davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington times., 1925-04-03
v H | II HOUSE
CHINA VALUE
A QUESTION
Connoisseur Takes Issue With
Estimate of 81 900 for
Each Piece

In a talk given the other day be-
fore an association of merchants
of this city the statement was made
by one of the speakers that the
Presidential china in the White
House was worth. or cost $1,000
for each piece. This statement, II
reported correctly, can hardly be
called reliable unless explanation is
made as to how this value is
fixed.
The value of a piece of china
or of any other antique or art
object can be approximate only
by public sale and what IL brings
through competitive bidding. In the
absence of sale of this kind, the
particular object has only a sentt.
mental or historical value. the
amount of which can be determined
only by public sale, and the White
House china has not had any such
experience as yet.
There are at present twenty five
groups of china and glassware
housed in the Executive Mansion,
the johnson administration alone
being as yet without q representa-
ton In the collection, while the
Taft and Wilson administrations
continued in use the porcelain Sc
lected by Mrs. Roosevelt.
There are no specimens of the
Harding regime, and it is q question
whether the economy administra-
ton of President Coolidge will in
dulge in any new additions to the
collection.
The articles are arranged in cabi-
nets upon either side Of the lower
corridor of the White House. Ac-
companying them ON the walls hang
the portraits of Mrs. Van Buren,, I'd
OF President Van
Buren,; Mrs. Tyler, Mrs. Polk, Mrs.
Hayes, Mrs. Harrison, Mrs. Roose-
welt, Mrs Wilson and Mrs. Harding.
The portrait of Martha Washington
hangs in the red room above, close
by Hhat of General Washington.
The White House collection al
most uniformly presents examples
Of fine and costly porcelains. the
choicest output OF French, Dutch,
English and Oriental potteries. Elk
quisite design. color and form char.
acterize several of the groups be-
longing to those administrations
which were contemporary with the
vogue Of French taste in this coun-
try, due to the close relations with
that country growing out Of its at
fitude toward the American strug-
gle for independence, as, for ex
ample, some of the Washington,
the Madison and the Monroe pieces
The Polk. china, too. with its
dainty bird design. displays the
same characteristics. while the
Pierce and Lincoln groups attract
the eye for the broad bands of rich
color and graceful forms they dis
play The SNOWY Hayes Is and
Arthur specimens are a reminder
The Washington times., 1925-04-03
INVENTOR SEES
BAT TLESH|PS
OBSOLETE.
Col. Lewis, Of Machine Gun
Fame, Says Airplanes Super
cede Land Notifications
BY international News service.

LOS ANGELES, Cal, April 81
Colonel Isaac Newton Lewis, IN
ventor OF the Lewis machine gun
and one of the foremost living au-
thorities on modern warfare, In the
first interview he has given since
the beginning of the current arr
craft controversy, declared here re-
Gently that every battleship ana
fixed land fertilization in the world
is obsolete as a means OF deLense
against airplanes.
Colonel Lewis, whose machine
gun was used by practically every
allied nation that engaged in the
world war, declared that he had
retired from active life and that ne
did not speak officially. But, ex-
pressing his own opinion, based on
his knowledge Of military affairs
and experience gained during the
World War, he said:
Having seen the seamy ana
tragic side Of the last war, l SIN.
cereIy hope that there Will never
be another war. But that hope can
not be realized, and We must pre-
pare.
IF there is any one lesson that
should be learned from the last
fixed Notifications for coast de-
Tense obsolete. And this applies TO
an fixed lfortifications-even to
those we have on the Atlantic
coast and at the Panama canal.
"The same applies to the battle.
ships of the present type, no mat
ter. how many millions of dollars
have been spent on their construc-
ton or how big their guns may be.
The development of airplanes. plus
our Improved means Of communica-
ton, has rendered the $4,000, 900
battIeship an anachrOnism in mod
ern warfare.
"The two elements. to my minq,
that must determine the naval de-
tense OF the future are aircraft
and submarines, supplemented by
speedy light arnaOred torpedo-Doat
chasers and destroyers. =.
ION land, also, the defenses VIII
be dominated by airplanes. ana
these will be supplemented by ma,
chine-gun battalions and motor
mounted infantry. Field artillery,
with the heavy guns mounted on
movable bases, fighting emplace-
ments for which haye been prepared
in advance, must take the place Of
all fixed armament"
The Washington times., 1925-04-03
Returns To Richmond
First Time Since
Lees Surrender
IL Internatlnnal NeWa earvice.

