davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1926-08-09
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E.. TR4CETELL.

| with the getting up, or with the fur-
| mace. or with the breakfast, or with
| the going to work, that we are dis
| pleased, but it lies in ourselves, and
| only ourselves can remedy 1t.
| The author of our life story is great
| enough, heaven knows!
| We are no unseemly tale, thrown to-
| gether hastily by a fourth-rate scribe,
| but the finished work of the Creator
| who made the worlds and all that is
| therein.
| Our plot is a "peppy" one and our
| denouement something to be looked
| forward to. In the meantime, our
STORY" flows along sometimes drag
gily, sometimes swiftly. according as
| the Writer sees fit, we being as We
are. and He being as He is.
| It will be a great help to US it, un-
| der the circumstances, we realize that
| the dull moments Of the narrative are
no less necessary, and interesting,
| than the others.
What would a story be which was
all "climax"?
It would be like an ice cream soda
completely filled with whipped cream.
1t would be chocolate cake composed
entirely of chocolate. an amusement
park in which everything went round
| in a mad merry-go-round. a sunny day
| in which there was never any shade
| or darkness.
our story has it's lights and shades,
| it's low spots and high spots, even as
, our day Of "a hours has it's sunshine
and STA. low. as our year has its not
days and cold ones.
Without the boredom which we feel
at times, we would have no proper
measure for. the glamour OF living
| which comes to us now and then.
Without the barking dogs at night
and the screaming merriment down
the block, we would not be able TO
appreciate the "silent nights" upon
occasion.
Without those who irk us, without
the things they do and the words they
say. we could not love half so well
the home folks, the friends and good
acquaintances who make the JOY of
life more acute.
X x * i:
Life is, then, truly a fairy tale.
We do not know, for all our scien-
tific discovery, just what life is, so we
are part of the most thrilling story in
the universe, the one great and only"
| mystery tale.
We are characters in a stupendous
cast, reading and being read every
hour. We are printing ourselves on
ourselves, and on all who know us and
often on many who do not know us.
And we are being printed. too, by
others. slammed on the presses of
| life by hands a thousand miles away,
although We may not feel them in
the manhandling, or ever know that
| they existed.
Similarly we hardly know, some
| times, that we exist ourselves, or that
we are anything but automatons,
| pushed hither and yon by destinies in
which we have no share.
| 1t is not SO. Every mans life is
fairy tale, written by God Himself,
as Hans Christian Andersen said SO
| simply.
Man is the only laughing animal,
some one has said. The creatures be-
| low and above him are serious.
Let us laugh. but let us no less
| realize that life is fundamentally a
| serious, wonderful story, tale to
keep one breathless with interest. if
he will take the trouble to read it
Alright
Evening star., 1926-08-09
The Kitchener Body Puzzle

Doubt is cast by the British GOV.
ernment upon the Identification of a
body found in Norway as that of Lord
Kitchener, who was on the Hamp.
shire when she was DESTROYED in the
North Sea in 1916. An official state.
ment issued at London recites the
original conclusion of the government
that the Hampshire was sunk by one
or more floating mines, which had
probably been strewn in the sea in
preparation for the emergence of the
German fleet from base in the ma.
neuver which climaxed in the battle
of Jutland. the largest naval en-.
gagement of the war. 1t likewise
declares that Lord Kitchener went
down with the ship, which sank in a
few minutes, and finally it asserts
that no bodies from the Hampshire
have ever been found on the Nor
wegian coast. and that it is extremely
doubtful whether any drift of the sea
could possibly carry them there.
1NSltcEdtIOI VI the OiIlcldl version or
the sinking Of the Hampshire will not
necessarily dispel the belief enter.
tained by many people that the ship
was destroyed through treachery and
not by chance. 1t Is known for a fact
that Great Britain was infested with
spies during the war, seeking and &C.
tually obtaining information of war
plans and moves. Several of these
spies were caught and executed sum-
marily. Nobody knows how many
were imprisoned. or how many es.
capped, or how many survived the war
without arresting suspicion.
1t is by no means improbable that
the Hampshire's departure with
Kitchener on board was kept an abso-
lutte secret. and that the ship merely
chanced to hit one of the mines that
were floating around in the North
Sea. The German mine layers had
been active for months, and were es-
pecially active just before the Hamp-
shire sailed. in preparation, as it
proved, for the dash of the fleet that
ended at the Skagerrack. The evidence
Of a mine rather than a torpedo is not
Evening star., 1926-08-09
Busy Rails and Prosperity.

