davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-10-19
Graft in OIden DAYS.

THOSE who talk of present-day
graft would be interested in item
izing the emoluments of the keeper
of the Tower OF London during the
reign of Queen Elizabeth. His nemi-
nal salary was only about $500 a
year, but he had numerous privileges.
Most of the prisoners, being political
offenders Of high rank, were granted
liberal allowances by the govern
ment for their board. Whenever they
were too proud to accept this allow
ance it fell to the warden.
Moreover. this official was entitled
to seize all cattle that slipped off
London bridge. all carts that fell into
the moat, all flotsam and jetsam in
the Thames. all swans that fioated be-
low the bridge, two fagons of wine
from every vessel arriving from Bor-
deaux, q toll of sea food from every
fishing craft landing at London, and
as many rushes as "a person could
hold between two arms" from boats
carrying such cargo, besides . fee
on all hides cured at East Smithfeld,
near the tower.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-10-19
The FuIler's TeaseI.

THE fuller's teasel is supposed by
botanists to be a variety of the
wild teasel, from which it differs
only in the scales of the flower heads
being hooked instead of straight.
The flower heads Of the fuller's teasel
are an article of Importance in the
manufacture of cloth. They are
used for dressing certain kinds of
wooden cloth. Every piece of broad
cloth requires from 1900 to 1000
teasel heads to bring out the proper
nap, after which they are useless.
The heads are fixed in regular or
der upon cylinders that are made to
revolve in such a manner that the
hooks, of the teasels come In contact
with the surface OF the cloth and thus
raise the nap, which is afterward cut
level. Without the teasels, cloth
manufacture could not have made the
progress it has, as the purpose for
which the teaSel is employed has
never been effected with equal sue
cess by the most carefully contrived
machinery. Wire brushes are very
generally used. but, being less elastic
than the fine claws Of the teasel, they
are more likely to injure the fabric,
and so are used only on certain kinds
OF cloth. The teasel plant is grown
in Yorkshire and other parts of Eng
land, but not so extensively as in
other days. French teasels are some
times used because they are smaller
and not so sharp as the Yorkshire
teasels. Raising machines with wire
cards have ousted teasels in a good
many manufacturers; but fannels,
blankets. rugs, doeskins, beavers.
meltons. milled Worsteds and all faced
cloths are still raised by teasels. 1t
is remarkable that such an ancient
and apparently crude continuance
should have held the field so long
against mechanical invention and
progress.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-10-19
EVERY BLACK IN THE JUNGLE THAT WITHIN THOSE TIL
BOY DETAILED GUARD WITH A RIFLE HAND,

then provision and retail store, then
the long bungalow off to one corner
for the white staff, then the small
office building in the central street,
and finally prepared to build a dance
hall and saloon well back from the
river at the edge of the jungle.
As hard as the work was, the
"a pioneering efforts of the white
men who supervised the blacks re-
suited in making the clearing quickly
into the nucleus Of the village that
we felt it was some day destined to
be- This compound was the first
building construction, the first set
Element in the interior. 1t WAS con-
structed SO carefully and the build
ings were so solid in workmanship
that l often had the thought as l
watched the gangs of naked blacks
hosting a rough-hewn beam in place,
that those buildings would be there
long after I died.
They were, / felt, destined to be
historic landmarks, like the old trad
ing posts we now preserve In the
United States, as memories of the
advance Of commercialism and in
dustry into the forests of our own
country. 1t is over such ashes of
tTaQeHS HTeS tHdt tnTODDlHS
politan centers are often born. l
was keenly awake to the future.
Sometimes went far into the
years to come, and visualized the
tread of civilization into the South
American forest land. / could see
cities and villages along the rivers,
and hear the booming and throbbing
Of machines that worked into the
earth and did in one day more work
than we could have done with
thousands OF men in a year. But
had to awaken myself from my
dreams to attend to some detail that
required tedious thought and con-
struction. The pioneer has much
hard work to do, before machines
can come in.
The blacks who Travelled on the river
were amazed at the rapidity with
which the buildings of our organization
were springing up. I often heard them
talking among themselves, gesticulat-
ing and eXclaiming in talky-talk:
Hot dawg, Amt We gettin' eliza
tom
Our efforts were now concentrated
upon getting sufficient food and sup
plies into the jungle for the $4,000
blacks there. a grave responsibility
rested on us. the men had left their
jobs on the coast and come into the
jungle and depenGede entirely on lis
to provide the necessary means, of
life Each boat coming into the in
terror brought kegs of salt beef, salt
pork and pigtails.
There were large boxes of dried fish.
cases of canned goods ranging from
salmon to maraschino cherries, tins of
-four and sugar, barrels of soda bis
cults. Every boat brought its por-
ton of liquors, whisky, wines, gin,
rum, cordials, and even champagne. l
was much opposed to selling whisky
to the blacks. but l realized that it
would be necessary to keep large
supply in each outpost if we hoped to
do an extensive business in the in
terror.
Cut off from all other forms of en-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-10-19
Rockefeller, Jr., by His French Gifts,
Becomes R00fer of Royal Palaces

