davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1923-11-07
Virginia Rejects Good Roads.

At the election yesterday in Virginia
the proposal to bond the state for $780,
0o0. 600 for comprehensive sood-roads
program was -stA"ted by subste ntial
ma iority. The plan was favored. II APP
pears. in cities. with a few exceptions,
but was disapproved in the rural
regions.
This is an unfortunate outcome OF a
campaign that had for its object tho
establishment in Virginia OF u system
Of improved highways that would
mean 4 marked advance in prosperity
for the commonwealth. Eirginia's 3
goed.read building has been far in ar
rears for d long period. Only a few
improved highways exist in the state,
and the majority of the conmunica-
edy poor Yet Virginia has reason TO
provide the best of roads for the at
traction and accommodation OF travel
ers. Its scenic resources are excep
tionai. It is a state full Of historical
interest. 1t has many monuments and
memorials 10 great ana ulStlHSulSIleu
Americans Of the past. With u system
Of good roads comparable with those
of the neighbor state. Maryland. Nir-
gihia would attract tourists by the
tens Of thousands annually, who would
leave much wealth within the bound
aries of the state and would stintl-
late industry greatly by their patron
age.
Expenditure of $4,000. 900 upon the
roads Of Virginia In the provision OF q
system of trunk highways would buns
a rich return to the state. The earn
ings" from those roads in indirect ex-
pehditures by visitors alone would
more than pay the interest on the
bonds But the state has once more
returned a negative vote on the prOpo-
sition, and it must wait for another
submission to the people.
The hope is that meanwhile the
voters Of the Old Dominion will be edu-
Gated By good-roads and state-progress
advocates so that when next this ques-
ton is put before them they will,
realizing their own interests, vote for
It's adoption. A better business invest
ment is not possible for any state.
Evening star., 1923-11-07
Yesterdays Elections.

With the possible exception of the
state Of Kentucky the off-year' elec.
tions yesterday in the states canflot
be classed as significant of any violent
changes in political conditions The
outcome as between tho democratic
and republican parties might be
termed a dog-fall, few overturns hav-
ing occurred. The politicians will find
difficulty in substantiating claims that
the results manifest any decided turn
Of the tide in political sentiment.
Tammany's victory with It's ticket
Of candidates for supreme court JUS
tices was expected, as likewise was the
retain of control Of the lower house
Of the legislature by the republicans.
The fight over the judgeships In Man.
haitian and the Bropx resulted in IL
clear breach between Mr.. Hearst and
the democrats which. if continued.
should be Of benefit to the republicans
In 1924. Boss Murphy announced af.
ter the election complete severance Of
relations. But this has occurred be-
when their interests necossitated.
In the seven districts i'll which cleo
tions to the national House Of Repre-
seatatives We're held the democrats
Won four and the republicans three.
the republicans scoring O gain over
the democrats i'll the twenty-foufth
New York by electihg Ee1ijainin L..
Fairchild. The party lineup in the
next House will stand: Republicans,
2o5: democrats, 204; socialists, !: in.
dependent. |: farner-labor. l: vacan-
cies. 3; republican majority, IS.
This close majority in the House IS
calculated to REQUIRE the best Of team
work among the republicans, and to
vest the radical element with a chance
10 make combinations which may in.
crease their power. In Kentucky,
where the great republican victory Of
1920 was wiped out and suppianted by
a decisive democratic conquest, both
state and national issues entered into
the result.
But, taken as q whole, the elections
furnish but q very slight straw TO
show which way the wind will blow
in 1924. In most instances it was Il
case of "the Dutch have taken Hol-
land"
Evening star., 1923-11-07
A Mine Mystery.