Figures just made public by the
Bureau of Railway Economics show
that the rail earnings of the trans
portation lines in this country during
the first half OF 1926 had established
@ record. The net operating income
Of the class ! railroads, whose mile.
age and aggregate income represent
all but fraction of the countrv's
rail equipment. reached the total of
1924. s66,1.6 for the first six months
OF the year. That income represented
an Indicated annual earning rate OF
$50 per cent on the valuation placed
upon the roads by the Interstate Com
merce Commission for rate.maL,r~
purposes. Thus for the first time
since the transportation act of 1920
became effective the country's carrier
system as whole has approximated
the fair rate Of return" of SIS ner
cent contemplated by that act. A
year ago during the corresponding
period the carriers showed an aCrre
gate net operating income of $3.50.
$4,000. equal 20 an indicated annual
return OF 5.l5 per cent.
II has been often said that the
prosperity Of the railroads signifies
the prosperity of the country. If the
rails" suffer il is because the coun.
try's business is slack If business Is
good the railroads prosper. assuming
equitable rates. The figures Just
given indicate that the rates are fair
and that the valuation upon which
they are based is sound one.
Railroad business is a prosperity
index somewhat after the fact. That
is TO say. II takes a little time for the
Evening star., 1926-08-09

financial showing of the railroads to
reflect the increase in trade and
manufacturing and construction. But
the rails are quick to show the effect
of a slackening of industry and a mar
rowing of markets.
Much has been said recently about
the prospect of continued good times
in this country. The President the
other day noted the indications of
prosperity through the United States.
An optimistic spirit prevails gener-
ally. 1t is reflected in the stock ex.
changes, where prices are now at
high range and the volume of bust
ness is heavy. 1t Is reflected in the
high scale of employment in all lines
of industry. There was probably
never a time when a larger percent.
age Of the working men of the United
States were engaged at good rates.
There are no labor disturbances of
moment. The buying power of the
public is unimpaired.
A change will come in the course
of time. 1t may come next season, or
the season after. But there Is no
present sign of 1t, no token Of ''low"
on the country's business weather
map. This years crops are excellent,
and harvesting is proceeding in good
order, with sufficient labor and with
an effective organization Of transport.
The good showing of the rail lines
for the first half of 1926 is in these
circumstances likely to be matched if
not exceeded during the second half
covering the period of crop move
ments. Taken altogether the United
States appears to be in a highly
healthy condition.
Evening star., 1926-08-09

What the Brooklyn Bridge meant
to modern American progress seems
to have been appreciated fully only at
the passing of it's builder. Col. Wash
ington a. Roebling of Trenton, n. j.,
is dead nearly half a century after
his completion of the great span con
Meeting Manhattan with Long Island,
and his eulogists point to that achieve
ment AS the beginning of the present
era of construction on gigantic and
daring scale.
OF col. Roeblng'S $ remarkable per-
sonalty. the Trenton Times SAYS:
THE colonel was modest. diffdent, al
most shy, but to his friends he was
companionable and always interesting
because of his wonderful fund of in
formation and his experiences. Be-
sides his connection with the John A.
Roebling's Sons Co, he was interested
in Trenton banking and other local
enterprises. He was a generous CON
tributor to local charities and phil
anthropies."
The Albany Evcnings News calls
RoeblinS "onc Of tho big men of
America" ;" and ono who made Il path
to progress - while the 'tiCa. Observer
Dispatch says that his mind could al
ways find fields of interest to explore
or enjoy, whether in science. litera-
ture, art or music" and that "he was
a linguist and a classical scholar" ="
The New Orleans Tribune's view is
that Brooklyn Bridge. the bridge-en-
gineering wonder in his day, is, in a
sense, his monument"
The Brooklyn Daily Eagle observes:
Trenton may claim Col. ROebllng as
a long time resident, a long time cap
tain of industry within her borders.
Nr-&- l. 1. Il
titled with Brooklyn as the builder
of the first bridge across the East
River. a structure which is still re-
garded, by artists at least. as finer
in its lines and more esthetically inn
pressiye than any of it's later rivals. =
The fact that the son gave his
health to complete a task whose be
ginning had taken the fathers life
grips the imagination of writer and
reader. Calling Roebling the fore.
most engineer of his time. the man
who built the Brooklyn Bridge, a feat
which many engineers declared i'm
possible" the Watertown Daily Times
explains: Building the Brooklyn
Bridge was a heritage left him by his
father, John a. Roeblng. who had
been gwen lhe contract Tor designing
and building the bridge. While max.
ing Il preliminary survey. in the early
70s. he suffered a slight injury and
died Of lockjaW. The plans which
John A. RoeblinC had drawn were gen.
rral in character and no details had
been worked out. IL was the task OF
the son to take up the work" and
concludes the Times "he accom-
piiShed what he set out to do - The
task was long one. as the Richmond
News Leader points out, saying that
the bridge "Mes completed in 13 years
Evening star., 1926-08-09