Do the gold-collar carp existc
Rockefeller. jr., will tell US!
You know the object Of these
ancient carp Ponds?
In old days, seafsh were not trans
portable. Trout streams did not exis,
on the plain; and river small fry"
palled on families. So, folks dug big
ponds in the clay and raised carp
profitable big sized fish that rather
like the mud. All great French fam
lilies will tell you that carp are de-
iicious. Surely, the carp chambord"
is one of the very great French
dishes. The royal family had its big
carp pond at Fontainebleau. It fur
nished fish food greatly.
ONE queer thing about the hah is
~ the great age which carp can
attain. Now, Louis XVI. ingenious
youth, loved natural history. He
meditated on the longevity attri-
buted to elephants, turtles. eagles
whales. shark and carp. He began
with turtles. He cut his initials and
the date on their backs with his
jack-knife.
No one knows what became of the
turtles. History is silent.
Then, the young prince turned to
the carp pond
He caused one Jehan Collot, great
greatgrandfather of the present
day Jehan, to catch 10 solid young
carp in a hand net. Ten gold bands
had been prepared for collars. Ten
classical names were engraved on
them, with date and the princes
arms.
Once collared, the carp were re-
placed in the pond. They have lived
there ever since. And. some time in
between, these fish attained prophetic
powers,
He who tells the story most and
best is present-day Jehan Collot s.
years old, one of the civil service
gardeners of the French government
employed at Fountainebleau. and fifth
in generation of palace servants.
81. Jehan, heard of the carp first
from my father who saw them in
1899" Jehan tells the tourists.
Charles y was king. He lived
chiefly at st. Cloud; but when he
heard that the carp had come out Of
the mud, he FASTENED here, in his old
black coach and six. My father
showed him five fish, swimming back
and forth beneath the little stone
bridge of the Kitchens Canal. One
year later France lost her last legiti-
mate king"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-10-19

France is full OF such names. Fon-
| tainebleau's royal memories begin
with St. Louis, King of France, about
the year 1850. In his honor a wing of
the chateau, called the Pavilion ST.
Louis" still exists--and whose roof
is leaking worst or all, Tor Rocke-
Teller the mender.
This ancient roof. they say. is ac-
tua ally the one put up by GILES lie Bre-
ton and Phi. Lelorme. when they re-
built the chateau for King Francis
about 1882.
Now, there's a roof that lasted.
1t was tight and waterproof a hum
dred years later in the days of Du-
mas Three Musketeers," as it had
sheltered ia Refine Margot." Gather
inc de Medicis, queer, astrologer and
poisoner, and romantic Mary Stuart.
Can any one forget Chicot the Jes ter.
or the duel of the Kings Mignons.
or the quiet intrigues OF young Henri
OF Navarro (who was to BECOME great
Henri IV), and all those heroes al d
heroines whose adventures make
French history for young America, in
public libraries?
The entire roof of Fontainebleau.i in
fact, dates nowhere more recently
than the year 1900. in the great con-
structioRs of Henri IV-unless it be
to his son, Louis XIII.
Until Rockefeller, even the only
mending OF the roof was that done in
the general repairs when Napoleon
spent $l2,000.000 to At Fontainebleau
as a residence for Plus VII. when the
Pope came to France to crown him.
Napoleon and Rockefeller - the
members.
A ROOF worth mending. 1t stayed
- tight in the days when Prince
Charlie, sen of the beheaded Charles I
OF England. wandering. friendless
youth (as you read in Dumas Wi
comte de Bragelonne"), sold his last
diamond at Blois and vainly begged
help of his cousin, young King Louis
XIV. still under the thumb Of Mazarin.
The roof sheltered Louis, when, lat
er. in his power and dawning glory,
he was substituted. with craft and
violence. by the plotting Aramis, dur
ing one night only. in place of the
Prisoner Of the Iron Mask" and was
rescued from the Bastille by d'Ara-
tagnan.
The most romantic roof in France,
Under it. at instigation Of Nine.
de Maintenon. was signed the Revo-
cation Of the Edict of Nantes, which
caused the exodus of 100000 of the
best French people from their patrie.,
their beloved France.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-10-19
By STERLING HELLO.


