davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-20

fact that the ibex had warm house
and plenty Of straw in it. That night
the ibeX was troubled by the presence
of a strange lodger, and. apparently
knowing that his involuntary host
was gentle creature. slept undis-
turbed.
With the same agility he had en-
tered the ZOO Tete dor left is before
the attendants were up and made a
gorgeous meal in little cafe on the
market woman's money. Then he
sailed forth to conquer Paris.
Il X x
THE marketing crowds at the out
door stalls on Boulevard Raspail
attracted his interest because of the
many housewives who carried their
purses accessible to Tete dor. The
son of Duchesne, the pickpocket.
trained to fitch from professional
piclkpocket, found housewives easy.
If they noticed him at all. it was
to wish that such a nice boy with
such pretty golden hair had a better
home than one would guess from his
unkempt appearance. Certainly his
demure face, grimy though it was,
gave them no clue that very soon
they would be missing their purses.
Five modest market allowances that
morning combined to give Tete dor
q good send on his Paris career.
He went to bath establishment
and got rid OF much Of the CRIME Of
his adventures. At a clothing store
he outfitted himself, paying for the
larger articles, filching the smaller.
Then he explored Paris and decided
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-20

more frequent on this day. Still both
dates continued TO be observed in diff
ferent parts of the country to the
end of Washington's life. and even
after. Gradually adherence to Feb
ruary II weakened and as the States,
one after another. declared his birth
day a legal holiday. the date always
fixed upon was February o.
But occasionally. even in our times
that date is challenged 1t is just
now by that new biographer of Wash
ington, who says: In order to get
everything wrong we celebrate Wash
ington's birthday on the 22d of Feb
ruary instead Of the 18th. To his
dying day he Afhought of himself as
born on February II. In the last
two Februaries of his life he wrote
in his diary under February II that
he went up to Alexandria to attend
IAN elegant ball and supper at night
in commemoratian of his birthday"
An i'll bit of reasoning. 1t Is this
new biographer himself who has got
everything wrong" What he here
quotes does not at all indicate that
Washington regarded February IL as
his birthday. He attended the two
celebrations mentioned on that day
because on that day Alexandria held
them. That town was among the
idSC 10 give up the ola GATE. AS well
may we argue that he looked upon
February % as his birthday because
he attended observances in Phila
delphia upon that date. Neither fact
proves anything.
There is. however. proof to be found
as to Washington's view, proof show
ing that he regarded February %, uot
February IL. as his birthday. Turn
again to the old-time records-Wash-
ington's own letters this time. Two
of these. in the manuscript division
Of the Library of Congress. will suf-
flee.
Upon January %. 1895. he wrote
to Edward Pendleton. "A month from
this day will place me on the wrong
side of my grand climacteric." In
other words. a month from that jan l.,
uary % would be his sixty-third birth
day. Again. upon December %, 1898. /,
he wrote to George w. Lafayette: |
Eleanor Custis and he Lawrence |
Lewis) have entered into a contract of |
marriage which. l understand, is to ,
be fulfilled on my birthday, the 22nd /
notion that Washington regarded the i
18th as his birthday.
Strangely enough, the highest au. |
thority as to Washington's true birth |
day has always been overlooked. The /
very act of Parliament that adopted |
the new style determined the matter |
1t clearly provided that all birth an |
niversaries should be reckoned by |
adding the II days to the old dates.
Speaking especially OF the attain
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-20