Every mans life is a fairy tale
| written by Gods fingers said Hans
Christian Andersen.
Is going downtown to work
| every day fairy tale?
Is this hot weather a romance?
Is pain a novel, and sadness a
short story? Is death fiction, and
| sickness a poem?
We are not accustomed to regard
them so, vet from the illumination
given in the brief statement Of An.
dersen. it is easy to look upon our
life differently.
Yes, this life we are living every
day is, if rightly regarded. a fairy
tale. a wonderful story, filled with
color, speed and glory, more richly
Illustrated than any book ever put
out by man.
Things that are disagreeable to us
are no less part of the plot. and no
less wonderful, in their way, than
things pleasing to us, pleasing simply
because they synchroniZe with our
physical and mental constructions.
The trouble with us is that we fail
to use our trusty brains in the simple
yet wonderful art of everyday living.
It is amazing to contemplate a man
who, 8 hours a day, uses his intellect
in his work allowing his head to stop
functioning for the remainder of the
"a. Yet this is what is commonly
done.
If it were not so, every one Of us
would know that our life, individually
and collectively, is a fairy tale written
by the Creator.
Instead of fretting because we have
to get up in the morning, we should
be glad to arise to the tasks before
us. We would realize at all times
mot just for a brief moment while we
are reading and simply as an intel.
lectual proposition) that getting up is
necessary and-romantic.
What Romantic to hop out of
bed in the morning?
Certainly" says Hans Christian
Andersen. lis it not part Of the fairy
tale?"
Was this story called "Your Life
whoever you may bel, written with
capital letters only, with exclamation
marks for punctuation throughout?
There must be many days pages)
of plain narrative, where the action
rather drags.
If this were not so, how would the
big moments" the grand scenes,
reach their proper effectiveness?
Even our earthly authors, creators
in the world of the mind, use this
device to secure effectiveness
You have read any number of
great novels that bored you to tears
for at least a hundred pages. They
started with pages Of scenery" and
dragged along chapter after chapter
until you thought Of turning to some
thing more exciting"
Then suddenly things began to
happen. The author, with deft
touches, brought his apparently aim.
less characters and descriptions to-
gether with a rush. and you saw at
last just what he was aiming at"
You realized, now, that all he had
written before was necessary, if he
were to give you the proper impress
sion, the sense Of reality.
x X x *
Well, our life is like that.
We have to get up in the morning.
and go down and fix the furnace, Or
cook the breakfast. even when we do
not feel like it. The trouble is not
Evening star., 1926-08-09
Market Site Approved.
Location Suggested i'll Letter to
The Star Called Best.
To the Editor of The Star:

To the Editor of The Star:
was pleased to note Il letter from
DIR. Kernodle in The Star on July
30. under the caption, Suggests Mar
ket Site"
This location is by far the best suC-
gestion yet. Neither the northeast. nor
the waterfront proposals are CON
venient for the. public. Many would
suffer financially if they had to give
up their stands.
Center Market, even housed as it is.
is one of the nationally known sights
Of our city. and compares favorably
with the we'll known market places
of Europe
The location suggested would lend
itself even better than the present
site and conserve the bit of old-time
Washington still left to us.
The northeast suggestion is impos-
sible-''near the railroads." But why
save the delivery trucks? Why not
save the time, steps and car fare
of the people?
As for the waterfront site
hasn't 1t been in The star that I
have repeatedly read from time to
time articles educating the public
as to the possibilities of our water
front under proper development?
Isn't it a step in the wrong direc-
ton?
In spite of frequent garbage COL
lections and police inspection we all
know how the waste from vegetables
Is in evidence about the outside
stands. With the river handy 10
amount of law is going to prevent
it being used for a dumping place.
The worst of this feature is that
it cannot a. collected. but we will
see It all bobbing along past the
Speedway-:he War College--on to
Mount Vernon-and beyond.
trust DIR. Kernodle's site will re-
ceive the thoughtful consideration of
all desiring to serve not only this
generation. but the future ones in
Washington.
FANNY Fl. STOCKING.
Evening star., 1926-08-09

