davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-17
What Is a Snowplow2

Reports from London indicate that
Englishmen are slipping, sliding and
skidding over the slippery streets fol-
lowing the unprecedented snowfall
Of the last few days and the cold
snap that came In its wake. The
point, however. which should inter-
est Washingtonians Is that snow
plows have been called out, and that
the majority of Londoners do not
know just what they are; they are
seen so seldom.
In most of the United States snow
removal is taken as a matter of
course, and the interstate roads are
Immediately cleared for the movement
of transportation. but Washington
residents are In much the same pre-
dicament as Londoners following snow.
storms.
They slip and slide and skid over
slippery streets and despite the
know ledge they undoubtedly possess
snowplows, gathered probably from
extensive reading. the sight OF one
Of these mechanical contrivances
is almost as rare as In London. OF
course, 1t may be because Washing
tonians go TO bed early at night and
the pIows always are at work In the
early morning heurss bat this does
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-17
MEN AND AFFAIRS
BY ROBERT r. SMALL.

seen in the West last Fall. The mid
Shipmen went West To battle the Uni
versity Of Michigan. The Wolverines
sWamped them in most inhuspitabe
manner. Il was the worst defeat q
Navy squad had ever suffered. The
Navy was sunk without trace in the
| Ann Arbor mud. The intersectionai
schedules are growing, and IL WCulG
seem that in them there is greater
opportunity for good will and good
sportsmanship toward the Army ana
The Navy than in d mere spectacle pro
Nlded by the two service teams 9.
course, the cadets and uidshipmeI,
, make fine show. but President Cool
ldge would not even order them L.
/ Washington for his Inauguration. al
mittedly a more significant natioua!
event than the settlement Of 100,
bah dispute.
Nothing much has been heard ii
| good old DR.. Coue recently, but his
, formula for good health and happi-
| ness has not been entirely forgotten
during his long absence from the
! States, As a matter of fact, il has
| remained for young artist. living up
| in the Catskill Mountains of New
! York, to make what many consider
| to be a decided Improvement upon
! the good doctors POilyanna prescrip-
| ton. The young artist in question
| recently underwent an operation for
| appendicitis. To friend in Wash
| ington, confined in hospital. ne
| wrote:
Il hope you will soon be we'll again
| As for myself, every day | am better
and better-or worse, according to
how / feel
| Travellers recently returned from
/ Africa have reported that while In
/ the city Of Nairobi they heard several
( radio programs broadcast from the
| United States. Some came from New
York and some from Pittsburgh. Nal,
! robi Is rambling town Of tin shanties
and fair-sized stone buildings and Is
filled with the noise and the smell
/ and the color OF animated Asiatic
and African There are about 5000
white people in Nairobi. and many
/ other thCusa nds Of Indians and Afrt-
cans.
! In these weird and colorfuI sur
/ roundings II was strange experience
/ 10 sit with telephones at the ears and
hear American jazz and American
songs come from nowhere out OF the
/ Justified air The radio is doing
much for the far places Of the earth.
1t is not every night that programs
/ can be picked UP in Nairobi or any
OF the other outpOsts of civflizatio
! but that makes the hunt of the air
| and the conquest all the more inter
esting and amusing. not to say amaz-
ing. City jewellers in the United
/ States are getting a bit casual with
/ their radios. They are hard to please
( But in the outcountTy 1t Is still the
marvel of the age.
| II was from Nairobi that Col. Roose
welt started his famous African hunt
| after he left the White House.
Copyright. 1920
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-17
Chinese Use Fireworks
To Ward OFF Evil Spirit

One Of the most recent signs that
Shanghai Is returning to normal that
the Chinese scare of the foreign
devils" is pretty much allayed, is seen
In the temperance of firecrackers In
the streets. One night recently the
whole city was riot of small ex-
piosions and daring rockets. Some Of
the moro uneasy tourists thought
new anti-foreign riot had broken out.
or that the much talked of civil war
between Kiangsu and Chekiang had
become a reality. A glance at the
moon and an understanding OF
Chinese superstitions, however,
quickly settled their doubts. On the
night In question the moon was al
most totally eclipsed. To Chinese.
young and old. educated abroad o.
uneducated. an eclipse Is an event Of
significance. It IL the dragon de-
vouring the moon. after which he Is
expected to turn his Jaws upon the
earth. There Is only one means OF
stopping him. Firecrackers do the
trick. Hence thousands Of dollars
were spent In smoke and noise and
an equal sum went up In burning
joss paper. This kept up for two
hours until the moon emerged at the
full unframed by the experience.
During the state OF emergency within
the foreign settlement flrecrackers
are prohibited. but the police made
40 attempt to stop tho display.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-17
EVERYDAY RELIGION
BY THE RIGHT REV. JAMES 9. FREEMAN, D. D, IL. D.,
Bishop OF Washington.

