davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-16
MOONS GRAVITY.

Of the diminished force of gravity
and lack of an atmosphere on the
moons surface in connection with
the work of a Carnegie Institution
committee of astronomers, mathena-
ticians and biologists who are collab-
Grating in an effort to learn more
about the earth's satellite.
THE geologist, accustomed as he Is
to working with conditions as they
exist on the earth's surface, finds him
self in a different kind of world when
be studies the moon" said DR.. Wright
The force of gravity to which he is
accustomed, being so much less, many
phenomena would be different. For
example, VOLCANOES on the earth throw
rocks only a short distance, SO that
they often fall back into the crater
from which they came. But moon
volcanoes would throw such material
much farther The result would be
that the inside flood of the volcanic
craters would be lower than the outer
surface. just the opposite of the earth
~ volcanic conditions. Also the
| craters would be much larger than
any on the earth. Telescope observa-
ton shows that both of these condi-
tions actually occur. Another point
! of marked difference is the lack of
! erosion forms on the moon. While
1 so many of the earthly surface fea-
| lures are the result of weathering by
wind and water, the moon is without
atmosphere and moisture and these
l&foruaS- are ABSENT
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-16

District refuse factory into a prac-
tical enterprise. The story about the
American packing plants which save
everything but the "squeal of the
hog" has girdled the globe as an il
Illustration of Yankee thrift. The tale
of how Washington saves everything
except the residual dust and ashes
from the thousands of tons of trash
which the District annually collects
is a true recital of similar efficiency.
Three and FIVE ton trucks, piled as
high as a fully grown apple tree with
refuse, rumble regularly to the large
unloading platform at the trash plant.
1t would be a slow and laborious
process If all this refuse had to be
tossed by hand or shoveled from the
truck. Clever ingenuity has devised
a simple scheme which unloads each
vehicle as rapidly as you can sneeZe.
A long net of steel is laid over the
bed of the vehicle as the trash collec-
ton begins. This net carries up to
the top of the truck cab, where Ii
terminates In a metal ring fastened
to hook at that point. When the
truck load of trash arrives at the un"
loading station steel cable, actuated
by electricity, is linked to the ring.
AS the electric power then pulls the
sive load of refuse is dumped in one
big heap in the time that 1t takes to
blink your eyes.
Electricity also causes to function a
paper pillow in moving the trash from
the platform to an endless conveyor
of steel which is 400 feet long and 8
feet wide. This conveyor elevates the
trash in a rapidly flowing stream to
the second floor of the salvage plant.
There it streams before "a adept pick
ers, who stand at designated stations
on both sides of the endless apron.
Each picker is a specialist. One
woman snatches bottles from the NOV
ing mass of odds and ends as 1t passes
her. She teases these bottles into a
special delivery bin.
Another worker picks tin cans OF
all shapes. sizes and patterns from the
miscellaneous medley. Others salvage
rags, paper, books, magazines, broken
glass and4siuuilan ax11clea. from the am,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-16

tersection of Monticello avenue north.
east and Mount Olivet road.
One outstanding feature of this Gu
rious project is the speed with which
the material is handled and run
through the trash plant. The days
collection of refuse is disposed Of by
the time the o'clock whistle blows
each afternoon. Nothing is ever left
in the furnaces over night. The expe-
ditious handling of the trash explains
| why so few lost articles are found.
Usually by the time the news of such
losses reaches the trash station the
refuse which might have contained
, the missing articles has long since
passed through reclamation sleeves and
sifters. The man who lost his dia-
mond cuff links in the morning and
missed them at noon would have to
speed to the trash plant Immediately
if he hoped to find them. The chances
would be about 10 to that they had
already been reduced to pulverized
SCOT in the trash crematory.
The largest pile of tin cans which
you ever saw will loom before your
eyes as you alight from your motor
car when you chance to visit the Dis
tricts refuse retreat. Naturally, you
will inquire concerning the disposition
which will be made of that miniature
mountain OF WedtHSTroedlSI I'LL ~
appears that this accumulation7,it is
a stack rs feet high. 100 feet wide and
$50 feet long-represents the collection
of eight years. 1t was begun during
the days when the private contractor
operated the trash plant. 1t continued
to grow during the first two years
that the District authorities conducted
the enterprise. During those years
the trash plant was not equipped with
the electrical tin can compressor.
There was no satisfactory method OF
concentrating the bulky trash so that
it could be transported economically
to factories which could use it. It is
not now practical to attempt to re-
claim this hill of decaying tin, so It
will remain where it is until it rusts
into extinction.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-16

