davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-31

rest of that revolution. Battle after bat
tie, skirmish after skirmish was fought
for possession of it, and Capt. Christ
mas discovered that for him fighting
beat engine running all hollow. Plan
ming attacks, rushing out ahead Of his
men and having them follow him
blindly through hail of bullets, quell-
ing incipient mutiny, swapping out
orders to soldiers-all this was as SIM
pie as if he had studied and practiced
it since babyhood. Bonilla kept saying
that if he could win the railroad he
would win the war. Christmas sput-
tered and swore and planned. Then
one day he promised Bonilla he would
win the road"
Soon he had rugged up a travelling
fort--a fiat car with thick sandbag
waIls--and manned it with marksmen.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-31
UNDERGROUND CANALS

( egress Of SO many barges passing
through single passage. The other
archway Is the entrance to a wider
channel, which extends for several
miles to Bolton, and from which other
canals diverge in various directions.
The barges were long and narrow.
each holding about 10 tons of coal,
and were each drawn along the tunnel
by means Of staples fixed in the wall.
When the barges were empty, and
consequently higher out of water, the
bargemen propelled themselves along
by Logging" as it is called.
In the tunnels of early date, towing
paths were never constructed, and,
except where there Is used steam haul.
age. the method of propelling boats
through such tunnels, down to the
present time consists In pushing with
long pole, or shaft, against the
top or the sides of a tunnel while
walking from forward aft along the
boat, and is generally used only in
short tunnels.
Logging" is usually performed by
two men. one on each side Of the
boat at the fore end. who lie down
on their backs and push against the
sides of the tunnel with their feet.
If the tunnel is too wide to admit OF
their reaching the side wall with their
feet from the boats deck, boards pro-
jecting over the boats side, termed
wings, are brought into use for them
to lie on. When the roof of tunnel
is low, one man can "leg" an empty
boat lying down on the top Of the
cabin.
AT tunnels where the traffic Is good,
professional 'leggers" are in attend
ance, who take their turn assisting
boats through as required. At the
old Hardcastle Tunnel a "legger" may
be engaged for less than a dollar and
half for the passage through. which
generally takes about hours. The
canals are still in use. .....ss
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-31

TUNNEL canals are by no means
- uncommon in England. but the
Bridgewater Subterranean Canal is
quite different from the other coal
canals; indeed, there is nothing quite
like II in any other part OF the world.
John Brindley, the engineer in
charge when the canal was built in
1859, laid down within his coal mines
O system Of underground railways, all
leading from the face OF the coal
(where the miners were at work. TO
the shafts which he had made at
various points in the tunnel, through
which the coal was shot into the boats
waiting 10 receive it below.
First g large basin was excavated
at the entrance TO the shafts at
Worsly, capable OF holding a number
of specially constructed barges and
serving as head for navigation
From this basin the barges entered
the mine by means of an underground
canal with two serni-circular arches or
mouths, and moved for mile right
,p to the various workings. Subse.
ouentiy, the canal was extended for
about miles. and then branched ont
in various directions with a total
length Of nearly 40 miles.
Where the tunnel passed through
earth or coal, the arching was of
brick work, but where it passed
through rock it was simply blown
out. The underground passa geway,
therefore, acted not only as a drain
and water feeder for the canal itself,
but also as a means Of carrying the
facilities OF navigation TO the very
heart of the mines.
Worsly Basin lies at the base of a
sandstone cliff several hundred feet
high, covered with luxuriant vegeta-
ton. The smaller aperture Is the
mouth of a canal which runs tor
about a mile, and serves 10 prevent
the congestion which would inevitab-
~ be caused by the entrance and
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-31