what Christ would have us be and
make OF ourselves places q heavy tax
upon our faith. over against these,
we place the gain that comes from
full allegiance to Him. Sooner or
later we are compelled to place our
earthly gains and satisfactions with
those which come to us from Him
What we have acquired must sooner
or later become valueless to us. I'VE
brought nothing into this world, and
we can take nothing out OF It," Is a
self-evident fact. Nothing Is more
tragic In life than to witness the effort
Of those who seek, with advancing
years, to accumulate perishable pos
sessions or to acquire earthly honors
at the cost OF time and effort.
Burdened with the weight of these
transient things witness the men and
women grown old before their time.
80 much to do. so little done!' was
men call riches" Stricken In the
prime Of his years. he realized that he
could no longer hold in his palsied
grasp the brilliant rewards that q life
OF eXacting service had accumulated
We asked an outstanding man OF af-
rairs. whose life had been saddened by
tragedy. what satisfaction he had
gotten out OF his religious experiences.
to which he replied, Il have been too
busy making money TO think of such
things. ] have lost out of my life
many OF its finer and sweeter things -
He was In the fullness of his years, the
head of a great business enterprise
and when he should have been enjoy.
ing the consistent rewards of his eff.
forts. he was broken in health and fac.
ing an inevitable end. He had been
unwilling to mix business with re-
ligion-in fine, to take Christ into part.
him most he felt incapable of receiv.
ing and understanding Him.
y y
The well balanced life-yes, and the
life IT deepest satisfaction--is the one
that reckons values by the standards
OF the great Master. He did not in.
Weigh against things consistently and
fairly gained: on the contrary, He
sought to enrich them by giving to
those who possess them the sense OF
sa tisfaction which comes from life
consistently lived. In it's higher as
poets life Is stewardship. To sanctify
and hallow each days service with the
consciousness that our gains are His
and that we hold them for His serv.
ice insures us a peace and satisfaction
quite Incompatible.
One OF America foremost lawyers
declared that he was giving a very
considerable portion of his genius and
labors that he might forward the work
OF Christ in the world. He was a
deeply practical man and he left be
hind him a record of enviable diStinc.
ton in his profession, and died with
the satisfaction that he had won the
favor of Christ and of his fellow men
That is a fine word Of the Psalmist
Keep innocency, and take heed unto
the thing that is right; for that shall
bring man peace at the last"
tCopyrtRht 1921
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-17
Retirement Legislation.

A Joint committee of the House and
Senate has for several days been con-
Quoting hearings on legislation to
liberalize the civil service retirement
law Several propositions are pend
ing, on two of which joint commit
tee has centered its attention. both
OF them proposing material increases
Ia the maximum aRnuities. 1t ap-
pears to be accepted that there will
be an enactment at this present SEES
sion generously revising the schedule
Of payments made to those who have
been retired from the civil service
and the disposition of the joint COM
rnittee. 1t would seem. Is to make the
scale OF payments equitable both To
the annuitants and to those who con
tribute TO the fund.
The retirement act establishing the
principle of provision for Government
employees after reaching a certain age
or passing a certain period OF con-
ttnuous service was not experimental
1t was founded upon a well defined
scale Of annuities, however. was an
experiment In that II was not adjust
ed in assuredly equitable ratios. In
consequence, much suffering has been
imposed upon those who were forcloiy
separated from the service. With
s72O d year as the maximum allow
ance, these people have been thrown
into real penury. The drop from their
active pay to their annuities was toe
abrupt and great. II Is now proposed
In both of the bills which are receiv-
ing the most favorable attention To
Increase the maximum to $1,000
wear, which is much more equitable
It was never the intention OF those
who framed the original retirement
act that separation from active duty
should inflict a hardship upon the
annuitants The purpose of the Law
was not merely to clear the Govern
ment service of the superannuated
but to provide living compensations
for them. II was primarily a form Of
Insurance. Now that the law has beer
in operation for O number OF years
its workings have demonstrated thai
the annuity rate Is insufficient. Dr.
ferences of opinion obtain as to the
new rates that are to be adopted. but
fortunately there liz prospect that de-
spite these differences. amendatory
Hesitation will be enacted at this
,Yzo
The disposition In Congress Is plainly
90 do justice to those who. after serv-
ing the Government faithfully for
many years. are now retired. In most
cases without desire. and who are
chiefly, II not wholly, dependent upon
the slender income provided by
the law.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-17
This and That
By Charles E. Tracetoeti.

