davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-08
A Grieyous Curse.

Arrests made yesterday in this city
and in New York may prove to be the
means of putting an end to the work
of one of the most active gangs Of
drug peddlers in this country. Sew
eral men and women were seized after
weeks of observation and trailing in
exceptionally well planned and execut.
ed operations. At any time during this
period probably individuals of the
gang could have been caught with
the goods" But it was desired to get
all of them in circumstances to iden.
tify them as a cooperative organiza-
ton and this appears to have been
accomplished.
This gang, 1t is evident, operated un.
der the trade name of Distributors of
Perbion, the Water of Life" with
headquarters in New York City. Under
this title they were dealing in morphia
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-08

and could at best be only souvenir
OF the early days of the Capital. II
was in its day crossed by multitudes
of people. Notable occasions were
marked by it's USE Immense throngs
have crossed 1t to attend ceremonials
at Arlington. Crowds of people have
stood upon it to watch the turbulent
waters of the Potomac in freshet,
those very currents that were it's un-
doing. It's successor, a short distance
away, Is a splendid example Of modern
bridge construction. as it was itself,
indeed, in its day. The contrast be-
tween these two is a striking mark
of the advancement of engineering
science, but II is not seemly that the
old Aqueduct should be allowed to re-.
main merely as an emphasis of prog
ress.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-08
The District Upheld.

| Congress, the Commissioners and
the traffic office have been again
upheld. In a ruling yesterday by the
| District Court of Appeals which re-
| Nersed the decision of a Judge in
the Traffic Court, the higher court
held that Congress could and did
delegate authority for traffic regula-
| ton 10 the traffic Office under the
| control of the Commissioners. The
| case IN point was the regulation
barring horse drawn vehicles from
certain arterial highways, and in the
ruling of the Court of Appeals the
| District scored distinct victory for
sane and reasonable traffic regula-
| ton.
This is the second ruling of one
of the four Judges in the Traffic Court
that has been upset by the higher
court. The same question has been
| involved both times: regulation of
traffic on arterial highways. In the
| traffic code and in the specific in
| struction given the traffic office for
the creation of arterial highways are
definite orders to speed UP travel by
means OF boulevards. Automatic
lights have been installed to carry
out this plan and stop signs have
BEEN erected at every crossing not
protected by lights so that there
shall be no interference with fast
travel.
1t is obviously impossible, under
these conditions, to allow slow-mov-
ing trucks and horse drawn vehicles
to clutter up the street. Neither type
of vehicles is capable OF maintaining
the speed necessary to keep up with
the synchronized lights. The only
alternative, therefore, was to ban
them on certain portions of these
highways.
Soon afterward, but not until there
had been convictions under the rule,
one of the judges in the Traffic Court
decided that the director possessed
no power to enforce such q regula-
ton, and in two cases, one with a
solid tired truck and the other with
a horse drawn vehicle, ruled that
such a regulation was invalid. Both
rulings have now been overturned
and the District can proceed to carry
out the traffic plan laid down by
Congress.
In the light of these decisions by
the higher court it would appear that
the business of picking alleged tech
nical flaws in traffic regulations for
the National Capital should end. The
four judges of the Traffic Court
should work in harmony. No one
of them should set himself up as
traffic arhiter of the District. If
the four judges agree that a regula-
ton is illegal it should then be tested
by the higher court, but the spectacle
of three judges convicting on a rule
only to have the fourth judge declare
it void does not make for justice
in the courts. Traffic regulation in
Washington is a difficult and COM
plicated problem. 1t should not be
hampered by lack of cooperation
from the enforcement agencies.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-08
Aoueduct Bridge