reaped the benefits of pocket picking.
So he studied the sharp-witted little
ragamuffins In a tough section of the
city, made friends with five of them,
led them in games and petty thieving
from apple carts and proved himself Il
natural leader.
Then he limited of a way he knew
whereby they could get much more
than by rifling apple carts, with less
risk of getting a whipping. When
they showed themselves interested he
| took them to a vacant lot and showed
them what clever fingers could do in
strangers pockets.
All the boys were interested. which
was a tribute to Tete doris shrewd-
ness in reading character. and all but
one proved apt pupils. Tete dor then
organized the band. He assigned
districts for each boy wherein to OPP
crate. showed then: how to study the
lay of the land, how to make gar
nients like his own greatcoat. how to
dodge and twist. how to watch outside
the police stations and detective bu
reaus and learn who the detectives
were and to acquire other useful
knowledge.
Then he proposed a compact to
them. He, as leader of the band.
would plan ever: hi'Gs and get half
the takings as his s.. re. The COM
pact was scale when each boy
pricked his finger with pin and,
mingling 1t with the blood of the
others, smeared mystic symbol on
his breast
Tete dor did not let his followers
risk their new careers on fuli-grown
problems at first. He had them begin
as he had done--With their own fam
fly. From this he had them pick the
pockets Of children when school was
out; then servants at the street fairs.
1t was only when his lieutenants
showed themselves better than their
victims that he let them go on to
bigger game.
MEANWHILE Detective Dubois,
AVA who for understandable reasons
did not report to his superiors the loss
of his wallet. combed the city in vain
for the youngster in the long over
coat. He hunted alone. which is char
acteristic of the Paris detective. He
devised many another clever bait for
the pickpocket he was hunting: shot
at him. so to say, without seeing HIM.
Nine times his shot went wide: and
the tenth had not yet found its mark.
Then a perfect epidemic of Juvenile
pickpockets broke out. Reports from
all over the city came of boys who
snatched purses. lodged down alleys
and were never seen again. Dubois
compared it with his own experience.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-20

VI was it "A week ago last Fri
/ day? According to one OF
Nashington's new biogra-
pliers we are all wrong in observing
February % as his birthday-should
observe February ii.
Let us think that over. At the time
George Washington was born the
world was running on a dual time
schedule. An ancient system called
the Julian calendar was still going
strong, but getting badly out of step
with the sun. so a new system called
the Gregorian calendar was growing
in favor. The two were distinguished
as the old style and the new style.
They had come to differ by IL days as
to what time it really was in the
worlds history.
Most of the important nations were
then using the new style. But among
those still holding to the old style was
England. including. of course, her
colonies.
Under that old style. thus in vogue
in America. there were two ways OF
reckoning year dates, the legal and
historical. BY the first of these George
Washington was born in 1881, by the
other in 1882. But we do not have to
trouble about that difference here. for
the day date of his birth was the same
in either case. lie was born February
IL. 1871 OegaD, or February II, 1872
(historicaD.
1t was customary to put both forms
Of dating in one expression. and so 1t
is that the old family Bible at Mount
Vernon tells us that George Washing
ton was born I'VE 18th day of Febru-
airy 1872" No question about his
birthday in those times--each recur-
ring February IL was the proper an
niversary and nothing more to be said.
But after while England concluded
to adopt the new style In dating
events. This was a simple thing to do
so far as year dates We're concerned.
for already one of her ways of reckon
ing, the historical form, had its years
running exactly with the new style.
All that the English Parliament really
did was to declare that form of reckon
ing to be the legal one from January
/, 1852.
Next, as to correcting the day dates
in this change of calendars. Datings
by the old style were now IL days be-
hind those by the new style. Parlia-
ment allowed this difference to run on
through 1852 until September. 1t de-
creed that in that month the third day
should be acc united not the Sd, but
the 14th. ALI: fliacs of that year show
an odd eno1 h September. with its
days running J, 2. Ia, Is and SO forth.
Thus with = provision as to leap year
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-20

By clamberiue UP the side of the big
tent and perching on top Of the center
pole.
X took most of the circus hands two
hours to lay their hands on him for
good. He was then trusSed up like a
calf, feet bound. thrown into a wagon
ard carted off TO the orphanage.
With this experience in mind the or
phanage authorities kept a close watch
over Tete dor. 1t was clear from the
start that there would be little love
lost between the orphanage and Tete
dor. The other children soon began
missing their pathetic treasures. and a
search of Tete d'Or's bed revealed
most of them hidden there.
Tete dor was given beating by
the head of the dormitory. Where
upon he reciprocated by kicking the
mans shins black and blue, slipped
out of his grasp, doubled down the
mall and made for liberty. He was
running head down like butt!ng goat
and much fieeter. when his head
buried itself in the waistline Of cor
pulent attendant. After the shock and
explosion that followed Tete dor was
locked up In Il dark room on bread
, and water.
But in his circus existence he had
never experienced walls he could not
tear, break or dig through. so he
| pounded at the plaster until he found
| "a spot that thudded hollow and kicked
away at this TIL small hole appeared
| 1t was all he needed.
The children Of the orphanage We're
| in the big yard at formal drill; but
| their minds were agog at the new boy
| who was creating such furore in the
| institution. Now, however. he had
met his fate, bread and water in the
| dreaded dark room.
| SO agitated We're they that in spite
of strict orders from the dormitory
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-20

