davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1928-12-09
Several District Churches Have Been Honored by Exec

it. At other times she would relate
rather incredible and almost impossible
events. but in the main her statements
were corroborative of known facts. or
easily supported by them"
ON November 8, 1879, at ABOUT IL
O'Clock noon, Mrs Eaton breathed
her last at the residence of Mrs. Smith.
5l2 Ninth street northwest. She was
81 years of age and had been in feeble
health for some time. Her body was
inferred in Oak Hill Cemetery.
The First Presbyterian Church, to
which President Jackson transferred his
favor, was originally in a structure
south of the Capitol Building. but
was removed to the present site on
John Marshall place. which was then
the center of the fashionable life of
Washington. An early issue Of The
Star gives the following brief history
of the church:
THE church dates its existence back
to 1895. when in June of that year
the presbytery met at Bladensburg and
ordained and installed Rev. John
Breckenridge pastor of the church a.
the Federal City, as Washington wei
then called The first known place oi
meeting was in 1897 in the carpenter
and ioiners shop erected for the work.
men employed in building the White
House. Afterward they met for
time in frame building on F street
near Tenth. and subsequently in the
Academy East frame ediflce near
the navy yard. After the old Capitol
Building had Been nearly completed
the congregation used the United
States Supreme Court room. During
the year 1912 the congregation had
no regular place of meeting. They
then built what was known as the
Little White Chapel Under the HILL
where the church continued until 1923,
when the congregation moved to the
present site on -Four -and-a-half street
and sold the old church building, which
stood directly west of the site now occu-
pied by Gen. Buffers houses.
The location is now filled In and
the colored congregation Of the Israel
Bethel Church, which bought the
property, occupied the large brick
structure at the foot of the hill The
building as originally erected on Four
and-a-half street was a sand-colored
structure with three or four columns in
front upholding o kind of portico.
I'm 1859 the church was renovated
as it stands at present. Mr.. Bracken-.
ridge continued with the church for
a number of years, and then ne was
succeeded by Rev. Reuben Post, who
was pastor from 1919 to 1886. He
was succeeded as follows: Rev. Will
liam McLain, 1886 to 1910: Rev.
Charles Rich, 1840 to 1843; Rev. Will
liam F. Sprole. 1843 to 1847; Rev.
Elisha Ballantyne, 1848 to 1851. The
present pastor Rev. Byron Sunderland.
was installed in 1853 and has occupied
| the pulpit ever since"
Evening star., 1928-12-09

Then he began to work for her lots and
houses, which so far she had managed
to keep as her own separate estate. She
refused to give it up to him and he de-
serted her. She wrote to him to come
back. she could not live without him.
He replied that he would not come back
and be distrusted. He did not want
her property, but If he was not to be
trusted with it he was net fit to hold
the relations of a husband.
THE villain conquered. He was told
to come back and he could have all.
In less than two years, after first dis
arming suspicion. he had converted it
all into money, and one morning dis
appeared. Not alone, however. He mad
taken with him his wifes grandchild -
herself wife and the mother of two
infant children. The grandmother and
her granddaughter husband we're Doth
bereaved, wronged and abandoned on
the same day, and by one and the same
villain. This was the cruelest blow of
all. For year the now aged lady
moved as infa dream. She could hard
ly believe that she had been so dupad
and cheated Her money and proper
ty were nearly all gone, her family was
doubly disgraced, and she had nothing
but revenge to live for.
1.-Two years later Mr. Bucignini re-
turned to the United States from his
European trip with his mistress, and
Mrs. Eaton was informed of it by the
! detectives. who were on the watch
She went to New York and had him az
rested and put in prison. He begged
to be released: begged only to see her
| There was only one condition on which
she would consent. He should lie in
! jail until divorce could be obtained
and when he married the girl he had
stolen, then she would. withdraw the
| prosecution and let him go free This
was agreed to and done. The deserted
| husband had obtained divorce long
! before.
Somewhat as Ham follows Steer
| forth to force him to make an honest
woman of Little Emily, so did poor
Mrs. Eaton follow her italian husband
to wiring from him justice for her
! guilty grandchild. That done, she re-
! turned to a ruined home and croucheo
down beside a cherries hearth. Fol
many years-a dozen, think since the
! last event recorded-Mrs. Eaton has
| lived in the Capital of the Nation al
most unknown, where once she exertec
such tremendous power. Even in hei
! scanty wardrobe she always appeared
as though Stylishly dressed. There was
nameleSS air about her that set of
the things she wore. Her conversation
was always bright and cheerful-ratheI
| grandiose in vein-but correct. At times
she forgot the topic and wandered from
Evening star., 1928-12-09