Washington milk bottle exchange for
| cent apiece. This exchange dis
tributes the salvaged bottles to the
various dairymen whose names and
trade marks they bear.
Other glass containers are segre-
gated according to size, shape end va
riety, and are packed in crates and
barrels. They are sold to reliable
Washington junk dealers at prices
which range from 72 cents to $3.50 a
gross. These junk dealers resell the
bottles to various beverage manufac-
turers. bottling companies and other
concerns which sell their products in
glass containers.
BY a close study of bottle anatomy
and Identifying labels the visitor to
the trash plant can gain very ac-
curate INSTALLATION of the efficiency
of prohibition enforcement in the Dis
trict of Columbia. Local officials
could, unquestionably, secure evidence
if they were only able to bride the
trash collectors to give them the bot
tie evidence which they collect from
the alley entrances of Washington
homes. The trash plant authorities
say that if the labels on bottles are
any fundamental criterion by which to
judge conditions our National Capital
consumes almost as much of stimulat
ing beverages as it did before the
demise of John Barleycorn. Every
imaginable kind of a liquor bottle
comes to the refuse station. The junk
dealers purchase these and distribute
them to District, Maryland and Vir-
ginia 'moonshiners."
All the broken glass is loaded into
freight cars and sold to Baltimore
glass factories, which melt the ma
terial and ultimately market it in the
remade form of window glass, bottles,
table articles, mirrors and allied goods.
This salvaged glass sells for SIS ton.
An average carload consists of 800
barrels of broken glass. Not only is
the broken glass of smashed bottles
saved for future use, but the corks
also are salvaged If they are whole
and intact. The air in the empty bot
ties is the only thing which escapes
reclamation ut Washington's most
curious hottle.rescua establishment.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-16

at the factory, where the District
dumps its trash and reclaims annually
about 100000 worth of paper, rags,
tin cans. bottles, broken glass and
other refuse.
District and Government officials
who seek sterling examples of cur
rent economy could do no better than
to study the consummations which
Morris Hacker, superintendent of the
city refuse disposal annually records
In separating the chaff from the
wheat. the fit from the misf1t and
unfit, among the endless assortment
of articles delivered daily at the trash
plant.
During the last IL months more
than 5000 square yards of discarded
material have been hauled by a feet
of eight motor trucks and IL horse
vehicles which the District of Co
lumhia maintains for such activities.
Many cities require the individual
householders to make private dispo-
sition of their trash and junk accord
ing to local laws and ordinances.
Washington is fortunate, inasmuch
as the District features this work as
a public charge. Every day except
Sunday the battery of gasoline and
horsepower conveyances transports
LlOtiI toO W cbV CuDlC ydidS VI II dSh
from all parts of the District to the
disposal center. The collections are
as regular as time, while the job is
performed as sanitarily as when
mythical Hercules cleaned the Augean
stables. The refuse collectors con-
tribute daily to the upkeep of Wash
ington's superlative reputation as the
cleanest of all cities.
The outlying sections of some cities
are enveloped in smoke screens arts
ing from the public dumping grounds
where itinerant collectors deposit and
burn household trash. Fires which
never burn out transform the refuse
into smoke and ashes. An army of
ragpickers hobbies over the eye
sores" by day, winning a precarious
livelihood from the junk, which they
salvage and sell. Our National Capt.
tai is far removed from such unseen
ly scenes. Congress annually appro-
PIRATES special funds to pay the ex-
penses of trash collection and dis
posal from the 10000 private resi-
dences in the District.
Mechanics have been harnessed
and good business management
has been recruited TO develop the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-16
MATCHING COLORS.

