davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-02-17

Saharan route to Tessalit, in the
soudan, "for the establishment of
auto-caterpillar. avivon and railroad
llnes!"
MOT even the tragic search for the
Dixmude could escape this popu-
layisinE OF the line to the south.
The combing Of the Grand Erg by
the African Aviation list and Sd
Groups was accompanied by the
crashing OF just one single airplane
in twelve. Broken on the sand dunes
Of the Souf, 1t WAS picked up and
brought back In handy sections by an
auto OF the Compagnie
des transports Saharions-which hap
pened to be coming along Gas at a
Vtreet ccrner) IN what was yesterday
the waste and empty Land Of Fear!
The flrst thing, evidently, for the
public 10 to AZ In the French mind
that the Sahara IL traversed. lined,
vanquished, and become, in the words
OF the Paris fntransigeant. mo more
than q, land Of penetration for the
railroads to the SOUTH
without the diamonds 1t IL hard to
see how any Joining up with the
tropics could b undertaken, even In
secret, for years to come.
No French government would dare
propose the annual contributions
foreseen by figures OF the Comite du
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-02-17

great empire, which is under our
control" he says, whose heavier
colonial budget may become more
lexible. Already, they show
francs OF income for every franc
spent in development"
The popIarixfng, explorations OF
Bruneau de Labori for the colonial
Office and the Society OF Geography
5000 miles from the Gulf OF Guinea,
across the Cameroons, French West
Africa, the Tchad territory. Libyap
desert and italian Tripoli, to Egypt)
were more than an ingenious spying
on the italian railroad tracings
from Tripoli TO Agadem -Tchad.
French and Belgian papers arc using
Bruaeau dc Labor to show how ad-
mirably the natives, down there, are
not only pacified, but (by the ex.
perience Of % many OF their inau.
entail young men In the world war;
are awaiting eagerly for the benefits
OF after~war France Belgian civali-
xation--avion, auto-caterpillar, rail-
road,
ulimpses OF the great survey are
given, In periodic doses, by illustrated
weeklies like rIIlustration and the
Monde niustre. The latest IL the
scouting expedition or Lieut.. Estien.
nos party BY auto.caterpillafs and
avlons. from Beni-ounif. away ~ Ia
civilized Algiers.. along; the Trans
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-02-17

it was. And yet. how could / market
1t without carte blanche. and how get
carte blanche without giving my dis
Covery away?
! was deathly keen on getting some
money for him: and this thing, prop
erly worked, might almost make him
Independent. felt as If l had a
priceless museum piece which a single
stumble might shatter to fragments.
The tone of his voice when he spoke
of the cinema-"What a thing"'-kept
coming back to me. He was prickly
proud, too-very difficult about money.
Could ! work 1t without telling him
anything?
I knew he never looked at a news
paper. But should 7 be justified in
Getting the thing accepted and pro-
duced without his knowing? l re-
solved the question for hours, and
went to see him again next day.
He~was reading.
HALO! You again? What do you
think of this theory-that the Egypt
ians derive from a Saharan civiliza-
tion?"
IL don't think" l said.
ITS nonse. This fellow
/ interrupted him.
DO you want that skit back, or can
I keep it?"
'Skit? What skit?''
THE thing you gave me yesterday
That! Light your fire with it,
This fellow
"Yes." I said, "I'll light fire with
it. see you're busy"
"Oh, no. I'm not" he said. eve
nothing to do. What's the good OF
my writing? l earn less and less with
every book that comes out. I'm dying
of poverty"
That's because you won't consider
the public"
How can I consider the public
when i don't know what they want ~
Because you won't take the trouble
to And out. If 7 suggested way to
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-02-17