At $50 o'clock yesterday morning
the ''fire bosses of the Glen Rogers
coal mine in West Virginia inspected
the working and pronounced it safe.
A few minutes later seventy-five
miners descended the 500 feet of shaft
for their working places, prepared for
a record production day. At o'clock
q spark in some way not determined
ignited an accumulation of gas in one
Of the chambers and an explosion re-
suited, killing twenty-seven men.
Here is another mirie mystery If
the fire bosses did their work thorough
~ and found the mine free of gas,
with the fans in working order, 1t
seems incredible that an explosive ac-
cumulation should have come about
within half an hour. Had the explo-
sion taken place later in the day 1t
would have been conceivable that In
some pocket, some section or heading
gas had seeped in to the explosive
point. Either the inspection was not
perfect or q sudden dislodgement
loosed volume Of gas.
But there remains the question Of
the spark which ignited the gas. If
the mine was we'll equipped, If every
miner was careful with his lamp. If no
matches We're struck, if the electric
wiring was perfect, there could have
been no chance Of ignition. But some
how, somewhere, either q rule was
broken or equipment was imperfect.
In short, whatever the cause Of the
gas accumulation, there was careless
ness to cause the explosion.
These mine explosions are not spon-
taneous. They do not merely hap
pen They are caused by Some In.
fraction of rule, some act of careless
ness, some neglect of precautiofl.
Roofs and wallis Of Underground work
ings may cave through sudden pres.
sures or the undisclosed rotting of
timbering. But explosions may be
traced always to mans negligence.
The great misfortune is that no one
can be held accountable. The disaster
brings its own punish1nents, as rule,
to those who are guilty. But those
punishments do not restofe the lives
of the victims or soIace and sustain
their families.
Evening star., 1923-11-07
Fund for Policeman's Widow

The fund for the widow and orphans
Of the policeman killed on duty by d
gunman rises, and at the latest count
had reached 1856, and perhaps this
moment 1t has crossed the thousand
mark. Citizens are chipping in a dol.
lar or 50 apiece and joining the Line
Of Duty Club. All have not been heard
from, but 1t is safe bet that thoti-
sands fnore will clip the coupon from
The Star. drop their mites into the
fund and become members Of the Line
of Duty Club. It is easy for many men
and women TO do this. Some are shy
because they do not like to see their
names In the newspapers. Others are
shy because they do not want to see
their names coupled with So small a
contribution as & dollar, but IL all the
good fellows and good women who can
afford to give O dollar, and who want
to give It, would send in the little
green backed bill the total would be
impressive.
There Is one thought that comes to
most Of us. II IL thet the District
government should make full pro-
visieh fer widows ana orphans Of pc.
licemen who die ia the service Of the
city. The District government would
do this II 1t could. and the District au-
thorities would like to do 1t. But the
facts are against them. There is a
police and ere pension system, the
fund for which is drawn from District
revenues plus the appropriation made
Evening star., 1923-11-07
IN TODAY'S SPOTLIGHT
BY PAUL y. COLLINS

According to Army records, the per-
centage Of soldiers Of the world war
who died from their wounds (not in
elusive Of those killed on the field OF
battle) was higher than the percent
age of similar mortality in the Brit
ish war Of the Transvaal. In 1900 and
1901, and was close to the loss in our
Spanish war OF 1885, In the face of
, the much-tslked-of advance in asep-
tic surgery during the interval be-
tween the Spanish war and the world
war. this failure to bring down the
percentage of death after the wound
ed had reached the care of surgeons
requires study.
The world war percentage quoted
was obtained from the office Of the
adjutant general Of the Army, and for
the previous wars from the report to
Congress by the committee of 100,
headed by DR.. Irving Fisher of Yale
University, hence their accuracy can
hardly be questioned. The conclusion
appears to be that, while surgery has
advanced. the art Of killing by the
new methods of carnage has out
stripped 1t.
IN the world war .hers were 2tt,47a
wounded. and 1883 died of their
wounds. That amounts to 6.3S per
cent of the total.
The records OF previous wars are
as follows.
French In Italy iI8Jy-6oj ia
Germans Ia the Frahco-Prussian
war ................. IL
TransvaaI. British war 196O-01) 8
World war. A. e. +. ...........s .s3s
There Is a difference of opinion
among doctors as to the effect of gas
poisoning, come claiming that IL does
not predispose the victim to tuber-
culosis and other respiratory diseases
and that II is "the most humane weap-
on" Other authorities contend that
gas has fearful train in it's wake,
causing long-postponed deaths. She'll
shock is denied by some doctors. Yet
the victims class such mild judgments
scars who never felt a wound" What
other new Kinds OF wounds are add
ing to the mortality which 10 not In.
cluded In the Gas per cent cannot even
be estimated.
Humanity owes n greater debt to
modern surgery. medicine and espe-
cially hygiene than can ever be cal
culated. To-day the average man and
woman over twenty-five years or age
owe directly 10 science the fact that
they are living. According to official
records Of Geneva, longevity in the
sixteenth century averaged only 212
years. Men were In seriie age before
they We're out of their teens" Under
such limitations Of life more than
half of the worlds present population
would hate died long ago.
In the seventeenth century the av-
erage age WIS 25.7 years; in the eight
eenth century 6he days of our revo-
lution) it was 33.s years. and from
1901 TO 1888. 3s.7 years. Today It ex-
ceeds So years. Scientists promise to
add yet another fifteen years.
In England and Wales, between 1893
and 1854 mans life averaged 3s.s
years. but in 1891 to 1900 1t was AL
years.
In all cases women live two or three
years longer than men.
1t once cost Great Britain a large
loss to discover that a century made d
difference in mans longevity. In 1923
Evening star., 1923-11-07