THE matching of colors has been
reduced to an exact science by a
number of processes. One of the most
efficient, that devised by Ridgeway,
renders possible the selection of more
than 4,000 colors and their varying
shades. This is accomplished by the
use of names, numbers, letters and
samples. This scheme is valuable to
the shopkeeper, to the woman who
would match a ribbon, to the decora-
tor and to a hundred departments of
manufacturing industries.
Ridgeway began with the seven col
ors of the spectrum. and by combining
these and recording the different vari-
atoms, obtained 36 hues arranged in
sequence from violet to red. He had
also, of course, a record of the dyes
and pigments employed to secure
these effects. He then proceeded to
modify each of them by means of a
color wheel. AS the wheel revolved,
disks composed of two or more seq
ments of colors were combined in
any desired relative proportion. This
proportion was indicated by a scale
on the circumference wheel. BY
rapidly revolving this wheel Ridge
way obtained 159 combinations of the
SO colors. These 159 colors were
diluted with black, white and gray
disks. In this manner he obtained
total number of LIS colors and
shades.
OF the 159 colors each is arranged
in scale of seven tones: the full color
with three tints, and three shades on
either side, each lettered and labeled
SO that intervening colors may be
indicated. making 1000 designations
possible.
The adoption of this book and the
system of color designation advo-
Gated is said to prevent the existing
indefiniteness and variation of colors,
fiufa and ahadass 4fssdz ma dessenossihle
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-16

ending procession as it moves onward
with military precision. The pickers
sing fervently and melodiously as
they work. The favorite cotton pick
ing songs of Dixie ring and re-echo
through the halls and corridors of the
Districts most extraordinary reclama-
ton plant.
The large conveyor at the end of
it's path deposits the residual trash
which is left after most of the mer-
charitable articles have been salvaged
into smaller endless apron which
moves at right angles to the larger
apparatus. The smaller conveyor is
25 feet long and 3 feet wide. Two
pickers man this moving table and
salvage any salable trash which has
escaped their companions in the main
room. This second conveyor dis
charges it's cargo through a. portfolio
in the concrete floor into huge in
GENERATOR below
The incinerator is II by so by rs
feet in size, with 1s-inch walls lined
with fire brick. The stack of the
great furnace is IL feet in diameter
at the base and 65 feet high. Four
experienced firemen man the eight
furnace doors of the incinerator.
Only III to 2 tons of trash are Gre
mated daily in this furnace. This
but illustrates the completeness OF
the salvage campaign.
OF the 500 cubic yards of trash
which are delivered at the plant each
working day all is saved and returned
to the channels of commerce except
~ to ? tons of dirty paper, dust,
paint cans. old rubbers, wall paper,
wornout shoes and similar materials
which are destroyed by fire.
X X
THE bottles which are recovered
from the trash stream are even
tually loaded upon rubber conveyor
which transports them to the glass
salvage department. This endless con-
veyor is 100 feet in length and IA
inches wide. A half-dozen piekers sort
and grade the bottles as they are de-
livered to the glass house upon the
rapidly moving belt. The milk bottles
which are reclaimed are aold to the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-16
By GEORGE H. DACY.


