davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-06-29
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

| Miss Jones, We know we can't tell
you anything you don't know about
dogs; that sounds sort OF mixed up
doesn't it, Miss Jones, but our heart
Is in the right place.
THAT last picture of you, taken al
the Kennel Club show. was a dandy
my dear; you certainly had your knees
crossed in good style. We hand 1t &c
you. kid.
Hoping to see more of you at the
| next show, we remain,
| Happily, cheerily yours,
SUSIE SCR1BBLE.
Il y "
Miss Macaroon for whom the above
was intended, gets this:
Dear Miss Macaroon:
Poor soul, living alone as you DO
your spirit stepped in the immortal
strains Of Beethoven, Mozart. Wagner
and Irving Berlin, we hope to bring
| you, in this letter sent to you at the
kind instance Of your old chum, Dan
Deevers-we hope to Undue you, we re-
iternte, with some Of the classic re
fulgence of Calliope herself.
| Think Of the Muse Of Music, alone
on her mountain, whanging away or
her lutte, rending the hearts OF the
stony mountains, melting the feathers
of birds. causing the very lions to
turn into bulldogs under the influence
| OF her dulcet strains. We wonder why
| strains always have to be 'dulcet,
Miss Macaroon?
| You tell us, old dear.
1--WE hope we are not too familiar
| in this letter, Miss Macaroon, but we
felt that an old party such as your
self, living only with memories
soothed by the dulcet strains of The
Maiden's Prayer which Mr.. Deevers
said you tbutchered once in his hear
Ing. ought to be enlivened a bit. as 1t
were, and we feel that we are Just
| the one very person TO administer a
mental kick, as we might say. Snap
out of it, Miss Macaroon.
| Get interested in something else
| besides music. Why don't you take up
dogs. for instance? You don't know
what YOU are missing, think OF all the
darling poodle-oodle dogs, and the hor'
rible-ugh! Miss Macaroon, IL there
is anything in the world we hate. just
between ourselves, it is one OF those
horrible bulldogs.
1--WE feel, and We are sure you will
agree with us. that any person who
pets, feeds, takes care Of or other
wise harbors beastly bulldog in any
one of its misshapen forms. whether
III I4UBilSIl, IoUStOit, IciiAH' NSA4ANA
or other shape. is nothing more nor
| less than a degenerate.
I'VE just know YOU agree with US,
Miss Macaroon. We can picture you.
in your chaste parlor. surrounded by
lovely pictures Of nunneries and the
like, immersed in your spiritual com
munion with the higher-oh, very
, much higher:-things of this world,
shuddering in sympathy with US at
the mention of dogs. in general, and
nasty bulldogs in particular.
Would you believe it, we have only
just finished writing letter-how it
stings our soul to do ito an absurd
Miss Jones. who dotes on bulldogs.
The only reason we did it was be
cause We were paid TO do it.
"Of course, our work has made ii
necessary to keep alert, and in touch
with the people who do the big and
interesting things. You might like
to order some letters for yourself. 3
big CHEEKY ones for one dollar.
Yours happily, cheerily.
IS. SCRIBBLE.
"P S.-Bulldogs-ugh"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-06-29
The Model Homes.

Public response to the invitation to
Inspect the model homes which have
been erected recently by a group OF
operative builders of Washington UNI
der the sponsorship of The Star was
so general on Sunday as to indicate a
keen appreciation of this enterprise
by the people of the Capital. The
purpose Of these constructions is to
demonstrate the possibility of artistic
design and complete equipment for
the fullest degree of comfort and con
venience in the planning and building
of homes Of various grades of expense.
In other words, it has been sought
BY these model homes constructions
10 establish artistic as we'll as prac-
teal standards Of attractiVeness and
completeness within the range of all
purses.
Washingtons urban and suburban
development has in the past not been
in accord with the standard that should
be set for a city of this character,
city Of homes. OF late years. how
ever, more LnOuSnL has pceH given 10
this matter of proper designing and
empIacement. Occasionally isolated
examples Of truly artistic dwellings,
have been afforded through liberal ex-
penditure, beyond the means of the
average home owner.
The Stars invitation TO a group OF
operative builders and architects to
cooperate with it in the demonstra-
ton of combined artistry and prac-
teal utility in IA wide range Of con
structions was accepted in a spirit OF
sincere desire to create models that
would serve to set a standard for the
District and it's enyirons. The men
and women who have engaged in this
cooperative endeavor. each free to
work out individual ideas, have con-
tributed richly to Washington's arts
tic and practical welfare. and it is
now gratifying to find the public keen
~ responsive and deeply interested, as
the attendance at the inspections in
dicates.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-06-29
Deadly "Sparklers."