RICHMOND, Va, April 8.
Sixty years ago today a young
man, Charles B. Tate, Of Pu-
laski. Va, was honorably dis
charged from the Confederate
army.
Today the young man, now
old and gray, returned to spend
his declining years at the Sol
diers Home here. 1t was
Tate's first. visit to Richmond
since he was mustered out OF
General Lees army at the close
Of the civil war.
The Washington times., 1925-04-03

Of the style of interior decoration
which was popular In that era,
designated as mid Victorian. Tne
Cleveland and BENJAMIN Harrison
groups claim attention for the quiet
elegance OF their decoration, por-
traying the prevailing taste OF the
succeeding de0nde as well as tnat
az their sponsors. The Roosevelt
exhibit In noted for its simple ele-
gance. THE CONNOISSEUR.
The Washington times., 1925-04-03
Newspaper Plant Burned.

SEDALIA, Mo-. April S.-Tlle
plant of the Sedalia Independent,
an evening newspaper here, YVES
destroyed by fire early today with a
Iess OF $4,000.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-01-25
The Biggest Cheeses.

WHAT is said to be the large st
w cheese ever made was not long
ago exhibited in Chicago. This cheese
weighed 1851 pounds and contained
1900 pounds OF curds, $50 pounds of
salt and 81 pounds of rennet, but not an
ounce of coloring, and required the serv-
Ices of 40 expert cheesemakers to make
it, The cost of building the cheese
was between $500 and $4,000, and as
the risk of loss was great it is improba-
bic that any one will ever take the
chance again of trying to turn out a
cheese of this size.
To manufacture successfully this
mammoth cheese it was necessary for
1900 model diaries to do the milking of
5000 registered Holstein and Guernsey
cows at the same hour. The milk had tC
be cooled to the same temperature and
the 80 sanitary cheese factories which
manufactured the curd had to follow the
same process to insure uniformity OF
the curd. Every tool or implement
which came into contact with the curd
was sterilized. There were required 144,-
100 pounds (72 tons) or $4,000 gallons
of milk to produce the $4,000 pounds Of
curd, which was delivered in cans, each
containing from 125 to 100 pounds of
curd The different bts of curd were
mixed in two troughs, each 10 feet long
feet wide and 3 feet Deep and the
entire mixture then poured into man.
moth cask feet in diameter and o
feet long, which was braced with iron
hoops. A team of six horses was re-
quired to draw the cheese to the railroad
for shipment, and a huge derrick was
used to get it on board a fiat car.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-01-25

Among jungle creatures that are
Indian bee-a most dangerous and
vicious insect. Readers of Kipling' S
Jungle Book" will remember a thrill
ing description of what happened
when Mowgli disturbed the bees when
the red dog pack was after him.
Instances have occurred of men be-
ing stung to death by bees, and they
are among the most dangerous and
annoying things one meets with when
tiger shooting with elephants, as they
are particularly fond of constructing
their comb on low or fallen trees in
the damp, cool covers where the tiger
takes up his abode in the hot weather.
Once they attack any one they Will
follow him literally for miles.
was once in line of 20 elephants
which fed all over the country when
attacked by bees in large mum bers.
was managing shoot for Sir John
Hewett. then governor of the United
Provinces, and we We're beating for
a tiger in some very heavy cane
brake. in which there were numerous
willow trees growing in heavy
swamp, portions of which approached
the consistency of quicksand.
The bees got up with a regular roar
and seemed to be in millions. | was
in the middle of the line. and by the
time my elephant reached firm ground
and / could scramble off him | had
about so stings on my neck, face and
hands.
Fortunately, l had matches with
me, so was able to adopt the only eff
cient anti bee" measure, which is to
scrape up some dry leaves. grass or
bushes, set fire to them. and put your
head in the smoke. When the tenn
perature is about 10 degrees in the
shade the remedy is not pleasant
one.
Curiously, one of the things of
which an elephant is most afraid is
a small dog. Even the steadiest ele-
plant will be greatly disturbed when
a little dog jumps around yapping at
1t, and when chased by a dog will
frequently run away.
In India proper elephants, as far
as my experience goes-and | have
had a great deal to do with the tame
variety-neyer breed In captivity, al
though | believe that instances have
occurred in Burma. Not infrequently.
however, a female wild elephant is
captured and subsequently gives birth
to calf.
1t is always maintained by ma
bouts, or elephant drivers. that an
elephant born in captivity invariably
grows up a bad character, disobedi-
ent and unreliable. The theory is
that, having been accustomed to man
kind from birth, the elephant has
never imbibed the fear of and respect
for man which the capture and sub
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-01-25