way for moment to finish eating a
cracker which he held in his hand
The officer sought the reason of this
this reply: Tou See, 7 am suffering
from dyspepsia, and all eat for lunch
Is couple of crackers. I would like
to eat one inside so that I can write
back to the folks in Kansas that 7
have just eaten lunch at the White
House. This story may he true, or
it may be the invention of some one
who wished to gently safirize the
Presidents propensity to flatter inn
portant callers of slight personal ac-
quaintance with an invitation to lunch
at the White House. In either case, it
is causing many a laugh at Washing
ton dinner tables.
Senators are busy folk when Con
gress is in session, and their private
office suites, with which they have
generously provided themselves, are
busy places. Something quite out of
the ordinary. therefore, is an office to
which only Senator Gillett Of Massa. T..
chusetts has the key. 1t is a large
airy room in the basement of the
Capital. formerly a storeroom for sur
plus furniture In an outof-the-way
place, which needs the services of a
guide to find. No name plate Is on
the door No telephone is inside.
But here with tho door locked. amid
his books and papers. the Bay State
Senator spends much of his leisure
time alone in quiet solitude. When
he came to the Senate two years ago
regular office quarters were assigned
to him in the Senate Office Building.
Here his secretaries work and his call
ers come, usually to be told the Sen
ator is "at the Capitol" But never
word about his other office, which
he claimed by right of discovery and
which his colleagues dub "the Hermit
age"
The hot Summer weather in Wash
ington has not served to parch and
wither the bright green grass which
abounds on the broad eXpanses of
lawn surrounding the Capitol. But
here and there arc unfamiliar green
shoots which certainly are not blades
on any known variety of grass. A
pa sserby sought explanation from one
of the gardeners. what kind of
grass seed do YOU use on the grounds
here?' he asked. II don't know its
name was the answer. but it is
a very special kind imported from
Italy" Now know what those
strange shoots are" said the passer-
by they're garlic" Yes" chuckled
the gardener. that's garlic:"'
|, Copyright. 1920
Evening star., 1926-08-09

readily differentiated, however, and
after all 1t matters but little whether
the ship was the victim Of trcachery
or the chance of the death -strewn sea.
Identification of the body found in
Norway as that of Kitchener is still
possible. 1t is being taken to London.
If it is proved to be that of the field
marshal all doubt as to his fate will
be set at rest. Meanwhile the haste
Of the British government to issue its
statement of denial is somewhat puz-
zling.
Evening star., 1926-08-09
Death Brings Recognition
OF W. A. Roebling's Work

The boy had tho pluck to introduce
several of his own ideas" adds tho
Richmond paper. The bridge is as
much monument to the son as to
the father" The Louisville Courier
Journal estimates "the work of tho
RoeblnGs, dreamed by the father and
carried out by the SON. as having
been ION that large scale which was
to characterize a later America" and
this paper declares that "the Brook
lyn Bridge was an achievement as
epochal as the subway tunnels Of Z;
later day or the North River Bridge
of the future"
Recalling that Col Roebling did his
first work on tho old Suspension
bridge across the Allegheny at Federal
street. Pittsburgh. the Pittsburgh sun
puts it's finger on ono of tho great rca
sons for the successful completion nf
Brooklyn Bridge as 1t traces hack tl"
history Of the Roeblings. THE elder
Roebling," says the sun. settled at
SaxonburG, Butler County, with
colony from Saxony. Germany. had
begun his experiments in spinning
wire rope experiments that led
finally TO tho production of the power
full cables used later in the construc.
ton Of bridges. of which probably the
Niagara Bridge. the span across the
Ohio at Cincinnati and the Brooklyn
Bridge arc tho greatest"
< "
"One Of the innate qualities which
fitted Col RoebIing for the engineer
ing Of the Brooklyn Bridge was his
perseverance, declares the Bangor
commercial, as it tells the story OF
how the colonel, although his healfl,
was undermined early in the under
taking. declined to surrender the trc-
mendous responsibility and directed
the operations and solved the count
less engineering problems from
wheel chair in his apartment or on
the roof of the apartment building
from where he watched. with the aid
or a telescope. the great bridge rise
above the waters of the East River"
The Newark Evening News calls Col
Roebling 'lndomitable" in his spirit. a
man who gave the world a new
standard in bridge building" and II
believes that monuments to him will
stand long after the Brooklyn Bridge
has ceased 10 be-
ut has been As years since the
Brooklyn span was completed" COM
ments the Williamsport Sun. saving
further: "Other bridges surpass il in
size and perhaps In engineering skill.
but no engineer of any age can sur
pass Col. ROebling's remarkable ex-
hibition of se!f-sacriiicinC consecration
10 his task. which marked the con
struction OF that bridge In similar
vein speaks the Quincy Herald Whic
of the colonel: For his devotion to
duty and his interchangeable energy in
seeing it through the monster
bridge. now OF secondary importance
in the world. stands az his monu.
ment."
Evening star., 1926-08-09
Is Russia in Revolt?