watch the experimental cars In action
down the imitation hill. Better yet,
inspect the official records Of previous
performances drafted on paper by the
diminutive automobiles.
In all cases where both rear wheels
are locked the cars in sliding down the
declivity will pass through a 180-degree
turn; that Is to say, the radiator end
of the machine will be pointing uphill
at the conclusion Of the test. It mat
ters not whether the rear wheels were
locked at the beginning of the descent
or during its progress, the results are
the same.
On the other hand, If you start one
of the cars down the hill with the
front wheels locked and the rear wheels
free to revolye, the little machine will
travel straight ahead without any in
dication of skidding, even though the
incline be unusually steep.
Ask any of your motoring chums who
spend their vacations in touring Amer
! ica's foreground, background a.id the
country in between, and almost unani-
mously they will answer that skid
ding is worse where two wheels on one
side of the car are locked than II the
rear wheels alone are locked" Uncle
Sans experiments, however, tend to
snow OJTlerWlSe. WHICH logically eA-
plodes another tradition of popular mo-
toring experience.
Both the laboratory trials and prac-
tical road tests have demonstrated that
the most serious skidding results where
, the rear wheels of the motor car are
! locked. Pivoting is more likely to occur
under such conditions than where one
front and one rear wheel on the same
side of the car are locked.
X X n
TN the road tests several cars of ma
tional prominence equipped with
four wheel brakes were used. These
, brakes were disconnected and then ad-
justed to suit the requirements of the
various tests. In one instance, the rear
, wheel brakes were disconnected and
only the front-wheel brakes were used
to stop the machine. In another ex-
pertinent, the braking arrangement WAS
reversed. In additional tests, the brakes
on but one rear and one front wheel
on each side of the motor car were
| used.
The majority Of motor cars With
four wheel brskes are serviced so that
the preponderance Of braking force is
exerted on the rear wheels when the
Evening star., 1928-12-09
Antics of Sddng Motor Cars May Soon Be Greatly Reduc
Delivers Into Find Few Battling Puzzles but Have Decided
That Some FronWheel Braking Effective in Approaching
Better Conditions

And even at present, certain aspects
Of the mooted pivoting problem still
battle science. The specuations of the
average motorist on this topic are
usually anything that he wants them
to be. For there exists only a mini
mum of demonstrated facts and figures
to say him nay.
From Uncle Sans simple tests, made
at the Bureau of Standards with tiny
models Of automobiles, definite data
have developed which throw consider
able light on the subject. But much
more research must be begun and COM
pleted before all the major and minor
causes and effects of pivoting are ex-
posed and explained in ordinary layman
language which Bill" Smith and
Tom" Jones can understand.
&EVERAL of the automotive engineers
Of the Bureau of Standards applied
some of the practical information that
accrued from the inclined plane and
toy automobile tests to the readjust-
ment of brakes on their private motor
cars. Subsequently they have tested the
machines under the gamut of highway
and touring conditions. They are con-
vinced of the wisdom and drastic need
of certain revolutionary brake readjust-
ments.
Merely to suggest such changes in
braking system to a certain class of
timorcus drivers is to breed verbal
pyrotechnics and dynamic adjectives
Yet in the cause of greater driving
safety it has to be done
When weather conditions are unfa-
vorable the highway is slippery and
you lock the rear wheels of your car,
equipped with two-wheel brakes. The
car will almost inevitably pivot because
of its unstable equilibrium. The direc-
ton of this skid will be influenced most
by the direction of the curve on which
the car may be travelling at the time of
locking. This pivot may be either to
the right or left If the skid is par
ticularly violent, the center of gravity
of the automobile may follow approx
mately straight line, although the
wheels will describe a series of curves
of large radius. The car will pirouette
around in the direction of the skid,
dependent on its velocity, the abrupt
ness of brake application and slipperi-
ness of the pavement.
If you doubt this fact. stop In some
day at the Bureau Of Standards and
Evening star., 1928-12-09