things of life, up-to-the minute
knowledge of world happenings and
marketing and weather information.
All the county agents extolled the
advantages of radio on the farm and
latest outstanding addition to agri-
culture calculated to make farm life
more profitable and more enjoyable
They said that radio was already of
sufficient practical value to- farmers
TO justify them in having purchased
radio equipment.
In the nationwide survey, $50
county agents reported 11O,905 radio
sets in use, which is an average of
12S sets per county. This average.
extended to the 1850 agricultural
counties in the United States, is the
basis for the Department of Agri-
culture estimate that there are be
tween $4,000 and 10000 sets on
farms. a similar survey a year ago
resulted In an estimate of 145, 900
sets at that time.
THE replies from the county agents
this year" says ]. c. Gilbert, De-
partment of Agriculture official at
Washington, who made the survey,
indicate that farmers are supplying
themselves with sets capable of hear
ing stations some distance away. I'm
like the man in the city, the farmer
is always located at greater or less
distances from the broadcaSting sta
ton, and this makes it necessary for
him to have a radio set employing
two, three or more tubes for the de-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-01-25

Hartford County reported that the
truck, grain, live stock and dairy
farmers are using radio to obtain the
markets, and the fruit and tomato
growers to get the weather reports"
County Agent G. Il. Keller of Som
erset County said that radio is con-
stdered of value to the farmers in
giving them some of the advantages
of the city, such as talks. music and
sermons and information of practical
value to the business side of farm
ing"
One Virginia farmer writes the de-
partment that by keeping in touch
his potatoes for so cents to 81 a sack
Another farmer declares that warn
ing of an impending snow storm en-
abled him to house his cows in time
to prevent a loss of $500. He said
that at another time when he was
about to ship two carloads of cattle
to market he learned by radio that
prices were falling; he delayed the
shipment week, when prices went
up again, and L doubled my money"
Another correspondent writes that
radio has solved the problem of
keeping the girls and boys at home
nights"
rOUNTY AGENT GEORGE r.
~ STUNT of Charles County, Md,
reported that he believes that radio
is of greatest value to farmers by
giving them some of the higher
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-01-25

/ lection and amplifcatiOn OF radio
signals. The farmer in this respect
is al an advantage over people living
in cities where broadcasting stations
are operated, because he can hear
many stations as compared with only
one or few available to the city
man. The nearness of large stations
lnterferes with long distance re-
ception."
The daily broadcasting of weather
forecasts by the department. is re-
garded as of special Importance TO
farmers, through enabling them to
take proper measures in protecting
their crops and live stock from i'm
pending storms. These hroadcasts are
flashed out from $50 radio stations
that cover the entire country. 1t has
also been arranged to broadcast cur
rent crops reports, so that farmers
in widely separated parts of the coun-
try may know promptly the size of
the Nations important crops
X X
THE broadcasting OF foreign agri-
cultural news is more recent
addition to the service. whereby farm
ers may know conditions in the for
eign markets which buy their prod
uts and of crop and live stock condi-
tionS in countries that compete with
the United States in world markets
These reports are considered of spe-
cial value in connection with the
great wheat, cotton and corn crops
and live stock products, which are
exported from the United States in
large quantities.
A special phase of the service Is
the broadca sting of so-ealled "agrio-
grams" word coined by Secretary
of Agriculture Wallace, which treat
of agricultural subjects In a popular
way.
One feature Of these broadcasts is
the dispatch of news on home eco
nomlcs that is of interest TO both city
and country housewives. This
amounts virtually to a home eco
Monies course by radio, in which the
latest discoveries in home manage
ment and cookery are flashed over the
country.
The replies to the survey just com
pleted indicated that radio on the
farm is valued as much for its enter
tainment features as for its practical
aspects in the farm business. It has
brought the advantages of the city TO
the country, fguratively parading the
world in front of the farm door. Your
farmer of today knows what is hap
pening in the wide world as quickly
as does his city cousin. Radio seems
to be effectively breaking down the
barriers of farm isolation.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-01-25
Nehalem Wax.