knives and brought in braziers of
burning coal. Christmas talked on
grimly, hOpelesly.
Just in time Moloney and a band
of American soldiers of fortune
smashed their way into the place,
bested the surprised firing squad, and
carried Christmas away. They fled
that night safely into Guatemala.
RUT Lee Christmas couldn't keep
- quiet very long. Soon he was
back in New Orleans. He was. it ap-
pears, planning his biggest and best
Central American filibuster. News
paper men noticed an increasing num-
Der Of known soldiers of fortune whis-
pering around the tables of certain old
cafes. where filibusters always used
to gather. Next, they discovered that
mysterious parties had purchased the
old United States gunboat Hornet.
Christmas denied that the ship was
to take arms and ammunition to Porto
Cortez for a new uprising. But the
ship cleared suddenly, took on sup
plies down the coast and turned up
and Bonilla slipped out of New Or
leans, to be heard from again when
war broke out, shortly afterward, in
Honduras. Back in Louisiana, Christ
mas and others were indicted for fit
ting out filibustering expedition
against "a country with which the
United States was at peace" The
Washington Government ordered the
battleship Tacoma to Honduran waters
to watch the Hornet-to see that she
was not used to violate American neu-
trality.
But all this did not worry Lee
Christmas. He had, indeed, become a
soldier. and he planned his most mas
terry campaign. He gathered one
army in Nicaragua and one night shot
1t across the border, with Tegucigalpa
as its goal. At the same time he ap-
alien soldiers Of fortune Off Porto
Cortez. BY morning that town was
his. The first army marched on the
capital while Christmas led 5000 men
on Ceiba, an important center. Aided
by his friend, Guy Moloney. one of
the best machine-gun fighters Of that
early time, Christmas, after placing
his various attachments about the
town and telling them to expect no
further orders from him, but to do
what he lad told them to do in the
beginning or die, rushed into the town
with picked force Of Americans.
Through hail OF bullets they stormed
the seawall, behind which the enemy
was intrenched in great numbers.
The machine gun, in Moloney's hands,
did terrible execution, and after a
three-hOur fight. in which the gov
eminent general was slain, the city
fell. Davila agreed to a peace confer
ence with Bonilla, and finally gave up
all claim to the presidency. Once
again Bonflla took charge.
A a reward, he made Christmas
governor Of the province about Porto
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-31
THE RAMBLER
CONTINUED from Second Pare1

be paid to freedmen desiring to emf.
CRATE to Hayti or Liberia was adont.
ed, q yeas, 10 nays. The nays were.
Senators Chandler. Michigan; Clark.
New Hampshire; Fessenden, Maine:
Foster, Connecticut; Grimes, Iowa:
Hale. New Hampshire; Howard, Micht-
gan; Morrill,, Maine; Pomeroy, Kansas.
and Sumner, Massachusetts,. These
were the uncompromising abolitionists
in the Senate.
Now we come to the vote on the
District emancipation bill. 1t was
carried-yeas, 20; nays, IA.
The yeas were: Messrs. Anthony,
Rhode Island; Browning. Illinois;
Chandler, Michigan; Clark, New
Hampshire; Collomer, Vermont; Dixon.
Connecticut: Doolittle. Wisconsin: Fes-
sender, Maine: Foot, Vermont; Foster,
Connecticut; Grimes, Iowa; Hale, New
Hampshire; Harlan, Iowa: Ira Harris.
New York; Howard, Michigan; T. o.
Howe. Wisconsin: King, New York;
II. s. Lane, Indiana; j. II. Lane.
Kansas; Morrill,, Maine; Pomeroy,
Kansas: Sherman, Ohio; Summer,
Massachusetts,; Ten Eyck, New Jer-
sey; Trumbull, Illinois: B. +. Wade,
Ohio: Wilkinson, Minnesota; Wilmot,
Pennsylvania, and Henry Wilson,
Those who voted against the Dis.
trict emancipation bill were: Senator's
Bayard, Delaware; Garlic, Virginia;
Davis, Kentucky: Henderson, Mis-
souri,; Kennedy, Maryland; Latham,
McDougal. California: Ne
smith, Oregon: Powell. Kentucky:
Delaware; Stark, Oregon:
Wiley. Virginia: r. Wilson, Missouri,
and Wright Indiana
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-31

even against death. His last great
fight was on.
The doctors said he had pernicious
anemia; that only blood transfusions
could save him. Moloney gave his
blood to save his old chief. The Jun.
gle ghosts crept away, to bide their
time; they knew. Presently, thew
closed in again. Lee Christmas fought
for his life. Again Moloney gave
his blood. The shadows were forced
back once more. For time the is-
sue was in doubt Another attack.
more blood transfusions, a little
respite! Then sudden and final vic.
tory for the things of the jungle and
the wars. -N
Lee Christmas had surrendered in
the end. but he went out with the
sure and serene faith that death was
the only enemy before whom he had
ever bowed.
tCopyright 1927
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-31