Fourth Of July fatalities are occur
ring already, we'll in advance Of In
dependence day. Several deaths have
occurred as young children have ex-
ploded different kinds OF fireworks, in
anticipation of the celebration which
Of life. One Of these tragedies is re-
ported from Atlantic City. where a
little girl was burned TO death from
the ignition Of "sparkler," sup
posedly harmless device to give forth
brilliant sparks with a cracking noise.
These "sparl1lers" have cost numer-
Gus lives in the past, in this city as
elsewhere. When the major forms Of
explosives were made less easily ac-
cessible, in order that innocent chill
dren might not be sacrificed. these
contrivances became popular with the
little folks and enormous quantities
OF them were used. The danger from
them does not come from the sparks.
which are relatively heatless and will
not ignite even the lightest fabrics,
but from the wire upon which the ex-
plosive material is carried. This wire
becomes incandescent for the space Of
the chemical coating and CLOVIS for
several seconds after the sparks have
ceased flashing. 1t is then that the
danger occurs. II one Of these glow
ing wires touches child's dress it is
almost certain to cause a flame, which
quickly spreads and does deadly dam
age.
These "sparklers' can be safely
used if the children are careful to
drop the wires upon the ground i'm
mediately after the suffering display
has ceased. But children cannot be
relied upon to do the wise and proper
thing in such cases. They have
keen curiosity which is not to be
satiated without experiments.
Propositions have BEEN made TO ban
the production Of these devices, which
have cost SO dearly in lives. 1t seems
impossible, however to do this and
so the dangerous little wires are con-
stantly in use in enormous numbers
at this time Of year. Parents should
be especially careful to warn the chill
dren about the risk attending their
use.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-06-29

numbered nearly twenty-five to one,
the American golfers, in the tourna-
ments just completed, dominated the
field, but there seems to be no real
reason why the situation should not
be reversed when the club wielders
gather again to shoot pars and brides
in major competition. In the mean
time, however, the pill is a bitter one
to the English taste and the pros and
cons of the matter will be discussed
in both countries.
There is no question but that Amer
lea takes its game seriously. 1t Is a
national trait. With this seriousness.
however, is combined the same ethics
of craftsmanship that actuate the
British in their attitude toward the
game of golf. Hagen, in his sum-
mary. commented on this phase of the
matter, and, in conceding the high
ideals of craftsmanship Of the British,
maintained that this very thing was
one of the reasons for their failure.
lflaSInucn as tHey uiu IoI oeoiA "
care whether they won or lost.
There has never been q suggestion
that the American golfers failed to
live up to the ideals Of sportsman
ship. On the contrary, they have
been lauded for this trait. But in
these recent golf championships, as
we'll as in other athletic competitions.
Americans have gone about the bust
ness of winning with seriousness and
preparation. They have refused to
accept defeat until 1.-The last man was
out" and, in the final analysis. this
fighting determination has been the
deciding factor.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-06-29

Yesterday we presented the plan OF
a "letter shop" to relieve one OF the
bother of writing to friends Ill in hos
pital, etc. The shop even offered to
| manufacture" letters on interesting
topics and send them to ones self, II
one is SO unfortunate as to have nc
one in the world to write him a letter
| now and then.
The more we consider the plan, the
better we like It, I'VE make each let
ter individual" says the circular
gladly following any line Of Thought
you may suggest. For example, should
you tell us that Miss Jones has pas
sion for music, we will let music be
the keynote Of our letter, thus assur-
ing her interest as we'll as her pleas
ure."
What would happen, though. if they
got the wrong letters in the wrong
envelopes?
Imagine poor Miss Jones, who lives
all alone" and who once was able to
negotiate 1.-THE Maiden's Prayer" in a
hesitating fashion, receiving the letter
destined for the sprightly Miss Maca-
room, who dotes on bulldogs!
Picture poor Miss Jones in her lone
some parlor, sitting by the side OF the
plano she has not touched in 40 years.
Miss Jones has grown. with the years,
so teSty that neighbors fear to dis
turb her.
You, however. haZily recalling that
poor Miss Jones once tortured you
with THE Maiden's Prayer" sent the
letter shop" "A crisp dollar bill. with
ha LODI n
letter. she has passion for music.
you said.
Susie Scribble. the lady who manu-
features the CHEEKY, happy letters
sits herself down at her coy spinet
desk and muses. on Beethoven, Mo-
Fart. Wagner. Irving Berlin
She dashes of a neat letter GIVE
use plain stationery and write long
hand'). gets to thinking bit Of her
other theme, bulldogs, for the letter
for Miss Macaroon, puts the first let
ter aside because it has a blot on II,
gets her names mixed up, writes. my
dear Miss Jones begins on bull
dogs.
Hours pass, and Uncle Sans postal
service watts the letter across coun-
try to poor Miss Jones. who waits all
mail man knocks at the door
Miss Jones is all fiutter.
"A letter fer ye, Miss Jones, says
Sam Hicks. the carrier.
"a letter for me-" falters Miss
Jones.
'Yessum." gulps Sam, shifting his
chew Of baccy to the left cheek.
Miss Jones closes the door, and
holds in her thin. trembling hands
the immaculate plain envelope, ad-
dressed III an Improbable feminine
hand. Who can it be? She opens
the letter, and reads
my Dear Miss Jones:
Mr.. Tom Kicking Percival has
told US about your wonderful bull.
dogs, and has asked us to write you
some CHEEKY letters to help pass tho
time away.
How wonderful bulldogs are, to
be sure! Personally. we love them
all from the bowlegged English fell
lows, with their horribly ferocious
jaws, to the little Bostons. cunning
chaps with silly tails.
But you are such a dog lover.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-06-29
London Reverts to Tails.