THIS is a somewhat curious product
found on the beach near the
mouth of the Nehalem River, in Ore
gon. 1t was noticed by the early
explorers of that coast and later con-
siderable deposits were found In the
sand of the beach. In 1886 several
tons of this waxlike substance were
shipped to Hawaii and since then
many tons of it have been sent to
Northwestern markets.
Opinion has been divided concern
ing it's nature and origin, some hold
ing that 1T is beeswex and others
that 1t is a mineral substance called
ozocerite. 1t is usually found in large
rectangular blocks. 1t has a honey
like aroma when fresh cut. Exami-
nation by Government experts shows
that the substance closely approaches
beeswax in composition and does not
accord with the properties of
ozocerite. This conclusion is con-
sonant with an Indian legend of the
wreck of ship at the mouth of the
Nehalem before the coming of the
white man. A Spanish ship with sup
plies for the Catholic missions in the
north sailed from Lower California in
1859 and was never afterward heard
tram.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-01-25

mugger meat. He replied, "Sahih,
II the higher caste men knew how
good II is. we poor mullahs would not
get any" The mullah, or boatman,
caste is, of course, low one / have
shot numbers Of both muggers ana
garials since then. but never saw any
inclination on any ones part to take
the flesh for food.
These reptiles are quite easy to kin
If hit in the right place. 1t is no use
shooting them behind the shoulder,
as they Will invariably get into the
water, The deadly shot is at the
point where tho aead joins the body.
| II the shot is a Sroadside one, or iF
you are above them on a high bank
you can aim for the brain and base
of the skull.
The reptile Is then paralyzed, but
| II Is as well to put in one or two
more good shots, as good deal OF
muscular energy remains even after
| a shot through the brain or spine II
Is for this reason advisable 10 stand
clear OF a big crocodile's tail for some
| time after death. / have seen one
lash his tail vigorously after he had
been brought into the camp and was
being skinned.
l remember another rivera small
| one in a rather wild tract Of couu-
ITN-"neTo there were com plants
that villagers had been taken when
washing or fordinG tho river. ] was
in camp near this place. and, having
heard these complaints, l went along
the river and shot as many muggers
az / could.
found women's bangles and
anklets in the stomachs of one or
two which / examined. A mugEers
stomach resembles a bag made of
very thick, soft and heavily creased
| leather. The entrance Of the stomach
| is large, but the exit is very small.
and an object like a metal bangle.
which the mugger cannot digest.
viii not pass out of the stomach, and
| therefore remains in il permanently.
Bones are digested very rapidly
In one muggers stomach / found
about 80 or 40 porcupine quilts Pre-
sumably the mugger had swallowed
tho porcupine and the bones had been
dissolved, but the quilts were quite
hard and unaffected. Porcupine quilts
are very sharp, but these had not
! penetrated the surface Of the stom-
| ach, which gives a good idea OF its
| toughness.
| Copyright, 1921
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-01-25
and HeIpleSSneSs Circumstances

quicksand or bog. but cases of this
have been known. One occurred
many years ago in Nepal. The ele-
plant refused to make any further
efforts and was sinking deeper and
deeper.
The party got some elephant chains
and put them around the elephant 3
neck and several other elephants
pulled him out of the bog with great
difficulty. The rescued elephant then
sat down and died on the bank.
4 \ animal in India which has a bad
reputation as a man-eater IS the
snub nosed crocodile, or mugger. An
other variety of crocodile is the long
nosed one, or gariaL The latter lives
mainly on fish, but I suspect him of
eating the bodies of dead men and
animals when he can find the How
ever, / know of no instance of a
garial attacking human being in
the way the mugger does.
In the early days of my service I
was stationed at Allahabad. About
the end of the hot weather the police
officer told me that he was getting
frequent reports that villagers, espe-
cially women bathing or washing
clothes, were being carried off by
muggers on one of the rivers some
way out.
We arranged TO go out to the place,
and there was no doubt, from what
the villagers said on our arrival, that
a. number of persons had been taken.
Unfortunately, there had been some
rain up north and the river had risen
enough TO cover the sandbanks where
the muggers came out in the morning
and evening.
When the weather is very hot they
do not come out much in the heat of
the day. although in the cold wealth er
they like lying in the sun. We sue
ceeded in shooting four or five big
ones as they swan about in the
water exposing their heads on the
surface, hut, of course, they all sank.
However, we did not hear any more
reports of villagers being carried off
at that place.
The old boatman in whose dugout
we crossed the river appeared
strangely disappointed that the river
had risen in this untimely way. He
had been looking forward, il seemed,
to some good meals of mugger flesh.
[ remarked that I had been under the
impression that Hindus would not eat
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-01-25
WsrrHoepvsM