1t was several nights after Christ
mas, and ali through the house pc5
creature was stirring, not ever
Jack SpraLt
Jack was sleeping.
a good dinner OF veal had pllt
the cat at peace with the world
submerged him in several depths OF
slumber, Immersed him in waves q
lethargy.
Coiled into a tight bundle his tail
wrapped around the outside, Jack
slept the sleep of the just.
Hours went by. one by one the
stars came out still the cat snored
on. in the musical way the feline
tribe has at command.
The cats snore is different from
the cats meow. 1t is soft. musical
true-toned, exactly on the key, =
Verltable lullaby on one note.
Probably no other creature snores
as pleasantly as the ordinary house
cat. This is but one OF his many ac-
conpllshments. AS a good snorer he
has the respect Of the entire animal
tribe.
Jack slumbered.
Not a mouse was there TO soueaR
him out of his dreams, for the very
good reason that there were no
mice. Evidently they gave Jack q
wide berth. As matter OF fact. the
only mouse ever seen there was one
the cat brought in months ago.
he carried II into the living room
TO show it off. but being run out
took the captive 10 the kitchen, wher
ae had deVoured 1t, tail and all
Jack woke up about ain.
First he blinked his eyes, Ihs!.
slowly rose to his feet in the chair.
He arched his back until he formed
a perfect circle in the air. then press
ed down with his feet.
The chair shook under the STRETCH
the cat gave himself. Every muscle
in his body took part in the setting
up exercise.
He brought himself out Of It and
began TO sink his spine, now. as much
as he had arched it formerly.
His forelegs he stretched out III
front of him, and his hind legs be-
hind him, while he opened his mouth
in an enormous yawn
His eyes were half closed in an ex-
preston of great content The claws
of his front paws were stuck into the
cushions.
He topped off his yawn with s.
crisp meow. that broke from the edge
of his whiskers like the foam on a
seashore wave. The meow seemed
for all the world an audible part of
the visible yawn.
! Now Jack was all ready for ronp
He looked around for his catnip
mouse on the end of a long string
or the stuffed fake hitched to a short
er piece of Irvine.
He found neither of them. nor the
third catnip imitation, the one that
has no string attached to it.
a a
for exercise?
Jack was not TO be thwarted, how.
ever.
Pep was in his muscles, CLEANS in
his eye.
WteH a gigantic leap he bounG2l
high into tic air. landed stiff legged
on small rug ana sid with il across
the waXed floor.
Then, with a scamper of striped
legs, his long claws digging in as
brakes, Jack Sprdng across the room
Into the hall he sailed. through the
, dining room. INTO the kitchen, under
meath the cabinet, down the basement
steps, across the basement, around
the trunk. back up the steps, beneath
the cabinet.
With fur ruffied. Spratt stopped for
an instant at the foot of the stairs
leading up. His eyes cleaned. his tail
was arched
What you doing down there,
jack" came a sleepy voice.
Meow" called Spratt. as he sped
away on another wild round.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-17
The Filibuster and World Court.