so patient, so good. He had seen better
days.
'He was the son of a count or
count himself. But had long line of
ancestry stretching back to the ten
Doges. Grandmother, mother and
children all became interested In him.
It was not long before he became a
member of the family, and dined at the
family table. He was an Italian noble
man who had been obliged to teach
dancing for living, and, even II he
were not. why should Peggy O'Neil turn
up her nose at him, when she was only
the daughter of an Irish tavern keeper;
at all events she didn't.
"It was not long before Bucignini
paid assiduous court to her, and the
lady listened She was old enough to
be his mother. but that, perhaps, was
not so bad. December and May have
united before and since, and the world
has not made much noise about 1t.
This was only October and May, and
yet there was a great ado over 1t.
known better-when they saw how 1t
turned out.
Mrs. Eaton and Mr.. Bucignini were
married and In little while were for
gotten again. Step by step he got
possession of her property. He treated
her with the utmost courtesy. The
children, who were at first the most
incensed, were, one by one. won back
to the old-time appreciation of his
character and goodness. He was oily
and shrewd. His wife had some ready
cash--$26,00 she says it was. 1t lay
in the Gramercy Park Bank of New
York. Mr.. Bucignini was tired of
Washington, tired of seeing the curious
point at him and stare at him, and
wanted to live in New York and go
into business there.
Mrs. Eaton drew out her $4,000 and
gave it to him. He invested 1t in
valuable cigar store, and soon lost it.
Evening star., 1928-12-09
Better Conditions.

machines are delivered to their owners.
In many cases. six-tenths of the brak-
ing power is applied to the rear wheels
while four-tenths Is centralized on the
front wheels. In at least one make Of
popular car, the mechanism for brake
adjustment Is such that as the car
grows older In service the preponder-
ance of braking effort shifts from the
rear wheels to the. front wheels.
Practical and scientific research shows
that skidding would be ameliorated and
less serious accidents would multiply an
nually If four-wheel brakes were so adj
justed that most of braking force were
concentrated on the front wheels in
stead of being centered on the rear
wheels. The automotive authorities in
Uncle Sans professional service verify
this.
Skidding due to the action Of brakes
quickly and forcibly applied at time
OF need and pivoting due to the action
of curve are two identical cases of the
selfsame motoring phenomenon. Dur
ing unpropitious weather, when high
ways are slippery, the driver should
proceed as cautiously as possible with
out checking the normal flow of traffic
along arterial highways, main Travelled
roads and city thoroughfares. This
nledIlS IIldb lie SIlOulu mOQuldCe his
speed according to the sexigencies of the
highway at hand and the road ahead.
This Is particularly important as re-
lates to going around blind curves or
where the necessity of abrupt changes
of direction may develop.
If the ordinary motor6t would reduce
to minimum the hazards of skidding,
he should have his four-wheel brakes
adjusted So that, say, 60 per cent of the
braking power Is focused on the front
wheels, with the balance of the brakage
directed to the rear wheels.
X X X
TAR models with the front wheels
locked and the rear wheels free. to
turn negotiate the steepest "hills" with
out any evidences of skidding. A stand
ard motor car with the braking force
centered chiefly on the forward wheels
can be driven safely on slippery streets
and around curves at velocity much
greater than otherwise would be safe.
The popular objection to such an adjust
ment is that the driver will lose steer
ing control However, merely by re-
leasing his brake, he can regain steer.
ing control at any moment. so that this
Evening star., 1928-12-09

objection Is not as vital as it appears
to be at first glance. The simple way
In which to avoid turnover or acci-
dent on a curve--where maximum
braking Is exerted on the front wheels
lis to release the brakes and steer
forthwith in the safe direction.
For example. let's suppose that my
car is adjusted with three-fifths front
wheel braking force. Traversing a
slippery curve meet with the condi-
tions which ordinarily would result in
a dangerous pivot If the rear wheels of
a motor common-with the customary
four-wheel brake adjustment - en-
countered similar conditions. I apply
my brakes so that the front wheels lock
momentarily before the rear wheels
come to a stop. My car, instead OF
pivoting, continues straight forward.
But as am proceeding around curve,
the machine will turn turtle If 1t con-
tinues straight ahead. Hence after the
velocity of my car is checked adequately,
release the brake and steer in the de-
sired direction which carries 1t forward
in safety around the curve.
In the case where the brakes are so
readjusted the operator has chance to
pick the spot into which he will steer
Where car with two-wheel brakes that
function on the rear wheels meets with
similar road danger, the driver has no
option as to where his car will sweep
in the course of its gyrations
The same Is true of straightaway
driving. If, because of any sudden
hazard which obligates an immediate
curtailment Of speed apply my brakes
abruptly, the car will come to halt
from high velocity in remarkably
short space Any tendency which under
ordinary adjustment would engender
pivot is condensed in straightforward
motion of the machine instead of in
sidewise spinning Steering is momen-
tarily eliminated from the picture, but
by releasing the brake. can at once
gain steering control after I have slack
ened the speed-and escaped the threat
ening danger
Front-wheel braking as a rule means
maximum braking power. 1t is de-
batablc question among motorists
whether such full force brakage is de-
sirable at all times. II driver can
have 1t available for emergencies and
not use 1t constantly at full pressure"
1t is desirable Translated into car op-
Grafton this means the discreet, judi
cious use Of the brakes. The driver
Evening star., 1928-12-09