EN-. LEE CHRISTMAS was
perhaps the most amazing
human enigma I've met In
more than quarter CEN
tury of wars and of wander
ing. He began life as one of the most
tneffectual Of men, youngster with
hair-trigger temper that often eX-
ploded, so to speak, but that never
forced him into any action OF domina-
ton or control over himself or others.
dare say many who knew him in his
youth rather regarded him as a tenn
peramental weakling. But suddenly
he found himself. He became a great
fighter and leader Of men--one OF
those children Of destiny for whom
other men die with vim, true soldier
OF fortune.
No man ever lived who was drawer,
quicker to act or more reSourceful in
war than this same Christmas proved
himself to be in Central America. For
years he was such good warrior that
j he had but to present himself to al
most any political or military leader
in that hotbed of revolution to be
named a general on the spot and sent
into the field. A maker of presidents.
this former American railroader led
forces that on FIVE different occasions
put five executives in offices by force
of arms. He was wounded innumer-
able times. His life was indeed sim
ply game of tag with death. Gen.
Christmas Killed Again" for many
years was almost q standing headline
In American newspaper offices, SO
often was the general reported slain.
When our mutual friend, Richard
Harding Davis, wrote Soldiers of For
tune" he took Christmas as the model
for his hero, Clay. He gave this fic
tional Christmas an inch or two more
height and few less years, but other
wise the picture was true. 1t was this:
HE was tall, broad shouldered
youth with a handsome face, tanned
and dyed either by sun or exposure to,
the wind, to a deep, rudy brown.
which contrasted strangely with his
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-31

eminent soldiers opened fire on the
train.
Bullets spattered about the cab.
Christmas, ducking, got 'allfired
mad" He grabbed rifle from one
Of the native soldiers and began fir
ing. He had never before shot any
thing bigger than squirrel, and he
was amazed to- see that he could
shoot like a marksman. It was as if
the spirit Of his father suddenly took
possession Of him. The government
troops began to fall back.
Christmas leaped from the engine
and whipping the revolutionists into
following him, drove that particular
band of "federals" into a mountain
gully, where they were faced with
surrender or sure death. The fed
erals" surrendered pronto. Christmas
dropped his rife, began moppicg his
face with the old red bandanna he had
raiIroading he somehow loved-and
ambled back to his engine.
When he got back a small, fat, viva
cious man with heavy mustaches and
gaudy uniform ran to meet him.
He was fairly bursting with eager en-
thusiasm. Great" glorious" "geni-
us" warrior supreme"-these were
some of the exciting things Lee Christ
mas heard himself called. He brushed
the little man away. His engine was
waiting. But when he learned, next
instant. that his admirer was none
other than Manuel Bonlla, leader of
the revolutionists, he stared.
"I'll make you an officer" Bonilla
was saying. "A captain In my army.
I will make you rich. give you place
and power once we have taken Tegu-
cigalpa."
In amazement, Lee Christmas
looked into the avid, bright little black
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-31

ragged animal is finally lassoed by the
horns. and the holder of the maidens
who have followed the men into the
mountains present the wreath of
flowers which is placed on the bulls
head.
Then the descent into the village
begins--and what descent! The paths
are boulder-strewn, the rocks cruel
and jagged; but the men seem pos.
sessed with the old spirit of savagery,
the same spirit that fought and drove
the Moors from their beloved island.
They leap from crag to crag, the bull
snorts and bellows, pulling and strain
ing magnificently to rid itself OF the
two leading ropes and the check rope
behind. -. e b, ~. ss
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-31
Sacrifice Which Was Origin of Bull Fight
Survives in Spanish Islands Celebration