Opponents Of the World Court pro-
Socol have given signs OF ilibustertns
in the Senate. and are now at the
point OF decision whether to carry on
Sn time.wasting maneuvers through
out the session. In the hope OF talking
the measure to death. This"is a mo-
mentous question. 1t involves q
place. Il is aimed at the defeat Of the
will Of q majority of the Senate-for,
by all counts. far more than half OF
she members Of that body favor rati-
t1cation of the protocol. In the
second place. it puts In Jeopardy the
regular legislative program. Finally
It adds strength to the demand of the
Vice President for the adoption of
rules for the closing of debate after
g. reasonable period of discussion.
A filibuster is always risky. It in
wolves an elaborate organization
which may break down at any mo-
nlent. II entails serious sacrifices OF
time and strength from those engaged
dental to the question at issue. Fol-
che flibuster stands In the way OF
other measures than those against
which he is talking, and the propo
ures are inclined to visit upon him re
taliation for the failure of their
projects.
Thus far the World Court protocol
has not been permitted to blockade
the Senate's procedure. The Nye case
was slipped in and settled. and soor
the tax revision bill will come from
committee and will probably be pu,
through In short order. the protocol
meanwhile being laid aside. But when
the appropriation bills come along q
different story may be told. The ad
yocates Of ratification. who are very
much In earnest In their demand fol-
e. vote on the World Court. may not
be willing to lay the protocol aside
for these regular. veritably routine
measures. 1t will then be incumbent
upon the opponents to show good
cause why the debate should not be
FASTENED to a close. or else frankly
stand forth as fIibusters.
It is claimed that opposition to rati
fcation Is growing in the country
There Is no clear evidence on that
point. Opponents OF the World Court
are doubtless getting letters encour
aging them to stand test. On tn
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-17

A great deal Of serious considera-
ton has been given in Washington
during the past fortnight to the propo
sition of transferring the Army and
Navy foot ball game this Fall TO the
Middle West preferably Chicago.
During the years the games have been
confined to New York, Philadelphia
and Baltimore. Washington always
has wanted one of the games itself,
but. In spite of it's natural pull in
Army and Navy matters and men, has
not yet been successful.
There seems to be an obsession
among the politicians that something
must be done to interest the Middle
sections OF the country in the Army
and the Navy. So strongly has the
idea inbedded Itself into the heads of
the statesmen that Army and Navy
officers in touch with these political
minded gentlemen succumb to the
same weird notions.
The fatal excursion of the Shenan-
doah was. to say the least. a quasi
political maneuver. The airship was
sent West to visit some seven or eight
State fairs. Always there has been
the theory In Washington that II the
Middle country could vote as IL wished
it would put the Army and Navy out
Of commission, abandoning the Allan
tic and Pacific coasts to the depreda-
cied. We have been led to feel that
the Middle country felt the enemy
would be so satiated by his conquests
of the coasts he would not care TO
venture into the inner recesseS OF the
continent.
OF course, this is all tommyrot. The
States Of the American Union are In
terdependent. The West needs the
East as the East needs the West. All
Of the States are part OF one fabric
and once you rip off part you affect
the whole.
So much, however, for the theory Of
the proposition. AS matter OF actual
fact the United States Navy today,
and for score of years past, has been
| manned and maintained by the Middle
country. If all the vessels of the Navy
| were sunk in some great catastrophe
be the section most to mourn.
Kansas. Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska In
diana and other Middle Western States
furnish high quotas of the young men
who enlist in the Navy. There is a
lure in the sea for the young men
| from the plains. The coastal States.
| as rule, do not rank with the Mid
die commonwealth In the patriotic ap-
peals to Join the Navy" There must
lHCIcIorc' DC d hlQuie W est interest IN
the Navy that the politicians know
nothing about.
At a time like this. when there is
agitation in all the colleges against
the overemphasis Of foot ball as a part
| Of the university life Of America, it
would seem strange, indeed TO send
out the foot ball teams from West
Point and Annapolis as publicity
agents for the two great armed serv-
ices Of the Nation.
In any event the Navy team was
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-17