Rev Doctor Balch. in Georgetown,
which had been established about the
close Of the Revolutionary War.
Though recorded as an Episcopalian,
Thomas Jefferson, too, was considered
a free thinker. He was probably the
best informed man on the Bible who
, ever sat in the White House. and copy
OF the Scriptures arranged by him, and
known as the Jefferson Bible, is on eX-
hibition in the Natural History Build
ing of the National Museum.
While President Mr.. Jefferson prob
ably attended divine service OCCASION
ally in the tobacco warehouse on New
Jersey avenue, purchased from Daniel
Carroll. or in the corridor OF the new
War Office. where Rev. A. T. McCor-
mick preached to his flock each Sab
bath afternoon at o'clock. There Is
probably no question as to Mr.. Jeffer-
son also attending now and then nearby
Episcopal churches, including those Of
Georgetown.
James Madison was a dyed-inthe
wool Episcopalian, and probably fol-
lowed Jefferson'S example in visiting
the different Episcopal churches until
the erection of ST. Johns Church at
Sixteenth and H streets northwest,
when he made this church his regular
place Of worship. Incidentally. the
corner stone of this structure was laid
September IA, 1915, by the Grand
Lodge of MaSons, with Right Worship
full Grand Master John Davidson pre-
siding. This popular man was the son
of Gen. John Davidson of Annapolis,
Md, who was one of the original pro-
prietOrs of the land within the District
of Columbia, his farm running from
arb nyfh RI K
street and from about Ninth street to
Fifteenth street. John Davidson, the
son, was born and resided in Richmond,
Va, until he had reached early adult
life, when he moved to this city, and
for many years thereafter was resi-
dent of the first ward and conducted
what was known as DavidSon'S Wharf,
near the mouth of Rock Greek. He was
prominent and active citizen, and
identified with all the progressive move
mentS of the period. In common with
the leading citizens of that early day,
he was member of the Union Fire
Company, which held many of its meet
ings at his house.
In 1920 the west tranSept of st.
Johns was extended to Sixteenth street
and its pillared porch and Steeple were
built, and in 1922 it was further digni-
fed with bell in its belfry. while from
here Mrs MadiSon'S funeral took place
in 1849. The pew set apart in this
church for the President was also occu-
pied t7 James Monroe, who was a. COM
municant of that faith.
X X X
John QUINCY ADAMS was originally
Unitarian, but little more than
a year after his Inauguration he made
public confession of faith and was
received into the membership of the
Congregational Church in Quincy, Mass.
Wilhelmus Bogart Bryan in his His
tory of the National Capital" speaking
Evening star., 1928-12-09

ranged as to initiate the various road
emergencies involved in down-hill skid
ding wrote its own history" The car
bon paper traced its wheel tracks--the
wheels acted as substitute pencils
so that a technical record was made of
each descent.
Motorists from Maryland to Mexico.
from Ohio to Oregon have been argu-
ing for years over the causes and ac-
tions of skidding Pivoting has been
a controversial subject. Some claimed
the motor car did such and SO in skid
ding under certain conditions. Others
claimed it did otherwise. The reviews
of accidents were hodgepodges Of con-
flicting opinions. Standardized expla-
nations of pivoting were never filtered
from this nliscellaney Of evidence.
Evening star., 1928-12-09