expressing q simple thought tells to an
Instructed man q good deal about his
mind, end perhaps something he does
not mean to tell.
Language Is hard 10 learn. No man
knows all that may be known OF Eng.
lish, no Frenchman knows all that
may be known OF French, no German
knows all that may be known Of Ger
man. There are men who know SO
much more Of English than MOST men
know that we call them masters Of
our language.
Good speech Is 81 valuable gift, and
the man who knows English has an
interest that gives him satisfaction.
He cannot have learned English with
out learning many other things. There
is no highway to knowledge Of Eng.
lish: no more Is there a highway to
other learning. A man sometimes
wonders how English can be taught.
One knows 1t can be learned, and per-
haps the best q teacher can do Is to
show another how to learn It. It can
not be learned from a spelling book
and u grammar book. Grammar is es-
sential, yet it has been said there have
been exceptional men who knew Eng
lish without knowing its grammar.
They were, indeed. exceptional men.
A man may speak correctly what he
does speak without knowing much
English. and to speak right the Eng
llsh which the average man uses is not
difficult. With IL teachers aid one
should learn to do this without much
wear on the mind. a child who hears
wrong English at home carries a
handicap, but he can learn from IA
qualified teacher to speak correctly.
Many children do this. Nothing that
one can do viii hide his ignorance Of
English from the man who knows.
Here is hoping that Better Speech
week in the colored high schools ~iil
have the result desired. and that Bet
ter speech weeks asd Better Speech
years will be III all the schools.
Evening star., 1923-11-07
Pleads for Schools.
Some Pupils Taught in Cloak.
rooms, Patron Finds.

Te the Editor of The Star:
Please let me, through the peoples
column, enter protest against such
conditions as follows in our schools:
In the lower grades, first, second and
third. there is d coaching school. The
children Of these grades who are not
well UP in their work are required to
put In about two hours extra work
each day with their teacher. In one
school know, and I am told it is as
bad In others, this group Of children
and their teacher have no place In
which to hold this coaching class ex-
cept in a cloakroom. The cloakroom
contains the usual number Of coats,
hats, etc. They cannot use the class
rooms, as they already have two
classes day. the two lasting from
3 to 4:2o.
It surely Is not right to compel
these young children to attend school
in O cloakroom, where nothing like
even ordinary comforts can be sup
piled them. In the case to which
refer, now, after school has opened
six weeks, they are still attending
this coaching class in a cloakroom
where glars. a large part Of 1t, Is out
of the windows.
Surely We Of the District Of Column
bia have = right to have at least q
seheol accoinmodaton that does not
NSM. CARPENTER.
Evening star., 1923-11-07