r ~ these days no man of genius
need starve. TIE following story
of my friend Bruce may be taken
II as proof of this assertion. Nearly
sixty when first knew him, he
must have written already some fif-
teen books, which had earned him the
reputation of "a genius" with the
few who know. He used to live in
York street. Adelphi, where he had two
rooms up the very .shaky staircase of
nondescript house. suppose there never
vas writer more Indifferent to what
people thought of him. He profound
ly neglected the press with the basic
neglect of IAN original" nomadic
spirit, stranger in modern civil
ization. who would leave his attics
for longer months of wandering and
come back there to hibernate and
write book.
He was tall, thin man. with a face
rather like Mark Twain's, black eye
brows which bristled and shot up,
bitten. dropping. gray mustache' and
FUZZY gray hair; but his eyes We're
like owls eyes, piercing, melancholy.
dark brown. and gave to his rugged
face the extraordinary expression of
a spirit remote from the flesh which
had captured 1t. He was bachelor,
who seemed to avoid women. though
he must have been very attractive to
them.
The year OF which I write had been
to my friend Bruce the limit, none
tarily speaking. With his passion for
writing that for which his age had
no taste--what could he expect? His
last book had been complete frost.
He had undergone, too, an operation
which had cost him much money and
left him very weak. When l went to
see him that October l found him
stretched out on two chairs, smoking
the Brazilian cigarettes which he at
fected-and which always affected me.
SO black and strong they were, in
their yellow maize-leaf coverings. He
had a writing pad on his knee. and
sheets of paper scattered all around.
The room had a very meager look. l
had not seen him for year and more,
but he looked up at me as if I'd been
In yesterday.
Halo" he said. 81 went into
thing they call a cinema last night.
Have you ever been?"
Ever been? Do you know how
long the cinema has been going?
Since about 1900"
well. What thing. I'm writing
4 skit on it,
"Hew-a skit?"
"Parody-wildest yarn YOU ever
read"
He took up a sheet of paper and be-
gan chuckling to himself
'My heroine" he said, sis an octo-
son. Her eyes swim. and her lovely
bosom heaves. Everybody wants
her, and she's more virtuous than
words can say. The situations she
doesn't succumb to would freeze your
blood: they'd roast your marrow. She
has a perfect fiend of a brother, with
whom she was brought up, and who
knows her deep. dark secret and
wants to trade her off to a millionaire
who also has a deep. dark secret.
Altogether there are four deep. dark
secrets in my yarn. It's a corker."
said.
"My time!" he answered fiercely.
whats the use of my time? Nobody
buys my books"
Who's attendii.g you?"
Doctors! They take your money.
that's all. I've got no money. Don't
talk about me-" Again he took up a
sheet of manuscript; and chuckled.
Last night-at that place-they
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-02-17
BY
JOHN GALSWORTHY.

"Confession.' he said. What con-
fession?"
You remember that skit on tho
Aim you wrote and gave me about six
weeks ago?"
mo"
"Yes, you do-about an octoroon."
He chuckled. "Oh, ahi That"
took deep breath and went on:
We'll, l sold it, and the price, of
course, belongs to you"
What? Who'd print a thing like
that?"
TT isn't printed. It's been made
into film-superfilm, they call it,"
HIS hand came to pause on the
cats back and he glared at me.
FASTENED on:
ought to have told you what I
was doing, but you're SO prickly, and
you've got such COMPOUNDED superior
notions, / thought If l did you'd be-
pltlng of your nose to spite your
own race. The fact is it made a
marvellous scenario Here's the CON
tract and here's a check on my bank
for the price, $4,000. If you like 10
treat me as your agent, you owe me-
$500. l don't expect it, but I'm not
proud like you, and I shan't sneezes
Great Caesar" he said.
Yes, know. But it's all NONSENSE
Bruce. You can carry scruples tn
altogether too great length. Tainted
source! Eyerything'S tainted, If vox
come to that. The films il quite justiA
fled expression of modern civiliza.
tion-a natural outcome OF the aget
1t gives amusement; il affords pleas
ure. 1t may be vulgar, ii may bS
cheap; but we are vulgar, and we ara
cheap, and it's no use pretending
were not-not you, of course, Bruce,
but people at large. a vulgar aga
wants vulgar amusement, and II va
can give 1t that amusement we ought
to. LIES not too CHEEKY, anyway
The glare in his eyes was almo.s
paralyzing me, but 1 managed To
stamrtner on:
You live out of the world You
don't realize what hum drum people
|want-something to balance the gray
ness. the-the banality Of their liveS
They want blood, thrill, sensation Of
all sorts. You didn't mean TO give it
to them. but you have. You've dom.
them a benefit, whether you wish T.
or not, and the moneys yours an
/ you've got to take it"
The cat suddenly jumped down. |
waited for the storm to burst.
II know" 1 dashed on, that you
| hate and despise the film
Suddenly his voice doomed out:
"Bosh. What are you talking about
Film! I go there every other night
1t was my turn to say, Great
Caesar" And, ramming contract arr!
check into his empty hand, / bolted
closely followed by the cat.
Downright. 1921
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-02-17
Tales of New Diamond Discoveries
In Africa Linked With Air Traffic