farming communities, either-that
have neither water nor sewage sys-
TENS. An analysis of the preliminary
report showed that out of $4,000
homes about which data were OBJ
tanned. 40 per cent had no stationary
wash bowls. 1t was necessary to
carry from an outside we'll or pump
water for all household purposes.
Nine out Of ten families In these
same communities had automobiles,
one out Of every five radio set and
half of them pianos and phonogra phs.
This seems illustra tive of the saying,
i can do without the necessities, but
must have the Injuries"
Women Dislike Monotony.
The federation is endeavoring 10
ascertain whether for the most part
these luxurtes are installed for the
benefit Of the masculine or feminine
members Of the family. SO far It
has been indicated that a large num-
Der Of the women prefer a telephone
to stationary tub with running water
or a talking machine to a dish. washing
machine. In other words. they are
Injured to household drudgery. but
they welcome an escape from mo-
notony.
There are exceptions to this, how.
ever. Mrs. Sherman has received let
tiers In which women state fatty that
radio sets and automobiles are pur.
chased because the men of the family
want them. One woman writes, The
men earn the money and SO they
say they should say what 1t should
be spent for" To which Mrs. Sher.
man replies. THE main difference be.
tween men and women Is that men
get the money they earn"
Mrs. Sherman believes that men
should be brought to a realization
that their wives actually earn more
than II would be possible for most
OF them to pay to some one hired to do
the same work. The money thus
saved should be applied to the pur.
chase Of household machinery which
will reduce the actual drudgery as
much as possible.
An Education Program.
The General Federation hopes from,
the results Of this survey to formu.
late an educational program which
will teach home-making women that
escape from the monotony is not
enough. 1t does not wish to take away
from them any of the things to which
they look for diversion. but 1t does
desire to show them that they can get
more Joy out of their home life by
escaping from unnecessary toll when
it is possible to purchase so much In.
expensive equipment. II intends to
inaugurate drive for more labor
saving devices In the home.
When the women of the Nation are
sold" on this idea. they will find that
they will have more time with their
children. more time for self-improve-
ment. and time and inspiration to
develop the kind of atmosphere that
converts the house into q home.'
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-17
Loss and Gain.

Philippians. iii.4: But what things
were gain to me. those l counted loss
for Christ"
We rejoice in our gains, we deplore
our losses. The large question is. What
do we reckon as gains? How do we
make up for our losses? The writer
of the above passage had reached the
ripeness of mature years. He was
keenly intellectual. had come to oe.
cupy position Of distinction as lead.
err. was regarded as a zealot in his
purposes might reckon his life as one
of pronounced success.
Notwithstanding these conditions,
he was suddenly confronted with the
fact that the things he had counted
gains were of inconsequential value
when compared with the advantages
and opportunities of the new life that
opened before him. There had come
to him striking way, the conscious.
ness of the greatness Of the personal
ity OF Christ. He heard a new call.
and as he paused to consider its i'm.
plications he realized that his reckon
ing of life's values, of it's abiding
gains, was fallacious. He was com.
PEELED to calculate by new standards
OF value. and as he did so he discov.
cred that the things he had hitherto
cherished, when contrasted with what
Christ had to offer, were unworthy of
consideration. His subsequent life
was marked by stern opposition and
suffering. and yet in the face OF these
with the consciousness of what he had
gained, he persisted even to martyr.
dom.
X 4 ~
The world does not readily accept
the standard of values which Paul
! recognized Men and women are un
willing to lay aside and to count as
loss those things which they have &C
quired through selfish pursuits for the
qualification Of selfish ends They are
willing to accept Christ as the su
premest example of a perfect life and
TO regard His message as transcend
ing that OF any other religious teach
er Yes, they are willing to revere
his person and worship Him period
caily, provided II does not tax toe
greatly their patience or convenience
Ihey would readily accept His prom
lses and experience the serenity and
peace that come from His assurance
or an abundant life here and an un
ending life hereafter. There Is nc
controversy worthy of the name In
our time concerning the sublimity OF
Christ's teachings nor the incompara
BILE splendor If His personality. Some
one says the problem of our age IS ito
make the Indifferent different" In
other words, 10 substitute in a prac
tlcai, applied way the teaching OF
Christ for our own conceits.
The idea OF sacrifice occupies an in
conspicuous place in our Christian
thought. We wonder how large a place
II occupies in daily habits Of life? TIC
measure what we are or have agains,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-17
SHOOTING STARS.
By PHILANDER JOHNSON.


The Mocking Bird.
Though all the world is cold and
drear.
While storms arise anew.
The mocking bird keeps lingering
near.
He knows thing or two.
When April comes to view.
Wen wait in faith. small friend Of
mine.
You know a thing or two.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-17

The u. 8. Senate has conducted
many Investigations. Vice Presiden,
Dawes falls into the atmosphere of his
surroundings and may be moved to
attempt an investigation on his own
account.