O.. Where did Billy Sunday play
base ball?-S. II. r.
A. Before he became an evangelist.
Billy Sunday was; an outfielder on
the Chicago. Pittsburgh and Phila-
delphia teams Of the National League.
@. Have any animals the power Of
giving electric shocks?-K T.
A. None Of the mammals, birds or
reptiles has the power to discharge
electrical currents, but there are sew
eral species Of insects and fish thus
endowed. The electric eel IS one Of
the best known Of the living bat
tertes" It inhabits the rivers and
lakes of Brazil and the Guianas. 1t
sometimes attains q length Of eight
feet. The electric organs are situated
In the tail and are composed of nu-
merous cells containing jelly-like
substance.
O. Are motion pictures as popular
in other countries as In the United
States?-T. r. S.
A. Motion pictures are universally
popular. Considering It's population,
Sweden is better supplied with mo-
ton pictures than any other country
in the world. With q population OF
houses. In Great Britain there are
1000 houses; in France, 1000; Bel
gium, 500; Japan, 900. The first mo-
tion picture drama produced in China
with a native cast was screened
July /, 1921, at Shanghai In Shang-
hal there are twenty motion picture
h ~ T,d
Hongkong. eight. American films de-
picting boisterous comedies and serial
dramas are the most popular In China.
P. Z, :. Is hsi0A still singing opera =
A. Malba has recently sung her
favorite roles In ia Boheme" and
'FaGst" at Covent Garden. London,
the theHter in which she made her
debut as. Lucia. thirty five years
ago. The English critics claim her
continued supremacy.
@. Who now holds the international
free rife record Pr. s.
A. The American Rifeman says that
the record made at Biarritz IN 1872.
and regarded for more than a decade
as unbreakable. was broken at the
international matches OF 1929. held
at Camp Perry. September Is. by a
squad representing the United States.
The Biarritz team record was bet
tered 129 points by team total OF
J.301. and the record for the individ-
ual championship of the world--1.07s,
held by Staheli Of Switzerland-wag
surpassed by twelve points.
@. Can ice get colder than 81 de-
grees b., and does ice contain heat?
&C. o.
A. Water freezes at 32 degrees F..
but Ice can become very much colder
and 1t does in extremely cold clf-
mates. There is some heat in any
material that has temperature
above the absolute zero-273 degrees
below zero centigrade, or 40 degrees
below zero Fahrenheit.
Q. Did President Lincoln's body lie
in state in New York city?-E. c.
A. The body OF Abraham Lincoln lay
in state in the city hall. New York
city. from the arrival OF the funeral
train Tuesday. April a. pm. until
noon Wednesday, April Is. 1865.
Q. Does the forest service plant
trees TO replace those cut from the
national forests? 1T. W.
4. Only in rare cases is It neces-
, sary to plant trees on timber sale
areas. Natural reproduction is cas-
ily obtained in most of these forests
when the mature timber is cut and
the area protected from fire and grazing
animals.
Evening star., 1923-11-07

the government. needing money. sold
life annuities and made a. good profit
, A century later she tried 1t again, or
the same actuAry tables, but found
she suffered q heavy loss.
In France, from 1881 to 1909, Ion
geyity Increased from 2S.3 years to
45.7 years.
In Prussia, Denmark and Sweder
the Increase in the century has varied
from eight to eleven years.
Outside OF Massachusetts,, the United
States has no statistics which viii
show the span of longevity. but there
in 1888 men lived thirty-fve years: fr
IsSS5' forty years and from 1893 te
For the whole century and all coun.
tries. except in the orient, the increase
was fifteen years for men and nineteen
There was no increase in India
There the average length OF life Is only
twenty-three years for men and twen-
ty-four for women. India knows nc
hygiene and little medicine. Life
there is practically on the same plane
that 1t was before the food. Marriage
occurs, in infancy and children are
born TO parents less than eight years
Of age.
Do these facts. given on the au.
thority OF ethnology. not throw 1igh,
ON why Sarah was incredulous whef
she had reached beyond the average
age of the racs-thirty-seven true
years--and the angel announced that
she would bring forth child. Few
children are born in India after the
! mother Is twenty years old.
Scientists have predicted that with.
in the next quarter of a century An.
other fifteen years will be added tt
the average length of life. This is
not taking into account the cumulative
effect Of hygiene nor the future dis.
coveries In medicine.
In 1907 tuberculosis caused as many
deaths as seven Of the most dreaded
diseases combined--smallpox typhoid
diphtheria, cancer. diabetes appendi-
citis and meningitis. To-day tubercu-
losis Is not only preventable, but
curable
Vaccination has Increased genera,
longevity three and one-half years
II has practically eliminated small
pox wherever there has been oompui-
sorry vaccination.
In 1900 the yellow fever mosquito
WAS Identified, ana tho disease mas
been banished. In the eight years be-
fore that discovery there were 4,420
deaths: in the eight years which fol-
lowed there were only 465 deaths.
Mortality statistics showed that In
1906 diabetes was tile only important
disease yet unconquered. The Nobel
prize awarded last month TO the dis
cover of insulin, which will master
diabetes marvelously. testified 20 the
greatest medical victory Of this geh-
eratiou.N
There axe scientists and Bible STU
dents. therefore, who find Il easier 10
explain the 9e9 "years' Of Methuselall
with the historic length Of Hebrew
yerT Ia moon). rather than believe
that what seems 4 purposelsss miracle
was performed that made him live
| nearly 1000 years. in the midst Of
unhygienic environment, with no
knowledge OF the principles OF health,
at time when the people. in general,
were certainly not longer lived, than
the East Indians are today.
Copyright 1898. by Paul V. collins)
Evening star., 1923-11-07
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN

Q. What will take a nusty odor out
of mattresses?-M. P. B.
A. The musty odor can best be +"
moved by thorough airing. The mat
tress and other bedding should ba
/ taken from the bed every day and
aired. and the mattress should b.
brushed and beaten at least once :,
month.
Q. What was the bloody assize"?--
r. r. K.
| A The bloody assize" was held b.
Judge Jeffreys in Dorchester In 1885.
when 2s2 persons received sentence
of death for being implicated in Mol.-
mouths rebellion.
c. Z. L.
A. The time lock was first su=.
gested in 1881 by an Englishmar
William Rutherford; in 1857 Ho.
brook and Fish Of the United Stats
, devised another, but the first sl"-
eessful time locks put on the mari
were the Sergeant and Yale ioci.s
| brought out in 1876.
Q. What is the derivation OF The
! name "Detroit"?-V. D.
A. The name "Detroit'' is tia
French word detroit" meaning :.
strait. a sound or narrows.
Q. How old is Cora Harris. tho
! novelist?-E. II
A. She was born at Farm Hill. Ga.
In 1889: so will be afty-four years
old during 1923.
@. Name some Of the taverns Or
inns at which George Washington is
known TO have stopped.--M. r. 6.
! A. Authentic Washingtonian tay-
erns include: City Tavern, PhiladeT-
4 nh nf TOY arTl
/ ton: True American Inn. Trentog.
n. j.: Arnold's Inn. Morristown: Suf-
! FERNS Tavern and Smiths Taverr,
Smiths Cove. n. Y; the Buck Taverf,
| Chester N Y; Fountain Inn. Bali
more: Days Tavern. Harlem; Fraun-
ces' Tavern. New York: Mann's Ho-
tel, Annapolis; City Hotel, Alekandr...
@. Do flies ever cause blindness
A. The prevalence OF blindness '.
Egypt is probably traceable TO the
fact that the fly is sacred in thu
country. 1t is said that a mother
from the eyelid OF her child. Infec
! ton Is often carried from one chic
! to another, and in the case OF diseased
! eyes the malady is spread In this
4 manner.
Q. When was the freedom or the
press first estabIished?-E III.
4. The constitutions Of Pennsysl-
vania. Delaware. Maryland and North
Carolina, all adopted In 1875. con
/ tained the earliest declarations OF
! any Legislative authority in favor or
the liberty OF the press. With the
I adoption Of article / amending tho
| United States Constitution. In 179f.
the principle of u free press and free
| speech was for the first time written
| into the organic law Of an important
nation.
! Q. What nation has the iarees:
coast trade ?-R. S. y.
+; A. The great length OF our sea aud
| lake coasts. the number OF good har-
bors and the fact that most OF IN"
/ coast region of the United states has
! been settled makes the coast trade
of this country the most extensive -
the world.
f7he Star Information Bureau nil
ansDer Boir question. THIS offer dp>
plies strictly to Information. The 6n-
| reaR cannot gite advice on Ie0u1
medical aud financial matters II
| does not attempt TO settle domestic
! troubles nor to undertake eEhGistit.
| research on GftV 8ubjecf. Inclose
! tWo cents ~ stamps for returJ
J postage and send your query TO Tn
| star InfoTntdtton Bureau. Frede7Ic
| y. HGSki't, director, 1920 North Cdpi-
! toI street.)
Evening star., 1923-11-07
Better Speech.

Pupils OF the colored high schools
are observing O time called Better
Speech week" Meetings have been
held at which speakers have en-
phasized the Importance Of better
speech, and there is general stirring
in the study OF English. It is praise
worthy effort and enterprise. -
Measured by any fair standard Of
English the speech Of an average man
IS poor. He uses too many words and
words that do not transfer his thought
correctly. The words will not be de.
Tivered In that sequence commanded
by what Is called good usage. A Mau