Rail African to prolong the line be
yond Tossayo (Timbuctoo) on the
Niger, to Ouagadou. in the Haute
Volta, and on southwark.
Without the diamond, how could
there be the present feverish and
highly expensive activity along the
line toward Timbuctoo south of
Colomb Bechard and the widening 10
standard gauge of the completed
stretch from Ras-elMa?
Cash funds in hand, each month, not
begged from a distracted parliament.
but millions of good francs for labor
and material. arriving, no one asks
from where, in handy -communi
eating sections. not to attract atten
ton by vast totals-such explanation.
though by rumor only, is the only
one which fits the case.
With exceptional resources OF this
character, and enthusiasm of 4 par
TALLY shared secret tumbling in upon
them, il becomes understandable that
the =. l.. NJ. and other private under
taking companies should get busy and
| not hesitate to lay out their own
great contributors.
So here is the secret.
A high official of the Belgian Congo.
they say, had the diamond discovery
brought to him by a devoted under
| ling who made ii. Both were patriot
enthusiasts, devoted to tho intimate
French alliance, and, moreover, the
| placer deposits. close to the surface,
| lie technically across the common
| frontier with French equatorial
Africa.
This is how Belgium becomes equal
| ly interested in the mighty under
| taking now called Antwerp Stras-
bourg Lyons Marseilles oran-Tim
buctoo-Leopoldvill
x * * y
OUCH patriotic sacrifices are not
~ impossible nor do governments
always refuse them. pietri, associat
ed with the adventurous young man
who became old Mr.. Parish OF phila-
deIphia. always claimed that their
discoveries on the Gold Coast (curi-
ously, SO near to this present scene)
financed the empire of Napoleon Ill
turning to live in Philadelphia, Mr..
Parish had a legal opinion from the
late Sydney Biddle, whether it would
! be feasible to mandamus the State
| Department, to constrain it to re-
! quest the French republic to inyes-
| tigate the claim and merely give Pie
tri and himself the acknowledgment
1 with thanks and compliments, which
he craved!
/ AS to the diamond trade. it is sig
niflcant beyond all words tand with
{ the greatest difficulty eAplainabic
years. Antwerp has suddenly and
without warning or explanation, shot
Z: away ahead OF Amsterdam for bulk
of business.
| France, also, in the Same brief
time, has as inexplicably become
foremost diamond-cutting country.
In obscure towns of the Jura noun
tains, the cheap water power" and
low cost of living and housing" for
their skilled workmen. is the sole
iexplanation given for the sudden and
almost simultaneous springing into
existence of at least six big fac
tories, employing from sixty to one
hundred imported artisans each, be-
tween ST., Claude and Divonne-les-
Batns.
In particular. the Divonne estab-
CONTINUED on Fifth Fage.l
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-02-17

you of pleasing the public and making
ROOM
And the words: For instance, I've
got a little gold mine of yours in my
pocket" were on the tip Of my tongue.
but / choked them back. "Daren't
risk it, | thought. Hes given you
the thing. Carte blanche-cartes
serres''
r TOOK the gold mine away and
promptly rough-shaped 1t for
the film. Then ] was faced with the
temptation to put his name to 1t. The
point was this: If I took it to Aim
company as an authorizes scenario
should only get. authorizes terms:
whereas, If I put his name to it, with
q little talking l could double the
terms at least. The film public didn't
know his name, of course. but the
inner literary public did, and it's Won
derful how you can impress the mar
ket with the word genius" judicious-
~ used. 1t was too dangerous, how
ever; and at last 1 hit on a middle
course. I would take it to them with
no name attached, but tell them II
was by "a genius" and suggest that
they could make capital out of the in
cognito. 1 knew they would feel it
was by genius.
1 took it to an excellent company
next day with a covering note say
ing: 'The author, a man of recog-
nized literary genius. for certain rea-
sons prefers to remain unknown
They took a fortnight In which to
rise, but they rose, They had to. The
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-02-17

thing was too good in itself. For a
week played them over terms. Twice
l delivered an ultimatunl-twice they
/ could have made a con-
tract with two thousand pounds down
which would have brought at least
two thousand pounds before
the contract term closed; but I COM
pounded for one that gave me three
thousand pounds down as likely to
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-02-17
BY STERLING HEILYG.
ANTWERP-PA RIS.COLOMB
BECHARD, February