Before the Great War, American
visitors to England often found them
selves embarrassed when the time
came for them to dress for the eve.
ming, and the male members of the
party, following the prevailing prac.
tice in this country. donned the com.
Portable dinner Jackets" or tuxedos,
with black ties, only to find them.
selves in the company Of "spiketails''
and white ties. The less formal tail
less coat was looked upon by Britons
as a sad departure from customs
which had gained the stability Of long
usage. But the war brought a change.
The dinner coat came into favor at
London and its greater degree Of COM
tort made it popular. The white tie
passed, save for the most ceremonial
occasions, as in this country. The
black tie appeared at functions and in
places previously sacred to the lawn
bow and the white waistcoat. Amer
lean visitors were no longer chagrined
by the dissonance of their usual garb
and that of the native population.
Now the pendulum has swung back.
The popularity of the dinner coat and
black tie has become so marked and
they have appeared in such disregard
for ancient and honorable tradition
that a reaction has occurred. An an
nouncement has been placed upon the
programs at the Covent Garden Opera
to the effect that henceforth sit is
obligatory for evening dress to be
worn in the boxes, the orchestra.
stalls and circle seats" BY "eve-
ming dress" Is meant the full panoply
Of tails, white tie and starched waist
coat. Thus the "barbaric legacy Of
the war;" as a leading tailor Of Lon
don described the dinner Jacket, is to
be no longer tolerated at the British
capitals center of style and correct
garb.
1t is to weep. The American visitor
must 60 to England prepared for the
J worst He must include a stock Of
waistcoats and ties of formal mode
along with his more easily packed and
EF more comfortable dinner-jacket
16tfit-that 10 to say. unless he ID
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-06-29
Failure of the Primary.

With one State after another falling
into the llmelight of senatorial fnves-
tigation regarding primary election
expenditures - Illinois IS to follow
Pennsylvania in the probe-tt is be-
come more definitely eviden. that
the primary system is failing to Jus
tify itself as a means of securing the
best men as nominees for public Office.
Long ago il was recognized that a
poor man had no business going in
for primary selection. He had to meet
the cost of both primary and election,
II nominated. Unless he could find an
''angel' he would be hopelessly dis
fanced, however pure and incorrupti-
BILE the electorate, however proper the
proceedings of persuasion. Now it
develops that the primary is not only
the rich mans game, but the game of
groups Of rich men.
Scandals developed from the old
methods of nomination, by county and
the old style OF senatorial elections by
the Legislatures. Perhaps they are
Snseparable in full from any manner
of popular political choice. But It is
plain that the primary method is far
from a satisfactory substitute for the
former procedure.
The Senate committee Of investiga-
iion is doing a good work. It should
proceed without check as long as
there are fields to cover in this in
tuiry- Perhaps some effective meas
tlre Of restriction and correction can
ba developed to meet the country's
demand for at least approximate hon
esty in the selection of candidates and
sn the elections. This is not a party
matter. All parties spend money, and
hone more scrupulously than others.
The national need today is law, sus-
Eeptible Of being enforced, that will
put premium upon honesty by put
ttnga heavy penalty upon corruption.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-06-29
Woman Mayor of Seattle
Holds Place in Public Eye