upset an elderly woman, and the de-
tective. to avoid stepping on her, had
to stop for an instant. That was
sufficient
nOWN the mouth of an alley darted
Tete dor. He knew every inch
of that alley and it's other exit on the
next street, for he had studied 1t be-
forehand. Even as he ran into it.
he stripped his large overcoat, rolled
it into ball. threw it into a cellar
window he had so arranged that it
would close Immediately the coat was
inside: and was down the other alley
by the time the detective entered the
first.
Without stopping, Tete dor took
out a comb and whipped his hair
back over his head A second later
he was out on the next street. When
the detective came out on a breath
less run a few seconds later, he saw
no long coated youngster scudding
away.
He saw no one who in the least
resembled him. Looking wistfully
into toy shop window was a frank
faced, neatly dressed schoolboy in
black knicker suit, his blond hair
demurely brushed back and on his
head the little cap which French
students wear
Did you see boy in long over
coat run out of this alley?" the de-
tective gasped
Yes, monsieur the little boy re-
piled respectfully. He ran down to
the emba nkment.'
The detective hustled down to the
Seine. while the demure little boy
waited about for some time. Then
he sided back into the alley and some
minutes later came out carrying a
large package done up in newspaper.
1t was Tete doris overcoat. the trick
pockets inside full of the days booty.
In the privacy of his home Tete
dor examined interestedly the wallet
which had nearly cost him his liberty.
1t had been fastened with a string to
a strangers pocket, apparently soon
after Tete dor had seen 1t as unat-
tached as any other wallet
For the boy had been watching Du-
bois before he picked his pocket--as
Dubois had hoped the unknown pick
pocket would do. The string made
Nete dor think. Either the man was
Very shrewd for a provincial, or he
was a detective. He decided on the
more cautious conclusion. 1t was that
he did not want to run the risk of
arrest
More agreeable was it to have some
one else run the risk. while Tete dor
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-20

''Ha, either the same boy or confed-
crates of his. a band, perhaps he
said TO himself. THAT would make
it easier to handle
He still had faith in his device of a
string attached to wallet, wherewith
to catch his fish. But this time he
added q fishbook, or rather several of
them. Also he had reason to suspect
that his identity was known to the
gang he was fishing for. So he en-
gagged the cooperation of a friend of
his, a pretty actress. who wore strik-
ing looking coat of mannish pattern
with pockets on the outside. The coat
was specially mada for the purpose.
Mile. Suzanne mingled with shop
pers in every part OF the city where
! the pickpOckets were reported and
dropped her purse into one of the out
side pockets every time she used it,
which was often and conspicuously.
Finally one morning in the thick of
a crowd on the Avenue de lOpera she
felt tug at her coat and a sharp out
cry. She looked down and saw boys
hand in her outside pocket. He was
a dark faced little ragamuffin, his eyes
blazing with pain and fright, his hand
still in her pocket.
please, mademoiselle, my hand
got caught" he stammered.
I'm my pocket? How strange.
Come and we'll see about it
The youngster moved off with her.
wincing with each step that they
took. His hand. still in her pocket.
seemed the cause of his pain.
In a drug store stood Dubois wait
ing for his fish. When the woman
entered with the yOungster a doctor
had to extricate the boys hand from
the nest of fishhoOks which had been
80 fastened inside the pocket that
hand could easily get into 1t, but had
five steel barbs to contend with in
getting out, unless one knew the fish
hooks were there.
well, little devilfish, shall we go to
the chief of police?" asked Dubois.
"Or shall we go to where you meet
your ellow-pickpockets?"
The youngsters loyalty was not
equal to the test, and he consented to
betray Tete dor. That night when
the golden-headed leader of the band
got home he saw nothing wrong in his
room until from behind the curtain
issued Dubois and grabbed him by
the golden hair which he knew could
not come off.
Dubois was not taking chances by
now. So he handcuffed Tete dor and
tied his feet with some rope he found
in the room. Tete dor threw himself
to the floor apparently in a historical
rage. But he fell with his feet near-a
log in the wall which presented an
edge of rough cement.
Dubois meanwhile examined the
BOYS room. Here he found evidence
of a well defined taste in reading. For
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-20
Homes of Steel.
THE superstitious people OF the flu
y tllra will ha una bile 70 Lnock on