LII Europe talks OF the mu-
n nifcent Rockefeller. jr.. Fund
II to preserve Rheims Cathedral
1 \ and the Royal Palaces of YER
sailles and Fontainebleau
from ruin.
Rheims Cathedral profits by FIVE
millions.
The Rockefeller, jr.. committee
composed OF Herman Harjes (of the
Bosworth, NJ Gabriel Hannotaux ESQ
long French foreign minister) and
Ambassador Jusserand are ailotting
this sum to restore the cathedrafs
roof and walls to pre-war state.
Versailles profits grandly.
For its annual upkeep million and
a half is provided. in addition to the
really royal repairs already so much
told of in the papers. For example.
sively on the Louis XIII wing. the
park front, the parquet flooring
throughout and-the leaking roof OF
the palace!
other millions are allotted to the
Versailles gardens, the balconies and
ratings round the marble courtyard.
and in the south wing. Versailles
Palace. when these operations are
completed, will once more be the ma
Now, the committee has announced
it's allotments for the older and more
romantic Royal Chateau of Fontaine-
bleau--old homestead Of the French
kingly line!
First Of all. they will repair the
roof.
Royalty's roofs leak.
Rockefeller. jr., may be called the
'roofer of royal palaces!
X +
ING LOUIS XIV, 1.-The grand mon
arch" at the height of French roy
altys brilliance, forced his court and
family to make invariable annual So
journs at Fontainebleau. in honor Of
the family-this. despite that he him
self had built Versailles. to supersede
even the Louvre, in Paris, as royal
seat!
Is it not strange that the sacred old
homestead of the kingly line tessence
of all that is FrepchD should have it's
name from a Germanic raider-the
Bleaud family. fons Bleaudi Fon-
tame de Bleaud), dog-Latinedized to
Bladebaldus when the Frankish
squatters settled down to rule the
neighborhood. after the first or Sec
ond Germanic invasion of beautiful
France!
All this is orEotten--though North
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-10-19
Leader From This Country Inspired by

we paid the best price always for
perfect stones, and the other traders
paid the best price for Imperfect
We were offered the, perfect stones.
while the others were able to get
sight Of only the fawed crystals.
OF course, they could not keep up
with us long, especially when they
sold practically no provisions. Our
supplies had been bought in the
States at wholesale prices and ship
ped directly into the jungle and
stored in the large warehouse in the
central station. The other traders
bought their supplies from the pro-
vision houses in Georgetown. We
had big lead over all the traders
in getting our supplies landed in the
jungle for the same price. and usually
less than they were able to buy them
initially from the Georgetown mer-
chants
When we arrived in the jungle we
found that the small traders were
charging outrageous prices for their
commodities. irrespective of their
original cost or the cost of getting
them into the interior. Their profit
was usually around 800 per cent 1t
was a bad state of affairs, because
it made food so high that many
blacks were afraid to make the trip
in the jungle for fear OF not finding
enough diamonds to keep them from
starving.
We studied the cost or transporta-
ton, apportioned the overhead OF
our organization and reckoned the
least figure at which we could sell
at a profit. Then we doubled this
figure and added another so per cent
nj 70
guaranteeing ourselves a very clear
100 per cent on all comm odities.
Whisky. cigars and the canned goods
were sold at a larger prott, as we
did not consider them necessities. A
bottle Of whisky which in George
town cost $1.25 could easily be sold
for IS and IS in the interior. In fact,
we were never able to bring up
enough liquor to supply the demand.
We picked out few commodities
and advertised them at cut prices
rice. sugar, flour, salt pork and salt
beef were offered at prices that would
be within reach OF every miner. and
no black would again be in danger
of starving through having to pay
three and four times the value of
the necessities Of life. We also ad-
vertised a can OF oatmeal for II
cents. Now this last advertisement
was received with great approval by
the blacks; it was the one food they
liked and could eat when they had
the fever and which previous to this
only lucky men could buy at 81.
We started out by paying about $50
a carat for diamonds. Sometimes, tor
the sake of an opportune advertise
ment, we paid more. Our system was
to divide the prize we paid into three
portions, one a ticket for a certain
amount of provisions, another a
ticket emitting the bearer to receive
a stated sum of cash on presentation
in Georgetown and, thirdly We ar
ranged to pay the miner a few dol
lars in actual cash. but never over
10 per cent Of the total value OF the
stones This worked out to their
benefit, as we'll as ours.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-10-19