Passage by the Senate last evening
Of the bill providing for the removal
Of the old Aqueduct Bridge will, If fol.
lowed by concurrent action by the
House at the present session, lead to
the final disappearance Of landmark
For several years this relic has await
ed disposal, having been replaced by
the new Key Bridge, crossing the
Potomac a short distance below. Ow-
ing to the weakness of the structure
there has been no possibility of it's
restoration to traffic. The piers. eroded
below water line by the swift cur
rents, are incapable OF upholding the
heavy weight of present. day trans
portation. Several proposals have
been made for the utilization of the
shore ends for pleasure piers, notably
that on the Georgetown side, but no
particular favor was shown for the
project, and 1t is now evident from
the action of the Senate, which is
likely to lead to House concurrence,
that the last vestige of the historic
bridge will soon be removed.
Aqueduct Bridge was for many
years the chief means of communica-
ton between Washington and Vir-
ginia. Long ago it carried the canal
across the river. After the water
box" was drained 1t bore an increasing
wheel traffic. Steadily its use became
greater. Street cars were run over it,
but before that the bridge showed
signs of weakness. One of the piers
near the Virginia shore settled, and
on examination 1t was found that a
serious erosion had taken place in its
foundation, carrying the structure
slightly off plumb and causing q
buckling of the bridge members. This
fault was corrected by patchwork, and
then from time TO time other repairs
were necessary. but they were only
expedients and could not cure the
fundamental fault of the structure.
There will be regret for the passing
of old Aqueduct Bridge. although Il
has definitely outliysd Its usefulneEl
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-08
Steps by B. & o. to End
Crossing Peril Urged

To the Editor OF The Star:
just read your account of that
CHASTITY accident occurring at Ken
sington on the Baltimore and Ohio
tracks, in which five persons met their
untimely end.
Yesterday, while driving through
Kensington, l had occasion to cross
the spot where those unfortunates
died. L also happened along just as
the alarm bell was ringing. From
my position in the machine I could
not see any train coming. Being eau
tious, | stopped. Some man, bearing
no sign or marks whatever, waved me
across. l presumed he was the flag
man, and proceeded across the tracks
without trouble. / did remark to the
party with me how careless and unpro-
tected those tracks were. 1t was only
a minute or so after 1 wound around
the tracks that q passenger train
came laundering past
l am highly incensed over the tragic
happening that night, and think the
Baltimore and Ohio is solely at fault.
Public opinion should force retribu-
ton in the form of a viaduct or some
common-sense method of safety at
such crossings. / hope this bit of
honest criticism will aid to eliminate
such deaths in the future.
r. J. HEWITT.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-08

fool when he extends his charges
against the dead father and links in
scandal with his name those of famed
women still living" The Worcester
Telegram contends that Whispered in.
nuendo, political assertions made long
ago in the heat of campaign and ONLY
nalf believed by those who made them,
the backstairs gossip that is never
absent in the households of the great
and ar-great--that these should be
seized upon and incorporated into his
tories and biographies which are ad.
vertised as daring and now it NAV
be told Is more than misfortune: it
is a calamity"
The red-blooded American, accord
ing to the Los Angeles Times, "has
never been impressed that it takes
much of a heroic spirit to wait until a
man is dead half century or more to
stick the stiletto of SANDER into him.
Stabbing a man in the back has never
been held in the highest esteem in
California. Even a California RATHER
gives notice before it strikes. How
ever, the world will not be greatly
perturbed. 1t will take more than a
few puny runts choking on filth, to
throw it off it's balance. When the
swapping, snarling fraternity have all
been swept up like refuse in the big
broom of the ages, William Ewart
Gladstone and George Washington
will carry on. Together, those
worthless are in might good company"
The Richmond News-Leader holds that
"GladstOne's character was too much
the foundation of his fame to let the
libel stand
The New York Times condemns the
confessed oversight" of the publisher,
who admitted that if he had seen the
offensive passage before it got into
type he would have insisted that it be
stricken out" and the Chicago Trib-
une believes that Capt. Wright must
feel that there is a great deal of his
material presented as coming from
the late So-and-So.'
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-08
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