THE superstitious people OF the fu.
ture will be unable to knock on
wood. If j. G.. Broderick's predictions
should come true. This veteran con-
tractor calls steel the material for the
homes of the future" and illustrates
its practicability in a model house
recently set up in Tarrytown.
There have been Iron houses" be-
fore. especially in the Middle West.
but these are unesthetic affairs, cold.
tiimsy and exposed to lightning. The
Broderick house resembles an ordi-
nary cottage. 1t is bricked on the
outside. but all it's construction is
steel, and its floors are of concrete.
BY special process of insulation. it
is made even more weatherproof than
the wood or stone house. 1t is pro
nounced a perfect dissipator of light.
ming, and in 1t vermin and decay are
not expected.
Broderick looks forward to the time
when steel sections will be sold
cheaply and will become popular be
cause of the original and varied
architectural forms he thinks possible
in this material. With such a fire.
proof beginning. it is possible to
conceive people living in q home
where there is no wood at all.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-20
BY Joseph Gollomb
THE BOY TERROR OF PAIIS

Tete dor IS character thar might haze been
created by Victor Hugo. for Les M;serab1es."
Born of circus PARENTS the lad ,oas gyb from
infancy, and IN vhat should hare been his tender
boyhood he DEVELOPED ;nto the typical French
crook-dar,ns. imaginative original. As such
he care the Paris detectives a aU;1d chase. and
then refused to be taken a1ve.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-20

fur1ated tent striker ana DOuuu OH
like rubber ball.
He could make leaps almost like the
trapeZe performers. He could writhe
out Of a strong mans fingers like an
eel And SO clever were his escapes
that II was hard TO bear him grudges
which gave the youngster all the
more confidence in his wits and in
his heels.
HIS mother, who took her response.
hlity az a parent more lightly
than "A child takes it's emotion toward
a doll had good times with her Tete
dor. Her own hair of gold was the
source of most Of the fun. She would
throw il over her face and the young
ster could see nothing but screen of
hair
At first it frightened him; then it
got him interested. He. too. wanted
to hide his face with his hair and, SO
TO speak. disappear in a twinkling
AS he had inherited his golden. shaggy
head from his mother, it was not
hard for her To teach the youngster
the trick which he used a few years
later in Paris to such good effect
for himself.
Or she would dress her hair in any
number of ways each SO different and
producing such startling changes that
there seemed TO be a different person
with each change. This. too, Tete
dor learned to do with his own hair
and later used it on q baftied public III
Paris streets.
His father also liked to play with
the youngster. One day he tossed VI
and down a golden 20-franc piece unit
Tete dor, whose sharp green eyes
always lit up greedily at the sight OF
money, clamored for it. Duchesne
handed il over without a fuss. to the
boys surprise, who rather expected q
licking instead.
Put ii into your pocket" his
father said with SLY smile, 'ol
somebody will take i away from you.
Tete dor showed the gold coin deel
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-20

THE DORMITORY HEAD
TRIED TO SEIZE TETE DOR.
BUT THE. YOUNCSTER WAS
TOO FAST FOR HIM, AND
HIS SOILED GOLDEN HEAD
CRASHED INTO THE STOMACH
OF THE TYRANT. KNOCKING
THE WIND OUT or HIM"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-20
BY FRANK W. HUTCHINS.