A century later the Tsar Peter the
Great knew enough to go under it,
out OF the rain, although he ana his
party got gloriously drunk, nightly,
in the snug Summer house on the
island in the carp pond.
Under it, works of ]. J. Rousseau,
Voltaire. Gretry. Lulli and others
were produced for the first time, with
lasting influence on theater and opera.
In the next century after, the roof
covered Napoleon's grandeur. Suites
of rooms are still full of his furniture,
as others are packed with furniture
of kings who called it home.
Under this roof the divorce of the
Empress Josephine was pronounced
to her, in 1909. Under it, in 1914,
Napoleon abdicated. and, two weeks
later, said his pathetic goodbye to
the Old Guard. on the spot since
called the Court of Adieux"
WEEDS in the palace courtyard.
w Fon tainebleau is so beautiful in
side, so full of precious furniture of
kings. SO like the country home of
royalty today, just gone to town,
that tourists are shocked to ind
weeds in the courtyards.
The Court of Adieux-weeds, weeds.
The Court of Henri ". with its
monumental entrance; the Court of
the, Fountain, where the golden door
is, and the Oval Court, where the old
dungeons are-grass and weeds push
up between the f1agstones. 1t is de-
plorable.
The Rockefeller committee took up
these courts to be repaired the first
thing.
Curiously, it has allotted another
million to another strange task. The
kings carp pond is so full of silted
mud in parts that ugly mud islands,
growing more weeds. stick up where
ought to be the lovely water lawn!
Weeds in the water lawn.
Mud silt that chokes the fair ca
mails that feed it.
Rockefeller, jr., is attending to
them.
In this work the American may
probably discover the basic facts OF
a legendary mystery these 200 years
back-whether or not gold collar
carp exist today in pond and canals.
If yes, it would mean, OF course, that
they existed in April, 1914, and might
well have been Seen-foretelling the
Great War, as they were claimed to
do for the Franco-Prussian War of
1870.
Nobody claimed to have seen the
big, fat, aged fish between those war
dates nor since armistice!
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-10-19

joyment. worn by day-lonE labors. 1t
was only in alcohol that the blacks
could find relief from a week of
drudgery For six days they would
work in the jungle, but on the seventh
they wanted to throw down their tools
and gather at the trading station,
meeting their friends. telling of their
fortunes, getting blissfully drunk.
And the blacks, no sooner were the
supplies in place. began trading their
diamonds for everything they saw
They had been living all their lives on
salt fish, rice -four. bananas and sugar.
and had worn little more than rags.
This new freedom gave them the
Wherewithal to purchase food they had
never tasted.
When they came in from the jungle
they spent the first hour eating and
drinking. Then one after another
would walk up to one end of the big
counter where the diamond scales were
and hand their diamonds to the super
visor. They would watch him intently
as he weighed each stone, and marked
down on a slip of paper its value
Then they studied him as he added the
figures and told the total amount of
the diamonds.
COMBINES the blacks would argue
~ little and say they could get more
money for their diamonds at another
traders shop. We knew what prices
the other traders were paying, and we
knew also that they paid according to
weight and not quality.
knowing nothing about the intricate
values of diamonds in accordance with
their shape and colors, these traders
felt that they had to have a very wide
margin to protect their profit. We
worked on a different basis. We paid
not for size. but for quality. 1t would.
therefore. happen that a black who had
shown an unusually good diamond of
one carat to another trader and been
offered the scale price of SEQ per carat.
would have his diamond appraised by
us at $50. He would shout angrily
back at the other trader from our very
doorsteps. calling him names for try
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-10-19
Ginger Ale Bottle Carries 100000 in Gems From Guia