Is there A revolt against the Soviet
regime in Russia? That question
arises out of a confusion of reports.
From various quarters come state
ments that indicate serious uprising
on the part Of certain bolshevist lead
ers against the government at Mos
COW. with Tiotsky most frequently
mentioned as chief Of the rebellion.
From Moscow come counter state
ments. TO the effect that there is no
disturbance. The reports of revolt
are somewhat circumstantial but in
all cases they come from points be-
yond Russia and are lacking in posi-
tive evidence of verify.
1t is possible that there is a re-
dictionary movement in Russia which
Moscow would seek by every means
possible to conceal. The fact that
Moscow is now denying these reports
does not necessarily signify that they
are untrue. The Russian official cen
;orahip has been imposed heretofore
to cloak happenings in that country.
and it may he that it has been once
more invoked TO conceal serious
situation.
This revolt. as reported. is not
against the Soviet government on the
score of its radicalism, but is inspired.
it is said, by those who hold that it
is not radical enough. The moderate
holshey1ki are now in power. Trotsky
and Zinovieff. both deposed from real
authority by the Moscow government,
regard the attitude of the Soviet COM
miSars toward capital as heterodox
and desire to establish regime moro
like that of the first days Of the Dol
ahevik rule.
Undoubtedly the drift of the Moscow
administration has been away from
the l-adicalism of 1918. I4enin him.
self greatly modified the program be-
fore he was stricken with illness and
relaxed his authority. His successors
have carried on in a spirit OF gradual
readjustment to meet the economic
trerists of bolshevism have been kept
In line with difficulty. Trotsky has
been already disciplined. Others have
been cast out of the councils.
There is no substantial hope of an
anti-l0lshevist reaction in Russia at
present. If. however there should be
q conflict between the radicals and the
moderateS, sufficiently prolonged to
weaken both, an opportunity might
arise for the anti-bolshevist. factors
10 organize q revolution. Russian
refugees in various European coun-
tries are hoping for such a chance.
They are lacking in resources, how
ever, and can place their reliance
only upon the body of the people Of
Russia who arc merely submitting to
oolshevism. But the Russian peas
antry are extraordinarily patient.
The former middle class has been dis.
perHcd and discouraged. The nobility
has been slain or driven out impover
lshed. There is little material in
Russia for a successful attack upon
bolShevism.
Nevertheless. disSenSions between
'Vactons of the bolsheviki are en-
couraGing TO those who hope to see
Russia restored to political health.
The present reports of conflict there
are too persistent to he ignored and
- any hour may bring confirmation and
s. disclose that the Soviet is now fight.
I ing for its life, against it's own OK.
trcme supporters.
Evening star., 1926-08-09
SHOOTING STARS.
BY PH1LANDER JOHNSON.
Fishermen All.

FIShermen All.
Les all go fishin' for q while
Somewhere the ripplin' waters smile
Upon a spot that we have known
When restful hours were all our own.
'Tis August with autumnal mood
In which the Summer warmths in.
tr1lde.
'Tis August, and we drift, and dream
OF trees and hills and sky and stream.
Though chained by ruthless circum.
stance,
Let us embrace the dreamer's chance.
of the stress and guile;
Les all go f1shin' for a while.
Evening star., 1926-08-09

Paris resents tourists who arrive
for purposes of pleasure instead of
study. Perhaps this is the fault of
those Parisians who have magnifled
the gay life" available and neglected
to emphasize the magnificent oppor-
tunities offered by the French capital
for intellectual Improvement.