~ ALVAGE, which saves all but
fine SCOT. dust and destruct-
IDLE debris, is fostered to perfec-
~ ton at one of Washington S
most interesting and romantic
establishments, the District trash
plant, several blocks above Mount
: Olivet Cemetery.
Somebody may say that romance and
q city refuse station are about as
widely separated as Bermuda and the
Chinese Sea. Such persons will re-
wise their opinions promptly, however,
If they will but take the trouble to
visit the Districts depository of dis
carded articles, rubbish and trash, and
discuss the matter with Supt. Corder.
You may think that 1t is analogous
TO visiting the slough of despond in
search of happiness to call at the
trash plant to hunt for romance.
Your posthaste decision is wrong.
The creInatory of trash, the rescue
factory of salable debris, is almost
the daily scene, although not the
hatchery, Of adventure and romance.
A certain Washington doctor in
the rush of work mislaid a valuable
container of radium. 1t found its
way to the trash can. No trace of it
has ever been found.
The limousines of SOCIAL leaders, as
we'll as the fliyvers of<newly-weds. oc-
~asionally meet st~fhe District assem-
bly place of refuse. Some Washing
ton matrons<6r misses sometimes are
careless with their costly gems and
3ewelry. A channels bag of diamonds
or a./feather case of gems may find
devious ways TO the trash plant.
Maids or charwomen. ignorant of
their value. may throw away the
valuable ornaments. The refuse col
lector may transport a fortune in rings
and bracelets to the salvage station.
The gems may pass on endless con
sosvors and over sorting tables before
1. hundred eyes without recognition.
Eventually they may be dumped into
the incinerator and irreparably de-
stroyed.
engagement rings, wedding rings.
hetrothal gifts and even Christmas
presents are occasionally thrown
SWAY in masses Of wrapping paper or
debris. Sooner or later their owners
come TO the District trash plant in
search of their lost treasures. Ro-
nance. pathos, fortune seeking and
searching thrills are regular callers
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-16

are delivered at the elbow of an cleo.
trical compressor. Millions Of cans,
ranging In size from ointment boxes
to 20-gallon ash cans, are compacted
into bales which weigh IS pounds
apiece. Two hundred and fifty of these
bales are packed daily flor shipment
to Baltimore. More than 1000 bales
of this size are sold annually at Sc a
ton A Baltimore factory melts the
tin and uses it as a raw material in
manufacturing window sash weights.
The sardine, tomato and. salmon cans
which you throw away this Winter
may be used in remodeled form in the
window equipment of that new home
which you propose to build next sum-
mer.
The rags which are reclaimed are
sorted into 10 different grades, accord
ing to their content Of wool and cot
ton. These rags are then pressed into
bales that weigh from 500 to 1900
pounds and are sold TO paper
mills, which convert them into vari-
Gus kinds of paper, stationery and
paper products. The worn.out Grapes,
stockings. window curtains and cloth
ing which you discard today may re-
turn to your home or office several
months from now in the form of
writing paper, newspapers or maya
zines.
X X
THE District trash plant is owned
by a private contractor, who
leases it to the Washington authori-
ties. Previous to 1920. when the Dis
trict first began to rent the establish
ment, it was operated by this indi-
vidual, who handled the local trash
on a contract basis. The enterprise
has proved so practical and efficient
that Baltimore has followed Washing
tons lead in this effective system of
refuse disposal. Pittsburgh also now
runs a trash salvage establishment
which duplicates the accomplishments
of the local plant, situated near the in.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-16

From $50 to 200 gross of bottles are
salvaged and sold each week.
The best pickings" of the year are
delivered at the District ash plant
during the week before and the two
weeks after Christmas. The wrap
ping paper, boxes and containers in
which Washingtons many million dol
lars worth of Christmas gifts were de-
livered are consigned eventually to
the scrap basket. In the course of
time they arrive at the trash sorting
plant.
THE reclamation of waste paper is
the outstanding operation of this
District enterprise. All the paper that
possesses any market value is divert
ed on it's journey toward the inciner-
ator and is shunted To the huge baling
presses. where the material is com
pacted into heavy bales Weighing from
500 to 1900 pounds apiece. The trash
handled during rainy weather invari-
ably results in heavier bales. due to
the moisture absorbed, which makes
it possible to compress more paper in
the same size of bales.
The paper reclamation at present
amounts to 55 to 90 bales daily. Dur
ing the peak of the paper reclamation,
a1IC the i ulGtluG SGdSOtl, DIS IIluCIl dS
rs bales of paper daily are hauled
from the salvage station to the rail-
road. The paper is now being shipped
to Michigan, where it is sold for IS
ton to a mill which converts it into
compressed cardboard. Electricity has
been geared to operate the paper
presses which bale the trash by-prod-
uct into huge bundles 8 by by feet
in dimensions.
At various times the Districts re-
covered paper has been sold to mills
in practically all parts of the country.
When the refuse paper arrives at the
mandatory, the wires are cut, the
paper is saturated with water and
then is macerated into shreds and
fragments. 1t is subsequently baked
in huge ovens and reduced to pulp
form. Finally 1t is manufactured into
commercial cardboard.
The tin cans are shunted by gravity
chutes from the second to the ground
door al, thu salvage plaut EheN
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-16
Aerial Doctors.