O. Is playing a wind instrument
such as cornet or saxophone in
furious to the throat?--N. O..
A. John Philip Sousa, the famous
band master, says that in his opinion
it is beneficial instead of harmful. and
that for the most part players of such
instruments enjoy excellent health.
Q. How much crude rubber Is there
in automobile tires?--J. @.
A. The Bureau OF Standards says
that there are about pounds of crude
rubber in a 80 by 312 fabric automo-
bile tire.
O. What is the meaning Of the ex-
preston naked as a needle" and who
first used it?-R. X. s.
A. The simile naked as a needle"
Is taken from the writings of William
Langland. In its original form the
word needle" is spelled medic" Our
authority is the collection of SMILES
edited by Paul Wilstach. There are
few articles so devoid Of adornment as
q reedle. 1t seemingly affords an
excellent opportunity TO coin a smile.
@. Please give the origin. history
and present status Of the conscience
fund" of our Governments. w.
A. The conscience fund was opened
with a contribution of S. in 1911. The
amounts sent in range from cents,
a person who failed to put a stamp on
a letter when mailed, to several thou
sand dollars from persons who SNUG
gled goods into the United States with
out paying import duty. Usually the
amounts are small, however. The
largest single deposit was 100000. AS
Of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1920,
S4,551.51 was contributed. The total
in the fund as of December 81, 1926,
was 1851, 891.S7.
Q. What was the origin Of the
Greek national flag?--L. ID. L.
A. The Greek national flag is de-
rived from the arms of Otto of Ba-
varia, who was called to the throne
of Greece in 1888.
@. What does "Hedjaz" mean?-
d. b.
A. This word means barrier" and
refers to the wall of high mountains
on the edge of the lakeland which
is in the kingdom so called.
0. Do any countries tax vote slack
ers in a manner similar to that sug-
gested by Senator Arthur Capper?-
f. NJ.
A. 1t is said that similar fines are
in force in Belgium, Spain, Switzer-
lanC. and Czechoslovakia. Australia S
compulsory voting law has increased
the poll from So per cent of the eligi-
BILE voters to SO per cent.
@. What is meant by the diamond
Jubilee" of the Confederation, refer
ring to Canada?-E. NJ. F.
A. This has reference to the six
tieth anniversary of the Dominion of
Canada.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-08
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

! fun If it cost us our last nickel and
our last shred OF comfort.
Men and women similarly stand In
line before popular theaters, or eating
places, determined to get In at the cost
of weary legs and fainting vigor. They
might better trip around the corner to
u show Just as good. or go home and
eat with better appetite simple bowl
| OF crackers and milk.
| 1t may be realized, then, with what
vim our crowd pursued It's course
when 1t is added that duty played a
large part in this particular gathering,
Let duty be added to interest-every-
thing will be suffered. There is no
train trip too long to be endured, no
coaches too crowded or filled with
cinders, no hours too hot or thirsty.
| The trip down was a nightmare
really. You stood on one foot in an
aisle with scores, hundreds, of SINH
larly storklike males, in order to
allow husky, vigorous ladies to sit
down.
There wasn't lady there who
wasn't perfectly able to stand, but no
| we must all hop up to let them occupy
| the seats, and get nice grimy coal
SCOT on their nice new dresses.
We We're all dolled up for the oc.
| casion. Every one was. Our own
particular regalia was a thick tweed
suit, in which we fondly imagined we
looked pretty snappy.
| Now we are one of those unfortu
nate persons who never seem com
| pletely dressed. If our suit is new
our shoes are old, or If our shoes
are nicely shined. our hat is frayed
| This day we had on an old cap, the
| despair Of all our friends and acquaint-
ances who want us to Took dignified, -
whatever that means. But we didn't
give hang whatever that means);
we never do.
| We do not want to look dignifled
until we become President Of the
United States. and then, we suppose,
we will have to wear q high hat and
all that sort Of thing, and talk about
1.-The great fOrefathers of this great
country" and try to walk sedately
when the band plays that jiggy Hail
to the Chief"
Duty, on this perfectly sad occasion,
| had much firmer grip upon us, in
our nice hot tweeds, than it did upon
most of the others.
| All of you kind readers back in
| Washington had to be kept informed
of just what was going on here, and
| JuoI WttolI we lie ali uoIllE mere. anu
just who said what. Duty picked on
us to do all this for you.
SO we sought telephone, in hot
box called a telephone booth, only it
wasn't the nice clean kind we know
here in Washington. To add to the
complications, it harbored trick tele-
| phone, of a sort we had never seen
| before.
1t had a crank; you had to wind it
| up, or something. We wound vigor-
ously, dropping in money at all it's
| pores, only to have it remain silent.
| We dropped in money before we
ground, and we dropped in money
after we ground. and between grind
| ings, too, but nothing happened.
Finally. in despair, we stuck our
perspiring face out of that box, and
| called to the Girl in the Lavender
| Dress;
Say, will you show me how to work
this thing?"
why. certainly" she said, smiling
like an angel.
And she did.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-08