LII the world Is acquainted with
" the bull fight, and all the
~ world that has seen it divides ,tdes
4 4 itself into two parties-those
who shudder and cry out
against the cruelty to the horses, and
those others-"hombres de sangre' -
who exclaim, 'it is an old and classic
custom, and expresses the people
let it remain
But how many seekers after the
primitive and strange have witnessed
that pagan custom which originated
the bun fight---the very beginning OF
the national sport of Spain of today?
The sacrifice of a bull to the gods,
point in the evolution of civilized
society not so far removed from the
days of human sacrifice,
High up in the rugged mountain of
the Island of Mallorca, off the east
coast Of Spain, there lies the little
pueblo of FornalutZ, whose patron
saint is Santa Anna, la Madre de la
Virgen, of whom there is a fifteenth
century wooden image above the door
of the quaint old church. The fiesta
in which the bull is sacrificed is dedi-
Gated to the patron saint, and is called
ia Fiesta de la Madre de Septiembre
the september fSdSt Oh the MotheI
Of the Virgin--and lasts three days.
Great excitement reigns the night
preceding the feast. The young men
stay up all night strolling from cafe
to cafe imbihing their strange drinks,
f"palo," "anis," and "aguardiente," be-
coming fierce and bold as BELTS the
occasion, while the senoritas, dark
eyed and with arms linked (the women
OF the island never mix with the men
on public occasions) whisper among
themselves and look on with awe and
admiration.
At the first streak of dawn the bull
can be heard believing in the noun
tains--the men have found it! With
much shouting, and running in head
long course down the mountainside,
they at last corral 1t near the entrance
to the village. Standing at bay, snort
J Ing and paving the ground, the en-.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-31

yellow hair and mustache. His most
attractive feature was his eyes. which
seemed to observe all that was going
on. not only what was on the surface
but beneath the surface, and not
rudely or covertly but with the frank,
quick look of the trained observer"
Yet Davis might have mentioned
with deeper touch Of truth the wide,
straight mouth, clamped in Lee Christ
mas later day into stark determine
ton and purpose, and the quick. saw
age light that could come in those
same eyes in a fight.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-31

villagers. who rarely eat meat. glut-
ting themselves on the flesh of the
sacrificed animal. The village orches-
ira comes forth with its ''chirimeas"
and tchimbumbas" Cbagpipes and a
sort Or perforated drum through which
a stick Is vibrated In a savage rhythm)
and makes weird and barbaric music.
To the spontaneous and primitive
strains they dance in their handsome
native costumes--with much swapping
of fingers-the .bolero" and the "jota,"
with the stately grace Of q simple.
unspoiled people.
And 50 ends the September fiesta Of
the Mother Of the Virgin In one Of
the most untouched villages ~ Spain.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-31

about to sail. and as she went out
stood at the rail, saying good-by to
the scene Of his failures. unknowing
the glamour that waited at the end of
the voyage. The purser asked him for
his ticket, and in turn he asked list
lessly where the ship was going.
At Porto Cortez, Honduras, they put
him off.
No one would have thought that the
quiet. humble human who drifted into
the Office OF the Honduran Railroad.
a line 900 or 400 miles long then, used
mostly for TRANSPORT Of fruit and bul.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-31

How magnificently viriIe seems this
furious animal, with flowers wreathed
on it's horns-a fit Offering to the gods.
Down they come into the pueblo,
where, of course, all the village pop
ulation Is massed in the plaza. And
then the fiesta passes through phase
of buffoonery; pistols and crackers are
fired under the frenzied beasts nose,
and all the men. boys and graybeards
included, 'torear" the animal in a
mimic bull fight until 1t Ii weak with
exhaustion, after which II Is penned,
in the Cosa Consistoriai or town hall.
until the butcher comes and hunaneIy
kills 1t.
The fiesta continues two days more
IN dancing and merrymaking-t
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-31

lion from farm and mines-a few days
later was the future Lee Christmas.
He had been an engineer, he said, back
in the States. Would they give him a
job? Nobody, 1t appears, worried
about color blindness in Honduras
maybe they had never heard of it
and SO in the end Christmas was again
allowed to climb into a cab. For some
time he was content, thankful. After
all. he was doing what he had always
wanted to do, even If he was. far from
home.
THEN the turn came. The revolu'
ton which Manuel Bonilla had
started against President Policarpo
swept over the part of the country
traversed by the little railroad. Gov
eminent troops took up a strong posi-
ton along the line, and one day a
band Of revolutionists boarded the
train that Christmas was running and
ordered him to take them to a point
where they could attack the enemy.
Christmas was Disguised. Even on
this dinky railroad fate wouldn't let
him alone. He began driving the en-
CINE forward, probably cursing his
luck, when all Of sudden the. gov
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-31