THE continent of Australia has been
divided into circular districts, each
with a radius of 200 miles, to be COW
cred by flying doctors. In this way
a physician in government employ
may be summoned to any place in the
whole country where he may be need
ed and reach there In . compaxnr
tiyelx ,shorn TINA
The Washington times., 1927-04-01
FLORIsTs

p. A. TALTAVULL,
436 7th st. S. w. M. 1879
NO BRANCH OFFICE
The Washington times., 1927-04-01
VIRALDO JOHN MATCHETT

Funeral services under the aus
pieces Of the knights of Pythias
were held today for viraldo John
Matchett. 20. who died yesterday
at the John Dickson Home. The
Rev. Henry L. Ranch preached :
funeral sermon. Burial was IN
Glenwood Cemetery.
a washington resident for 40
years, Mr.. Matchett spent nearly
Sv years OF this period in the en-.
ploy Of the ]. Taylor Wade %
commission merchants. He vas
with the G. B. Smith Commission
house about ten years. He was :
charter member OF Capitol Iodge !
no q. knights OF Pythias, IL
y survived by daughter Afrs
The Washington times., 1927-04-01
ROBERT P. MuLER

Funeral services for Robert P.
Miller. 81. will be held tomorrow from
his home. II I st. ". e. He died
Wednesday following an operation at
Providence Hospital.
Mr.. Miller's family were we'll
known Georgetown residents for
many years. His father, John r.
Miller. ST., was weIl-known con.
tractor. His mother was a member
The Washington times., 1927-04-01

Of the Barnes family, Of Georgetown.
Mr.. Miller never married. He il
survived BY seven brothers and sis
tiers. Emma. Ida. Mary. John f.. r.
Ferry. Howard B. and Forrest C.
Miller.
The Rev. DIR. F. G. Reynolds, of
Wesley Methodist Episcopal Church,
will officiate at the services tomor-
row. Interment will be in Glenwood
Cemetery.
The Washington times., 1927-04-01
DEATHS

HEgARTY-on Wednesday, March 30.
1927, at his residences. 20l Washington
Ave-. RiEerdale, Maryland HARRY Al
HEGARTY, beloved husband OF Lillian W
HeFarty. Funeral from residences on Sat
urday. April 2, a. .. M. thence 10 Sd
Al0yeine Church. where naasa will be said a
10 o'clock. interInent Mt. 0livet Cemetery
sPAULDING--on Wednesday, March so
ss229 g 81 n W. NARY TEREsA l Ines
" H.,nsoVmi :, AIRED ~ years beloved wife 81
her mother ard two brothers and grand.
Funeral services at ST, stcphen's Church.
Iwenty-sixth and Pennaslvania Ave. N. NJ,
on Saturday, April 2, az 10 O'ciuc "A,
Internent az Mt 0livet Cemetery
enthusiastically Friday, April a,
her residenee. 40R Seward Square 81 o.
RITA WELLER. widow 81 Michael /. and
mother Of Mrs, g. A. Mccarthy. Joseph
Francis r. and Michael A. Weller.
Funeral from her late residence Monday
! April : g 2 2. nj thence. 10 ST. peterl
Church, Second and @ s. E.. where nlael
will be said az o 30. Please omit flowers
Interment Mt. Oiiyet Cemetery.