In the evanescent someday of which
| every one dreams. we propose to write
"A Book of Nice People" In II shall
be set forth those persons who, in the
whole course OF our life, have struck
us as nice" in the everyday sense OF
that word.
The colloquial meaning is something
which every one understands, although
some pretend TO frown upon such
usage. certainly with very large die
tionaries upon their side
Every one knows, however, every
one certainly understands, when some
one is particularly nice to one. Yet
in the ordinary course of life such
persons are too often forgotten, and
IN their stead we paint on the tablets
Oh our memory the faces of disagree
able men and women who irk us.
so some such book as that proposed
is necessary, IL we are to do even
tardy justice to all those who, in one
way or another. have been ordinarily
courteous, when. they might have been
discourteous, or have gone out of their
way TO help us, when they might as
easily have been curt and abrupt. OF
VINO nave answered us pleasantly in
stead of grouchily.
10 all these, friends known and un.
known, we send this preliminary
greeting. in the hope that some nor
ton, at least, of this preface, wears in
advance Of its book, may drift into
their hearts. We want them to know
tnat one, at least, in the selfish whir]
OF me- has not forgotten.
X X X
The Girl in the Lavender Drese
VIII undoubtedly have chapter ali
to herself.
we remember this helpful creature
Tor no other reason than that she
was helpful. She had black hair
sle was pretty, she wore a lavender
dress, but these are only details.
what sticks in our memory was
ner Kindness. Under circumstances
when another waitress and general
salesgirl might have probably would
haVe) been disagreeable, she was
courteous. Whereas another might
nave tailed to give us any intelligible
answer, she answered all our dues.
lions.
she acted as public servant ought
to act, so 1t is a pleasure to chronicle
ner here, for there are so many who
do mott
A woman in public office of any
KIND probably has more opportunity
10 be helpful than a man, for she
may bring to her aid woman's imme-
mortal ability to soothe.
This may be done harmlessly.
despite the slurs of those who cast
reflections upon women in such DO.
sitions, or who impugn the integrity
of class with careless indifference
to truth
It was hot day--a very hot day.
There was a great gathering at this
place. which is at some distance from
washington, and yet not so far,
either Men and women were milling
around, working hard to convince
themselves that they were having a
good time.
Is it not curious, how much dis
comfort the average human being
will put up with if he can talk him
self into believing that he is having
this same good time?
X X X X
Here we were. all milling around,
through beautiful grounds, beneath old
trees, over grassy carpets, sweating
in Winter suits under an intensely hot
early Summer day, bent upon having
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-08

In the course OF the hearings now
IN progress before the Senate subcom'
n,ittee on District appropriations con
siieration is being given 10 the item
I'm the school budget for provision for
Seventy-four additional teachers, which
was eliminated by the House. There
is sound reason for the Senate COM
mittee to restore this item to the bill,
and the hope of all who are concerned
for the welfare of the schools of the
District is that this will be done.
These seventy four teachers will, ac-
cording TO the calculations of the
Board of Education and the superin-
tendent Of schools. be needed during
the next fiscal year. for which this
bin now under consideration provides.
as new buildings under the so-called
five-year program are completed and
placed in commission. The ALLEGATIONS
of this additional force are definite.
There is no guesswork as to the re
quirements of the system in the mat
ter of teaching force. If Congress
denies the additional teachers it will
be necessary to reassign teachers now
engaged in special lines of instruction
which have been heretofore authorized
and required by law. Otherwise the
new room space afforded by the ad-
ditions to the building plant will re-
main unused.
A misunderstanding of the reasons
for the requisition for seventy-four ad-
ditional teachers appears to have
caused a denial of the item by the
House of Representatives. 1t certainly
cannot be maintained that there is a
surplus of teaching force in the Dis
trict. 1t is evident that there is a
shortage of classroom space. The lat
ter shortage is being IN part met by
new constructions, tardily undertaken
and not executed in accordance with
the established schedule, owing to
denial of appropriations on the stand
ard of the five-year program. When
that program was adopted and new
buildings were authorized and pro.
vided for, it was assumed that the
teaching force would be increased in
harmony inasmuch as the primary
purpose of the new-building work was
to reduce congestion, to lessen the
size of classes and to permit full-time
teaching in the grades. Obviously
that cannot be done if new buildings
are not manned by additional teach.
ing force.
The Senate subcommittee is now
studying this matter and confidence
is felt that upon a full understanding
1t will recommend and the Senate will
adopt an amendment that will restore
the seventy-four teacher item to the
bill.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-08