."HERE is an extraordinary story
of diamonds having been dis"
i covered on the frontier of
French equatorial Africa and
the Belgian Kongo.
According TO the rumors of certain
big business circles at Antwerp.
these fabuiously rich discoveries are
being mined in secret by the colonial
military authorities of the two coun-
tries, for the account of France and
Belgium--to facilitate immediate and
rapid work on a gfandiose Franco
Belgian route to the tropics.
The great thing is to fetch out and
market the precious stones without
delay and without publitity-to avoid
stampeding the worlds diamond mar
ket and yet realize great sums con-
tinuously.
To this end. they say. airplanes
follow the route, Colomb- Bechard-
Timbuctoo-Leopoldv With the look
OF merely everything the actual rail-
road construction Of the Timbuctoo
line and beyond, south, where there
are other activities and constructions.
Such are the completed and operat-
ing railroads from Thies-Kayes to
Dakar, and from Kinda to Conakry.
Tourists, on the other hand. are
coming UP from Algiers-from Oran,
where they adventured on the
Transsaharan as far as tickets are
sold, beyond Colomb Bechard. They
report sensational activity in push
Timbuctoo, with an extraordinary use
OF airplanes!
To these airplanes, French Equa-
torial Africa and French West Africa
are just around the corner from CO.
lomb Bechard. BY tourist consensus
there Is surely something extraor-
binary" about their going and COM
ing, some big thing brewing" along
the Transsahara.
TN the entire French press, no op-
= portunity Is neglected to familiar
ize tho public with these Trans-Sa-
haran, Equatorial, West African and,
even, Belgian Congo localities, and
the idea Of their prompt development.
This very day the papers carry at
length the airplane inspection-trip
OF Colonial Gov. Touzet from Dakar
to Timbuctoo and return.
Touzst ia Governor Of French West
Africa. Eight planes. starting from
Dakar In three relays, reached Bama-
ko, on the Niger. Six continued On,
in three relays. to Timbuctoo, cover
ing 1850 miles from the Atlantic.
The governor speaks OF this survey
as pertaining to 'the great work" OF
which the Thtes-Kayes railroad 10
part
It's final completion, trAversing as
miles Of the richest country IN the
world, ana bringing the prcdisiovsly
fertile cotton belt OF che Myers
overflow within forty hours OF Dakar,
is the subject Of q hundred editorials.
The exploitation OF this cotton zone
means q billion francs = year to
France.
Discussing tho future OF the Sou
dan cotton belt, such editorials quote
the hint OF French Colonial Minister
Albert Sarraut, that this particular
territory Connects" with. great
colonial empire" whose true door.
way is Aigiers." we must estAb-
|lish the closest collaboration in. the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-02-17

lead to less difficulty with Bruce. The
terms were not a whit too good for
what was really the acme" of see
narios If I could have been quite
open l could certainly have done bet
ter.
Finally. however. l signed the con-
tract. delivered the manuscript and
received check for the price. I was
elated. and at the same time knew
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-02-17
LAST NICHT-AT THAT PLACE-TIIEY HAD-CREAT CAESAR!
A RACE BETWEEN A TRAIN AND MOTOR CAR
LNlsNtyuE

had-great Caesar.-a race between a
train and motor car. Well, I've got
one between a train, motor car. a
flying machine and horse"
| sat up.
May have a look at your skit."
said. when you've finished it,"
ut Is finished. Wrote it straight
off. Dyou think ] could stop and
then go on again with Il thing like
that"
He, gathered up the sheets and held
them out to me. Take the thing
it's amused me to do it. The heroine's
secret is that she isn't an octoroon at
all; she's a De La Casse-purest Gre
ole blood OF the south: and her viii
famous brother isn't her brother; and
the bad millionaire isn't a millionaire:
and her penniless lover is. It's rich,
tell YOU"
Thanks" l said dryly. and took the
sheets.
/ went away concerned about my
friend, his illness and his poverty,
especially his poverty, for saw no
end to it.
i: !; = !:
\ FTER dinner that evening I be-
gan languidly to read his skit
1 had not read two pages of the
thirty five before l started up, sat
down again, and feverishly read on.
Skit! By George! He had written a
perfect scenario-or, rather, that
which wanted the merest professional
touching up to be perfect. 1 was ex-
cited. 1t was a little gold mine If
properly handled. Any good film COM
pany, felt convinced, would catch at
it.
Yes. But how to handle it? Bruce
was such an unaccountable creature
such wild old bird! Imagine his
having only just realized the cinema.
If l told him his skit was a serious
film he would say: Great Caesar"
and put it in the fire, priceless though
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-02-17