her account a disturbance broke out in
the cabinet and also in the church.
The "old hero" insisted on the recog-
milton of Mrs. Eaton by the young pas
tor, but Campbell was stubborn and
would not yield, whereupon Jackson left
the Second Church for the First, where
he remained till the close Of his public
life.
q Poor Margaret O'Neil! Her two
great faults-if faults they were-were
that she was handsome and was the
daughter of John O'Neil, a tavern
keeper, who, from business stand
point, would compare with the hotel
proprietor of the present day. Her
end was very sad, indeed Perhaps you
are familiar with her marriage to
Lieut.. Timberlake, her husbands death,
and her subsequent marriage to Gen.
John H. Eaton, who became President
Jacksons Secretary OF War.
X Il X
RECOMING widow for the second
time, she, however. was left with
an ample support. She had three
daughters, all of whom were married,
and for herself there seemed the prom
ise Of serene old age. But fate willed
otherwise. Her subsequent life, even
interesting at the present time, Is well
told in an old narrative:
Included in the property left her
by Gen. Eaton was a store with hall
in the upper story, used generally as a
dancing hail. and one day one of her
grandchildren brought home with him
an italian dancing master named Bu-
cignini, from whom they desired to
take lessons Would she rent him the
hall?' was the burden of his errand,
and could she permit the rent to be
paid in tuition?' She could and
would So Maestro Bucignini was in
stalled as tenant, and began to earn his
humble income. The children became
attached to him. He was so affiable,
Evening star., 1928-12-09

that during slippery weather the aver
age operator should drive so cautious
ly as to avoid dangers from skidding.
In practice, motorists as class do
not drive safely and sanely on such
occasions. They have important en-
gagements to meet. They travel at
customary dry-weather speed. Acci-
dents by the million result each year
from skidding, even though the records
do not classify them as such. Any
recommendations which will decrease
this sacrifice of human life and limb
are particular boons to all motordon.
The motorist who operates car with
two-wheel brakes can decrease the
dangers of Sow S'Iids IL he will ma
neuver his machine In such a way as
to- use the front wheels as temporary
ctirbs on the vagaries Of the rear
wheels.
Evening star., 1928-12-09
MODEL AUTOMOBILE EQUIPPED WITH ELECTRICAL BRAKES

must not apply them suddenly full
force unless there is dire danger With
front-wheel brake control he can stop
his machine SO quickly that the pas
sengers riding in that car may be in
jured by being hurled forward violent
ly as the automobile stops. There is
the added menace that trailing car
may not be able to stop as rapidly on
signal and might jam into the forward
machine from the rear.
hk X X
nURING wet, slippery weather, the
great majority of automobile acci-
dents are due directly or indirectly to
skidding. Yet the annual records of
the principal tourist States which keep
tab on automobile snash-ups do not
classify specific cases as due to pivot
ing. They take the arbitrary stand
Evening star., 1928-12-09

we read the unqualified statement that
a certain President attended service at
some particular church. the statement
may mean nothing. One must bear in
mind that the President is a public Of
ficial, and as such is frequently called
upon to attend Divine service in church.
es holding different faith from that of
his own, and in this connection it is not
rare thing, by any means, for the
President to attend mass at st. Patircks
Church here in Washington when the
diplomats of the South American Re-
publics go there to celebrate some par
ticular event. The President of the
United States presides over more than
115,000 900 people of all sorts of de-
nominations, and the President, as
such. shows no partiality in visiting
among the various churches.
Recently the writer attended service
at the Washington Heights Presbyterian
Church and had the pleasure of seeing
President Coolidge there, but this, Of
course, did not mean that Mr. Coolidge
was Presbyterian, for we all know he
is Congregationalist.
WHEN Gen. Andrew Jackson became
President, he first took pew at
the Second Presbyterian Church, now
known as the New York Avenue Presby-
terian Church. on New York avenue be-
tween Thirteenth and Fourteenth
streets. Subsequently he gave up this
house of worship for the First Presby-
terian Church, on John Marshall place.
This change was brought about by the
indifference paid to Mrs. Eaton-other-
s.frn lrRHn tlA ta1N tnI
O'Neil-by the young pastor, Rev. John
N. Campbell, who afterward became
pastor of large church In Albany.
N. Y, where he labored successfully
for many years and where he closed his
life. Gen. Eaton was member Of
Jacksons cabinet, and Mrs. Eaton had
a stanch friend in "Old Hickory" On