Q. Who invented the pendulum
A. G. b.
A. Guygens, a Dutchman, born In
1929, was the first practical exponent
OF the pendulum, employing It in the
mechanism Of the clock. However,
| no was not the original discoverer OF
it's properties. Leonardo da Vlnci
/ tI4o2-l520) left notes as to his study
of the pendulum and Calico Q564-
| 1922 continued these studies.
@. Who was the oldest signer OF the
| Declaration Of Independence?-E. c.
A. Benjamin Franklin was the old
/ est Mt the time the signatures were
affixed to the document. He was 20
years Of age.
Q. Do Paris shopkeepers use wax
! figures for display purposes
/ G.. NJ X
A. Word from Paris indicates that
many are replacing wax figures with
| silhouettes cut from thin pieces OF
| board. on these are draped fabrics
and dresses.
Q. What language IS spoken in
South Africa?-O. p. n.
| A. English and Africans are the
| principal languages. In 1918. the last
date for which data are available. 80
| per cent of the white population
spoke English. q per cent Afrikaans
and AZ per cent both languages.
| O. What fruits are best for jelly
making and why?-E. $. NJ.
! A. Scientific study of the principles
of jelly making has shown that three
| ingredients are required for the for
nation of a Jelly, namely, sugar, acid
and pectin; and these must be present
/ in fairly definite proportions. Tart
| apples, cranberr.es, red currants and
| grapes, when CoieCted at the proper
| stage of ripeness, contain pectin an-s
acid in sufficient quantity to form a
good jelly when c~sked for a short
time with the TSoper amount OF
sugar.
| @. s-7~ is temperature measured
below the freezing point of mercury?
w. J. T.
| A. The Weather Bureau says there
are several methods of doing this. Per
| haps the most common method at
| least for measuring air temperatures,
| is that of using, I'm the thermometer,
a liquid such as alcohol, that does not
| freeze so readily as does mercury.
Did Dou eUer tCrite letter 10
| Frederic J. HdskinP You can ask
! him any question Of fact and get the
Gnslcer in personal letter. Here IS
| q great educational idea introduced
| into the IiUes Of the most Intelligent
| peoDTe in the aC0rld--A meTicdn HetCS-
| pdper readers 1t is part Of that
| best purpose of q neicspdpeT-serUtce.
| There is no charge ercept 2 cents IN
stamps for return postage. Address
Frederic J. Hdskin, director, The
| Evening Star Information Bureau,
Washington. ID. C.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-08
SHOOTING STARS.
BY PHILANDER JOHNSON.
Welcome IncrednIify.

Welcome Incredulity.
/ can't believe one-half / read;
And l am very glad, indeed
can't believe that. half the world
Is being to perdition hurled.
l can't believe that half the town
To bootleg illness is brought down.
My mind it greatly doth relieve
To note the things I can't believe.
/ can't believe that half the time
One-half the world is bent on crime.
I can't believe the youthful mind
A wild, impetuous way must find.
All of the friends I truly know
Are honest folks who come and go
Without attempts at reckless speed.
can't believe one.half / read.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-08
Kings Mountain
I'm South Carolina
To the Editor of The Star:

To the Editor of The Star:
note in your report of the pro-
ceedings In the Senate in Sundays
Star you speak of the provision for
survey of the Revolutionary battle
grounds at "Cowpen in South Carolina
and Kings Mountain in North Caro-
lina," and that mistake has also been
noted in the papers of the city several
times recently.
Kings Mountain, and the battle
ground on top of it, is about 3
miles from the line in South Caro-
lima. There is a. handsome monument
there erected by tip United EtatAs
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-08

Government and one by the State of
South Carolina and one by private
and the whole is on land pur-
chased by the Kings Mountain Battle
ground Association of York County,
South Carolina. The confusion, no
doubt, arises from the fact that the
city of Kings Mountain some miles
away is IN North Carolina.
~. =. STEVENSON.