Fate played a grim jest upon
William La Earre when, after he
had found diamonds. apparently
in large quantities. in the forest
of British Guiana and Wrested
many stones from the yellow soil,
he was stricken with a malignant
fever, which neceSSitated hurried
departure and the abandonment OF
his mining project.
But fortune smiled again when,
recovering from his illness upon
his return to the United States. in
q chance meeting with A New
York City capitalist, himself a dia-
mond enthusiast, he told of his
renewed hopes to open up the
jungle country for civilization and
WAS backed by a large organiza-
ton to larry out his plans. His
accomplishments are related in
this. the fifth and concluding,
article OF his series.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-10-19

ing-to buy me damon fer moth
i'm"
Another black. eager for $40. would
bring up his diamond. We would
explain to him that his diamond was
not as good. 1T lacked color. or the
shape was bad. The blacks knew
that at times we paid very nigh
prices Gas IL seemed to them) for
diamonds, and they took it for grant
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-10-19

ed that somehow we had a system
of paying which always would range
higher than the smaller traders. II
they brought US large stones which
were very bad in quality and color
we would tell them frankly to take
them to another trader, as he would
pay them more because the stones
were big.
In that WAY IL became known that
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-10-19

A LII Europe talks OF the mu-
~ nifcent Rockefeller. jr., Fund
II to preserve Rheims Cathedral
and the Royal Palaces of YER
Sailles and Fontainebleau
Evening star., 1924-06-17

open Sesame" said the mythical
character in Arabian Nights" and
the heavy door of the cave swung
open.
The author of that fairy tale no
doubt felt proud of the product Of his
fertile imagination, and many a
schoolboy has marveled at the magic
of those words.
But now comes the mechanical
genius Of today with a street car
the doors of which will open without
even a word of magic. The pas
senger merely stands in front of it,
gives it one hard look. and, presto.
1t opens.
Nor is that all. After the car rider
has stepped to the street this oblig-
ing exit swings shut as promptly as
it opened-this time without even so
much as a look from the passenger.
This new car was given its first
try-out yesterday afternoon by the
Washington Railway and Electric
Company. and will now be placed in
regular service on the Brookland-
11th street line. It is a one-man car,
and il it proves feasible in operation
the company will put the same
Evening star., 1924-06-17
SUPPLY CORPS GETS
PLEA FOR HARMONY
Quartermasters Should Lock Arms
and Go Forward Together,
Says Gen. Marshall.
ONLY MINOR FRICTION SEEN
Annual Banquet of Association Is
Held at City Club.

Appeals for more harmony within
the Quartermaster Corps and denial
that there existed any important fric-
ton there developed at the annual
banquet of the Quartermaster Corps
last night at the City Club.
Brig. Gen. R. c. Marshall, president
of the Quartermaster Association,
spoke for conciliation of minor diff
ferences which. he said, had arisen
in some instances. and asked that
Regular Army, National Guard and
reserve officers should lock arms and
go forKard on broad basis of mu-
tual understanding"
Denies Friction Exists.
Brig. Gen. John B. Bellinger. toast
master, said he felt there was no fric-
ton in the Quartermaster Corps,
which consists of Regular Army, Ma
tional Guard and reserve officers.
All Of these officers, Gen. Bellinger
declared, should look to the quar-
termaster general, appointed by the
President and confirmed by the Sen
ate. as the head of the corps, for
their guidance in their work and ex-
ecution of policies of the corps as
laid down by the War Department..
Assistant secretary OF war D"iSH
L. Davis declared that if there was
another war mobilization of the coun-
try's resources would be increasing
ly important" The QuartermaSter
Corps, he said, "is one of the greatest
business organizations in the coun-
try, and it should lead the country in
business efficiency"
Acting stan Chief Speaks.
/ Other speakers included Mai. Gen
John l. Hines, acting chief of staff
Brig. Gen. d. e. Nolan and Brig. Gen
Albert c. Dalton.
| Mai. Gen. John L. Glenn, retired
sang "The Old Gray Mare" Music
| was furnished by an orchestra from
the United States Army Band, direct
ed by Master Sergt. Theodore Bingert
There also was group singing OF
Army songs led by Capt. George F
Unmacht-