that my troubles were just beginning.
With Bruce's feeling about the film
how the deuce should get him to
take the money? Could 1 go to his
publishers and conspire with them to
trickle It out to him gradually as IL
1t came from his books? That meant
letting them into the secret; besides,
he was too used to receiving practi-
caily nothing from his books; 1t would
lead him to make inquiry and the
secret was bound to come out. Could
! get q lawyer to spring an inheri-
lance on him7 That would mean no
end OF lying and elaboration, even If
q lawyer would consent. Shn~'d I
send him the money in Bank Of Eng
land notes with the words: From
a lifelong admirer Of your genius?
/ was afraid he would suspect trick
or stolen notes and go to the police
to trace them. Or should just go.
put the check on the table and tell
him the truth?
The question worried me terribly,
for / didn't feel entitled to consult
others who knew him. 1t was the sort
OF thing that, If talked over, would
certainly Teak out. 1t was not desir-
able, however. to delay cashing big
check like that. Besides. they had
started on the production. 1t hap
pened to be slack time. with a
dearth Of good films, so that they
were rushing it on. And in the
meantime there was Bruce-starved
Of everything he wanted. unable to
get away for want of money, de-
pressed about his health and his flu
ture. And yet so completely had he
always seemed to me different.
strange. superior to this civilization
OF ours, that tho idea OF going to him
and saying simply. This is yours. for
, the Aim you wrote" scared me.
could hear his: II? Write for the
cinema? What do you mean?"
When I came to think OF 1t, I had
surely taken an extravagant liberty
in marketing the thing without con-
suIting him. felt he would never
forgive that, and my feeling toward
him was SO affectiouate. even rever-
entail. that I simply hated the idea
OF being wiped GU. of his good books.
At last hit on q way that by intro
ducing my own interest might break
my fall. ! cashed the check. lodged
the money at my bank, drew my own
check on II for the full amount. and,
armed with that and the contract.
went 70 see him.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-02-17

LIE was lying on two chairs, smok-
ing his Brazilians and playing
with a stray cat which had attached
itself TO him. He seemed rather less
prickly than usual, and, after beat
ing about the bushes of his health
and other matters, began:
1--WE got a confession to make,
Rruce"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-02-17

Copyright, 1921
The Kevin review. [volume] (Kevin, Mont.) 1922-1929, 1924-11-06
ADVOCATE SEED CORN TEST

The Iowa Bankers Association sem
out a bulletin to its members urging
the bankers to have the farmer test
his seed corn this year because of the
heavy damage done to corr last year
by dry rot Enclosed was a letter
from a farm crops man at Iowa State
College explaining the situation.
termination tests on $4,000 ears of
representative seed corn from all sec
lions of the state showed that only
about so per cent were fit for seed
purposes, the rest being either weak
or dead. DRY rot is very prevalent in
the seed corn this year and is respon-
sible for the low vitality of a good
deal Of seed corn. In a great many
cases ears may look bright and free
from disease but kernels from these
ears will show the presence of dry
rot mold when terminating in the
tester"
The Kevin review. [volume] (Kevin, Mont.) 1922-1929, 1924-11-06
STRAIGHT TALKS
WITH AUNT EMMY
ON NOT GETTING FLATTERED

Somehow, Aunt Emmy, it scares
me when l read of all the ways people
lose their money in fake stock and
bond transactions. How can you
know who is honest and what stocks
and bonds are safe to buy?" queried
Jane.
ct is easy enough if people only
wouldn't be so impatient" replied
Aunt Emmy. There is never any
need for haste in investing. It's far
better to take a little time to find out
the character of the securities offered
and of the person offering them. The
buying of securities was greatly slim
ulated by the Liberty Loans. Before
Uncle Sam offered Liberty bonds only
about 100000 people in the United
States owned securities. Now mil
lions of people are buying stocks and
bonds.
"Of course the INSCRIPTIONS securi-
ty vendors have taken advantage Of
the public's new education in invest
ments. All sorts of bad and question
able securities are being offered for
sale. Naturally the majority of the
people are not rich, so when a man
sets out to sell bonds or stocks
through the country he must be pre-
pared to sell in small quantities.
Baby bonds 500 bonds, that is, are
popular. If the baby bonds are sound
they are as good an investment as
any. But before you buy bonds of
any kind get good advice.
BE especially careful about door
step statesmen. A bond house that
floods the country with statesmen is
put to great expense. They cant send
statesmen all over the United States
for nothing, so when a salesman comes
to sell you bonds it is important to in
vestigate the quality of the bond he is
selling. Your bank will give informa-
ton about investment houses and in
vestments, and if you follow the
banks ADVICE you win not lose your
money.
another thing to be looked upon
with suspicion" continued Aunt EN-
sis the man who tries to sell you
securities over the telephone. Such
men will call up some living
in the country and say they are call
Ing at the suggestion Of a friend. !