He put this out in front of an engine,
and began shooting it back and forth
along the right of way. Finally he
had the company's five other engines
bottled up at one end of the line. The
railroad was paralyzed; the position of
the government troops became unten-
able and at last they were driven out.
This proved the turning point. The
victory brought the tickle people flock
ing to Manuel Bonilla's standard.
THE fighting engineer" and his rail-
road battleship captured the popular
fancy, too. Finally, Policarpo's dwin-
ding army was defeated and he him.
self taken prisoner. Lee Christmas
rode into Tegucigalpa at the head of
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-31

aided in the capture Of others. and the
government owned the railroad! He
was a marked man, foredoomed to one
of those firing squad parties, probably,
if he was seized. His safety lay, then,
with Bonilla: only by helping Bonilla
win. by thus changing the government.
could Lee Christmas be sure of his
life and his railroad job. Yes, he even
thought of his job then! BY jove, Lee
Christmas would fight. The next in
slant he was a captain in the army Of
Manuel Bonilla.
X "
RUT the most amazing part Of the
~ situation was still to come. The
little railroad became the key to the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-31

eyes, and the eyes changed. They be-
came crafty, calculating, wheedling.
You have killed government SOL
diers," whispered Manuel Monilla. IF
they catch you, they will kill you as
traitor, an enemy. They will count
you on my side, anyway. You might
as well go the rest Of the way with
me. You see?"
Lee Christmas swore. BY all that
was holy, this Bonila was right. He
had killed government soldiers, and
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-31

A LII the world Is acquainted with
" the bull fight, and all the
world that has seen 1t divides
itself into two parties-those
who shudder and cry out
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-31
BY CAPT. HERMAN ARCHER,
IT G

. EN-. LEE CHRISTMAS was
perhaps the most amazing
human enigma I've met In
more than a quarter CEN
tury of wars and of wander
The Washington times., 1927-08-13

If ever the humor Of q situa-
eion was appreciated on the
screen this one showing the
naughty young miss certainly
was az the premiere Of the picture
~ New York. Al the ear stopped
a the country road and the gay
and festive youth at the wheel
turned to his pretty companion to
whisper sweet nothings and ask
Tor q kiss, the audience smiled.
And then as the girl Of the
early eos with the flowing skirts
that robbed the world Of the sight
IOf her pretty ankles indignantly
flounced out Of the car to begin
her long walk homeward. the
audience howled.
Some scenes merely create mild
smiles. others little ripples, Of
laughter. and still others loud
shouts Of Rlee.
This scene in 1.-THE First Auto"
Began with a ripple and ended
with an explosion. To the man
whose waistline has been increas-
ing as the hairs of his head have
been decreasing, the scene had a
hlInnor that was all its own. AS
tar as that goes, however, there
were many women in the audi
ence who seemed to enjoy It all
90 much az their male compan.
Ions.
The Washington times., 1927-08-13
MANY UNITS AT
WORK IN FOX
STUDIOS

With eight companies working
at Fox Films West Coast studios
and with several other COM
panies scheduled to start within
the immediate future. the Sun.
set and Western plant OF this
producing company IS now the
busiest spot on the Pacific Coast,
according to General Superin.
tendent Sol M. WslrtzeI. Mr..
Wurtzel announced that the fall
and winter months will find
some of the best-known directors
and actors actively engaged with
Fox pictures.
Among the directors now in
work are John Ford, Albert
Ray, Howard Hawks, John G.
Blystone, David Butler, Alfred
r. Green, Zion Myers, Robert
Ray and others. James Timing
IL preparing.
Stars and featured players now
In production include Olive Bor.
den, Lois Moran. Janet Gaynor.
Greta Nissen. Charles Farrell,
Glen Tryon, Tom Mix. Buck
Jones, Edmund Lowe, Earle Foxe,
Lawrence Gray, Nick stuart,
Sally Phipps. Richard Walling
and many others. Others seized.
uled to start in the near fn.
ture include Madge Bellamy, Cliff
ford Holland. Mary Duncan and
others.
Included in the list Of cur
rent productions are "2 Girls
Wanted" directed By Alfred e.
Green: Publicity Madness" Al
bert Raw Grandmother Bernie
Learns Her Letters" John Ford;
''Paiamas." j. G. Blystone; a
high school story. David Butler:
Bride Of the Night" Howard
Hawks, and a number Of others.
James Timing, launching his first
dramatic production for William
Fox, will have Madge Bellamy.
Clifford Holland, Mary Duncan
and others in his cast. This
starts within the next few days.
Tiuling has heretofore been serv-
INK as assistant to Howard HAWKS.