EXT Tuesday will be George
Washington's Birthday - or
was it a week ago last Fri
day? According to one of
yVa ,b;notnn'S navy hiOUr3-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-20
Haired Boy of II Proves Match for Clever Detectives

he had quite library in his room. He
had collected 1t from the little book
stalls that line the left bank Of the
Seine, and undoubtedly had done his
shopping In the same way he got his
money. The books all dealt with the
exploits of Cartouche. Mandrin ami
other famous French criminals.
The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1927-08-12
MAKE INCREASE IN
ALLOTMENT

Substantial increases in the Clark
McNary allOtments for forest fire pro-
lection are being made in all of the
western states this year according to
Fred MOrrell, district forester. The
Montana allotment will be SIS, 200, as
compared with S14,47O last year. This
is made possible by a million dollar ap-
preparation under. the CIark-McNary
law, the largest yet made.
The Clark-McNary law, enacted by con-
gress in 1925, authorizes federal appro-
priations up to $4,000 900 to assist the
various states in guarding private and
state forest lands from fire. These funds
cannot be used to protect federal lands.
The aim of the forest service in adj
mintstering the Clarke-McNary law, Mr..
Morrell said, is to encourage the states
and private owners to preserve and Gull
tivate the immature growth on cut-over
and b~urned-over lands, thus growing new
forests to replace the now being cut
out.
The areas Of merchantable timber can
ordinarily be adequately protected by the
owner without any help, but the pro-
lection Of young growth in Montana and
other states where timber grows rela-
lively slow is a difficult undertaking. II
is to help the owners of this type OF
lane that the Clarke-McNary money is
being expended.
The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1927-08-12

Montana roads wiz not develop if
people sit back and take no active in
terest in them, according to Sam ID.
Coca, president of the Montana Auto
mobile association, who saws that cities
and towns should have local OrganiZa-
tiOnS to Cooperate with the county
commissioners in seeing that those side
roads not maintained by the state are
dragged.
When the gas tax was passed last fall,
people thought they could sit back and
watch the roads develop without taking
any active interest in them" Mr.. Coca
said. B u highway development has just
started. The commission virtually sus-
pended activity and waited until action
Of the legislature. When the legislature
adjourned, March 1, the state highway
engineers started the work Of getting the
proposals out to the federal department
in Washington, D. c., and 1t was not
until une that much work was done.
The United States bureau loaned the
services Of several engineers from the
ortland, Ore, office to help the state get
its locations under way. The state has
been helped considerably by the expert
ence gained from highway construction
in other states, and had the services of
these expert government engineers in
making locations.
Howard Holmes, chief engineer with
eAAC oe4N AA6AAW&J SCAAAAAAADoAOAe las CO@
ordinated the survey work through his
Office and the commission composed Of
.. S. Warden, chairman, w. j. Mulvaney
and James A. Rowe have attended to
the administrative EMO
with the locations made, it was up to
the highway commission, which is ad-
ministrative in nature by virtue of the
fact the legislature provided for the man
ner that the funds were to be expended,
to let the contracts. To follow section
lines in making the locations would in
Volve great expenses and it is necessary
to secure right Of a. through private
property at times. The commission has
experienced difficulty in getting the right
or way in some instances as the property
holders have asked extraordinary prices
- their land. If the commission is un-
able to get the right Of way provided foT
in he location surveys completed, it
will be necessary to go to the expense OF
uniting them to the federal bureau for
approval, causing considerable delay in
the progress Of the highway commits
s1on's work. So it is not the fault OF
the commission if the plans are not car
rted out, but the fault Of the people, .
Mr.. Coca said.
The automobile association president
deplored h fact that in various places
throughout the state COUNTY commission
ers have failed to keep the main line
roads dragged and in repair. He urgec
the formation of local organizations tt
cooperate with the commercial clubs o.
chambers Of m of the RESPECTIVE,
cities and with the county commission,
ers to make sure that roads that neec
grading are properly cared for. MIR. Coz;
said that much of the adverse roaC
criticism would be done away with i
counties would drag their roads at thu
proper time. The state highway commits
sion has constructed LOO miles Of roat
which it has under its maintenance ant
there are still $500 miles to be built I'm