jugation OF a grown wild elephant
inspires in it in a very short space OF
time.
THE profession OF mahout is a
4 hereditary one, and the mahouts
| family grows up among the tame
elephants, which are extraordinarily
careful not to step on or otherwise
injure the children. 1t is an amusin &
sight to see a small boy about two
feet high walking along with a large
elephant which he has entirely undeT
control. If the elephant does not i'm
mediately obey a word of command
the small boy bangs him on the foot
with a stick, which is quite enough
to keep the animal in order.
1t is a curious fact that wild eIe-
plants when being noosed by men on
tame elephants, either after being run
down singly in the forest or when
inclosed in the palisade of a "khed-
dah,' never attempt to pull off the
men who are driving the tame ele-
plants, nor does a tame elephant
even when in difficulties, in quicksand
or bog, ever try TO pull off his driver
or the man on his back.
One occasionally gets an elephant
begged when out tiger shooting, gem
orally in small stream or nulIah,
where on going down the steep bank
the animal gets into the bog or quick
sand before he knows where he is
Elephants coming to dangerous bog
or quicksand on level ground will re-
fuse to go forward.
Stretches of wet sand are found oc-
casionally in river beds or the back
waters of rivers which move up and
down and quake in an alarming man
ner under the weight of an elephant
These sands are as rule not nearly
as dangerous as they look and by
making the elephants cross them as
rapidly possible and in different
places one can generally get across
without mishap.
1t is a curious sight to see the ele-
plants scuttling over these Quaking
sands. They know perfectly well
that the more rapidly they go the
But in the Tarai country, the
swampy tract below the Himalayan
range, one not infrequently does get
an elephant begged in a nullah or
narrow stream. There are some par
ticularly bad nullahs of the kind in
the north of the Kheri dictrict, in the
Lucknow division, of which l was
recently in charge. An elephant
could extricate himself all right but
Tor the banks OF the nullah or stream,
but when he raises his forelegs to
sound ground on the bank his hind
legs and body sink deeper into the
mire.
The only thing to do is to cut down
trees and branches and place them in
front of the elephant to give him
some foothold and persuade him to
roll and struggle along the nullah to
the nearest spot where there is a
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-01-25
Finding Ambergris.

TNRAMPING over Nantucket with his
dog, Edward Davis skirted the
shore. Wedged between two rocks,
washed now and then by the waves,
was "A sticky, waXy mass. Mr.. Da-
Wis did not pay much attention to IL,
but the hunting dog knew his bust
ness and persisted In calling his at
tention to it. Mr.. Davis scraped the
substance together and took it home.
He later brought it TO New Bedford
and submitted it to Capt. Benjamin
D. Cleveland, retired whaling mas
ter, who pronounced it ambergris
If so, the hunting trip nets Mr.. Da-
Wis S1,792.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-01-25

Twenty-four wears in India
have brought to Col. Faunthorpe
many hair breadth escapes from
the claws, teeth and tusks of
beasts of the jungle. At close
range he has met with leopards,
tigers, sloth bears, wild boars,
wolves and wild dogs.
In preceding articles he re-
counted his experiences with
these animals, and gave inter
esting side lights of their habits
and the customs of the natives.
Particularly vivid We're his tales
of the savagery of the sloth
bear and the bravery of the
Wild boar, the two animals
which the natives fear most
Known throughout the Brit
ish Empire as a daring hunter,
Col. Faunthorpe's ability as d
crack shot was further recog-
nized last year, when he was
selected as captain of the
British rife team for moving
targets at the Olympic games,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-01-25

piece of sound and level ground, onto
which he can get out
Sometimes the nearest piece of
sound ground is a considerable dis
lance away, and I have once or twice