I to maintain the laws supremacy. In
this connection, the Indianapolis News
remarks with understanding. Mrs
Bertha X. Landes, new mayor or
Seattle. in saying she does not
promise a model town in 60 days,
shows that she knows how long 1t
takes to clean house"
That there is q new order OF things
in the Puget Sound city" is the asser-
ton Of the Spokane Daily Chronicle.
and, in its opinion, Seattle residents
will not be alone in watching the ad
ministration of their first woman
mayor" That the administration Is
getting right down to brass lacks In
its plans for local enforcement OF law
is evidenced also, according to this
paper, by what 1.-The new chief of
police appointed by Mrs. Landes told
his officers" namely, that eff Federal
agents or men from the shertff's
Office make frequent raids on a police
mans beat, the policeman Will be
called in to explain why he did not
attend to that himself"
On another feature OF enforcement
plans, the Bellingham Herald com
ments as follows: There appears to
be some surprise in Seattle that the
new mayor not only has decided TO
maintain an organization or sleuths'
but that she desires q larger appro
priation than those of the past TO
finance her proposed undercover or
gantzation. OF course, a stool pigeon
does not stand high in the estimation
Of the average person, but experience
has shown that, in some form, he Is
necessary evil. The woman mayor
of Seattle. who has announced that
she intends to enforce the laws. knows
that she cannot do so exclusively with
harness bulls who advertise their
approach a mile away"
1.-THE success of Mrs. Bertha h.
I.andes in Office" concludes the
Seattle Daily Times, lis the unani
nous wish of the press. Her admin
istration Of municipal affairs will be
watched with unfiagging interest, not
only by those confident she will
achieve what she proposes. but also
by those skeptical Of the results she
has undertaken to accomplish. So far
her official actions have been accorded
unqualified commentator"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-06-29
THINK 1T OVER
What Is Freedom?
By William Mather Lewis,
president George Washington University

We are not always as Independent
as we would like to believe. DIR. Wal
lace Butterick Of the General Educa-
ton Board says this: Many people
who are supposed to have trained
minds are slaves to moods. They can
only do serious Intellectual work
when they feel like It," We admit
with dramatic self-pity that we can't
keep our minds on our work; that
our brains just won't act today: that
we will have to put that job of until
tomorrow.
Who is running this machine we
call man? Is it under control Of will
power or won't power? While we
are waiting for a bad mood to pass so
that we can get down to real work.
some one else walks away with the
desired contract or the coveted order
for goods.
It's better to ride In a slow auto
mobile with reliable engine than
in q speedy one which has the habit
of going dead on a railroad track.
What some people excuse as artistic
temperament is usually just pure
selfishness and a desire to dodge
labor.
There is no use for me to pro
claim loudly that I am a free man
until / am in control of myself. There
is no greater slave than the slave %
moods.
$50 \, a-i~4 fCopufrhk~ II o2ouh-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-06-29
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

@. What percentage Of criminals
are old Offenders?-H. T. S.
A. Statistics show that a large per
centage of persons convicted or crime
are old offenders or recidivists. the
percentage varying in different coun
tries and in different parts Of the same
country. The average Is about ~
per cent.
Q. What is the term for the prac
tice some people have when puzzled
Of opening the Bible at random. read
ing q verse. and allowing 1t to deter
mine the persons course OF action
n. ON.
A. Divination by means OF the
Bible is called bibliomancy. Use OF
poetic verses. fixed on by chance. was
common in Rome. Vergil was often
used for this purpose. AS the Bible
spread through Europe. devout peo-
pie naturally turned to 1t for direction.
The custom still persists. although
church dignitaries have frowned
upon it.
@. Tell something OF Tristan da
Cunha.-J. D. x.
A. Tristan da Cunha Is the name
Of a group Of three small volcanic is
1900 miles south-southWest OF ST
Helena and nearly midway between
Cape Town and Buenos Aires. The
total area Is a. square miles. The
largest and only inhabited island con
sists Of an extinct volcano, $500 Feet
high. The climate is equable ano
healthful The inhabitants numbered
1O2 in 1914 --latest available statistics).
They are chiefly the descendants OF
the British soldiers stationed there
during Napoleon's captivity at st.
Helena and Of settlers from whaling
ships. They are supported by agr1
culture and have a considerable mum
Der Of cattle. They are also remark
able in having no organized form OF
government. Access to the outer
world is maintained by the annual
visit Of British warship.
O. Why do mocking birds sing so
loud at night this year?-M. IL. b.
A. The Biological Survey says that
mocking birds are night singers, par
ticularly on moonlight nights. rms
is the nesting season for this species,
which Is probably the reason tna'
they sing more often.
O. Where Is there monument 10
the apple?-R. M. =.
A. In Cordelia. Ga, a replica of
an apple of steel and concrete, 2Z rect
in circumference and weighing 300
pounds. mounted on a base feet IN
height. was recently placed IN the
public square.
O. Is it true that any part OF the
ocean is fresh water?-E. V. L.
A. There are several places in the
different oceans Of the world where
fresh water may be found. one OF
the best known Of these places is be-
yond the coast of Miami. Fla. The
cause Of this fresh water in the midst
Of the salt ocean is q spring formed by
a subterranean river.
O. Is it true that q horse closes his
ewes when he is running away. b.
A. A horse does not close his eyes
entirely when running away. but mar
rows them down until they appear TO
be closed.
.. With how many telephones can
subscriber of the Bell system be
connected?-G. G.
A. There are 900 telephones
interconnected in this system, over
900 900 Of which are owned by 1nde-
pendent connecting companies.
@. Tell something of II. G. Wells
early writing experience. NJ. IL.
A. II. G. Wells was born at Brom-