ate Plsns For Fair and Safe

An event that is attracting much attention and is sure to be successful and greatly enjoyable for all who at tend is the fair and sale to be held next week Friday afternoon and eve ming, Sept. 2s by Wolf Den grange of Pomfret, at Grange hall
 A feature of the undertaking will be the awarding of cash prizes az follows: first and second best cash prizes of grain. of corn. of fruit, of apples, of vegetables; first and second exhibit of sponge cake. chocolate cake, etc; best and second loaf of white bread, of oatmeal bread. of brown bread, etc. Canned goods and flowers, hens and other things will be judged in their classes and given prizes. The children also have special competitive events set aside for their benefit and entertainment.
 There will also be a sale of fancy work, food, home made candy, pond full of fish and other attractions too to mention.